Partnership between Ocyan and UFRJ develops 3D prototypes for oil and gas sector

In order to foster scientific and technological development and strengthen its relations with the community, Ocyan, through its “School in Action” social responsibility program, has launched the Youth Mentoring Program. The project, launched in partnership with engineering students from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) engaged in the Innovate and Learn program in Macaé, also involves the Engineering and Subsea team from Ocyan’s Drilling Business Unit as mentors of the students. The students of UFRJ Macaé developed two prototypes that provide solutions for application in the company’s drilling rigs, meeting the demands of the mechanical and subsea construction areas.

The solutions were developed in the 3D printer and the laser cutter donated in March this year by the company to the Management and Research Center of UFRJ (Macaé Unit). From April to October, the mentors guided students during each stage, from the development to the construction of the prototypes. The challenge for the mechanical area was to create a support for the precision ruler to speed up the regular work of inspecting the axes of the diesel engines in the vessels.

“With the adaptation of the tool and inclusion of technology, the inspection can now be safely conducted by a single person. The inspection used to be hard to execute and register. It required both hands, making it ergonomically difficult for analyzing and recording the results. We created our own design and have already conducted successful tests in the engine itself,” said Isaac Florêncio Oliveira,  member of Ocyan’s Engineering team and one of the mentors in the program.

Also according to Isaac, the work in partnership with the students was essential. “They demonstrated very precisely their knowledge of industrial automation and their capacity to solve problems, aligned with the commitment to do all that sustainably and at a low cost,” he said.

Gabriel Lobo, 23, who is in the 10^th semester of the civil engineering course and was one of the participating students in the Project and conceiver of the prototype, highlighted the importance of the experience: “It was an important opportunity to broaden my knowledge in the area of oil and gas, since no program here still specializes in this sector. I helped not only to execute, but also to optimize the idea, seeking opportunities to improve and innovate,” he said. “3D printing and laser cutting have been changing the industry as a whole, and to have the first contact with them already at university to make a functional product was, without doubt, a differential for my education,” he concluded.

In the Subsea area, the challenge proposed was to develop a set of prototypes capable of confirming the compatibility of connectors of the company’s fleet with the well heads provided by the client, working at depths of up to 3,000 meters. The solution facilitates decision-making and prior assessment of the operation, preventing delays in the timetable of the wells and, especially, losses for Ocyan.

“Seeing the creative ability of students is marvelous. The prototypes they created were an important step for the technical and scientific development of the oil and gas industry. These will enable us to save time while preserving the safety of the previous process, thereby optimizing the operation,” highlights Cristiano, member of Ocyan’s Subsea team and a mentor in the initiative.

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Launched in 2014, the project consists of implementing extracurricular courses on robotics for elementary students in 11 makerspaces at the municipal schools in Macaé. Since its implementation until 2018, over 1,700 primary, secondary and college students have benefited either directly or through teacher training programs (more than 90 teachers trained in technology). So far, the project has indirectly benefitted over 7,000 people. The program originated from a partnership with the Municipal Education Department of Macaé and is supported by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).  In 2015, UFRJ recognized the project as a curriculum unit of the university extension program, with more than 50 engineering students working as monitors in the program.