Upwing Energy
Upwing's patented Subsurface Compressor System.
Gas tech service company Upwing Energy is leveraging Velo3D's metal 3D printing technology to optimise the manufacturing time needed to support its Subsurface Compressor System’s (SCS) gas well deployment schedules.
The company is said to have maintained the 'exceptional quality and durability' of its parts while applying metal additive manufacturing to its patented SCS.
Upwing's SCS has been developed to increase the production and recoverability of natural gas from existing wells. It employs a multistage hybrid axial compressor, which is said to increase drawdown at the intake and boosts pressure at the discharge. The SCS’s compressor module is aerodynamically designed to match well-specific flow parameters for maximum production gain.
The rotor design is said to be particularly challenging to manufacture as it requires extremely complex surface geometries. But by utilising Velo3D's metal 3D printing technology, and the company's metal AM expertise, Upwing says it can move from engineering design to full SCS compressor rotor assembly in just ten weeks. Metal additive manufacturing has also allowed for the creation of more intricate designs and provides geometric and material benefits resulting in improved part performance and increased part lifecycle. Moreover, tensile tests have demonstrated that the material properties of AM Inconel 718 meet ASTM F3055 requirements, as well as the requirements specific to the downhole compressor application.
Upwing performed several tests simulating the conditions found in the SCS's gas compression process to compare the mechanical properties of the AM parts to those produced through machined billet. Parts made with both processes were tested at rotational speeds of 55K RPM or higher, representing the operational overspeed for the SCS, and then subjected to detailed inspection. This included using dye penetrant to reveal any surface defects, while balance checks and inspection for dimensional precision were also carried out. Finally, the parts were subject to spin-to-burst testing to validate the integrity of each manufacturing method. The results of the tests showed that the additively manufactured parts successfully endured standard operating conditions, and even exceeded overspeed conditions by 2.1 times before failure.
"All of our work at Upwing is underscored by the belief that continuous improvement is always possible," commented Robert McKeirnan, Vice President of Supply Chain and External Manufacturing at Upwing Energy. "Our decision to integrate additive manufacturing makes us more scalable and adaptable. It allows us to create parts that are not only durable, but intricately designed and finished with the highest level of precision.”
