Method to smooth pump rate while fracturing
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsZhijie Sun, Behrouz Ebrahimi, Erik Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling changes in pump flow rates. The method involves identifying a first plurality of pumps scheduled to go offline and calculating a corresponding total flow decrease rate. Additionally, a second plurality of pumps intended to go online is identified, and a total flow increase rate is calculated based on these pumps. A determination is then made as to whether the difference between the total flow decrease rate and the total flow increase rate exceeds a predetermined flow rate threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, pump throttling is implemented based on this determination to manage the change in flow rates.
Claims20
A method for controlling changes in pump flow rates, comprising:
- identifying a first plurality of pumps to go offline;
- calculating a total flow decrease rate based on the first plurality of pumps,
- wherein the total flow decrease rate is a negative rate of change of a flow rate of the first plurality of pumps;
- identifying a second plurality of pumps to go online;
- calculating a total flow increase rate based on the second plurality of pumps,
- wherein the total flow increase rate is a positive rate of change of a flow rate of the second plurality of pumps;
- making a determination that a difference between the total flow decrease rate and the total flow increase rate exceeds a flow rate threshold;
- and
- implementing pump throttling based on the determination.
A pump system, comprising:
- a first pump;
- a second pump;
- a third pump;
- and
- an information handling system, wherein the information handling system is configured to perform a method for controlling changes in flow rates, comprising:
- identifying that the first pump and the second pump are designated to go offline;
- identifying that the third pump is designated to go online;
- calculating a total flow decrease rate based on the first pump going offline and the second pump going offline,
- wherein the total flow decrease rate is a negative rate of change of a flow rate of the first pump and the second pump;
- calculating a total flow increase rate based on the third pump going online,
- wherein the total flow increase rate is a positive rate of change of a flow rate of the third pump;
- making a determination that a difference between the total flow decrease rate and the total flow increase rate exceeds a flow rate threshold;
- and
- implementing pump throttling based on the determination.
A system, comprising:
- a first pump operatively connected to a first pump controller;
- a second pump operatively connected to a second pump controller;
- and
- a processor operatively connected to the first pump controller and the second pump controller, wherein the processor is configured to:
- perform a lookup, in pump transition data, to identify a pump transition data entry, wherein the pump transition data entry comprises a total flow decrease rate and a total flow increase rate,
- wherein the total flow decrease rate is a negative rate of change of a flow rate of the first pump, and
- wherein the total flow increase rate is a positive rate of change of a flow rate of the second pump;
- make a determination that a magnitude of the total flow decrease rate is greater than a magnitude of the total flow increase rate;
- generate modified flow rate changes, based on the determination;
- and
- initiate a throttled decrease in power to the first pump, as specified in the modified flow rate changes, wherein the first pump is designated to go offline in the pump transition data entry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.