# US 11,027,457 B2 · Method and apparatus for improving mixing of cement slurry > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,457 B2 - Document ID: US11027457B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/038,297 - Filed: 2013-12-20 - Published: 2016-10-06 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-20 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Paul Alan Brown; Paul Orman Padgett; Craig Allen Sneed - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027457B2 ## CPC - B28C 5/06: the mixing being effected by the action of a fluid (in combination with driven mechanical means, producing cellular concrete B28C5/38) - B01F 23/57: Mixing high-viscosity liquids with solids - B01F 25/53: in which the mixture is discharged from and reintroduced into a receptacle through a recirculation tube, into which an additional component is introduced - B01F 35/213: of the properties of the mixtures, e.g. temperature, density or colour - B01F 35/22142: {Speed of the mixing device during the operation} - B01F 35/82: by adding a material to be mixed to a mixture in response to a detected feature, e.g. density, radioactivity, consumed power or colour - B28C 7/024: {by measuring properties of the mixture, e.g. moisture, electrical resistivity, density} - E21B 47/005: Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level - G05D 11/135: {by sensing at least one property of the mixture (G05D11/139 takes precedence)} - B01F 23/581: {Mixing liquids with solids, slurries or sludge, for obtaining a diluted slurry} - B01F 2101/28: Mixing cement, mortar, clay, plaster or concrete ingredients - B28C: PREPARING CLAY; PRODUCING MIXTURES CONTAINING CLAY OR CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (preparing material for foundry moulds B22C5/00) - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A method and apparatus are disclosed for a mixing system with a recirculation pump and a sensor configured to measure a property of a fluid discharged from the recirculation pump, wherein the sensor may transmit the property to a control system to allow an operator to adjust the mixing system in response to changes in the measurement signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: providing a mixing system, comprising: a recirculation tub comprising at least one agitator; a recirculation cement mixer fluidly connected to the recirculation tub, wherein the recirculation cement mixer has a recirculation fluid inlet, a water inlet, and a cement powder inlet; a recirculation pump fluidly connected to the recirculation tub via a recirculation manifold, wherein the recirculation manifold directs fluid towards the recirculation pump; a recirculation discharge manifold in fluid communication with the recirculation pump at a first end of the recirculation discharge manifold and the recirculation fluid inlet at a second end of the recirculation discharge manifold, wherein the recirculation pump directs fluid toward the recirculation inlet via the recirculation discharge manifold; and a sensor attached to the recirculation discharge manifold, wherein the sensor comprises an air entrainment sensor and is configured to measure a property of a fluid in the recirculation discharge manifold, wherein the property of the fluid being measured comprises an air entrainment measurement; recirculating the fluid from the recirculation tub through the recirculation pump to the recirculation cement mixer via the recirculation fluid inlet; measuring the property of the fluid in the recirculation discharge manifold with the sensor; transmitting signal representing the property being measured from the sensor to a control system; and adjusting the mixing system in response to the measurement signal, wherein the mixing system is adjusted in response to the measurement signal indicating that the air entrainment of the fluid is above about 6% of a volume of the fluid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the mixing system in response to the measurement signal comprises removing air from the fluid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the recirculation pump is a centrifugal pump. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the mixing system in response to the measurement signal comprises adjusting the fluid agitation speed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor, and wherein the property of the fluid comprises a pressure measurement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the mixing system is adjusted in response to the measurement signal indicating that the pressure measurement is outside the range of about 25 psi to about 50 psi. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the mixing system in response to the measurement signal comprises removing air from the fluid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the recirculation pump is a centrifugal pump. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the mixing system in response to the measurement signal comprises adjusting the fluid agitation speed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a cement slurry.