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US 11,976,661 B2Granted
System and method for evaluating the performance of a pump
AssigneeFlowserve Management Company
InventorsRonald Kent Sperry, Subramanya G. Prasad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods to determine the apparent density of a fluid being displaced by a pump. The apparent density may be determined by comparing an expected torque of the pump to an actual torque of the pump. The apparent density can also be used to detect irregular operating conditions.
Claims13
An ebullating pump system comprising:
- an ebullating pump having a motor and a variable frequency drive;
- sensors connected to the motor that directly measure voltage, current, and temperature of the motor;
- a frequency controller cooperative with the motor to track an operating frequency used by the variable frequency drive;
- and
- a computer-based pump monitor comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory connected to the processor, the non-transitory memory containing computer readable and executable instructions thereon that:
- receives sensor data from the sensors and the frequency controller;
- stores relationship data in a memory that relates an operating speed of the motor to torque;
- utilizes the processor to determine an expected torque using the data received from the frequency controller, the relationship data and at least one of frequency, voltage, current and temperature data to determine an actual torque for the pump during operation thereof by using at least one of the voltage, current and temperature of the sensor data, and to determine an apparent density of the fluid based on the expected torque and actual torque;
- uses the apparent density to detect a catalyst carryover condition while the pump is circulating at least a petroleum-based fluid;
- and
- generates a computerized alert to be sent automatically to an interface device to convey the computerized alert to a user upon detection of the catalyst carryover condition.
8 more elements
A method of operating a pump in an ebullated reactor, the method comprising:
- introducing a petroleum-based fluid and a hydrogen-containing gas into the ebullated reactor;
- using the pump to circulate at least the petroleum-based fluid through a catalyst bed that is disposed within the ebullated reactor;
- receiving sensor data directly measuring voltage, current and temperature of a pump motor that provides mechanical power to the pump during circulation of the petroleum-based fluid, the motor comprising a variable frequency drive;
- receiving data by a frequency controller that is cooperative with the motor, the data corresponding to an operating frequency used by the variable frequency drive;
- determining whether the pump is experiencing an irregular operating condition during the circulation of the petroleum-based fluid, the determining comprising:
- generating an expected torque value for the pump by using the data corresponding to an operating frequency, at least one of the voltage, current and temperature of the sensor data and data from at least one set of speed-torque relationships;
- generating an actual torque for the pump by using at least one of the operating frequency, speed-torque relationships, voltage, current and temperature data;
- comparing the expected torque and the actual torque to determine an apparent density of the petroleum-based fluid that is being circulated by the pump;
- and
- detecting whether catalyst carryover is present within the reactor based on the apparent density of the petroleum-based fluid.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.