Reciprocating pump system and method for operating same

A reciprocating pump, comprising:

• (a) a pump cylinder for receiving a fluid at an inlet at a suction pressure and discharging the fluid at an outlet at a discharge pressure;
• (b) a piston in the pump cylinder, said piston adapted to move between a first and a second position, the movement of the piston from the first position to the second position defining a suction cycle and the movement from the second position to the first position defining a discharge cycle and a combination of a suction cycle and a discharge cycle defining a piston stroke;
• (c) a pressure sensor coupled to the pump cylinder for providing signals representative of pressure in the chamber during the piston stroke;
• and
• (d) a circuit coupled to the pressure sensor for receiving signals from the pressure sensor, said circuit determining a pressure response curve from the received signals and determining therefrom an operating parameter of the reciprocating pump selected from a group of parameters consisting (i) cavitation in the reciprocating pump, (ii) average pump cylinder pressure, (iii) the discharge pressure, (iv) the suction pressure, (v) pump operating cycle, (vi) pump speed, (vii) pump operating time, (vii) an estimate relating to consumed life of the reciprocating pump, (viii) an estimate relating to remaining operating life of the reciprocating pump, (ix) volumetric output of the reciprocating pump, and (x) number of piston strokes over a predetermined time period.

A method of operating a reciprocating pump having a pump cylinder for receiving a fluid at a suction pressure and for discharging the fluid at a discharge pressure, said reciprocating pump having a piston reciprocating within a piston cylinder which is in fluid communication with the pump cylinder, each reciprocating cycle of the piston defining a pump stroke, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a pressure sensor in the chamber for determining pressure in the chamber during operation of the reciprocating pump;
• (b) operating the pump at a predetermined speed;
• (c) determining from the pressure sensor response a pressure response curve of the reciprocating pump when the pump is operating, said pressure response curve having characteristics that include a leading edge, a discharge pressure region, a trailing edge, and a suction pressure;
• and
• (b) determining at least one operating parameter of the reciprocating pump by utilizing at least one of the characteristics of the pressure in the pump cylinder.

A pump system for use in pumping a fluid into a wellbore, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of reciprocating pumps, each said pump in said plurality of pumps having a plurality of chambers, wherein each said chamber having an associated piston chamber in fluid communication therewith and wherein each said piston stroking within its associated piston chamber for causing its associated chamber to receive a fluid from a source at a suction pressure and discharging the received fluid at common outlet at a discharge pressure;
• (b) a pressure sensor coupled to at least one chamber of each said pump in said plurality of pumps, each said pressure sensor providing signals representative of pressure in the chamber to which such pressure sensor is coupled;
• and
• (c) a circuit coupled to each of the pressure sensors, said circuit determining the pressure in each of the chambers to which a pressure sensor is coupled, said circuit providing information about at least one operating parameter of each of the pumps in said plurality of pumps that is selected from a group of parameters consisting of (i) cavitation in the reciprocating pump, (ii) average pump cylinder pressure, (iii) the discharge pressure, (iv) the suction pressure, (v) pump operating cycle, (vi) pump speed, (vii) pump operating time, (vii) an estimate relating to consumed life of the reciprocating pump, (viii) an estimate relating to the remaining operating life of the reciprocating pump, and (ix) volumetric output of the reciprocating pump.

A reciprocating pump, comprising:

• (a) a pump cylinder for receiving a fluid at an inlet at a suction pressure and discharging the received fluid at an outlet at a discharge pressure;
• (b) a piston in the pump cylinder, said piston adapted to move between a first and a second position, the movement of the piston from the first position to the second position defining a suction cycle and from second position to the first position defining a discharge cycle and a combination of a suction cycle and a discharge cycle defining a piston stroke;
• (c) a pressure sensor coupled to the chamber for providing signals representative of pressure in the chamber during the piston stroke;
• and
• (d) a circuit coupled to the pressure sensor for receiving signals from the pressure sensor, said circuit determining from the received signals a pressure response curve for the reciprocating pump corresponding to the piston stroke and analyzing said pressure response curve to determine an operating parameter of the reciprocating pump.