Bellows failure detection for a pump

A bellows pump for introducing treatment fluid into a well for treatment of the well, comprising:

• a power end;
• a fluid end having a fluid end housing with a chamber, a suction valve configured for introduction of treatment fluid into the chamber, and a discharge valve configured for injection of treatment fluid from the chamber into the well;
• an expandable bellows configured to expand into the chamber of the fluid end based on movement of drive fluid from the power end and configured to separate drive fluid from treatment fluid;
• an elastomeric liner disposed within the bellows;
• one or more sensors;
• and
• a control system,
• wherein:
• a space is disposed between the liner and the bellows,
• the space is in fluid communication with a port,
• the treatment fluid comprises one of the following:
• fracturing fluid, abrasive material, corrosive material, cement, proppant, or combinations thereof,
• the one or more sensors are configured to detect a fluid leak in the space;
• and
• the control system is configured to:
• determine based on the one or more sensors, whether the detected fluid leak is drive fluid or treatment fluid;
• responsive to determining that the fluid leak is drive fluid, inject drive fluid between the piston and the bellows using a make-up system to ensure that the bellows and piston are in sync;
• and
• responsive to determining that the fluid leak is treatment fluid, stop introduction of treatment fluid into the well.

A method of detecting leakage in a bellows pump, comprising:

• placing the bellows pump in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon well wherein the bellows pump comprises an expandable double-walled bellows having space between the walls,
• using the bellows pump to introduce treatment fluid into the well for one of the following:
• a hydraulic fracturing operation, a fracturing acidizing operation, a proppant hydraulic fracturing operation, a well stimulation treatment drilling, cementing or combinations thereof;
• and
• detecting leak fluid in the space between the walls of the expandable double-walled bellows,
• wherein detecting leak fluid comprises detecting via one or more sensors in proximity to a port in fluid communication with the space;
• wherein responsive to detecting leak fluid, determining based on the one or more sensors whether the detected leak fluid is drive fluid or treatment fluid;
• responsive to determining that the leak fluid is drive fluid, injecting drive fluid between the piston and the bellows;
• and
• responsive to determining that the leak fluid is treatment fluid, stopping introduction of treatment fluid into the well.

A pump for introducing high-pressure treatment fluid into a well, comprising:

• an expandable double-walled bellows configured to extend into a chamber of a fluid end of the pump based on application of drive fluid within the bellows, comprising:
• an inner wall enclosing an inner volume;
• and
• an outer wall encompassing the inner wall;
• wherein:
• a space is disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall of the bellows, the space is in fluid communication with a port, the inner wall and the outer wall have rubbing interaction based on application of drive fluid within the bellows and an interior surface of the outer wall or an exterior surface of the inner wall comprises a low-friction material configured to minimize friction due to rubbing of the inner and outer walls.