Integrated Hydraulic Control for Long-Stroke Pumping Unit Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Moving large tower-style long-stroke pumping units away from the wellhead for maintenance or repair is complex and dangerous, often requiring multiple personnel and risking tipping due to the need to lean the tower for wheel installation.
Innovation Solution
A long-stroke pumping unit with integrated hydraulic cylinders and vertical jacks controlled by a single power source and interface, allowing horizontal and vertical movement without leaning, facilitated by parallel rails and wheels, enabling safe and efficient repositioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wheels are added to the base of the tower-style long-stroke pumping unit to move the unit away from and toward the wellhead, then the unit can be repositioned to facilitate access to the wellhead, but the tower must be leaned to the side to add and remove the wheels, which risks tipping over the unit
Solution Approach 1:
The base frame is divided into a stationary portion and a movable portion that can be independently positioned. The movable portion includes wheels that can be engaged or disengaged from the stationary portion without requiring the tower to be leaned, allowing safe addition/removal of wheels while maintaining unit stability.
Solution Approach 2:
A movable portion with wheels acts as an intermediary between the stationary base frame and the tower. This intermediary component enables the unit to be moved away from and toward the wellhead while the tower remains vertical and stable, eliminating the need to lean the tower for wheel installation.
2Ease of operation
If multiple field personnel are used to provide lifting equipment, attach lifting equipment to the unit, move the unit away from the wellhead, and disengage the lifting equipment, then the unit can be moved for maintenance, but the complexity and danger of the operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable portion combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides wheels for horizontal movement, a lifting mechanism for vertical movement, and a control system for coordinated operation. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate lifting equipment and reduces the number of personnel required.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable portion is designed as a multi-functional component that can both lift and move the pumping unit. It serves as a universal mechanism that handles both vertical positioning and horizontal repositioning, reducing the need for specialized separate equipment and personnel.
3Productivity
If the long-stroke pumping unit is moved back into position for operation after maintenance, then the unit can resume pumping, but the complex process of attaching and detaching lifting equipment must be repeated
Solution Approach 1:
The movable portion is pre-configured with the lifting mechanism and wheels in a ready state. The control system is pre-programmed to automatically coordinate the lifting and moving actions, so that when maintenance is complete, the unit can be quickly repositioned without repeating the complex attachment and coordination process.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable portion is designed to be self-contained with an integrated control system that automatically coordinates lifting and moving operations. This self-service capability eliminates the need for multiple personnel to manually coordinate different lifting equipment, significantly reducing the time required to reposition the unit after maintenance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces the complexity and danger of moving the pumping unit by allowing single-point control and integration of lifting and moving equipment, minimizing personnel requirements and preventing tipping.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic cylinder having an end connected to the base frame or to the tower and an opposite end connected to the foundation; a first vertical hydraulic jack coupled to one of the pair of parallel rails at the end of the base frame; a second vertical hydraulic jack coupled to another of the pair of parallel rails at the end of the base frame; a hydraulic power source fluidly connected to the hydraulic cylinder, to the first vertical hydraulic jack, and to the second vertical hydraulic jack
Data Source
AI summary
A long-stroke pumping unit can be moved away from and toward the wellhead by using a single hydraulic power source via a control interface that is coupled to the hydraulic power source and configured to control both the vertical movement and the horizontal movement of the long-stroke pumping unit. The control interface can control the hydraulic power source for extension and retraction of a hydraulic cylinder for horizontal movement of the unit, and the same control interface can control the same hydraulic power source for extension and retraction of a first vertical hydraulic jack and a second vertical hydraulic jack of the long-stroke pumping unit for vertical movement of an end of the long-stroke pumping unit.