簡介：AeroGo 公司開發出一款氣墊運輸裝置，用于轉移大重量的鉆機設備，引起了油氣行業的關注。該汽輪能夠使重物完全浮在一個與地面幾乎沒有摩擦的氣墊之上，能夠干凈利落而又平穩的轉移重物。搬運中還可以各個方位的轉向移動，對地面沒有特殊要求，尤其適合寒冷北極地區地面有凍土保護要求的鉆井作業區。

A novel transportation technology that allows heavy machinery to float on a cushion of air is gaining the attention of the oil and gas industry. Heavy-load transport specialist AeroGo is using its air-caster technology to move a mobile drilling unit for a southern California operator, minimizing wear on the surface of roads.

The AeroGo’s air casters have been used for many industrial applications that require safe and efficient transport of heavy loads. The principle of operation calls for an air caster to be positioned beneath a heavy load, and an air film is created by pumping compressed air into the circular caster’s diaphragm and center plenum chamber. The air pressure in the caster builds, eventually reaching a point where it exceeds the weight of the load; at that point, air slowly and evenly escapes between the caster’s diaphragm and the surface, creating a nearly frictionless film of air that is only 0.003 to 0.005 in. thick. The load can then be virtually floated omnidirectionally, with little or no damage to surface.

For the drilling-rig application, AeroGo is supplying four custom-designed traction drive assemblies to transport a 625-ton mobile drilling rig from well to well for Warren Energy and Production’s oil production complex in Wilmington, California. The four air-caster drive assemblies are pinned to underneath the rig’s skid structure via special frameworks, which hold the casters and ensure that they maintain contact with the concrete median beneath the rig.

Each caster provides 10,000 lbf of pressure, resulting in a total of 40,000 lbf of pressure to lift and move the rig. A sophisticated computer control system coordinates the four drives, enabling them to act as a single unit with simple commands. The system also allows for precision steering and placement of the rig, which can move in any direction and rotate around its center. The rig can move from wellhead to wellhead at a speed of 2 mph.

The operator moves the rig on an average of once every ten days and in an irregular pattern that is dictated by drilling requirements. The AeroGo system makes these moves more efficient, as equipment such as drill pipe can be stored and moved on the rig rather than having to be removed and replaced once the move is complete. In addition, the system allows for simple control of rig movement in any direction that operators dictate via a radio-remote pendant, much like that used in a remote-controlled car or industrial crane.

AeroGo sees their air-caster technology as an improvement for any land-based rig transport, particularly for operations in Arctic regions, which have to take special precautions to minimize damage to the tundra during transportation.

楊寶劍 是振威（全球）石油網的高級技術編輯，在石油技術資訊行業有八年的學識和經驗。他源源不斷地提供石油行業全球最新的技術創新、研發成果、現場應用情況等信息。如果你對該項新技術有任何的疑問，或者對“新技術新產品”未來的內容有任何問題或建議，請聯系楊寶劍編輯 +86 10-58236512 Email：allenyo@zhenweiexpo.com 歡迎與行業互動！