Predict brake horsepower for a pump for viscous applications
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsKetankumar Kantilal Sheth, Robert Charles de Long
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure presents a dimensionless relationship between a fluid flow rate, a viscosity, and a brake horsepower (BHP) in a pump operation and a method that uses the dimensionless relationship to predict a BHP for viscous performance of a pump from water performance specifications. Using the dimensionless relationship, i.e., K-R number, the methods determine a BHP correlation that allows the prediction of the BHP specification to satisfy a pump performance metric at any given speed, flow rate, and viscosity. This prediction can be calculated from water performance specifications without physically testing the pump in the viscous implementation environment.
Claims20
A method to predict a design brake horsepower (BHP) of a pump, comprising:
- selecting a design rotations per minute (RPM) of the pump;
- computing an original Ketan-Robert (K-R) number using a viscosity of a fluid, and an original flow rate and a first BHP of the pump, wherein the computing is performed under controlled environmental conditions;
- generating a normalized K-R number utilizing the original K-R number and a best efficiency point (BEP) K-R number, and a normalized flow rate utilizing the original flow rate and a BEP flow rate, wherein the BEP K-R number and the BEP flow rate are computed for the pump using water performance specifications;
- calculating the design BHP for the design RPM, wherein a Best Efficiency Point Brake Horse Power is determined for the design RPM, and the design BHP is equal to ((the normalized flow rate{circumflex over ( )}B*the Best Efficiency Point Brake Horse Power)/the normalized K-R number), wherein B is equal to two when the viscosity is an absolute viscosity and B is equal to one when the viscosity is a kinematic viscosity;
- and
- modifying a size of the pump based on the design BHP.
A system to determine a design brake horsepower (BHP) of a pump, comprising:
- an interface capable of receiving benchmark specifications for the pump, and receiving user inputs;
- and
- a processing unit that is communicatively coupled to the interface and the memory, and capable of computing one or more types of Ketan-Robert (K-R) numbers for a design rotations per minute (RPM), determining best efficiency point (BEP) parameters, converting fluid viscosity, converting flow rates, normalizing the K-R numbers and the flow rates, calculating a design BHP utilizing benchmark specifications, and modifying a size of the pump based on the design BHP.
A computer program product having a series of operating instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that directs a data processing apparatus when executed thereby to perform operations to predict a design brake horsepower (BHP) of a pump, the operations comprising:
- selecting a design rotations per minute (RPM) of the pump;
- computing an original Ketan-Robert (K-R) number using a viscosity of a fluid, and an original flow rate and a first BHP of the pump, wherein the computing is performed under controlled environmental conditions;
- generating a normalized K-R number utilizing the original K-R number and a best efficiency point (BEP) K-R number, and a normalized flow rate utilizing the original flow rate and a BEP flow rate, wherein the BEP K-R number and the BEP flow rate are computed for the pump using water performance specifications;
- calculating the design BHP for the design RPM, wherein a Best Efficiency Point Brake Horse Power is determined for the design RPM, and the design BHP is equal to ((the normalized flow rate{circumflex over ( )}B*the Best Efficiency Point Brake Horse Power)/the normalized K-R number), wherein B is equal to two when the viscosity is an absolute viscosity and B is equal to one when the viscosity is a kinematic viscosity;
- and
- modifying a size of the pump based on the design BHP.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.