Miniature Motors for Oil Drilling and Extraction

Oil extraction industry widely uses Measurement While Drilling or MWD tools, which include a measurement module located behind the drill head in the tool string. This module measures variable parameters such as drilling angle, vibration and speed. A valve is operated to restrict flow of drilling mud i.e. slurry, allowing the digital information to be transmitted. This creates pressure fluctuations representing the information, and the “pulser” unit sends this data back to the sensors on the surface located several thousand feet above, to reconstruct this information.

This technique known as Mud Pulsed Telemetry uses an actuator driven by a brushless DC motor assembly to generate differential pressure pulses. It consists of a DC Motor that operates the valve screw to control opening of a valve. This in turn, controls flow of drill fluid (i.e. mud).

Brushless DC Motors used in this application range in size from 13 - 42mm, have high torque, and a broad operating temperature range of -55 C to 200 C (including submersion in a hydraulic oil medium).

Please contact us to speak with an applications engineer and we can help optimize the perfect motion solution for your drilling application.