ENG221 - Mechanics of Materials

Design Project Sem 1 2019

Due date: Friday 24th May 2019

Value: 10% weighting of the final mark

Total Marks for this assignment:- 160 marks

This is a group assignment. Please work with the members in your

allocated team. Each team is to submit one portfolio, which will
include this design report. Submit the portfolio to my office
(H1.2.43), on Friday 24th May 2019.
Note : The portfolio will include the Bridge design and test report, the
two workshop reports and this design report.

THE DESIGN OF AN OIL-FIELD BEAM PUMP

https://www.123rf.com/photo_109177058_the-oil-pump-industrial-equipment-oil-field-site-oil-pumps-
are-running-rocking-machines-for-oil-prod.html
 Background

Oil extracted from the earth is commonly undertaken under one of two conditions. The familiar ‘oil-
gusher’ is where oil comes to the surface under pressure; i.e. the oil is forced to the surface. This requires
the wellhead to be capped with flow valves to control the pressure and hence flow of the oil.

However, oil also exists underground where it is ‘infused’ in the rock strata. This oil will seep into cavities
forming an underground oil well. Mechanical pumping is required to bring this oil to the surface. The
pumping is carried out at a slow rate; equal to or less than the rate at which the oil seeps out of the rock. A
further challenge is that many of these wells occur at considerable depths; hence the pumping cannot be
conducted under force vacuum conditions, but through a reciprocating plunger pump with a set of control
valves. The reciprocating action is provided by the rocking motion of a ‘walking beam’ system. The
illustration below provides a visual representation of this type of system.

Key to pumping the oil :- an engine

turns gears that move a counter
weight connected to the walking
beam, which moves the sucker-rod
up and down to ‘up draw’ oil. The oil
is pumped into nearby holding
tanks.
https://aoghs.org/technology/oil-well-
pump/
 DESIGN BRIEF:-

Working as structural/mechanical engineers, design the critical structural and mechanical

components of a walking beam pump system.

Horse head

8.0

4.75 4.75
7.6
1.4

1.2
5
1

1. Prime mover 2. Crank Dimensions in metres(m)

3. Pitman Arm 4. Walking Beam
5. Samson Post

NOTE:

• Make reasonable assumptions for any information not provided in the project brief.
• Provide references for all assumptions of material properties and structure profiles.
• When not specified, consider a factor of safety of 2.
• The entire team needs to undertake this design project in a collaborative and consultative manner
including the sharing of work equally between all team members. In the report, clearly indicate
dissection of tasks for all members.

Method of Operation
The counter weight at the end of the walking beam keeps the loads on the beam in balance; i.e. the mass
of the structure about the main pivot point at O4 is in balance. This includes the mass of the sucker lines in
the hole down to the depth of the well. The prime mover, turning the crank, lifts the right-hand section of
the walking beam (lifting the counter weight) thus lowering the sucker pump into the well. As the crank
continues to turn, it lowers the right-hand section of the beam, and thus lifts the sucker pump and a
column of oil. The force from the pump effectively is only lifting the mass of a column of oil.
 DESIGN BRIEF

1. Counter weight on walking beam: -

The counter weight at the end of the walking beam balances the masses of the walking
beam, pitman arm, horse head cam and all the sucker rods and plunger/valve assemblies
at the bottom of the well. Based on the following assumptions, determine the mass of the
counter weight.
(5)
Assumptions:
• Consider the beam is in the horizontal position; and assume all dimensions can be
measured in this horizontal plane.
• Mass of sucker rods and plunger assembly = 4000 kg
• Mass per unit length of walking beam = 100kg/m
• Mass per unit length of Pitman arm = 40 kg/m
• Mass of horse head = 150 kg – located at 4.0 m from pivot O4
• Ignore the mass of the crank and its counter weight – assume the crank to be dis-
connected from the pitman arm.

2. Crank shaft : -
Assume that the pump pipe is fully primed (there is oil to the full depth of the pipe); and
the total mass of the oil is 7500 kg.

i. Determine the torque required at the crank shaft to raise this load. (5)

ii. Consider a suitable material of this shaft, and determine the diameter of the
shaft, based on a factor of safety of 2.5.
(Ignore any stress concentrations due to keyways and bearing shoulders) (6)

3. Crank Pin :-
Assume that the pin connecting the crank to the Pitman arm is in double shear.

i. Select a suitable material and determine the diameter of the pin. (5)

ii. Assume the Pitman arm is manufactured from A36 steel. Determine the width
of the bearing surface between the connecting pin and the pitman arm boss to
prevent a crushing failure of the boss. Take a factor of safety of 3. (7)

4. Pitman Arm :-
The Pitman Arm is fabricated by welding two unequal-leg ‘L’ sections together.

i. Determine a suitable ‘L’ section that would be specified for this application to
prevent failure; either from crushing or buckling. Consider a factor of safety of
3. (20)

5. Walking Beam :-

i. Using the torque determined in Step 2; which transmits a force in the Pitman
Arm, draw a Shear force and bending moment diagram for the walking beam
(in the horizontal position) (6)
 ii. Determine the maximum defection at the ends of the beam (8)

iii. Based on the maximum bending moment determined above, and using an A36
steel, determine a suitable profile for a wide flange ‘I’ beam to be used as the
walking beam. Consider a factor of safety of 3. (15)

iv. Draw a stress distribution diagram showing the magnitude and location of the
maximum tensile and compressive stresses. (10)

v. Determine the location and magnitude of the maximum and minimum shear
stress across the section of the beam. Draw the distribution of the shear stress
across the section of the beam. (15)

vi. Consider an element of area on the web halfway between the horizontal axis
and the top surface of the beam. Determine the tensile or compressive stress
and the shear stress at this location. What would be the principal (max and
min) stresses at this point? At what angle do these principal stresses exist?
Draw a sketch to illustrate the element with the principal stresses at the
appropriate orientation. (15)

vii. Due to misalignment during construction, the beam is installed at 10o to the
horizontal axis (measured on the cross section of the beam). If the same
maximum bending moment (determined in (i) above), is applied to the beam
as an inclined moment, determine the new neutral axis and the location and
magnitude of the maximum tensile and compressive stresses. Draw a stress
distribution of this ‘inclined’ beam.
(20)

6. Samson Support: -
The Samson support is a tripod configuration, with the two ‘front’ legs being vertical in the ‘x’ and
‘z’ planes; and the third leg at an angle of 70o; measured to the horizontal base. The front legs are
spaced sufficiently apart to support the bearing on which the walking beam pivots.

i. Determine the support reactions in each of these legs. (8)

ii. Based on the maximum force above, and a factor of safety of 2.5, determine a suitable A36
hollow square profile for these legs to ensure that they would not buckle. (consider the legs
to be ‘pinned’ at both ends). (15)

Total Marks = 160