What Are The Hazards of Insufficient Hydraulic Oil in Rotary Drilling RIGS

The hydraulic system is the "power heart" of the rotary drilling rig, and hydraulic oil is the "blood" that maintains the operation of this system. Once the hydraulic oil is insufficient, it will not only affect the normal operation of the drilling rig, but also may cause a series of component failures, bringing economic losses to the construction. The specific hazards can be analyzed from the following six points.

1. Insufficient pressure in the hydraulic system: Hydraulic oil is the core medium for transmitting pressure. Insufficient oil volume will cause the system to be unable to establish sufficient pressure. This will directly result in sluggish and weak movements such as the lifting and rotation of the drill pipe of the drilling rig. In severe cases, it may even prevent the completion of the operation, significantly reducing the construction efficiency.

2. Excessive wear of hydraulic components: When there is insufficient hydraulic oil, the lubrication effect between components will drop sharply, and key components such as gears, bearings, and cylinders are prone to dry friction. If in this state for a long time, the surface of the components will wear out rapidly, shortening their service life and increasing the cost of maintenance and replacement.

3. Abnormal temperature rise in the hydraulic system: Sufficient hydraulic oil can carry away the heat generated during system operation through circulation, while insufficient oil will disrupt the thermal balance. When the system fails to dissipate heat in time, the oil temperature will rise sharply. High temperatures not only accelerate the deterioration of the hydraulic oil but may also damage the seals, causing oil leakage.

4. Decreased movement accuracy of the actuator: Insufficient hydraulic oil can cause "cavitation" phenomena within the system, making the movement of the hydraulic actuator (such as the drill bit drive device) lose its smoothness. When drilling, the drilling rig may shake or shift, which can affect the accuracy of hole formation and even lead to engineering quality problems.

5. Increased risk of hydraulic pump damage: The hydraulic pump is the "power source" of the system, relying on the lubrication and cooling of hydraulic oil. When the oil volume is insufficient, the internal parts of the pump will be subjected to excessive friction and high temperatures due to the lack of oil protection, which can easily lead to pump body wear, jamming and other faults. Once the pump body is damaged, the maintenance cost is extremely high.

6. Chain reaction of overall machine failure: The hydraulic system is connected to multiple key mechanisms of the drilling rig. If a component fails due to insufficient hydraulic oil, it may trigger a chain reaction. For instance, if the seal of the oil cylinder is damaged and leaks, it will further reduce the oil volume, causing other mechanisms to fail to operate normally and bringing the entire machine to a shutdown state.

In conclusion, insufficient hydraulic oil poses a threat to rotary drilling RIGS at all levels, from local components to the entire system. It not only affects construction efficiency and quality but also increases equipment maintenance costs. Therefore, in daily operations, it is necessary to regularly check the level and quality of the hydraulic oil, and replenish or replace the hydraulic oil that meets the standards in a timely manner. Only in this way can the stable operation of the hydraulic system of the drilling rig be guaranteed and faults caused by oil quantity issues be avoided.