Magna Centrifuge

Features

As part of an effort to continuously improve the

safety and performance of its oilfield centrifuges,
M-I SWACO* has made the pioneering decision
to move from the use of traditional hydraulic or
variable-frequency drives to the magnetic drives
and couplings manufactured by MagnaDrive
Corporation.

Programmable Logic Controller

Increased horsepower

Improved centrifuge drive system

Small footprint

Adjustable drives

These magnetic couplings are well-suited to the rigsite because they do not require an
external power source and thereby reduce sparking potential. In addition to being available
on new M-I SWACO Magna* Centrifuges, the drives are ideal for upgrading existing 518
Centrifuge* units, creating a host of features and benefits that reduce costs and increase
efficiency. The MagnaDrive control console provides a relatively small footprint, which is
highly valuable in an offshore environment where space is at a premium.

Upgrade existing equipment

Removable control station

Features

Auto shutdown

Soft starts

Benefits

No external power source necessary

Reduces power consumption

Reduces sparking potential

Saves valuable rig-floor space

Increases solids dryness

Lowers mud costs

Reduces waste disposal

Optimizes performance under extreme

operating conditions
Decreases incidence of packoff
Eliminates effects of vibration on drive
assembly

Precise Control Over Critical Factors. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) monitors and
displays vibration and will automatically shut down the centrifuge when vibrations exceed
pre-set maximum allowable value. With the Siemens^ S7-200 PLC system, the operator can
monitor the torque inside the bowl as well as the torque on the main drive motor and back
drive motor.
Increased Horsepower. The MagnaDrive unit provides 40 hp on the main drive, 15 hp on the
back drive and an improved centrifuge drive system for better performance under extreme
operating conditions, decreasing the incidence of packoff and allowing higher-torque
operations for greater throughput.
Soft Start. This allows for electrical start-up without a load, reducing power consumption and
strain on the centrifuge while increasing belt life.
Adjustable Drives.
Main Drive: operator can change the bowl speed without stopping the machine and
changing belts.
Back Drive: the residence time of the solids on the drying beach can be varied, increasing
solids dryness or reducing torque which saves expensive fluids and reduces waste disposal.

Field-Proven Results

Solids Control. The centrifuge ran for

prolonged periods under the control of
the mud engineer, who found the
system easy to set up in accordance
with his requirements. Apart from
routine checks, he was quite
comfortable to leave the system
running for prolonged periods, until
shutting it down as a result of
acceptable mud properties.
Weight Control. The centrifuge was
successfully field-tested on a 17. 1-lb/
gal (2.05 kg/L) mud, both with and
without feed mud dilution, at feed
rates up to 20 GPM so as to attain an
average 10-lb/gal (1.2 kg/L) effluent
discharge. As the system operation
has been designed to be intuitive, rigbased personnel were quite willing to
set up and run the system after only a
short period of instruction.

Upgrade Existing Equipment. Using an existing M-I SWACO 518 Centrifuge skid, new electric
motors, and the MagnaDrive system and motor brake, existing 518 Centrifuge units can be
upgraded to Magna units for better performance.
Removable Control Station. This allows operators to control the centrifuge from ground level
where discharge and flow rate can be easily monitored, improving performance, lowering
mud costs and saving on haul-off.
Benefits
No-contact power transfer eliminates effects of vibration, reduces noise, tolerates
misalignment, provides overload protection, extends motor and centrifuge life, and reduces
overall maintenance costs.
Upgrade capability revitalizes existing equipment and conserves valuable assets.
The PLC guards against excessive vibration to reduce wear and tear on the centrifuge and
monitors torque inside the bowl to reduce machine packoffs which improves run time and
saves money in service calls.

Dewatering. The Magna unit was

installed and training given to the rigbased M-I SWACO personnel. They
subsequently took full responsibility
for the systems operation during the
ewatering phase.
The rolling average mud weight, for
this phase, was 9.2 lb/gal (1.1 kg/L):
this was processed at 100 GPM
to return clear water to the active
system.

How It Works
MagnaDrive couplings utilize an induced magnetic field, rather than a continuous drive shaft,
to transfer energy from the motor to the load. They incorporate a precision rotor assembly
with highenergy magnets (load/output shaft) and a copper onductor assembly (motor/input
shaft). The relative motion between the magnets and the conductor creates a magnetic field
that transmits torque across an air gap. Varying the width of the gap changes the coupling
force, producing a controlled and infinitely variable output-speed capability.
The physics of the drive result in softer starts, reduced vibration and lower power
consumption, all within a space-saving design.

This information is supplied solely for informational purposes and M-I SWACO makes no guarantees or
warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy and use of this data. All product
warranties and guarantees shall be governed by the Standard Terms of Sale.

2003 M-I L.L.C. All rights reserved.*Mark of M-I L.L.C.

^Mark of Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Joint Stock Company.
MS-04103 9/04 Litho in U.S.A.

P.O. Box 42842

Houston, Texas 77242-2842
Tel: 2819881866
18006540660
Fax: 2819881888
www.miswaco.com
E-mail: questions@miswaco.com