Basic Understanding Of Remote Control Consoles

This Remote Consoles equipment consists of components such as an oil tank, pumping unit, accumulator group, manifold, various valve groups, monitoring instruments, and an electrical control cabinet. Its core function is to generate high-pressure control fluid using the pumping unit and store it in the accumulator group. When it is necessary to open or close the blowout preventer, the high-pressure control fluid stored in the accumulator is precisely distributed to each controlled unit (blowout preventer or control manifold) through a three-position four-way directional control valve built into the manifold.

Equipped with a dual independent power supply system to ensure reliable power supply;

• The accumulator group has sufficient high-pressure fluid reserves to meet the needs of BOP opening and closing operations. The accumulator system adopts a four-group modular design, so even if a single accumulator or a group of accumulators fails, the capacity loss will not exceed 25% of the total capacity. Each fluid line is equipped with a pressure source isolation valve and a pressure relief valve, and the pressure relief valve is equipped with a pressure relief line to safely discharge pressure to the outside of the device;

• Both the electric oil pump and the pneumatic oil pump are equipped with automatic start-stop control mechanisms, which can operate independently according to system pressure requirements;

• The opening and closing actions of each BOP are controlled by a dedicated three-position four-way directional control valve.

Driller's Control Console

The driller's control console is typically deployed in the drilling platform's operating area, allowing drillers to remotely control the blowout preventer (BOP). In addition, an auxiliary driller's control console is usually installed in the control room for emergency operations in case of critical situations.

• Uses compressed air as the working medium, ensuring operational safety from the source;

• The valve cores of each pneumatic rotary valve adopt a Y-shaped structure and have an automatic reset function, ensuring that the control commands from the remote console to the BOP stack are transmitted normally and without interference under any working conditions;

• Features an operating status memory function. Each three-position four-way pneumatic rotary valve is connected to a dedicated display cylinder. When the rotary valve is operated to the "open" or "closed" position, the display window will synchronously reflect the corresponding status indicator. Even if the pneumatic rotary valve handle is reset, the display status remains unchanged, allowing operators to track the previous operation;

• To ensure the reliability and accuracy of the BOP stack's operation, the rotary valves on the driller's control console use a two-stage operation mechanism: the first step requires rotating the air source rotary valve to connect the air source, and only then can the control rotary valve be rotated to activate the corresponding controlled object.

• The pneumatic control type driller's control console can be integrated and upgraded with a remote control consoles with alarm functions, forming a driller's control system with alarm functions. This upgraded system can issue audible and visual alarm signals for fault conditions such as abnormal accumulator pressure, motor overload, and abnormal air source pressure.

Hydraulic System Control Principle

• The pressurized hydraulic fluid stored in the accumulator group is processed through the accumulator isolation valve (high-pressure ball valve) and filter device, then depressurized by a pressure reducing and overflow valve, and finally enters the control manifold, reaching the inlet of each three-position four-way directional control valve. Meanwhile, the pressurized hydraulic fluid from the accumulator group, after being filtered, enters the pressure reducing and overflow valve specifically for the annular blowout preventer, and after depressurization, supplies power fluid exclusively to the annular blowout preventer. The operator can quickly complete the "opening" and "closing" actions of the blowout preventer by simply pushing the handle of the corresponding three-position four-way directional control valve.
• The switching action of the three-position four-way directional control valve can also be remotely controlled through the driller's control console. The specific operation process is as follows: First, switch the three-position four-way pneumatic directional control valve controlling the air source switch on the driller's control console to the open position, and then operate other three-position four-way pneumatic directional control valves to complete the switching action. Compressed air is transported through the air lines to the remote control consoles, driving the corresponding cylinders to move, thereby driving the switching handles to move and achieving the position switching of the corresponding three-position four-way directional control valves on the Remote Consoles. Simultaneously with the switching of the pneumatic directional control valves on the driller's control console, the compressed air will push the pistons of the display cylinders, displaying "open" or "closed" indicators in the circular observation holes corresponding to each pneumatic directional control valve, intuitively indicating the current working status of each blowout preventer.

Pneumatic Oil Pump Control Principle

• The pneumatic hydraulic control system is equipped with a pneumatic oil pump. In special working conditions such as power failure or when electricity is prohibited, the system pressure can be maintained by the pneumatic oil pump or a manual oil pump.
• In a control system equipped with a pneumatic oil pump, the operating procedure is as follows: Open the air source switch valve and close the air bypass valve; compressed air enters the hydraulic-pneumatic linkage switch through the air source treatment component; when the manifold pressure is below 18.5 MPa (2500 psi), the hydraulic-pneumatic linkage switch automatically opens, and compressed air enters the pneumatic oil pump and drives it to operate. The output pressurized oil is injected into the manifold through a check valve; when the system pressure rises to approximately 21 MPa (3000 psi), the hydraulic-pneumatic linkage switch automatically closes under the action of the pressurized oil, cutting off the air supply, and the pneumatic oil pump stops running.

In special circumstances, if overpressure operation requires hydraulic oil with a pressure higher than 21 MPa (3000 psi), the oil must be supplied separately by the pneumatic oil pump. The following preparatory operations are required: First, close the accumulator isolation valve on the pipeline to prevent pressurized oil from flowing into the accumulator group; secondly, switch the bypass valves of the pressure reducing valve and overflow valve on the control manifold from the "closed" position to the "open" position; finally, open the bypass valve of the hydraulic-pneumatic linkage switch to disable it, ensuring that compressed air can directly enter and drive the pneumatic oil pump.