Solar Powered Electric Actuator for Mainline Valve

Customer Profile

Midstream natural gas operator managing multi-state pipeline assets, with >1B$ in annual revenue and aninitiative to lower LOE and OPEX across pipeline operations, with a continual focus on operational reliability and standardized actuation, control, and measurement architecture with centralized data back haul.

Project Challenge

The customer was pursuing an initiative to employ alternative valve-actuation methods in Southeastern New Mexico for a mainline valve (MSV) application, driven by availability and cost constraints associated with acquiring line power. The customer was looking toward future operations and expansion, with a requirement that any new solutions integrate with existing PLC formats and valve sizes. The solution had to be repeatable within strict project timelines, and
line gas was ruled out for actuating the valve.

Existing Conditions & Customer-Provided Data

Solarcraft’s application was centered on a customer-selected Rotork 5 HP electric actuator paired with a 30-inch valve, which is currently deployed in an MSV application. The customer’s preferred PLC for this application was an Allen‑Bradley MicroLogix controller with a 4G/LTE data backhaul for RTU/PLC data and remote operations. The customer also required an emergency shutdown function and local manual control utilizing a pre-programmed HMI. The customer needed an engineered, turnkey solution to meet their project timeline, with a FAT at the Solarcraft facility and field commissioning performed by Solarcraft at the customer’s installation location.

The customer elected to free‑issue the PLC hardware to utilize existing internal inventory. All other material and equipment were to be provided by Solarcraft. Engineering drawings, data sheets, and instructional handbooks were required to conform to the customer’s RFQ requirements.

Solarcraft requested the following electrical performance data for the actuator as typically found on motor name plates and data sheets. The customer supplied the following data:

• Locked Rotor Amps (LRA): 82 A
• Full Load Amps (FLA): 13 A
• Duty Cycle: ESD only; partial stroke test every 90 days
• Actuator voltage: 480V, 3-phase

Solarcraft’s team validated feasibility of operating voltage, phase, and communications requirements in a solar/hybrid solution. Based on the provided electrical
data and site power requirements, Solarcraft configured a 45 kVA power system for this particular case.

The solution included a 1600-Watt solar array on skid-mounted solar rack, custom powder coated skid-mounted aluminum electronics enclosure for Allen Bradley MicroLogix controller, separate powder coated, skid-mounted aluminum battery bank enclosure; Cradlepoint cellular modem and router, custom HMI data display, 45 kVA/3-phase power supply,18.4kW battery bank, and integrated rectifiers and charger inputs.

The RFQ dictated emergency charging capability, full compatibility with customer‑supplied Allen‑Bradley MicroLogix PLC data structures, and initial implementation was to include three identical
builds for different mainline locations.

Execution Timeline

• Initial RFQ/equipment list/electrical data received
• Quote delivered: 2 days Engineering drawings returned: 5 days
• Customer approval: 5 days
• Production completion: 9 weeks 

Solarcraft’s solution delivered a standards-compatible, solar power system for exclusively electric actuation. The customer avoided expenses associated with bringing local utility grid power to multiple sites. Furthermore, as line gas was previously eliminated as a solution, the customer expected that on-site generators were their only option remaining for these sites.

Solarcraft was able to offer an alternative to running diesel generators which are known to be a comparatively unreliable and expensive solution. Ultimately, the Solar Powered Electric Valve Actuator used in this case, benefited the customer by qualifying as depreciable capital equipment.

For the operator’s engineering team, Solarcraft executed a clean data handoff, FAT, documentation and field commission with a robust electrical design, relieving the vast majority of their internal engineering effort. For ongoing procurement and implementation effort, Solarcraft offered a repeatable solution on a quick timeline. This solution has been deployed in varied locations around the US, and with small engineering changes, the scope of applications has been expanded. In general, this customer, and others implementing this system have found that it has been increasingly difficult to get a start or completion date from utility companies for line power to their mainline locations.

Additionally, when line power actually becomes available, the cost per mile is prohibitively expensive and the infrastructure required at each site (transformers/UPS/pads) adds to the already excessive cost. The Solarcraft solar-powered electric valve actuator replaces all of the site infrastructure with a single enclosure which is shaded by the enclosure-mounted solar array.
Solarcraft reliably delivers this solution within 9-10 weeks from PO, vastly outpacing the time it takes for the installation of line power.

Impact on LOE and OPEX

Level of Effort (LOE) and Operating Expense (OPEX) were key considerations for the customer and played a significant role in the overall value of the solution. From an LOE perspective, the project decreased the customer’s overall effort both in project launch and long-term operations. After the customer supplied electrical data, Solarcraft independently engineered directly to this data, with minimal secondary input from the customer. Our approach reduced engineering back-and-forth and enabled first-pass approval of engineering drawings. Additionally, the customer specified Allen-Bradley components arrived pre-programmed and ready to join existing data streams via customer-preferred Cradlepoint cellular modem. The system was transported in the field, mounted on an integrated Solarcraft fork-liftable skid with ballast block system, eliminating any local construction efforts.

Lowered project level-of-effort resulted in lower operating expenditures. Correct electrical sizing minimized thermal stress on components and improved operating reliability and extended service life of components and overall systems. Solarcraft takes a conservative approach to the sizing of power components to further comparatively reduce CapEx as well. The project standardization aspect allowed the customer to simplify maintenance, spare part inventory and procurement, and troubleshooting, reducing long-term labor costs and downtime. Finally, the delivery of three identical, well-documented systems established a repeatable design that can be referenced for future projects, compounding both LOE and OPEX savings across subsequent deployments. A further long-term benefit which our customer discovered after a period of deployment was that they no longer needed to acquire line power at these sites at all. The solar system had effectively replaced line power as the primary power source, and the customer expanded the number of sites utilizing this system in lieu of purchasing power altogether.