Hydraulic fracturing equipment with non-hydraulic power
AssigneeU.S. Well Services, LLC
InventorBrandon N. Hinderliter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation. In an embodiment, the system can include an electric pump fluidly connected to a well associated with the formation, and configured to pump fluid into a wellbore associated with the well at a high pressure so that the fluid passes from the wellbore into the formation and fractures the formation. The system can further include one or more ancillary units associated with the fluid pumped into the wellbore. The system can further include a first motor electrically coupled to the electric pump to operate the electric pump, and one or more second motors, each of the second motors electrically coupled to each of the ancillary units to operate the one or more ancillary units.
Claims15
A hydraulic fracturing system comprising:
- a fracturing pump configured to pump fracturing fluid into a wellbore;
- a first electric motor electrically coupled to the fracturing pump to drive the fracturing pump;
- a blender unit comprising:
- a proppant hopper that holds proppant;
- a mixing tub that mixes the proppant into the fracturing fluid;
- an auger that rotates to transport the proppant from the proppant hopper into the mixing tub;
- an auger tube about the auger, the auger tube comprising:
- an opening configured to dispense the proppant into the mixing tub;
- and
- a sloped surface on an opposite side of the auger from the opening;
- a second electric motor that drives the auger, the second electric motor positioned above the mixing tub on the sloped surface, the second electric motor comprising a belt that rotates the auger;
- and a discharge manifold that discharges the fracturing fluid from the mixing tub to the fracturing pump.
A method of operating a hydraulic fracturing system, the method comprising:
- operating a first electric motor to drive a fracturing pump, that is configured to pump fracturing fluid;
- operating a second electric motor to drive a blender unit, the blender unit comprising:
- a proppant hopper that holds proppant;
- a mixing tub that mixes the proppant into the fracturing fluid;
- an auger that rotates to transport the proppant from the proppant hopper into the mixing tub;
- an auger tube about the auger, the auger tube comprising:
- an opening configured to dispense the proppant into the mixing tub;
- and
- a sloped surface on an opposite side of the auger from the opening;
- the second electric motor positioned above the mixing tub on the sloped surface, the second electric motor comprising a belt that rotates the auger;
- and
- operating a variable-frequency drive (VFD) to control a speed of at least one of the first electric motor or the second electric motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.