The Impact of PV Shades in Reducing Heat Stress in the ONG Drilling Industry in the Western Region of the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Excessive heat in an oil/natural gas (ONG) drilling environment can have negative effects on workers, production levels and work efficiency. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) borders the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, and sits between Oman and Saudi Arabia. The summer temperature in the UAE can go as high as 51°C, which is extremely high for continuous outside work, especially considering that a 12-hour work shift is normal on the rigs. Due to global warming, average ambient temperatures in the summer are now generally higher than what have been experienced in the past. Although the differences are of only a few degrees, these small differences can make a big change in the work environment. Hence, companies have been trying to come up with engineering and administrative controls to reduce the effect of summer heat in this region. Photovoltaic (PV) array shades have been proposed in this paper to improve conditions for the worker. The Thermal Work Limit (TWL) has been evaluated in this study to understand the ability of PV shades in reducing thermal load on the body. TWLs have also been calculated without the shade and then compared against semi-indoor condition available on the rig. A model of PV shades has been designed to reduce the effect of heat stress keeping in mind the complexity of a rig move and other rig activities. Benefits of rooftop PV systems for area cooling are validated through previous studies and modeling. Heat flux modeling shows that solar panels can lower a roof's underside temperature by ~3°C. The PV array can also help in reducing heat loss during the cold winter nights. This paper also discusses the how this reduction of daily variability in surface temperatures under the PV shade helps to reduce worker's thermal stress.