Patent Application
20250207489
The present disclosure relates generally to mobile fracturing equipment, specifically mobile fracturing equipment with a coolant system.
Hydraulic fracturing, referred to herein as fracking, is a method used to enhance hydrocarbon recovery from certain downhole formations. Fracking involves the injection of high-pressure fluid into the downhole formation to induce fracturing of the formation. A proppant is typically included in the fluid used for fracturing. The proppant enters the fractures and retards the closure of the fractures once the fracking operation is completed. The fractures produced may provide additional flow channels for hydrocarbons to escape the formation.
The present disclosure provides for a mobile fracturing unit. The mobile fracturing unit includes a first coolant pump associated with a first mobile fracturing pump system and a second coolant pump associated with a second mobile fracturing pump system. The mobile fracturing unit also includes a shared radiator, the shared radiator having a first portion fluidly connected to the first coolant pump and a second portion fluidly connected to the second coolant pump and a fan set, the fan set including one or more fans, the fan set positioned to blow across the shared radiator. The mobile fracturing unit also includes a first controller, the first controller in electrical connection with the first coolant pump and a second controller, the second controller in electrical connection with the second coolant pump. In addition, the mobile fracturing unit includes a first coolant flow temperature sensor adapted to measure coolant flowing from the first coolant pump, the first coolant flow temperature sensor in electrical communication with the first controller and a second coolant flow temperature sensor adapted to measure coolant flowing from the second coolant pump, the second coolant flow temperature sensor in electrical communication with the second controller. The first controller and the second controller are adapted to jointly control the fan set.
The present disclosure also provides for a method for cooling a shared radiator of a first mobile fracturing pump system and a second mobile fracturing pump system, the first mobile fracturing pump system and the second mobile fracturing pump system on the same trailer. The method includes providing a first coolant pump associated with a first mobile fracturing unit and a second coolant pump associated with a second mobile fracturing unit and providing a shared radiator, the shared radiator having a first portion fluidly connected to the first coolant pump and a second portion fluidly connected to the second coolant pump. The method also includes providing a first controller and a second controller, the first controller electrically connected to the first coolant pump and a first coolant flow temperature sensor and the second controller electrically connected to the second coolant pump and the second flow temperature sensor and designating the first controller or the second controller the primary controller and the first controller and the second controller not designated the primary controller designated the secondary controller. The method further includes sharing temperature data sets collected from the first coolant flow temperature sensor and the second coolant flow temperature sensor between the primary and secondary controller and when the primary and secondary controllers both receive the temperature data sets, operating a set of fans based on the temperature data measured by the first coolant flow temperature sensor.
The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying FIGURE. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
The FIGURE depicts a schematic view of mobile fracturing unit consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.
It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.
A mobile hydraulic fracturing unit may contain two separate and independent electric hydraulic fracturing pump systems on a single trailer. Each of the independent systems may contain a system controller, including power conversion equipment such as an active front end and an inverter unit. Each system may also include liquid cooling piping and a manifold, as well as a coolant tank and a coolant pump. Further, each system may include a radiator, a radiator fan, and a coolant fluid temperature sensor. However, some of these components may be shared between the electric hydraulic pump systems. For example, a single cooling system radiator and set of fans may be utilized by both independent systems.
The FIGURE depicts mobile fracturing unit 100 consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure having shared radiator 110, a first coolant pump 120 associated with a first mobile fracturing pump system and a second coolant pump 130 associated with a second mobile fracturing pump system. First coolant pump 120 pumps warm coolant fluid to first portion 112 of shared radiator 110 for cooling by fan set 140. Cooled coolant fluid from first portion 112 is then returned to first coolant pump 120. Similarly, second coolant pump 130 pumps warm coolant fluid to second portion 114 of shared radiator 110 by cooling by fan set 140. Cooled fluid from second portion 114 is then returned to second coolant pump 130.
In the FIGURE, fan set 140 includes first fan 142, second fan 144 and third fan 146. One of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure will recognize that few or more fans may be used in fan set 140. Fan set 140 is positioned to blow across shared radiator 110.
Mobile fracturing unit 100 may also include first controller 150 and second controller 160. First controller 150 may control the speed of first coolant pump 120 and second controller 160 may control the speed of second coolant pump 130. In certain embodiments, first controller 150 and second controller 160 may share control of fan set 140.
In addition, first coolant flow temperature sensor 152 and second coolant flow temperature sensor 162 are in electrical communication with first controller 150 and second controller 160. First heat load 170 may be positioned between first coolant pump 120 and first coolant flow temperature sensor 152. Second heat load 172 may be positioned between second coolant pump 130 and second coolant flow temperature sensor 162.
In certain embodiments, first controller 150 or second controller 160 is selected to be the primary controller for controlling fan set 140. Further, actions for the secondary controller to take when the primary controller is not operating are designated. In addition, decisions to take when responding to error conditions, such as lost data from a sensor, are designated. Also, determining the speed of the fan is decided by the primary controller or the second controller, depending on the decisions taken above.
In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, first controller 150 or second controller 160 is designated as the primary controller and the other designated the secondary controller. Temperature data from first coolant flow temperature sensor 152 and temperature data from second coolant flow temperature sensor 162 is shared between the primary and secondary controller, such as by each controller transmitting the temperature data it has collected to the other controller.
In certain embodiments, the primary controller controls the fan speed of fan set 140 based on the sensor data from both controllers. Such control includes monitoring the temperature data to the sensor associated with the primary controller as well as the temperature data shared by the secondary controller to the primary controller. As a result, the primary controller determines the fan speed of fan set 140 based on the temperature sensor data from both controllers. The fan speed of fan set 140 may be a higher speed as temperature of the coolant associated with the temperature data of the highest data set, up to a pre-set maximum RPM.
In some embodiments, the secondary controller monitors both temperature sensor data associated with the secondary controller and temperature sensor data from the primary controller and controls the fan speed of fan set 140 if no data received is from the primary controller. When no temperature sensor data is received by the primary controller from the secondary controller, fan speed of fan set 140 may be set at a predetermined speed, the secondary set speed. In some embodiments, the fan speed is set at 100%.
In certain embodiments, if no temperature data is received from the secondary controller, the primary controller will operate fan set 140 at a predetermined speed, the primary set speed. In certain embodiments, the primary set speed may be 100% fan speed.
In some embodiments if the primary controller (which may be controller A or controller B) determines an error on either the primary or secondary controller, or the secondary controller (which may be controller A or controller B) determines an error on either the secondary or primary controller, fans set 140 may be operated at a predetermined speed, the error set speed. In some embodiments, the error set speed is 100% fan speed. Both controller A and controller B may be located anywhere on the mobile fracturing unit, either in a shared enclosure or in separate enclosures.
The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that a person of ordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Such features may be replaced by any one of numerous equivalent alternatives, only some of which are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
This application is a nonprovisional application which claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 63/614,310, filed Dec. 22, 2023, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63614310 | Dec 2023 | US |
