Operator | Airport | FBO | MRO | OEM | Charter | Interiors | Avionics | Training | Inflight

Gazprom Neft has presented the concept of a robotic system for loading petroleum products into a fuel tanker truck at Sheremetyevo international airport.

The fuel filling process was automated with the help of a robot manipulator and implemented for the first time in Russia without the participation of personnel.

The robot manipulator is currently being tested for further implementation at airport fuel stations. Gazpromneft-Aero and the Digital Innovations Center of Gazprom Neft in cooperation with the Central Research Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics developed this pilot project under an agreement signed at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2018.

The introduction of robotic technologies is one of the stages in the implementation of automated process control at the modern Gazprom Neft fuel station. The technologies that form the basis of robotic manipulators provide maximum efficiency and safety.

“Gazpromneft-Aero is the technological leader of the Russian jet fuel industry. The introduction of advanced control systems, robotic solutions and online accounting of the flow of petroleum products at all logistic stages from receiving the fuel to 'wing-tip' refueling allows us to improve the business operational efficiency and ensure the competitiveness of the company in the market”, said Vladimir Yegorov, CEO of Gazpromneft-Aero.

“We can protect staff from working on a dangerous facility through the use of digital and robotic technologies allowing for increased safety and speed of work. All processes will be monitored online from the remote control point. With the help of predictive analytics tools, we can correct potential defects from the target parameters before they occur, providing maximum safety of the fuel release process. This will enable the elimination of potential defects from the target parameters before", said Vladimir Vorkachev, head of the Digital Innovations Center of Gazprom Neft.

"Our specialists have developed special coupling equipment for the presented robotic complex, as well as a unique vision system and reliable control algorithms. New manipulation systems will fully automate the process of loading fuel tanker trucks, significantly reducing the number of manual operations", said Igor Dalyaev, deputy chief developer of the Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics (RTC).

The next step in the implementation of the project will be the integration of a robotic system into the overall automated process control system of the Gazpromneft-Aero fuel station. The creation of a digital fuel station is part of an extensive roadmap of projects within the digital transformation of Gazprom Neft's business.

In addition to the robot manipulator, Gazprom Neft is also working on projects implementing mechatronic systems*. The Digital Innovations Center in cooperation with top domestic enterprises is currently developing automated systems, which will be used in the processes of petroleum products release from refineries, as well as in the creation of autonomous transport for internal logistics and product quality analysis systems.

*Mechatronic system – a unified complex of electromechanical, electrohydraulic, electronic components and hardware equipment with a constant dynamic exchange of energy and information between them. The complex is controlled by a single automated controlling system with artificial intelligence elements.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 8th November 2018 | Issue #486