libzrod 0.1.28

Sucker Rod Design Library

libzrod

Sucker Rod Design Library (Wave Equation / Gibbs / Everitt-Jennings)

A wave equation library for sucker rod pump design and analysis, written in C/C++ and wrapped in Python.

Overview

libzrod solves the 1D damped wave equation to calculate dynamometer cards for both diagnostic (measured card in, pump card out) and predictive (parameters in, surface + pump cards out) analysis of sucker rod pumping systems. The core engine is cross-platform C++, exposed to Python via ctypes.

Key capabilities:

• Diagnostic analysis: transform a measured surface dynamometer card into a downhole pump card
• Predictive analysis: generate surface and pump cards from well parameters (rod string, pump, fluid, geometry)
• Rod loading analysis: max/min stress per rod section with Modified Goodman limits
• Pump velocity and chamber pressure visualization
• Multi-format file I/O (.dyn, .rsdx/.rsvx, .inp6/.inp6e, .qrd, .zrod, .DAT)
• Cloud design management (save, fetch, share via AWS)

Installation

pip install libzrod

Requirements: Python 3.9 - 3.13, numpy. Supported platforms: Windows (x86_64), macOS (x86_64/ARM), Linux (x86_64).

Authorization

An account is required to use the library:

1. Create an account at zrod.io
2. Email for manual authorization of your trial account (account creation is not monitored)
3. Note: The beta library includes time restrictions

Or see the Colab Example for a quick demo.

Quick Start

from libzrod import zrod, TaperBase_t, TubingBase_t, WaveParams_t
import numpy as np

# Create engine (singleton — only one instance allowed)
myzrod = zrod()
myzrod.Login("username", "password")

# Configure well parameters
waveParams = myzrod.GetWaveParams()
waveParams.WellDepth = 8000              # feet
waveParams.diagSpm = 6.0                 # strokes per minute
waveParams.predSpm = 6.0
waveParams.diagDampUp = 0.05             # upstroke damping factor
waveParams.diagDampDn = 0.05             # downstroke damping factor
waveParams.predDampUp = 0.05
waveParams.predDampDn = 0.05
waveParams.predFo = 2000                 # predicted fluid load (lbs)
myzrod.SetWaveParams(waveParams)

# Define rod string (3-taper example)
tarr = (TaperBase_t * 3)()
tarr[0] = TaperBase_t(id=b"", L=1000, D=0.875, W=2.224, E=30500000, R=492)
tarr[1] = TaperBase_t(id=b"", L=1700, D=0.750, W=1.630, E=30500000, R=492)
tarr[2] = TaperBase_t(id=b"", L=300,  D=1.500, W=6.500, E=30500000, R=492)
myzrod.xSetDiagTapers(tarr, 1.0)         # 1.0 = fluid specific gravity
myzrod.xSetPredTapers(tarr, 1.0)

# Define tubing
tuarr = (TubingBase_t * 1)()
tuarr[0] = TubingBase_t(L=8000, innerDiameter=2.992, outerDiameter=3.500, weight=9.3, W=2.904, E=30500000, R=490)
myzrod.xSetDiagTubings(tuarr)
myzrod.xSetPredTubings(tuarr)

# Load a measured surface card
myzrod.LoadDynFromDAT("SX4D05B.DAT")     # .DAT format parser (Python-only)
# Or: myzrod.LoadDyn(spm, position_array, load_array)
# Or: myzrod.ParseDesignFile("wellfile.zrod")

# Run the wave equation solver
if myzrod.RunDesign():
    # Retrieve diagnostic results (measured card → pump card)
    (surfX, surfY) = myzrod.GetMeasuredDyno()       # surface card (position, load)
    (pumpX, pumpY) = myzrod.GetMeasuredPump()        # calculated pump card

    # Retrieve upscaled (curve-fitted) diagnostic
    (upscX, upscY) = myzrod.GetUpscaledDyno()
    (upscPX, upscPY) = myzrod.GetUpscaledPump()

    # Retrieve predictive results
    (predDynX, predDynY) = myzrod.GetPredDyno()      # predicted surface card
    (predPmpX, predPmpY) = myzrod.GetPredPump()       # predicted pump card

    # Numeric results
    results = myzrod.GetWaveResults()
    print(f"Diag Fo: {results.diag.FoSKr:.0f} lbs")
    print(f"Pred pump stroke: {results.pred.PumpStrokeNet:.2f} in")

API Reference

Initialization & Auth

Method	Description
zrod()	Create engine instance (singleton)
Login(username, password) -> bool	Authenticate with zrod.io
Logout() -> bool	End session
SetClientVersion(platform, major, minor, rev, build)	Set client identifier
GetZrodVersion() -> np.ndarray	Get C++ library version [major, minor, rev, build]
GetZrodVersionString() -> str	Get version as "M.m.r.b" string

Configuration

Method	Description
GetWaveParams() -> WaveParams_t	Get current wave parameters
SetWaveParams(params) -> bool	Set wave parameters
GetWaveSettings() -> WaveSettings_t	Get advanced solver settings
SetWaveSettings(settings) -> bool	Set advanced solver settings
xSetDiagTapers(tapers, fluidSG) -> bool	Set diagnostic rod string (infers count)
xSetPredTapers(tapers, fluidSG) -> bool	Set predictive rod string (infers count)
SetDiagTapers(tapers, count, fluidSG) -> bool	Set diagnostic rod string (manual count)
SetPredTapers(tapers, count, fluidSG) -> bool	Set predictive rod string (manual count)
xSetDiagTubings(tubings) -> bool	Set diagnostic tubing string (infers count)
xSetPredTubings(tubings) -> bool	Set predictive tubing string (infers count)
SetDiagTubings(tubings, count) -> bool	Set diagnostic tubing string (manual count)
SetPredTubings(tubings, count) -> bool	Set predictive tubing string (manual count)
xSetCasings(casings) -> bool	Set casing string (infers count)
SetCasings(casings, count) -> bool	Set casing string (manual count)
SetDiagApiTaperByNumber(num, pumpDia, pumpDepth) -> bool	Set diagnostic taper from API rod number
SetPredApiTaperByNumber(num, pumpDia, pumpDepth) -> bool	Set predictive taper from API rod number
SetPuApi(puApi) -> bool	Set pumping unit geometry
SetPuInfo(puInfo) -> bool	Set pumping unit info (with designation)
SetPuByName(name) -> bool	Set pumping unit by database name
SetFourierCoeffCountPos(count)	Set Fourier coefficients for position curve fitting
SetFourierCoeffCountLoad(count)	Set Fourier coefficients for load curve fitting
SetUpscaledDynoPointCount(count)	Set upscaled output resolution

Calculation

Method	Description
RunDesign() -> bool	Execute wave equation solver (diagnostic + predictive)
CalculateFo() -> float	Calculate fluid load from pump/pressure parameters (lbs)
CalculateKrToDepth(depth) -> float	Calculate rod spring constant to a given depth
ValidateDesign() -> list[dict]	Validate current design, returns list of issues

Results — Diagnostic

Method	Returns	Description
GetMeasuredDyno()	(pos, load)	Measured surface card
GetMeasuredPump()	(pos, load)	Calculated downhole pump card
GetMeasuredPumpColors()	np.ndarray[int32]	Pump valve state colors per point
GetMeasuredPumpVelocity()	np.ndarray	Plunger velocity (in/sec)
GetMeasuredPumpVelocityNormalized()	np.ndarray	Plunger velocity (0-100 scale)
GetMeasuredPumpChamberPressure()	np.ndarray	Chamber pressure (psi)
GetMeasuredPumpChamberPressureNormalized()	np.ndarray	Chamber pressure (0-100 scale)
GetUpscaledDyno()	(pos, load)	Curve-fitted surface card
GetUpscaledPump()	(pos, load)	Pump card from curve-fitted input
GetUpscaledPumpColors()	np.ndarray[int32]	Valve state colors
GetUpscaledPumpVelocity()	np.ndarray	Plunger velocity
GetUpscaledPumpVelocityNormalized()	np.ndarray	Plunger velocity (0-100)
GetUpscaledPumpChamberPressure()	np.ndarray	Chamber pressure
GetUpscaledPumpChamberPressureNormalized()	np.ndarray	Chamber pressure (0-100)

Results — Predictive

Method	Returns	Description
GetPredDyno()	(pos, load)	Predicted surface card
GetPredPump()	(pos, load)	Predicted pump card
GetPredPumpColors()	np.ndarray[int32]	Valve state colors
GetPredPumpVelocity()	np.ndarray	Plunger velocity
GetPredPumpVelocityNormalized()	np.ndarray	Plunger velocity (0-100)
GetPredPumpChamberPressure()	np.ndarray	Chamber pressure
GetPredPumpChamberPressureNormalized()	np.ndarray	Chamber pressure (0-100)

Results — Rod Loading

Method	Returns	Description
xGetMeasuredRodLoading()	(depth, lbsMax, lbsMin, pctMax, pctMin)	Measured rod loading per section
xGetUpscaledRodLoading()	(depth, lbsMax, lbsMin, pctMax, pctMin)	Upscaled rod loading
xGetPredRodLoading()	(depth, lbsMax, lbsMin, pctMax, pctMin)	Predicted rod loading

Results — Other

Method	Returns	Description
GetWaveResults()	WaveResults_t	Numeric results (Fo, Kr, pump stroke, production, etc.)
GetWaveParamsReadOnly()	WaveParamsReadOnly_t	Computed parameters (point counts, DT, buoyancy)
GetIntermediateCard(nodeindex, dynotype)	(pos, load)	FEA node card (dynotype: 1=meas, 2=upsc, 3=pred)
GetIntermediateTimeSlice(timestep, dynotype)	(pos, load)	All nodes at one timestep
GetPermissibleLoads(destX, destY, count, clipmin, clipmax)	bool	Modified Goodman envelope

File I/O

Method	Description
LoadDyn(spm, pos_array, load_array) -> bool	Load measured card from arrays
LoadDynFromFile(filepath) -> bool	Load .dyn file
LoadDynFromFileContents(text) -> bool	Load .dyn from string
LoadDynFromDAT(filepath) -> bool	Load .DAT format (Python-only parser)
ParseDesignFile(filepath) -> bool	Parse design file (.zrod, .rsdx, .inp6, etc.)
ParseDesignFileContents(contents, ftype) -> bool	Parse from string
WriteDesignFile(filepath) -> bool	Write .zrod design file
WriteDesignFileWithTemplate(filepath, templatepath) -> bool	Write with template

Design Management (Cloud)

Note: Cloud design management is a work in progress and subject to change.

Method	Description
FetchDesigns(fromserver) -> int	Fetch design list (True=server, False=cached). Returns count.
GetDesigns() -> list[DesignInfo]	Get list of DesignInfo objects
GetDesign(designId) -> bool	Load a design by ID
SaveCurrentDesign(overwrite) -> bool	Save current design to cloud
SubmitDesign(email, nonblocking) -> bool	Submit design for review
DeleteDesign(designId) -> bool	Delete a cloud design
SetDesignTitle(title) -> bool	Set design title
GetDesignTitle() -> str	Get design title
SetComment(comment) -> bool	Set design comment
GetComment() -> str	Get design comment
GetDesignID() -> str	Get current design ID (compact UUID)

Metadata & Debug

Method	Description
GetPuInfo() -> PuInfo_t	Get pumping unit info
GetCasingCount() -> int	Get casing section count
GetCasings() -> list[CasingBase_t]	Get casing sections
GetDeviationSurveyCount() -> int	Get deviation survey point count
GetDeviationSurvey() -> list[DeviationSurveyPoint_t]	Get deviation survey
PrintZrodObj()	Print internal state to console
DebugZrodObj(filepath)	Dump debug info to file (if available)

Data Structures

TaperBase_t — Rod Section

Field	Type	Unit	Description
id	bytes[32]	—	Rod grade identifier (e.g. b"D")
L	float	feet	Section length
D	float	inches	Rod body diameter
W	float	lb/ft	Weight per foot
T	float	psi	Minimum tensile strength
E	float	psi	Young's modulus (typically 30,500,000)
R	float	lb/ft^3	Density (typically 490 for steel)
RL	float	feet	Individual rod length for UI (default 25)
K	float	—	Modified Goodman K constant (default 2.8)
M	float	—	Modified Goodman M constant (default 0.375)

TubingBase_t — Tubing Section

Field	Type	Unit	Description
L	float	feet	Section length
innerDiameter	float	inches	Tubing ID
outerDiameter	float	inches	Tubing OD
weight	float	lb/ft	Weight per foot
W	float	lb/ft	Rod-in-tubing weight factor
T	float	psi	Tensile strength
E	float	psi	Young's modulus
R	float	lb/ft^3	Density

WaveParams_t — Core Parameters

Key fields (see CLAUDE.md for full list):

Field	Type	Unit	Description
WellDepth	float	feet	Total well depth
diagSpm / predSpm	float	SPM	Strokes per minute
diagDampUp / diagDampDn	float	—	Damping factors (0.0–1.0, typical 0.05)
predDampUp / predDampDn	float	—	Predictive damping factors
diagFluidSG / predFluidSG	float	—	Fluid specific gravity
diagPumpPlungerDiameter	float	inches	Plunger diameter
diagPumpDepth / predPumpDepth	float	feet	Pump setting depth
predFo	float	lbs	Target fluid load (or use CalculateFo())
predFillage	float	%	Pump fillage (0–100)
predCompression	float	—	Gas compression ratio
usePumpingUnitForPosition	bool	—	Use PU geometry for position (vs measured)

Naming Conventions

x-prefix methods (e.g. xSetDiagTapers, xGetMeasuredRodLoading) are Pythonic convenience wrappers:

• xSet* infers the array count from len() and passes ctypes.byref() automatically
• xGet* allocates numpy output arrays automatically and returns them

The non-x versions require you to pass count and pre-allocated arrays manually.

Workflow Patterns

Diagnostic + Predictive Analysis

1. zrod() → Login()
2. GetWaveParams() → set fields → SetWaveParams()
3. xSetDiagTapers() + xSetPredTapers()
4. xSetDiagTubings() + xSetPredTubings()
5. LoadDyn() or LoadDynFromDAT() or ParseDesignFile()
6. RunDesign()
7. GetMeasuredDyno(), GetMeasuredPump(), GetPredDyno(), GetPredPump()
8. GetWaveResults() for numeric output

Predictive-Only (No Measured Card)

1. zrod() → Login()
2. GetWaveParams() → set fields, usePumpingUnitForPosition=True → SetWaveParams()
3. SetPuApi() or SetPuByName()
4. xSetPredTapers(), xSetPredTubings()
5. CalculateFo() or set predFo manually
6. RunDesign()
7. GetPredDyno(), GetPredPump()

File Round-Trip

1. ParseDesignFile("input.zrod")    # loads all parameters + measured card
2. RunDesign()
3. WriteDesignFile("output.zrod")   # saves current state

Constants

# Prediction algorithm types (for WaveSettings_t.predAlgorithmType)
# Note: Integer values are subject to change — use the PRED_ALGORITHM_* names.
PRED_ALGORITHM_STANDARD = 0       # Default
PRED_ALGORITHM_OLD = 1            # Legacy algorithm
PRED_ALGORITHM_EXPERIMENTAL = 2   # Experimental
PRED_ALGORITHM_LEAKAGE = 3       # With leakage modeling

Known Limitations

The following C API functions are not yet wrapped in the Python interface:

C Function	Purpose
SetDeviationSurvey()	Set wellbore deviation survey
SetDeviationSurveyWithMIA()	Set deviation survey (interleaved format)
SetSaveIntermediateCards()	Enable intermediate FEA node card output
SetStatusCallback()	Async status callbacks
GetDiagTaperCount/GetPredTaperCount	Query rod section counts
GetDiagTapers/GetPredTapers	Retrieve rod sections
GetDiagTubingCount/GetPredTubingCount	Query tubing section counts
GetDiagTubings/GetPredTubings	Retrieve tubing sections

Platform Support

Platform	Architecture	Python Versions
Windows	x86_64	3.9 - 3.13
macOS	x86_64, ARM64	3.9 - 3.13
Linux	x86_64	3.9 - 3.13

Mobile Apps

Beta access available for iOS and Android demo apps. Contact for access.

Web App

The ZROD web app demonstrates the full feature set of the library, including interactive dynamometer card visualization, rod loading analysis, pump velocity display, multi-format file import/export, and cloud design management.

Troubleshooting

RunDesign() returns False: Call ValidateDesign() to get a list of issues with codes and messages. Common causes: missing rod string, missing measured card (when usePumpingUnitForPosition=False), zero SPM, or invalid pump parameters.

Singleton warning: zrod is a singleton. Creating a second instance returns the same object with a warning. Use del myzrod before creating a new one if needed.

Platform binary not found: The library ships platform-specific binaries. Ensure your Python version and platform match a supported wheel.

Contact & Licensing

For licensing inquiries, reach out via LinkedIn.

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