Design and Simulation of a Programmable Logic Controller for Remote Monitoring and Control of Satellite Oil and Gas Wells
Loading...
Date
2015-09-30
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study investigated development of an automatic controller for remote production restoration of oil and gas wells with a view to minimizing downtime by giving electronic logic alerts of problem areas to the system operator.
The conceptual design was based on the development of a ladder logic circuitry with variable input data such as high pressure, low pressure and valves position signals sensed as "ON" or "OFF" signal levels. These input data were scanned at predetermined time intervals using the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The "TRIlogi 5.3" educational computer application simulator was used to simulate the workability of the ladder logic program. A remotely operated PLC system constructed with transceivers was used to demonstrate the operations by running the ladder logic program with physical model using On/Off switches as inputs and light emitting diodes (LED) as output indication.
The results showed that operating the PLC logic program can achieve input variable monitoring by indicating the current statuses of the inputs with "ON" state as high pressure, "OFF" state as low pressure and "ON/OFF" as opened and closed valve positions respectively. The simulator did not require any physical connection to the target PLC, thereby offering the most effective way of testing and debugging ladder logic program prior of the hardware. Programming and debugging time were greatly reduced by making good use of the simulator feature to eliminate as many logic errors as possible before testing the program on the actual hardware. In addition, it reduced the chances of costly damage to the PLC machine due to programming errors. Moreover, it controlled the opening and closing of well production with the PLC output signals acting as feedback from the logical decision to operate end devices actuator coils with changed statuses indicated by the output LED.
In conclusion, the result of the system test established the workability of remote restoration of oil and gas production using a PLC for quick decision making.
Description
Keywords
Oil and gas wells, Remote restoration of oil and gas production