Decreasing pump lag time using process control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10018020-B2
Application number	US-201314906279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2013
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems wherein a first setpoint is used with a controller to translate the setpoint into a desired flow rate from a pump and used to determining an optimized command signal associated with the first setpoint with a process control system, the process control system configured to incorporate at least a first setpoint and a measurement signal to produce the optimized command signal. The optimized command signal is then stored in a memory of the computer. When the first setpoint is again desired, the optimized command signal associated with the first setpoint is read from the memory and transmitted to the pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
obtaining a first setpoint with a computer, the first setpoint being a desired flow rate from a pump;
transmitting a first command signal corresponding to the first setpoint from the computer to the pump;
measuring a flow rate of the pump and transmitting a corresponding measurement signal to the computer;
determining an optimized command signal associated with the first setpoint with a process control system, the process control system configured to incorporate at least the first setpoint and the measurement signal to produce the optimized command signal;
storing the optimized command signal in a memory of the computer;
changing the first setpoint to a second setpoint, the second setpoint being a desired flow rate from the pump;
transmitting a second command signal corresponding to the second setpoint from the computer to the pump; and,
changing the second setpoint to the first setpoint, reading and recalling the optimized command signal associated with the first setpoint from the memory, and transmitting the recalled optimized command signal from the memory to the pump.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing components from a storage unit fluidly coupled to the pump;
conveying the components into a blender with the pump, the blender being fluidly coupled thereto and configured to blend a treatment fluid; and
conveying the treatment fluid downhole from the blender via a manifold trailer and a wellhead.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein measuring the flow rate of the pump is performed by a flow meter.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising measuring the flow rate exiting the blender and transmitting a the flow rate exiting the blender to the computer.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising a neural network associated with the computer.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the optimized command signal includes interacting with a controller included in the process control system.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the optimized command signal includes interacting with a dynamic limiter included in the process control system.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the optimized command signal includes interacting with a modulator included in the process control system.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the optimized command signal includes interacting with a logical unit included in the process control system.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform functions including:
obtaining a first setpoint with a computer, the first setpoint being a desired flow rate from a pump;
transmitting a first command signal corresponding to the first setpoint from the computer to the pump;
receiving a measurement signal with the computer, the measurement signal corresponding to a flow rate of the pump;
determining an optimized command signal associated with the first setpoint with a process control system, the process control system configured to incorporate at least the first setpoint and the measurement signal to produce the optimized command signal;
storing the optimized command signal in a memory of the computer;
changing the first setpoint to a second setpoint, the second setpoint being a desired flow rate from the pump;
transmitting a second command signal corresponding to the second setpoint from the computer to the pump; and
changing the second setpoint to the first setpoint, reading and recalling the optimized command signal associated with the first setpoint from the memory, and transmitting the recalled optimized command signal from the memory to the pump.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein receiving the measurement signal with the computer further comprises transmitting the measurement signal to the computer from a flow meter measuring the flow rate of the pump.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising receiving a measurement signal corresponding to a measured flow rate of a blender.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising a neural network associated with the computer.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining the optimized command signal includes interacting with a controller included in the process control system.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining the optimized command signal includes interacting with a dynamic limiter included in the process control system.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining the optimized command signal includes interacting with a modulator included in the process control system.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein determining the optimized command signal includes interacting with a logical unit included in the process control system.

18. A system, comprising:
a pump fluidly coupled to a blender and configured to convey components thereto; and
a computer communicably coupled to the pump, the computer capable of transmitting command signals to the pump corresponding to a desired flow rate and receiving measurement signals corresponding to a flow rate of the pump,
wherein the computer includes a process control system configured to:
incorporate a first setpoint and a measurement signal to produce and save in a memory an optimized command signal during a first stage;
change the first setpoint to a second setpoint during a second stage; and
change the second setpoint to a first setpoint during a third stage and recall and transmit the optimized command signal to the pump.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a manifold trailer and a wellhead, wherein the blender is configured to convey a treatment fluid downhole via the manifold trailer and the wellhead.

20. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a flow meter configured to measure the pump flow rate and transmit the corresponding measurement signals.

21. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a flow meter configured to measure the blender flow rate and transmit a corresponding measurement signal to the computer.

22. The system of claim 18 , wherein the computer is communicably coupled to a neural network.

23. The system of claim 18 , wherein the process control system further includes a controller.

24. The system of claim 18 , wherein the process control system further includes a dynamic limiter.

25. The system of claim 18 , wherein the process control system further includes a modulator.

26. The system of claim 18 , wherein the process control system further includes a logic unit.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Phillippi Max L
• Mazrooee Mehdi
• Fisher Chad A

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G06N3/02

  Neural networks · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B41/0092 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• F04D13/12 Primary

  Combinations of two or more pumps (combinations with priming pumps or booster pumps to counteract vapour-lock F04D9/04) · CPC title