Optimization of the Maximum Performance of a Rod Pumping Unit With a Chain Drive for Oil Production

The paper presents a mathematical model of the maximum performance of a sucker rod pumping unit (SRPU) with a chain drive for heavy oil production. The objective function is defined as the maximum output of the unit, subject to constraints on strength and operational stability. Based on expert analysis and previous research, three of the thirteen potentially influential parameters were identified as the most significant: the mass of the counterweight, the initial velocity of the rod hanger point, and the maximum velocity of this point. Using a second-order experimental design method, an approximating equation was developed to describe the influence of these parameters on the objective function. As a result of numerical analysis of the regression model and the construction of a three-dimensional response surface of the objective function, optimal values of the varied factors were determined. The calculations made it possible to establish the optimal structural and kinematic parameters for the operation of the SRPU with a chain drive, ensuring maximum attainable performance while meeting strength reliability and operational stability requirements. The developed mathematical model of maximum capacity, which incorporates the rational selection of motion control parameters, can be applied in engineering practice for the design, tuning, and optimization of operating modes of pumping units at high-viscosity oil production sites.