Drive mechanism

Most rigs are now fitted with a system whereby the drill string is rotated by a drive mechanism in the mast rather than by the rotary table at rig floor level. Thus 90 foot sections can be drilled before connections need to be made, and the drill string can be rotated while pulling out of the hole in 90 foot sections. This improved system, which speeds up the operation and allows better reaming of the hole is known as top drive. 

In Section 5.2.8 we shall look at pressure-depth relationships, and will see that the relationship is a linear function of the density of the fluid. Since water is the one fluid which is always associated with a petroleum reservoir, an understanding of what controls formation water density is required. Additionally, reservoir engineers need to know the fluid properties of the formation water to predict its expansion and movement, which can contribute significantly to the drive mechanism in a reservoir, especially if the volume of water surrounding the hydrocarbon accumulation is large. 

Keywords compressibility, primary-, secondary- and enhanced oil-recovery, drive mechanisms (solution gas-, gas cap-, water-drive), secondary gas cap, first production date, build-up period, plateau period, production decline, water cut, Darcy s law, recovery factor, sweep efficiency, by-passing of oil, residual oil, relative permeability, production forecasts, offtake rate, coning, cusping, horizontal wells, reservoir simulation, material balance, rate dependent processes, pre-drilling. 

The expansion of the reservoir fluids, which is a function of their volume and compressibility, act as a source of drive energy which can act to support primary producf/on from the reservoir. Primary production means using the natural energy stored in the reservoir as a drive mechanism for production. Secondary recovery would imply adding some energy to the reservoir by injecting fluids such as water or gas, to help to support the reservoir pressure as production takes place. 

It is possible that more than one of these drive mechanisms occur simultaneously the most common combination being gas cap drive and natural aquifer drive. Material balance techniques are applied to historic production data to estimate the contribution from each drive mechanism. 

Gas reservoirs are produced by expansion of the gas contained in the reservoir. The high compressibility of the gas relative to the water in the reservoir (either connate water or underlying aquifer) make the gas expansion the dominant drive mechanism. Relative to oil reservoirs, the material balance calculation for gas reservoirs is rather simple. A major challenge in gas field development is to ensure a long sustainable plateau (typically 10 years) to attain a good sales price for the gas the customer usually requires a reliable supply of gas at an agreed rate over many years. The recovery factor for gas reservoirs depends upon how low the abandonment pressure can be reduced, which is why compression facilities are often provided on surface. Typical recovery factors are In the range 50 to 80 percent. 

The primary drive mechanism for gas field production is the expansion of the gas contained in the reservoir. Relative to oil reservoirs, the material balance calculations for gas reservoirs is rather simple the recovery factor is linked to the drop in reservoir pressure in an almost linear manner. The non-linearity is due to the changing z-factor (introduced in Section 5.2.4) as the pressure drops. A plot of (P/ z) against the recovery factor is linear if aquifer influx and pore compaction are negligible. The material balance may therefore be represented by the following plot (often called the P over z plot). 

Section 8.2 indicated the ranges of recovery factors which can be anticipated for different drive mechanisms, but these were too broad to use when trying to establish a range of recovery factors for a specifio field. The main techniques for estimating the recovery factor are... 

The production profile for oil or gas is the only source ofrevenueior most projects, and making a production forecast is of key importance for the economic analysis of a proposal (e.g. field development plan, incremental project). Typical shapes of production profile for the main drive mechanisms were discussed in Section 8.2, but this section will provide some guidelines on how to derive the rate of build-up, the magnitude and duration of the plateau, the rate of decline, and the abandonment rate. 

A considerable percentage (40% - 85%) of hydrocarbons are typically not recovered through primary drive mechanisms, or by common supplementary recovery methods such as water flood and gas injection. This is particularly true of oil fields. Part of the oil that remains after primary development is recoverable through enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods and can potentially slow down the decline period. Unfortunately the cost per barrel of most EOR methods is considerably higher than the cost of conventional recovery techniques, so the application of EOR is generally much more sensitive to oil price. 

The material of interest is dissolved in a volatile solvent, spread on the surface and allowed to evaporate. As the sweep moves across, compressing the surface, the pressure is measured providing t versus the area per molecule, a. Care must be taken to ensure complete evaporation [1] and the film structure may depend on the nature of the spreading solvent [78]. When the trough area is used to calculate a, one must account for the area due to the meniscus [79]. Barnes and Sharp [80] have introduced a remotely operated barrier drive mechanism for cleaning the water surface while maintaining a closed environment. 

Fig. 37. Driving mechanisms used in secondary compressors (174). See text.

Typically, the power iaput ranges from W/kg (0.25—0.75 horsepower units/gal) of processed mass. Hydraulic drives, mechanical, and electronic controls are also used to achieve variation in speed of the blades for efficient processing. 

The Weissenbetg Rheogoniometer is well suited to research on homogeneous viscoelastic fluids and elastic melts. For oscillatory shear a second motor-drive mechanism is added. This allows the use of 60 frequencies in the range of 7.6 x 10 to 40 Hz at ampHtudes between 2 x 10 and 3 X 10 rad. An electronic circuit improves the precision of oscillatory measurements, particularly at frequencies neat the natural resonance frequency of the instmment itself (298). 

The center-drive mechanism and feed launder are usually supported by a walkway that extends across one-half or the whole diameter of the basin. Devices having drive mechanisms and rakes supported by a tmss across the diameter of the thickener are referred to as bridge machines. The bridge thickeners usually do not exceed 25—45 m in diameter. In thickeners with larger diameters, the drive mechanism is supported by a central column or pier and the rates are driven and supported by a drive cage. The sediment is discharged into an aimular trench around the bottom of the column. 

Modem gilling is highly productive, largely as a result of improved drive mechanisms for the pinned bats. A modem machine can deUvet at 400... 

Design Features There are three classes of thickeners, each differentiated by its drive mechanism (1) bridge-supported, (2) center-column supported, and (3) traction drives. The diameter of the tank will range from 2 to 150 m (6.5 to 492 ft), and the support structure often is related to the size required. These classes are described in detail in the subsection Components and Accessories for Sedimentation Units. ... 

Center-drive mechanisms are also installed in square tanks. This mechanism differs from the standard circiilar mechanism in that a hinged corner blade is provided to sweep the corners which lie outside the path of the main mechanism. 

Clarmer-Thickener Clarifiers can serve as thickeners, achieving additional densification in a deep sludge sump adjacent to the center that extends a shoi t distance radi ly and provides adequate retention time and pulp depth to compact the solids to a high density. Drive mechanisms on this type of clarifier usually must have higher torque capability than would be supplied on a standard clarifier. 

Drive-Support Structures There are three basic drive mechanisms. These are (1) the bridge-supported mechanism, (2) the center-... 

Rake drive controls protec t the drive mechanism from damage and usually incorporate an alarm to indicate high torque with an interlock to shut down the drive at a higher torque level. They can have an automated rake raising and lowering feature with a device to indicate the elevation of the rakes. 

The development of improved supports and drive mechanisms has allowed gyratory crushers to take over most large hard-ore and mineral-crushing applications. The largest expense of these units is in relining them. Operation is intermittent so power demand is high, but the total power cost is not great. 

Mechanical Drives. Mechanical drive gas turbines are widely used to drive pumps and compressors. Their application is widely used by offshore and petrochemical industrial complexes. These turbines must be operated at various speeds and thus usually have a gasifier section and a power section. These units in most cases are aero-derivative turbines, turbines, which were originally designed for aircraft application. There are some smaller frame type units, which have been converted to mechanical drive units with a gasifier and power turbine. 

Problems with controLrod drive mechanism and/or 24. Loss of condensate pumps (all loops)... 

I Hubble, W. H. and C. F. Miller, Data Summaries of Licensee Event Reports of Control Rods and Drive Mechanisms at U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants, January 1, 1972-April 30. 1978, EG G, January 1980. 

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