Vision can be used with Cyclops and Sasquatch to monitor plunger arrivals in real time at site.  With Vision, operators can view the raw signals used for Geomagnetic Sensing.  The sensors are put into a Full Debug Mode where the magnetic field readings are streamed to Vision.  This is displayed in a graphical format so the user can see exactly how and when a plunger moves the earth’s magnetic field.  As the plunger nears the sensor, Vision will indicate when an arrival has occurred and what the measured velocity (from Sasquatch) is.  Seeing this in real time allows the operator to adjust the position of the sensor or the sensitivity to see how the sensor performance is affected.

Vision is also used to manage the software that is running on ETC’s devices.  It automatically checks ETC’s server for new versions of software when connected to the internet.  The software files are made available for on-site download to any controller or sensor.  You are never stuck with the version of software that came with your ETC device.

Vision now supports connecting to Modbus devices such as Sasquatch to get real time configuration and status information.  This allows an operator to install and interact with Sasquatch without having to connect it into an RTU.  Soon Vision will also support interacting with ETC controllers via Modbus as well.

To download Vision, click here. You will also need the Link hardware, so please contact us for information on how to order.

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A new specification from the American Petroleum Institute (API), 11 PL is emerging in plunger lift, covering plunger lift lubricators and related equipment. Operators and equipment manufacturers have collaborated over the last few years to create a common set of standards for the plunger lift industry to help identify quality manufacturers who properly design, construct, and test plunger lift equipment for reliable, safe operation.

One of the main outputs of this new standard is the requirement for manufacturers to provide a kinetic energy rating for their lubricator and spring combinations.  This rating helps to identify the types of impacts that their equipment can take and allows the control system to compare real time kinetic energy measurements. Kinetic energy allows us to measure, track, and react to real impacts at surface instead of relying on velocity or over engineering of equipment to ensure safe and reliable operation of a plunger lift well.

The kinetic energy of an arriving plunger can be calculated using the mass and velocity of the plunger.

The mass of the plunger is already specified by plunger manufacturers leaving us to measure velocity at surface in real time in order to calculate the kinetic energy.  Historically, operators have been content to rely on average velocity of a plunger, which is calculated from the well depth and the time for the plunger to rise.  This is not nearly accurate enough to be used for the kinetic energy calculation as it does not account for acceleration or deceleration and whether the plunger started at bottom of the well or not.

The Sasquatch plunger velocity sensor is a new innovation from ETC that uses Geomagnetic Sensing Technology™ to measure, store, and relay the plunger arrival and the surface velocity of the plunger.  This gives an accurate velocity of the plunger in real time just before it strikes the anvil. The ALiEn2 plunger lift controller or any other real time plunger control system can take the surface velocity and combine it with the mass of the plunger to get the kinetic energy of each plunger arrival.  This can be compared to a user defined threshold to determine if any other action needs to be taken.

In all ETC controllers, the user can specify both a hard hit and dangerous hit threshold. The controller watches for a specified number of consecutive hard hits and will automatically shut down operation of the plunger well to protect equipment.  If a plunger arrives that exceeds the dangerous hit threshold, the operation of the well will be stopped immediately to allow the operator to inspect the equipment before continuing.

ETC is also working with a number of operators to refine a predictive maintenance model for spring wear.  This model takes the cumulative kinetic energy of each plunger arrival and uses it to predict when a spring will fail.  The goal of this technology is to reduce the number of physical inspections, while reducing the amount of premature replacements.  Currently, most operators either replace their springs on a schedule, causing issues when springs fail early, but also replacing springs that may last for longer periods of time. Many other operators simply run their springs to failure, leaving the opportunity for catastrophic failures that could be easily prevented.

For more information on API 11 PL, please contact ETC. To learn how ETC uses velocity for safety and maintenance in plunger lift, click here. For information on our new Plunger Velocity Diagnostic Kit, click here.

The post Using Kinetic Energy for Plunger Lift Safety and Maintenance appeared first on Extreme Telematics Corp..

Click to enlarge

Wireless sensor networks are becoming more common in the oilfield than ever before.  Adoption of short range wireless networks has been much slower in oil and gas than in other industries, simply because the technology has historically been unreliable.  Batteries would not hold up, and the communication link was not reliable enough for real time systems.  On top of that, radios were not certified for use in hazardous location and were typically too expensive to justify their use.

Most of these problems have now been eliminated or mitigated enough to be relied on for everyday monitoring applications such as reading pressures, tank levels, plunger arrivals, and more. This provides a lot of flexibility as it eliminates the cost of lengthy runs of cable, allows signals to more easily cross from one hazardous zone to another, and eliminates the need for numerous physical inputs.

The Iris Wireless Bridge nodes are certified as Class 1 Div 1 and connect to a wide variety of inputs including discrete switches, analog transducers, Modbus, HART, turbines, and RTDs.  All of the nodes connect back to a single gateway that can pass two discrete signals back and/or make all the remote sensor readings available through the Modbus interface.

The replaceable battery in the remote node is not only able to power the internal radio, but is also capable of intermittently powering a pressure transducer for 7 years, or continuously powering a Cyclops Plunger Arrival Sensor for 3 years. Using the solar power option, a Sasquatch Plunger Velocity Sensor or Cyclops can be powered perpetually. Combined with a range of ½ mile and a temperature range of -40°C to + 60°C, reliable, long last communication has been achieved.

With a more robust, reliable, and long lasting communication link, wireless sensor networks are rapidly replacing wires throughout the oilfield, and are the preferred choice for operators North America wide.

Get in touch with us for more information on ETC’s wireless network solution!

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More about ALiEn2

Load Factor Formula:

Load Factor = (Casing –Tubing) / (Casing – Line) x 100%

The ALiEn2 Expert plunger lift controller checks to make sure that the load factor is less than a predefined set point (i.e. 50%) before opening the well to rise the plunger.  If Load Factor is above the set point, the controller will wait for the pressure to build enough to reduce the Load Factor below the set point. Once the set point is reached, the controller opens the sales valve, allowing the plunger to rise to the surface. The load factor is not checked again until the controller has returned to Close and is ready to once again open to Rise.

The Load Factor feature was recently added to the ALiEn2 Expert controller.  If you wish to use this feature, you will require the ETC pressure splitter, 3 pressure transducers, and a special build of firmware that can be downloaded to the controller via Link using Vision. The Load Factor firmware is currently downloaded automatically to Vision.

Ask a Question   Find a Reseller   More about Vision   Download Vision

The post Using Load Factor with the ALiEn2 Plunger Lift Controller appeared first on Extreme Telematics Corp..

Our entire process is detailed in our Electronic Product Design Brochure, but we’re often asked for examples of our process in action. We’d love to share with you a two-part blog series we published last year detailing 10-Steps in the product development and electronic design process:

Part One

Part Two

We’ve written a number of informational articles in the interest of sharing our knowledge of electronic embedded design & manufacturing. Some of these posts are listed below; feel free to browse our blog for additional posts.

• 7 Ways to Limit Software Bugs
• What is Potting and Why is it Used?
• What is Conformal Coating and Why Do I need it?
• Ensuring Electronics Work in Extreme Temperatures
• The Evolution of Hazardous Locations Standards
• Devices Should Not Be Disposable

At ETC, we are passionate about solving electronic design problems. After all, that’s what engineering is really all about! Our team of creative, results-driven professional problem-solvers love a good challenge. A few years ago, we learned of a fairly common problem in the oil & gas market that led to safety issues, spills, and lost production. Our team set out to solve this problem, and the recently-released Sasquatch plunger velocity sensor is the solution. During development, we worked together to overcome many unexpected obstacles, some of which we’ve shared in this blog about Designing a Plunger Velocity Sensor.

The post The Art of Electronic Product Design appeared first on Extreme Telematics Corp..

• Support for the new Iris Wireless Bridge: Check out the new tab in Vision 4.0 called “Iris” that will be used for advanced configuration of the Iris nodes and gateway.
• Access to Resources: Another new tab you will find is “Resources”.  The Resources tab will have application notes, brochures, certification documents, manuals, and other supporting documents and tools for our products. Please note we are discontinuing use of the ETC mobile app, effective May 31, 2016.
• Easier Access: You will no longer require a username and password each time you sign into Vision. All of your access will be determined by your email address.

Vision will still include all of the other standard features you’re used to, organized into easy to use tabs for your convenience.

What you need to know about the changes ahead:

If you’re already using Vision, you DO NOT need to download & install it all over again. The next time you open Vision you will be prompted to update. Once the update is complete you will be asked to provide the following information:

Email address*

First name

Last name

Once you have entered the above information in the appropriate fields, click on the register button. A confirmation email will immediately be sent to the address you provided. Open the email and click on the link to confirm. Once this is done, click ‘Use Vision’.

*You MUST use your company email address, as the email domain (ie. @etcorp.ca) will be used to determine which resources are available to you, and the firmware that gets download to your computer. This is especially important for customers with custom branded controls and sensors. An unrecognized or generic domain will provide access to resources related only to ETC’s ‘house brand’ products.

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