Reducing fluid pressure spikes in a pumping system

An apparatus, comprising:

• a pumping system, comprising:
• a plurality of pumps each comprising:
• a housing;
• a pump fluid outlet;
• a drive shaft disposed within the housing;
• a prime mover operatively coupled with the drive shaft and operable to rotate the drive shaft;
• and
• a plurality of fluid displacing members operatively coupled with the drive shaft;
• a common fluid conduit fluidly coupled with each pump fluid outlet;
• and
• a control system, comprising:
• a plurality of position sensors each associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps, wherein each of the plurality of position sensors is operable to generate information relating to phase and/or speed of the corresponding one of the plurality of pumps;
• a plurality of pressure sensors each operable to generate information relating to fluid pressure spikes;
• and
• a controller in communication with the plurality of position sensors and the plurality of pressure sensors, wherein the controller is operable to cause the prime mover to:
• adjust the phase of one or more of the plurality of pumps with respect to the phase of another of the plurality of pumps based on the information relating to fluid pressure spikes;
• and
• synchronize the speed of the plurality of pumps,
• wherein each of the plurality of pressure sensors is operable to generate information relating to fluid pressure spikes at the pump fluid outlet of the corresponding one of the plurality of pumps, and wherein the controller is operable to cause each prime mover to adjust the phase of each of the plurality of pumps such that each fluid pressure spike at each fluid outlet is out of phase with respect to another fluid pressure spike at another fluid outlet.

A method, comprising:

• conducting pumping operations with a plurality of pumps each comprising a drive shaft, a prime mover operatively coupled with the drive shaft, and a plurality of reciprocating members, wherein conducting pumping operations comprises powering each prime mover to rotate each drive shaft and thereby cause each of the plurality of reciprocating members to reciprocate and thereby pump a fluid;
• monitoring phase and/or speed of each of the plurality of pumps;
• monitoring fluid pressure within a pumping system comprising the plurality of pumps, including information relating to fluid pressure spikes within the pumping system;
• synchronizing the speed of each of the plurality of pumps;
• and
• adjusting the phase of one or more of the plurality of pumps with respect to the phase of another of the plurality of pumps based on the information relating to fluid pressure spikes within the pumping system.