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US 11,111,772 B2Granted
Bulk modulus monitoring system
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorJoseph A. Beisel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monitoring system may include at least a strain gauge and a computing device for determining a bulk modulus of a fluid system of a pressure pump using strain measurements. The strain gauge may determine strain in a chamber of the pressure pump. The computing device may receive a strain signal generated by the strain gauge and may correlate the strain signal to pressure to determine a change in pressure during a period in which fluid is isolated in the chamber. The computing device may use the change in pressure during this period to determine a bulk modulus of the fluid system.
Claims20
A monitoring system for a pump, comprising:
- a strain gauge positionable on a fluid end of the pump to measure strain in a chamber of the pump and generate a strain signal representing the strain in the chamber, the strain signal being useable in determining actuation points for valves in the chamber;
- and
- a computing device couplable to the strain gauge, the computing device including a processing device and a memory device, the memory device including instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
- receive, from memory, a predefined pressure value for an internal pressure of the chamber;
- determine a change in the internal pressure in the chamber during an amount of time between the actuation points for the valves by correlating (i) a portion of the strain signal corresponding to the amount of time between the actuation points with (ii) the predefined pressure value;
- and
- determine a bulk modulus of fluid isolated in the chamber during the amount of time between the actuation points for the valves based on the change in the internal pressure in the chamber.
4 more elements
A pumping system, comprising:
- a pump including a fluid end and a power end, the fluid end of the pump including a chamber having a first valve actuatable to a closed position at a first actuation point and a second valve actuatable to an open position at a second actuation point, an amount of time between the first actuation point and the second actuation point being detectable by a strain gauge;
- and
- a computing device couplable to the pump, the computing device including a processing device and a memory device including instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to:
- determine the first actuation point and the second actuation point by identifying discontinuities in a strain signal received from the strain gauge and representing strain in the chamber;
- receive, from memory, a predefined pressure value for an internal pressure of the chamber;
- determine a change in the internal pressure in the chamber during the amount of time between the first actuation point and the second actuation point by correlating a portion of the strain signal to the predefined pressure value;
- and
- determine a bulk modulus of fluid isolated in the chamber during the amount of time between the first actuation point and the second actuation point based on the change in the internal pressure in the chamber.
5 more elements
A method for determining a bulk modulus of fluid in a pump, comprising:
- receiving, from a strain sensor coupled to a fluid end of the pump, a strain signal representing strain in a chamber of the pump;
- determining, by a computing device, actuation points corresponding to valves in the chamber by identifying discontinuities in the strain signal, the actuation points including a first actuation point corresponding to a closing of a first valve in the chamber and a second actuation point corresponding to an opening of a second valve in the chamber;
- determining an amount of time between the first actuation point and the second actuation point;
- determining, by the computing device, a change in an internal pressure in the chamber during the amount of time between the first actuation point and the second actuation point by correlating the strain in the chamber with a predefined pressure value for the internal pressure in the chamber, wherein the predefined pressure value was previously determined and stored in memory;
- and
- determining, by the computing device, a bulk modulus of fluid isolated in the chamber during the amount of time between the first actuation point and the second actuation point using the change in the internal pressure in the chamber.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.