Rotaflex Efficiency and Balancing

J. N. McCoy, Echometer Company 
O. Lynn Rowlan, Amerada Hess 
Dr. A. L. Podio, University of Texas 
Dieter Becker, Echometer Company

For presentation at the 2000 Southwestern Petroleum Short Course.

The "ROTAFLEX EFFICIENCY AND BALANCING" paper presents an example of determining the electrical efficiency and balancing the torque on the upstroke and downstroke of a RotaFlex pumping unit. The RotaFlex pumping unit has a unique geometry that results in a constant torque arm (or torque factor) on most of the upstroke and downstroke. During one complete stroke the constant torque geometry promotes high electrical efficiencies and minimizes electrical generation. Balancing can be performed using electrical power measurements, and the amount of counterweight that must be added or removed from the counterweight box can be calculated directly by software using the power measurements. Power balancing does not require knowledge of the weight of the counterweight box and the auxiliary weights as is required with conventional mechanical balancing.

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