Rugged and Ready: Relio R1 Beats the Heat in Fracking
Overview
In fracking operations, a major oil and gas company uses a fleet of trucks that travel to and along oil fields. They carry equipment, including computers that are the brains of their work. These computers must be durable enough to withstand intense conditions. However, the company’s previous devices broke down when exposed to high shock, intense vibrations or extreme temperatures.
This company approached Sealevel and asked for a standardized computing solution that would meet their specifications, which are more stringent than MIL-STD-810. The computer had to be affordable, as they would be equipping their entire fleet.
Key Application Requirements
- Withstand temperature extremes
- Remain durable despite intense shock and vibration
- DIN rail compatible for mounting
- Compact, portable design for a small, restricted airflow space
The Sealevel Solution
A team of Sealevel engineers modeled the potential operating thermal conditions, factoring in both external temperature and internal heat production. Based on their findings, they created the Relio R1 industrial computer. Made from a block of aluminum alloy using a ram extrusion process, the computer’s body efficiently dissipates thermal energy with its unique fin design. The Relio R1 also uses strategic circuit placement and component choice to minimize the amount of heat production. With these thermal design solutions, it can withstand operating temperatures from -40°C to 71°C. This solid-state design, complete without moving parts such as fans, requires zero maintenance. Compatible to the rig mounts, the Relio R1 attaches on rugged brackets expected to outlast any standard DIN rail.
The customer told Sealevel that “the Relio R1 was the only unit tested that passed all tests without any failures.” The client equipped their fleet and found them to be exactly the solution needed.
Designed for OEM applications where ruggedness is a must, the Relio™ family of embedded I/O servers combines the reliability of a PLC with the configurability of an industrial computer. Relio systems require no fans or other rotating parts. Your OS and application software run from solid-state disk, eliminating rotating hard drives and resulting in true solid-state operation.
COM Express is a widely supported implementation of Computer on Module design. The COM Express architecture reduces the complexity, cost and time required for custom computer system design by combining the processing, memory, video, Ethernet and USB functionality in a small, highly-integrated module. COM Express modules install on a carrier board that provides the application-specific I/O and connectors suited for the requirements.