Comprehensive automation of mobile hydraulic fracturing units: system analysis, integration challenges, and prospects for the development of advanced control systems with artificial intelligence

UDK: 622.692.4.076:620.193/.197

DOI: 10.24887/0028-2448-2025-12-87-91

Key words: automation of hydraulic fracturing fleet, control system, digital twin, cyber-physical systems

Authors: O.V. Zhdaneev (Russian energy agency of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, RF, Moscow; Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, RF, Kazan); I.V. Kovshov (Federal Scientific and Production Center Titan-Barrikady JSC, RF, Volgograd; Volgograd State Technical University, RF, Volgograd); E.V. Korsa-Vavilova (Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering Corporation JSC, RF, Moscow); S.A. Ustinov (Federal Scientific and Production Center Titan-Barrikady JSC, RF, Volgograd; Volgograd State Technical University, RF, Volgograd

The modern hydraulic fracturing (HF) fleet represents a high-end technological complex that comprises different hardware. Effective coordination of this hardware requires integrated control systems to ensure synchronous operation of all system components. The generalizations covering systematization of HF technological processes and specific recommendations for the development of integrated control systems based on cyber-physical principles are presented. A number of fundamental challenges were identified: the synthesis problem for the multiloop control systems with cross-coupling effects and significant delays; the issue of processing large volumes of heterogeneous real-time data; development of hybrid approaches combining deterministic physical models with machine learning methods to formalize the experience of a HF processes engineer under conditions of incomplete certainty. The architecture of next-generation HF process control systems should be modular and scalable. The physical level should include a high-performance data center that provides necessary computing resources; hardware control devices, distributed input-output modules, network infrastructure consisting of reliable high-speed wired communication lines and backup wireless connections to all equipment as well as external remote control systems if needed; ergonomic consoles equipped with multiple displays, voice communication systems, and operator workstation controls. During site and field tests it was determined that the key direction for further development of the HF fleet units’ control system should be a transitioning from centralized rigid architectures towards flexible, intelligent, fault-tolerant cyber-physical systems incorporating artificial intelligence models.

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