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US 12,318,965 B2Granted
Cement supply control systems and methods
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsGary Lee Cline, Charles Edward Neal, III, James Douglas Funkhouser, Derek Williams, Derek James Abel, Randall Turner Hall, Chip L. Imel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system comprises a cement mixer, a supply tank to supply dry cement to the cement mixer, and a dry cement height sensor to measure the height of the dry cement in the cement supply tank. A valve controls the flow of dry cement to the cement supply tank based on the signals from the dry cement height sensor. Additional apparatus, methods, and systems are disclosed.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- measuring, via a single dry cement height sensor, a height of only dry cement in a cement supply tank all along a range of heights;
- setting a threshold height at any point along the range of heights;
- and
- controlling a flow of only additional dry cement to the cement supply tank based on the measurement of the height relative to the threshold height.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- measuring, via a single dry cement height sensor, a height of only dry cement in a cement supply tank all along a range of heights;
- setting a maximum threshold height at any point along the range of heights;
- setting a minimum threshold height at any point along the range of heights lower than the first threshold height;
- and
- controlling a flow of only additional dry cement to the cement supply tank based on the measurement of the height relative to the maximum and minimum threshold heights.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- measuring, via a single dry cement height sensor, a first height of only dry cement in a cement supply tank all along a range of heights;
- measuring, via the single dry cement height sensor, a second height of only dry cement in the cement supply tank all along the range of heights;
- determining a difference between the first and second heights;
- and
- controlling the flow of only additional dry cement to the cement supply tank based on whether the difference between the first and second heights exceeds a threshold value.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.