Challenge: Analyzing crude oil to understand overall quality
Solution: Creating and automating a measurement and analysis system for an existing centrifuge
Industry: Oil & Gas
Application: Product Development; Automation; Quality Assessment
Technologies: Centrifuge, Raspberry Pi 3
Company: LK Industries
"We were chosen as the product design firm for this application because of our extensive experience designing solutions for the oil and gas market. By kicking off the project with a wide-scale feasibility study, we used electronics prototyping to clearly show our customer how we could solve their challenge with an automated solution and created an end-to-end plan before beginning work.”
–John Amstadt, Senior Integration Architect, Erdos Miller
Background
A manufacturer of oil testing equipment offers clients a centrifuge product that is able to read and assess the makeup of an oil sample. When the company wanted enhance the centrifuge by automating the system, ultimately taking pressure off the operator and improving overall data reliability, they sought a product development partner to do so. Reliable, accurate data is critical to this application, as the quality measurement helps companies ensure they’re paying for the correct amount of oil.
With the current centrifuge, the process depends heavily on manual involvement. Running a centrifuge test includes having the operator remove oil from the tank, preheat the oil to get it to the correct temperature for the centrifuge, run the samples in the centrifuge for five minutes, and then manually read and record results. Operators keep a log that can be referenced and analyzed later.
The customer had a short timeline and needed to assess the potential for a solution, and then design and develop it, but needed a product design firm with experience in the oil and gas industry and specific technical expertise. The manufacturer chose to partner with Erdos Miller to solve the centrifuge challenge because of their experience in the oil and gas industry with down-hole device development and other rugged electronics applications.
Approach
The Erdos Miller team began this project with a large-scale feasibility study. With the feasibility study, the team took into consideration all factors – solution functionality, features, and reliability – to ensure that the application could actually be completed to specification, on time, and within budget. During the study, Erdos Miller identified the design that would suit the application best as well as the materials necessary to create the solution. This upfront investment in the product, before actually commercializing a solution, ultimately helped ensure success of the final solution.
Once the feasibility study was complete, Erdos Miller began creating the working prototype.
System
The product design team developed the new system to automate the centrifuge and data collection system. In addition, once data is collected, it is sent to a server for later reference.
The electronics inside the redesigned and updated centrifuge can control speed, monitor ambient temperature, and also feature a vision component. A camera allows users to take an image of the oil sample after it is spun and capture data related to the water and silt level in the sample to understand the oil contents. The system takes the measurement from the image and reports it to the operator.
For hardware, the new system uses a Raspberry Pi 3 board. Erdos Miller selected this hardware because of its onboard Bluetooth capabilities, open vision software, and affordability. A new motor drive also provided additional functionality and precise position control. The motor drive was selected for budgetary requirements as well as ease of use for the initial prototype.
The system captures data and transmits it via Bluetooth to a phone or other mobile devices.
Results
The new system provides automated functions, reducing the risk of human error and increasing system reliability. Because data is automatically recorded and transmitted, management can view and assess data anywhere, at any time.
One additional benefit of working with Erdos Miller was the ease of face-to-face meetings. With offices in Houston, Texas, Erdos Miller easily can connect with top oil and gas device makers in the area and bring deep experience with down-hole devices and other rugged electronics, helping companies remain or get to the forefront of innovation in the industry.
Currently, the solution is deployed in prototype form in three different units. After this phase, there are plans for large-scale commercialization so that this product and its benefits are available to a wide range of oil and gas companies.
David Taylor and Carl Webber
Erdos Miller LabVIEW Development
david.taylor@erdosmiller.com
carl.webber@erdosmiller.com
1-888-337-0869