Systems approach to the remote operation of a hydraulic fracturing missile

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing missiles are a critical piece of equipment in the hydraulic fracturing process. If there is a failure, people have to enter a high-risk area to shut off pressurized lines. Entering the high-pressure zone exposes the field personnel to unnecessary risk. Eliminating the need to have a person in the line of fire through the remotely operated system in these high-risk zones is the motivation for this Thesis. A complete system for actuating the valves on a hydraulic fracturing missile was created by applying system engineering. The system was designed by following the System Engineering Vee Model. The system was decomposed and iterated throughout the system definition and realization phases of the System Engineering Vee Model. The system was realized up to a prototype stage. A combination of inspection, analysis, testing, and demonstrations was conducted on the prototype to verify the requirements of the system that were established in the requirements list. The interface requirements were validated, and a plan of what needs to be validated and how was also defined. The validation of the system will primarily need to occur during field testing.