Patent Application
20230243351
The present disclosure relates generally to hydraulic fracturing systems and, for example, to controlling a discharge pressure from a pump.
Hydraulic fracturing is a well stimulation technique that typically involves pumping hydraulic fracturing fluid into a wellbore (e.g., using one or more well stimulation pumps) at a rate and a pressure (e.g., up to 15,000 pounds per square inch) sufficient to form fractures in a rock formation surrounding the wellbore. This well stimulation technique often enhances the natural fracturing of a rock formation to increase the permeability of the rock formation, thereby improving recovery of water, oil, natural gas, and/or other fluids.
During hydraulic fracturing operations, a hydraulic fracturing system may be pressurized beyond a capability of the system, for example, due to operator error. Over-pressurizing the hydraulic fracturing system may damage the system and/or may result in an uncontrolled shutdown of the system, thereby adversely affecting the hydraulic fracturing operations and potentially damaging the well. Some hydraulic fracturing systems may employ one or more safeguards to handle over-pressurization. For example, a hydraulic fracturing system may include pressure-limiting relief valves (also referred to as pop off valves), actively controlled valves that utilize a pressure transducer and a hydraulically actuated gate valve, and/or an overpressure control that shuts down pumping if a discharge pressure detected by a pressure transducer exceeds a configured limit. However, such safeguards may be installed incorrectly, are error prone, and are susceptible to hardware failure due to aging or damage.
The control system of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.
In some implementations, a system for hydraulic fracturing includes at least one fluid conduit; a fluid pump in fluid communication with the at least one fluid conduit; a motor configured to drive the fluid pump; a variable frequency drive (VFD) configured to control the motor; and a controller configured to: receive an input that indicates a setting for a maximum discharge pressure associated with the fluid pump that is to be allowed during a hydraulic fracturing operation; determine a maximum torque for the motor, that achieves the maximum discharge pressure, based on a configuration of the fluid pump; detect, during the hydraulic fracturing operation, whether a torque of the motor corresponds to the maximum torque for the motor; and cause, via the VFD and based on detecting that the torque of the motor corresponds to the maximum torque for the motor, adjustment to a speed of the motor to reduce the torque of the motor to at most the maximum torque for the motor.
In some implementations, a method includes obtaining, by a controller, a setting for a maximum discharge pressure associated with a fluid pump that is to be allowed during a hydraulic fracturing operation, the fluid pump being driven by a motor that is controlled by a VFD; determining, by the controller, a maximum torque for the motor that achieves the maximum discharge pressure; and causing, by the controller via the VFD, adjustment to a speed of the motor to maintain a torque of the motor at or below the maximum torque for the motor.
In some implementations, a controller includes one or more memories; and one or more processors configured to: obtain a setting for a maximum discharge pressure associated with a fluid pump that is to be allowed during a hydraulic fracturing operation, the fluid pump being driven by a motor that is controlled by a VFD; determine a maximum torque for the motor that achieves the maximum discharge pressure; and maintain, during the hydraulic fracturing operation and using the VFD, a torque of the motor at or below the maximum torque for the motor.
The hydraulic fracturing system 100 includes a well 102. As described previously, hydraulic fracturing is a well-stimulation technique that uses high-pressure injection of fracturing fluid into the well 102 and corresponding wellbore in order to hydraulically fracture a rock formation surrounding the wellbore. While the description provided herein describes hydraulic fracturing in the context of wellbore stimulation for oil and gas production, the description herein is also applicable to other uses of hydraulic fracturing.
High-pressure injection of the fracturing fluid may be achieved by one or more pump systems 104 that may be mounted (or housed) on one or more hydraulic fracturing trailers 106 (which also may be referred to as “hydraulic fracturing rigs”) of the hydraulic fracturing system 100. Each of the pump systems 104 includes at least one fluid pump 108 (referred to herein collectively, as “fluid pumps 108” and individually as “a fluid pump 108”). The fluid pumps 108 may be hydraulic fracturing pumps. The fluid pumps 108 may include various types of high-volume hydraulic fracturing pumps such as triplex or quintuplex pumps. Additionally, or alternatively, the fluid pumps 108 may include other types of reciprocating positive-displacement pumps or gear pumps. A type and/or a configuration of the fluid pumps 108 may vary depending on the fracture gradient of the rock formation that will be hydraulically fractured, the quantity of fluid pumps 108 used in the hydraulic fracturing system 100, the flow rate necessary to complete the hydraulic fracture, the pressure necessary to complete the hydraulic fracture, or the like. The hydraulic fracturing system 100 may include any number of trailers 106 having fluid pumps 108 thereon in order to pump hydraulic fracturing fluid at a predetermined rate and pressure.
In some examples, the fluid pumps 108 may be in fluid communication with a manifold 110 via various fluid conduits 112, such as flow lines, pipes, or other types of fluid conduits. The manifold 110 combines fracturing fluid received from the fluid pumps 108 prior to injecting the fracturing fluid into the well 102. The manifold 110 also distributes fracturing fluid to the fluid pumps 108 that the manifold 110 receives from a blender 114 of the hydraulic fracturing system 100. In some examples, the various fluids are transferred between the various components of the hydraulic fracturing system 100 via the fluid conduits 112. The fluid conduits 112 include low-pressure fluid conduits 112(1) and high-pressure fluid conduits 112(2). In some examples, the low-pressure fluid conduits 112(1) deliver fracturing fluid from the manifold 110 to the fluid pumps 108, and the high-pressure fluid conduits 112(2) transfer high-pressure fracturing fluid from the fluid pumps 108 to the manifold 110.
The manifold 110 also includes a fracturing head 116. The fracturing head 116 may be included on a same support structure as the manifold 110. The fracturing head 116 receives fracturing fluid from the manifold 110 and delivers the fracturing fluid to the well 102 (via a well head mounted on the well 102) during a hydraulic fracturing process. In some examples, the fracturing head 116 may be fluidly connected to multiple wells.
The blender 114 combines proppant received from a proppant storage unit 118 with fluid received from a hydration unit 120 of the hydraulic fracturing system 100. In some examples, the proppant storage unit 118 may include a dump truck, a truck with a trailer, one or more silos, or other type of containers. The hydration unit 120 receives water from one or more water tanks 122. In some examples, the hydraulic fracturing system 100 may receive water from water pits, water trucks, water lines, and/or any other suitable source of water. The hydration unit 120 may include one or more tanks, pumps, gates, or the like.
The hydration unit 120 may add fluid additives, such as polymers or other chemical additives, to the water. Such additives may increase the viscosity of the fracturing fluid prior to mixing the fluid with proppant in the blender 114. The additives may also modify a pH of the fracturing fluid to an appropriate level for injection into a targeted formation surrounding the wellbore. Additionally, or alternatively, the hydraulic fracturing system 100 may include one or more fluid additive storage units 124 that store fluid additives. The fluid additive storage unit 124 may be in fluid communication with the hydration unit 120 and/or the blender 114 to add fluid additives to the fracturing fluid.
In some examples, the hydraulic fracturing system 100 may include a balancing pump 126. The balancing pump 126 provides balancing of a differential pressure in an annulus of the well 102. The hydraulic fracturing system 100 may include a data monitoring system 128. The data monitoring system 128 may manage and/or monitor the hydraulic fracturing process performed by the hydraulic fracturing system 100 and the equipment used in the process. In some examples, the management and/or monitoring operations may be performed from multiple locations. The data monitoring system 128 may be supported on a van, a truck, or may be otherwise mobile. The data monitoring system 128 may include a display for displaying data for monitoring performance and/or optimizing operation of the hydraulic fracturing system 100. In some examples, the data gathered by the data monitoring system 128 may be sent off-board or off-site for monitoring performance and/or performing calculations relative to the hydraulic fracturing system 100.
The hydraulic fracturing system 100 includes a controller 130. The controller 130 is in communication (e.g., by a wired connection or a wireless connection) with the pump systems 104 of the trailers 106. The controller 130 may also be in communication with other equipment and/or systems of the hydraulic fracturing system 100. The controller 130 may include one or more memories, one or more processors, and/or one or more communication components. The controller 130 (e.g., the one or more processors) may be configured to perform operations associated with controlling a discharge pressure from the fluid pumps 108, as described in connection with
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The controller 130 may obtain a setting for a maximum discharge pressure associated with the fluid pump 108. For example, the setting for the maximum discharge pressure may indicate a maximum discharge pressure for the fluid pump 108 or a maximum discharge pressure of a fluid system that includes the fluid pump 108 and at least one additional fluid pump (e.g., where fluid flows of the fluid pumps are combined at the manifold 110). The maximum discharge pressure may represent a discharge pressure that is adequate, safe, or otherwise prescribed for use during a hydraulic fracturing operation on a particular rock formation. For example, the maximum discharge pressure may be a peak discharge pressure that is to be allowed during a hydraulic fracturing operation (e.g., during operation of the hydraulic fracturing system 100 and/or the control system 200).
In some implementations, the controller 130 may obtain the setting for the maximum discharge pressure from a local or a remote memory or other storage, from another device, or the like. For example, the setting for the maximum discharge pressure may be configured for the controller 130. Additionally, or alternatively, to obtain the setting for the maximum discharge pressure, the controller 130 may receive an input (e.g., an operator input) that indicates the setting for the maximum discharge pressure. For example, the controller 130 may receive the input from an operator control 138 (e.g., a human-machine interface). The operator control 138 may be located at the data monitoring system 128, elsewhere at a hydraulic fracturing site, or remote from the hydraulic fracturing site.
The controller 130 may determine a maximum torque for the motor 132 that achieves the maximum discharge pressure (e.g., achieves the maximum discharge pressure for the fluid pump 108 or for the fluid system that includes the fluid pump 108 and at least one additional fluid pump). The controller 130 may determine the maximum torque for the motor 132, that achieves the maximum discharge pressure, based on a configuration of the pump system 104 (or a configuration of the hydraulic fracturing system 100, the control system 200, or the like). The configuration of the pump system 104 may include a gear ratio of the fluid pump 108 and/or the motor 132, a stroke length of the fluid pump 108, a bore diameter (e.g., a plunger diameter) of the fluid pump 108, and/or a parasitic loss associated with the fluid pump 108, among other examples. In some implementations, the controller 130 may determine the maximum torque for the motor 132, that achieves the maximum discharge pressure, using a look-up table, a torque curve, a physics-based estimation model, an artificial intelligence model (e.g., a machine learning model), or the like (e.g., that is based on the configuration of the pump system 104, an age of the pump system 104, or the like).
The controller 130 may maintain, during the hydraulic fracturing operation and using the VFD 134, a torque of the motor 132 at or below the maximum torque that is determined. In this way, a discharge pressure from the fluid pump 108, from the fluid system, or the like, may be maintained at or below the maximum discharge pressure that is set.
In some implementations, the controller 130 may detect, during a hydraulic fracturing operation (e.g., an operation for pressurizing hydraulic fracturing fluid, an operation for discharging pressurized hydraulic fracturing fluid, or the like), whether the torque of the motor 132 corresponds to (e.g., is equal to, exceeds, or the like) the maximum torque. To detect whether the torque corresponds to the maximum torque, the controller 130 may monitor the torque of the motor 132, and the controller 130 may compare the torque to the maximum torque (e.g., the controller 130 may maintain the torque of the motor 132 at or below the maximum torque based on the comparison). To monitor the torque, the controller 130 may determine an estimated actual torque of the motor 132 and/or be configured to obtain a measurement of the actual torque of the motor 132. The controller 130 may determine the estimated torque of the motor 132 based on a magnetic flux of the motor 132 and/or a current of an armature of the motor 132. The controller 130 may obtain the measurement of the torque of the motor 132 from a sensor 140 (e.g., a torque transducer) configured to detect the torque of the motor 132. The sensor 140 may be located at an output shaft of the motor 132.
The controller 130 may adjust, or cause adjustment to, the speed of the motor 132 based on the maximum torque. That is, the controller 130 may adjust, or cause adjustment to, a speed of the motor 132 (e.g., including control of a rate of change of the speed of the motor 132 for improved stabilization) to maintain the torque of the motor 132 at or below the maximum torque. For example, the controller 130 may cause adjustment to the speed of the motor 132 to reduce the torque of the motor 132 to at most the maximum torque. The controller 130 may cause adjustment to the speed of the motor 132 based on detecting that the torque of the motor corresponds to the maximum torque for the motor. This way, if the torque of the motor 132 is too high (e.g., producing a discharge pressure greater than the maximum discharge pressure), based on the maximum torque that is set, the speed of the motor 132 is adjusted to reduce the torque (e.g., to reduce the discharge pressure).
The controller 130 may cause adjustment to the speed of the motor 132 via the VFD 134 (e.g., by communicating with a motor control processing unit of the VFD 134). For example, the controller 130 may set a torque setting (e.g., a torque target setting or a torque limit setting), in a control mode (e.g., a torque control mode or a speed control mode) for the VFD 134, to the maximum torque. In accordance with the torque setting being set to the maximum torque, the VFD 134 may control the motor 132 by adjusting (e.g., reducing) the speed of the motor 132 to maintain the torque of the motor 132 at or below the maximum torque. In other words, the controller 130 may cause adjustment of the speed of the motor 132 by causing the VFD 134 to vary an input frequency and/or an input voltage to the motor 132 to maintain the torque of the motor 132 at or below the maximum torque. In some implementations, if the speed of the motor 132 is reduced more than necessary to maintain the torque at the maximum torque (e.g., an over-correction is performed), the speed of the motor may be recovered according to acceleration criteria configured for the VFD 134 (e.g., in a settings for a motor control processing unit of the VFD 134).
During the hydraulic fracturing operation, the controller 130 may receive (e.g., via the operator control 138) an operator command to increase a flow rate of the fluid pump 108 to a level that would result in a discharge pressure associated with the fluid pump 108 that exceeds the maximum discharge pressure. Here, the controller 130 may maintain the torque of the motor 132 at or below the maximum torque, as described herein, without regard to the operator command to the contrary. In this way, maintaining the torque of the motor 132 at or below the maximum torque prevents the flow rate from increasing to the level indicated by the operator command.
While the description herein is described in terms of controlling discharge pressure by adjusting the speed of a single motor 132, in some implementations, the controller 130 may cause adjustment of speeds for multiple motors 132 that drive respective fluid pumps 108 (e.g., of respective trailers 106).
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Process 300 may include detecting that the torque of the motor corresponds to (e.g., is equal to or exceeds) the maximum torque for the motor. Here, causing adjustment to the speed of the motor reduces the torque of the motor to at most the maximum torque for the motor. Detecting that the torque of the motor exceeds the maximum torque for the motor may include monitoring the torque of the motor, and comparing the torque of the motor to the maximum torque for the motor. Monitor the torque of the motor may include determining an estimated torque of the motor, or obtaining a measurement of the torque of the motor.
Process 300 may include receiving an operator command to increase a flow rate of the fluid pump to a level that would result in a discharge pressure that exceeds the maximum discharge pressure. Here, causing adjustment to the speed of the motor prevents the flow rate from increasing to the level indicated by the operator command.
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The control system described herein may be used with any hydraulic fracturing system that pressurizes hydraulic fracturing fluid using motor-driven pumps. For example, the control system may be used with a hydraulic fracturing system that pressurizes hydraulic fracturing fluid using a pump that is driven by a motor that is controlled by a VFD. The control system is useful for preventing over-pressurization of the hydraulic fracturing system, which can lead to damage or an uncontrolled shutdown of the hydraulic fracturing system. In particular, the control system may automatically maintain a discharge pressure of the hydraulic fracturing system at or below a setting for a maximum discharge pressure. The control system may maintain the discharge pressure at or below the maximum discharge pressure by translating the maximum discharge pressure to a maximum torque for the motor, and controlling a speed of the motor, via the VFD, to maintain a torque of the motor at or below the maximum torque.
Thus, the control system provides improved control of the discharge pressure and reduces a likelihood that the hydraulic fracturing system will be over-pressurized. In particular, the control system provides a fast response to a potential over-pressurization event, to effectively prevent the over-pressurization event rather than merely react to the event. Accordingly, the control system may prevent damage to the hydraulic fracturing system, prevent uncontrolled shutdown of the hydraulic fracturing system, improve an uptime of the hydraulic fracturing system, or the like.
The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations may be made in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations. Furthermore, any of the implementations described herein may be combined unless the foregoing disclosure expressly provides a reason that one or more implementations cannot be combined. Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various implementations. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of various implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set.
As used herein, “a,” “an,” and a “set” are intended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Further, as used herein, the article “the” is intended to include one or more items referenced in connection with the article “the” and may be used interchangeably with “the one or more.” Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Also, as used herein, the term “or” is intended to be inclusive when used in a series and may be used interchangeably with “and/or,” unless explicitly stated otherwise (e.g., if used in combination with “either” or “only one of”).
