International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET)

Volume 9, Issue 12, December 2018, pp. 1224–1231, Article ID: IJMET_09_12_124
Available online at http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJMET?Volume=9&Issue=12
ISSN Print: 0976-6340 and ISSN Online: 0976-6359

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METHODS AND FACILITIES FOR

MONITORING THE OPERATION OF A SUCKER
ROD PUMP
Yuriy Shinyakov, Maxim Sukhorukov, Daria Torgaeva and Andrey Soldatov
Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics,
Research Institute of Space Technology,Tomsk, Russia.

ABSTRACT
The article gives an overview of modern methods for monitoring the operation of a
sucker rod pump with a pumping jack to identify various equipment failures, among
which the two possible ones are determined: the dynamometric method and the
diagnostic method based on the analysis of active power diagrams (wattmetering).
With the help of the dynamometric method, it is possible to identify 3 groups of
failures in the operation of the sucker rod pumping unit: leakage of liquid from tubing
and valves; mechanical failures; failures connected with pumping a well fluid with
various impurities, i.e. control of submersible equipment. The most informative
method for the ground equipment monitoring is the wattmetering method. With this
method, it is possible to analyze the operation of an electric drive: current overload,
voltage deviation, phase distortion, a frequency deviation of the supply voltage,
determination of the harmonic ratio for the supply voltage, determination of the power
factor, etc. In addition, with the help of wattmeters it is possible to detect
characteristic faults in the mechanical part of the pumping jack: breakage and
slippage of belts, breakage of rods, slapping in a reducer, misbalance of
counterweights and some abnormal operating modes of submersible pumping
equipment: pump jamming, high or low plunger fit; faulty valves; low operating
efficiency of pump, etc.
Key words: Monitoring, sucker rod pump, dynamometering, wattmetering,
wattmetrogram.
Cite this Article: Yuriy Shinyakov, Maxim Sukhorukov, Daria Torgaeva and
Andrey Soldatov, Methods and Facilities for Monitoring the Operation of a Sucker
Rod Pump, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology 9(12),
2018, pp. 1224–1231.
http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJMET?Volume=9&Issue=12

1. INTRODUCTION
The correct solution of the monitoring task of the operational wells parameters influences to
the greatest extent the most effective development of oil deposits or works on the capital
repair of a particular well. The main operational parameters of oil wells include wellhead and

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 Methods and Facilities for Monitoring the Operation of a Sucker Rod Pump

annulus pressure, fluid temperatures, dynamic fluid level and mass flow rate [1]. To measure
these parameters a well logging is carried out [2], and the following main tasks are solved:
1. Alignment of the inflow profile.
2. Repair and insulation work to block certain intervals.
3. Determination of the most giving, and, therefore, the most promising inflow intervals for
development or vice versa - potentially dangerous for the subject of watering.
4. Definition of weakly giving or not working intervals, which can be subject to works on
stimulation of inflows (acid treatments, fracturing, etc.) later in order to increase oil recovery.
The system for determining the working thicknesses and inflow profiles involves analysis
of the inflow and outflow intervals, including the mandatory estimation of interval costs: the
composition of the inflow and outflow intervals, the quantitative estimation of interval
production rates for the components of the products extracted from the wells - water, oil, gas.
Poor cementation of the well or leakage of the casing may lead to water penetration along the
wellbore and, as a consequence, to the general watering of the formation. Such a harmful
effect can lead to the appearance of various defects in the design.

2. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
One of the most informative signals about the operation of the well is a deep thermogram that
records the temperature distribution along the wellbore. The thermogram makes it possible to
determine the geothermal gradient and inflow profiles, analyze the thermal processes in the
formation (during thermal impact, pumping cold water), and reserve recovery during
watering, monitor the technical condition of the wells and the operation of underground
downhole equipment [3]. In order to comprehensively determine the parameters of an oil
producing well, it is possible to install downhole monitoring systems. Thus, monitoring of
physical properties and technical parameters of the well is an urgent task of efficient use of
the oil producing well. Normal operation of a sucker rod pumping unit requires constant
monitoring of the operation of the main units for the timely elimination of emergencies.
To identify equipment malfunctions, various methods and means are used, that monitor
the operation of the sucker rod pumping unit with a pumping jack. There are two possible
options for determining equipment malfunctions without having to stop it and rise to the
surface: the dynamometric method and the diagnostic method based on the analysis of active
power diagrams (wattmetering).

3. DYNAMOMETRY
Information about operation of underground equipment of a sucker rod pumping unit for oil
recovery can be obtained by dynamometry. Dynamometering of a sucker rod pumping unit is
the most important source of information about operation of the sucker rod pump, rod string,
the condition of the bottomhole, etc. It is carried out with the help of special technical means
[4]. The dynamogram is a graph of the dependence of a load, at the point the rod is suspended,
from the movement of a polished rod. The theoretical dynamogram of the normal operation of
the pumping unit is based on the gravity, elasticity, friction, and the Archimedes principle.
Insufficient consideration of other influencing factors, such as the inertial force and the
properties of the pumped liquid, limits the possibilities of this method.
The dynamogram is a parallelogram in coordinates: the load (p) - the movement of the
polished rod (S) (Figure 1). Line D1-А1 corresponds to load difference from a rod weight and
friction force p and is parallel to the zero line (axis S) of the dynamometer due to the constant
weight of the rod and the friction force. Line A-D corresponds to the static weight of the rods
in the liquid Prod, that is, without friction. Consequently, the friction of the rod string against

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 Yuriy Shinyakov, Maxim Sukhorukov, Daria Torgaeva and Andrey Soldatov

the liquid reduces the stroke length of the plunger, and the discharge valve closes not at point
A but at point A1 (interval f↓). When one changes the direction of motion of the plunger, the
process is recorded by a straight line interval A-A2. Starting from point A2, the rods perceive
the load from the weight of the fluid column Pf (interval A2-B2). At point B1, the load is
equal to the sum of the weights of the fluid bars and frictional forces Р↑. At this point, the
pump intake valve opens and fluid enters the pump cylinder. The further movement of the
plunger is described by line B1-C1. With the beginning of the downward movement, the
direction and magnitude of the frictional forces change. The change in load corresponds to the
line C2-D1, with the rod string being unloaded and the pipes loaded. Point D is the pump
discharge valve opening and the beginning of the plunger's downward movement (interval
D1-А1) [4].

Figure 1. Dynamogram of a sucker rod pumping unit

Dynamogram processing allows determining the quantitative and qualitative performance
of a sucker rod pumping unit: loads and stresses in the polished rod, the length of the plunger
and rod stroke, the pump filling ratio, the tightness of the intake and discharge parts of the
pump, the effect of gas, the correctness of the plunger fit, the leakage in the tubing, lapels and
breakages of rods or rod couplings, wedging of the plunger. The dynamometer allows
describing 30 different parameters of the state of the sucker rod pumping equipment without
its lifting.
The shape of the dynamometer depends on the type of failure of the deep pumping
equipment. It is possible to distinguish at least 3 groups of faults in the operation of the sucker
rod pumping unit: leakage of liquid from tubing and valves (suction and injection);
mechanical faults such as high and low plunger fit, broken rods, plunger stuck, etc.; other
problems connected with pumping out liquids with gas, sand, paraffin [5].
Figure 2а shows the simplest dynamogram of the normal operation of the pump, taking
into account static loads, which has the form of a regular parallelogram. The simplest
theoretical dynamogram shows the simplest operating conditions of the pump:
• - a deep-well pump is completely faultless and sealed;
• - pumping the pump under the dynamic level is zero;
• - a cylinder of the pump is completely filled with degassed and incompressible fluid;
• - a movement of the polished rod is so slow that it causes a complete absence of inertial
dynamic loads;

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 Methods and Facilities for Monitoring the Operation of a Sucker Rod Pump

• - frictional forces of the underground part of the pumping unit are zero;
• - a shape of a practical dynamometer is influenced by various real, common for all cases
factors.
Inertial loads cause an "inertial turn" of the dynamometer relative to its normal position
(Figure 2b). The wavy nature of the lines is due to oscillatory processes (dynamic loads) in
the rods (Figure 2c).

a) b) c)

Figure 2. Simplest dynamometer for normal pump operation

Depending on the combination of the parameters of the sucker rod pumping unit, the
practical dynamometers for the normal operation of the pump can have different outlines. The
parameters of the pumping unit, which have a significant effect on the outline of the
dynamometer, include the depth of the pump, the diameter of the pump, the reciprocating
speed of the pumping jack and the stroke length of the rod. The depth of descent and the
reciprocating speed exert special influence. With an increase in the number of oscillations per
minute, a smaller number of half-waves of oscillations caused by inertial forces fit within a
time. As the depth of the pump is increased, the amplitude of these oscillations increases,
which leads to the appearance of loops or secondary inertial oscillations on the dynamogram,
their shape is distorted, which can lead to incorrect decoding. The incorrect fit of the pump
plunger reflects the dynamometers in different ways. A plunger kick against the lower
(suction) valve or a low plunger fit due to improper adjustment of the length of the rods
during installation is reflected on the dynamogram by a loop in the lower left corner. The
failure of the lower cone by the gripper rod with a high plunger fit is reflected on the
dynamogram in the form of a loop in the upper right corner and the characteristic load
changes in the downstroke determined by the oscillations of the rod string due to impact at the
moment of the cone landing. The breakage of the rods (lap of the plunger) is characterized on
the dynamogram by a slight difference in load during the up and down stroke, i.e. the
dynamogram has the form of a narrow horizontally located loop.
It should be noted that the dynamometering of the sucker rodpumping units is an effective
method for monitoring the state of the system and allows timely taking the necessary
measures in case of the operation malfunction of individual elements. In addition, the
dynamometer allows calculating some technological characteristics with a certain accuracy
[6].
Diagnosis of the current mode of operation of a sucker rod pumping unit basically reduces
to the decoding of the shape of the wellhead dynamogram, which varies depending on the
characteristics of the pumped liquid, the presence of faults in the operation of deep
equipment, etc. Recently there has been a trend towards automatic decoding of dynamometers
on a personal computer.
The dynamogram allows for a comprehensive monitoring of the state of submersible
pumping equipment, but this method is not known to be convenient in operation: portable

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 Yuriy Shinyakov, Maxim Sukhorukov, Daria Torgaeva and Andrey Soldatov

wire dynamometers are relatively expensive and unreliable, and also have a very low
accuracy. In addition, the method completely excludes the diagnosis of ground equipment [7].

4. WATTMETERING (DIAGNOSTIC METHOD BASED ON

MEASUREMENT AND PROCESSING OF ACTIVE POWER
DIAGRAMS)
The dynamometer allows obtaining the most complete information about operation of the
submersible equipment, while the wattmetering method is more informative for monitoring
the state of the ground equipment. Wattmetering is the process of obtaining a wattmeterogram
showing the relationship between the power N(φ) consumed by the pump motor and the angle
of rotation of the crankshaft, or the dependence of the power consumed by the installation
from time.
Wattmetrogram of fully balanced and serviceable pumping jack (Figure 3a) for each full
stroke of the deep pump rod has two half-periods with signified peaks corresponding to the
horizontal positions of the crank. According to the established standards, the difference in the
maximum power values consumed by the pumping unit's drive motor when lowering the stem
of the deep pump should not exceed 10%. Insufficient amount of counter-torque produced by
crank loads when the string of the sucker rod pump is lowered in case of an unbalanced
pumping jack (Figure 3b) causes the drive motor to go into the generator operating mode, and
the working stroke of the pump stem is accompanied by increased loads on the reducer and
pumping jack motor [8].

a) b)

Figure 3. Wattmetrograms: a - fully balanced pumping jack (technical condition - good); b -

misbalanced pumping jack (the load is small)
There are a number of ways to diagnose the pumping jack balance based on the
calculation of the difference curve obtained from the wattmetrogram, which is the dependence
of the power consumed by the motor of pumping jack on the stroke length of the rod
suspension point [9], comparing the mean square deviation at the input of the sucker rod
pump (in particular, the total power), with the reference value of the standard deviation for a
given unit [10], on the Fourier expansion of various parameters of the electric motor [11].
Despite the high enough percentage of reliability of the above-mentioned methods of
diagnosing the balance, their disadvantage is ignoring the fact of the generator operating
mode of the sucker rod pump's electric motor, the requirement to measure the current and
voltage values, as well as the additional costs of determining the reference values of the
coefficients for each well, which necessitates the involvement of additional electrical
personnel. At the same time, the constant component, which has not been accounted for
anywhere, has a great influence on the result.
The most optimal option for solving the problem is to consider the values of the
amplitudes of the first and second harmonics in the Fourier series expansion of the power

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 Methods and Facilities for Monitoring the Operation of a Sucker Rod Pump

change rate [12]. In this case, the balance of the pumping jack is determined by the following
rules:
Pumping jack is balanced at:
𝑎2𝑔
>3
𝑎1𝑔
Pumping jack is misbalanced at:
𝑎2𝑔
≤3
𝑎1𝑔
where 𝑎1𝑔 , 𝑎2𝑔 – are the first and second harmonics obtained by Fourier expansion of the
power change rate [13].
The analysis of wattmetrograms allows diagnosing the most common defects of sucker
rod pumps. Diagnostic signs of a break in the string of sucker rod pump are an increase in the
peak values of the active power consumed by the engine when the balance head is lowered
and there is no half-period of power increase on the wattmeter during the lifting of the balance
bar. Similarly, defects in the submersible pump discharge valve appear. A significant
reduction in the power consumed by the engine when the piston is raised is caused by the
leakage of most of the formation fluid through the faulty piston pressure valve back into the
pump cylinder and, as a consequence, by a significant reduction in the load at the suspension
point of the rod string. The uneven load buildup when the rod string is lowered, the increase
in the dynamic components of the force effects on the sucker pump's drive are signs of a
malfunction of the intake valve of the deep pump.
Through the spectral analysis of power consumption records in asynchronous electric
motors, defects in the electrical part of the rotor, the electrical part of the stator, static and
rotating eccentricities, bearing defects, leading to fluctuations in the shape of the air gap, can
be detected. By the nature of the change in the spectrum of the power signal, faults in the
gearing, pinion on the shaft, misalignment of the driven shafts and their rotation supports,
defects in V-belt gears can be diagnosed.
Processing of wattmeterogram begins with the construction of a smoothed graph. Next, to
calculate the vibrational and shock components, calculate the average value, variance and
root-mean-square deviation. The root-mean-square deviation is taken as the vibrational
component. The maximum deviation of the instantaneous value of the initial and smoothed
wattmeters is taken as the shock component. Then the spectrum of the wattmetrogram is
constructed. To build the spectrum from the array, the DC component is removed by passing
through the HF filter. On the spectrum, it is possible to diagnose the defects in the gear
transmission of the reducer, bearings, elements of the pumping machine, insufficient oil level.
To increase the visibility, three-dimensional graphs of spectra can be constructed. The
wattmetrogram array is divided into a series of segments offset by one point relative to each
other, and the spectra of these segments are arranged one after another.

5. CONCLUSIONS
Wattmetering allows easier and more reliable monitoring the operational loading of the pump
unit nodes, perform high-quality pumping jack balancing, which causes a decrease in the
specific energy costs for lifting the reservoir fluid and reducing dynamic loads on the sucker
rod pump parts. The analysis of information on the magnitude and nature of the change in the
loading of the drive motors of the pumping jack makes it possible to evaluate the technical
condition, the total and residual life of the sucker rod pump elements.

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 Yuriy Shinyakov, Maxim Sukhorukov, Daria Torgaeva and Andrey Soldatov

The disadvantages of the method include the difficulty in identifying a number of defects
in the initial stage of development. First of all, these are the faults of the rolling bearings,
cranking, wear and destruction of the crank fingers.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation,
Agreement No. 14.574.21.0157 (unique identifier RFMEFI57417X0157), within the
framework of the FTP project "Research and Development in Priority Directions for the
Development of the Russian Science and Technology Complex for 2014-2020".

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