Apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling a pump system for a well

An apparatus usable with a pumping system of the type having a polish rod that is reciprocated by an electric motor to pump a well, the motor having an output shaft mechanically coupled to said polish rod to move the polish rod through one reciprocation for a plurality of revolutions of the motor output shaft, comprising:

• synchronization signal generator means coupled to the polish rod for generating a synchronization signal for each reciprocation of the polish rod;
• rod location pulse generator means coupled to the output shaft of the motor for generating at least one electrical rod location pulse each time the motor output shaft turns through one revolution, whereby the rod location pulse generator means provides a sequence of rod location pulses following each synchronization signal, each sequence of rod location pulses corresponding to one reciprocation of the polish rod and each member of a sequence of rod location pulses corresponding to a particular position and direction of travel of the polish rod;
• a computer electrically connected to the pulse generator means to receive said rod location pulses and said synchronization signals, wherein the computer is programmed to count the rod location pulses constituting each sequence, to measure the time interval between each two consecutive rod location pulses received by the computer, and to determine a dynamic load on the polish rod for each rod location pulse of each sequence from the time interval between reception of such rod position pulse and the reception of the preceding rod location pulse, whereby the totality of rod location pulse counts and corresponding dynamic loads for each sequence of rod location pulses received by the computer provides an indiction of the operating characteristics of the pumping system and;
• output means electrically connected to the computer and controlled thereby for providing at least one of a continuous display of the pumping system operating characteristics and an interruption of the operation of the motor at such times that the pumping system operating characteristics satisfy a preselected control condition.