US 6,315,523 B1Granted

Electrically isolated pump-off controller

AssigneeDJAX Corporation

InventorManuel D. Mills

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Electrical isolation method and assembly that protects a pump-off controller 31 as used for controlling the pumping of a subterranean well, from lightning and transient electrical power surges by electrically isolating the pump-off controller 31, the isolation assembly including fiber optic cables 17, 18, signal converters to convert electrical signals to optical signals 25, 33, signal converters to convert optical signals to electrical signals 32, 19 and a solar panel 35 to power the pump-off controller 31. Components of the fiber optic and control assembly may also be electrically protected from lightning and electrical power transients by including an isolation transformer 53, components to drive the isolation transformer 53, metal oxide varisters, fuses and other protection devices. Signals from the pump-off controller 31 may be used to stop/start a prime mover 45 for a pumping unit 46, or regulate the speed of the prime mover 45.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A pump-off control assembly for controlling a prime mover powering a pumping

unit of a pumping system for lifting fluids from a well, comprising:
a power source to power the prime mover;
a controller to control the power to the prime mover;
at least one sensor mounted on the pumping system for sensing operating characteristics of the pumping system and for transmitting an electrical first signal from the at least one sensor to a first signal converter;
the first signal converter converting the electrical first signal to an optical second signal;
a first fiber optic cable transmitting the optical second signal to a second signal converter;
the second signal converter converting the optical second signal into an electrical third signal;
a pump-off controller processing the electrical third signal and for outputting an electrical fourth signal to a third signal converter;
the third signal converter converting the electrical fourth signal to an optical fifth signal;
one of the first fiber optic cable and a second fiber optic cable transmitting the optical fifth signal to a fourth signal converter;
the fourth signal converter converting the optical fifth signal to an electrical sixth signal and transmitting the electrical sixth signal to an amplifier;
and
the amplifier amplifying the electrical sixth signal and generating an electrical seventh signal to regulate the controller.

10 more elements

A method of controlling a prime mover which powers a pumping unit of a pumping system for pumping fluid from a well, the method comprising:

providing a power source to power the prime mover;
controlling the power to the prime mover with a controller;
sensing operating characteristics of the pumping system with at least one sensor;
transmitting an electrical first signal from the at least one sensor to a first signal converter;
converting the electrical first signal to an optical second signal;
transmitting the optical second signal to a second signal converter through a first fiber optic cable;
converting the optical second signal to an electrical third signal;
processing the electrical third signal and outputting an electrical fourth signal to a third signal converter;
converting the electrical fourth signal to an optical fifth signal;
transmitting the optical fifth signal through one of the first fiber optic cable and a second fiber optic cable;
converting the optical fifth signal to an electrical sixth signal;
amplifying the electrical sixth signal to generate an amplified electrical seventh signal;
and
transmitting the amplified electrical seventh signal to regulate the controller.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.