Abstract
Harmonics are widely known occurrences that negatively affect electrical equipment. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct detailed studies to quantify and understand their effects in order to effectively manage them. This study aims to characterize harmonics specifically on the load side of variable speed drives (VSDs), with the objective of capturing both current and voltage downhole motor waveforms and analyzing their impact on electrical submersible pump (ESP) applications installed at ~9,500 ft vertical depth designed for oil producing. The VSDs evaluated are located in different production clusters within a Field located in Ecuador. In this field 98% of the wells use ESP as artificial lift method with several types and models of variable speed drives (VSDs) to run the downhole equipment. The wide range of equipment available in the field offers an optimal population for performance comparison and data collection. Additionally, the study data is complemented by dismantle, inspection, and failure analysis (DIFA) reports of retrieved equipment, which enhanced the understanding of the effects of harmonics.
