# US 9,751,749 B1 · Refueling system for supplying fuel to fracturing equipment

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- Number: US 9,751,749 B1
- Document ID: US9751749B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/163,607
- Filed: 2016-05-24
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-16
- Applicants: Roy Malcolm Moffitt, Jr.
- Inventors: Roy Malcolm Moffitt, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751749B1

## CPC

- B67D 7/36: Arrangements of flow- or pressure-control valves (associated with nozzles B67D7/42)
- B67D 7/04: for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
- B67D 7/52: and provided with additional flow-controlling valve means
- B67D 7/58: Arrangements of pumps
- B67D 7/72: Devices for applying air or other gas pressure for forcing liquid to delivery point
- B67D 7/78: Arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines
- E21B 43/2607: {Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations}
- F04B 47/04: the driving means incorporating fluid means
- F04B 49/225: {with throttling valves or valves varying the pump inlet opening or the outlet opening}
- F04B 53/10: Valves; Arrangement of valves
- F04B 53/16: Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections
- F16K 5/06: with plugs having spherical surfaces; Packings therefor
- B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F)
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}

## Abstract

A refueling system for supplying fuel to at least one piece of fracturing equipment. The refueling system can have a main fuel source and at least one pressurization unit. The pressurization unit can have an optional pump, a motor, a motor fuel source, a supply coupling device and a return coupling device. The refueling system can have sensors in the one or more supply fuel lines and in the one or more return fuel lines for receiving flow rate information and pressure information, wherein the flow rate information and pressure information are compared to preset limits and a message can be transmitted when the flow rate information and pressure information falls below or exceeds the preset limits to adjust rates of operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A refueling system for supplying fuel to at least one piece of fracturing equipment, the refueling system comprising:
a) a main fuel source fluidly connected to the at least one piece of fracturing equipment for providing downhole fluids to a well for fractionation of the well; and
b) at least one pressurization unit fluidly connected to the main fuel source, the at least one pressurization unit comprising:
i. a fuel tank containing fuel;
ii. a pump unit comprising a pump, and a motor;
iii. a supply coupling device comprising a valve element, the supply coupling device being connected in fluid communication to the fuel tank and to the main fuel source, and being configured to receive fuel from the fuel tank or fuel from the main fuel source;
iv. a return coupling device for receiving the fuel from the motor and transferring the fuel through one or more return fuel lines to the main fuel source; and
v. at least one fuel pressure regulator in communication with the supply coupling device, and configured to reduce fuel pressure; and
wherein the pump unit operates in a manner whereby a high pressure frac slurry is injected into the well.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The refueling system of claim 1, further comprising a fuel pump fluidly connected to the supply coupling device, and configured to provide fuel from the supply coupling device to the motor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The refueling system of claim 2, wherein the valve element is configured to stop fuel flow from the fuel tank when the main fuel source supplies the fuel to the supply coupling device, and is configured to allow the fuel flow from the fuel tank to the motor when a system failure prevents the main fuel source from supplying the fuel to the supply coupling device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The refueling system of claim 1, comprising a first quick disconnect having a first quick-disconnect fitting mating to a second quick-disconnect fitting for accelerated set up and take down of a refueling unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The refueling system of claim 4, comprising a second quick-disconnect having an initial quick-disconnect fitting mating to a secondary quick-disconnect fitting for accelerated set up and take down of the refueling unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The refueling system of claim 1, comprising a manifold connected between one or more supply fuel lines and the main fuel source for connecting to multiple supply fuel lines enabling the at least one piece of fracturing equipment per the one or more supply fuel lines to be refueled per line.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The refueling system of claim 6, further comprising a main fuel source pump connected to the main fuel source for pumping the fuel from the main fuel source through a filter to the manifold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The refueling system of claim 1, comprising a heat exchanger coupled with the main fuel source, and configured to receive fuel from the main fuel source and regulate fuel temperature at an optimal operating temperature for the motor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The refueling system of claim 1, comprising a controller connected to sensors in the one or more supply fuel lines and in the one or more return fuel lines for receiving flow rate information and pressure information, wherein the flow rate information and pressure information is compared to preset limits and a message is transmitted when the flow rate information and pressure information falls below or exceeds the preset limits to adjust rates of operation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The refueling system of claim 7, wherein the filter is configured to remove particulates, water and water based contaminates flowing through the filter.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The refueling system of claim 9, wherein the controller comprises:
a) at least one supply sensor in the one or more supply fuel lines;
b) at least one return sensor in the one or more return fuel lines;
c) a processor configured to receive data from the at least one sensor, the at least one return sensor or from both the at least one sensor and the at least return sensor;
d) a data storage in communication with the processor;
e) computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to receive the flow rate information and pressure information from the at least one supply sensor, the at least one return sensor, or from both the at least one supply sensor and the at least one return sensor;
f) preset pressure limits for the fuel flow and preset temperature limits for the fuel in the data storage as preset pressure and preset temperature limits;
g) computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to compare the flow rate information and pressure information from the at least one supply sensor, the at least one return sensor, or from both the at least one supply sensor and the at least one return sensor to the preset pressure and preset temperature limits; and
h) computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to transmit the message when the flow rate information and pressure information falls below or exceeds the preset pressure and preset temperature limits in the data storage enabling an operator to adjust the rates of the operation of the at least one pressurization unit.

### Claim 12

A refueling system for supplying fuel to at least one piece of fracturing equipment, the refueling system comprising:
a) a main fuel source fluidly connected to the at least one piece of fracturing equipment; and
b) at least one pressurization unit fluidly connected to the main fuel source, the at least one pressurization unit comprising:
i. a supply coupling device connected to an onboard motor, the supply coupling device for receiving the fuel from one or more supply fuel lines from the main fuel source; and
ii. a return coupling device for receiving the fuel from the onboard motor and transferring the fuel through one or more return fuel lines to the main fuel source; and
wherein the at least one piece of fracturing equipment operates in a manner whereby a high pressure frac slurry is injected into a well.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The refueling system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of pressurization units, wherein each additional unit further comprising a respective pump and engine, wherein each of the plurality of pressurization units being disposed on one of a skid, a trailer, and a truck, and wherein the supply coupling device is operable to allow fuel flow from the main fuel source to the motor, and at the same time prevent fuel flow from the motor fuel source to the motor.

### Claim 14

A fueling system for a frac operation, the system comprising:
a first fuel supply line for at least one pressurization unit, the unit configured to provide pressurized fluid to a well, and further comprising a pump, a motor, and a motor fuel source;
a supply coupling device connected to the first fuel supply line;
a second fuel supply line connected between the coupling device and a main fuel source, wherein the main fuel source is configured to provide fuel to the at least one pressurization unit;
a third fuel line connected between the motor fuel source and the coupling device; and
a return fuel line configured to provide fuel transport from the at least one pressurization unit to the main fuel source; and
wherein the motor operates to drive the pump in a manner whereby a high pressure frac slurry is injected into the well.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The fueling system of claim 14, the system comprising a plurality of pressurization units, each unit further comprising a respective pump and engine, each of the plurality of pressurization units being disposed on one of a skid, a trailer, and a truck.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The fueling system of claim 15, wherein coupling device is operable to allow fuel flow from the main fuel source to the motor, and at the same time prevent fuel flow from the motor fuel source to the motor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The fueling system of claim 16, wherein fuel flow occurs between the main fuel source and the pressurization unit at a first predetermined pressure range, and wherein fuel flow occurs between the motor fuel source and the motor at a second predetermined pressure range.