Multi-rig hydraulic fracturing system and method for optimizing operation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10415348-B2
Application number	US-201715584107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2017
Priority date	May 2, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A hydraulic fracturing system comprises a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs. Each hydraulic fracturing rig includes an engine, a transmission, and a hydraulic fracturing pump. A driveshaft is coupled between the transmission and the hydraulic fracturing pump to transfer torque from the engine to the hydraulic fracturing pump. The hydraulic fracturing system also includes a fuel consumption data for each hydraulic fracturing rig, and a controller. The controller is programmed to receive a total pump flow and pressure request, and identify a pump flow distribution for each hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs based on the total pump flow and pressure request and the fuel consumption data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulic fracturing system, comprising:
a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs,
wherein a hydraulic fracturing rig, of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, includes:
an engine,
a transmission,
a hydraulic fracturing pump, and
a driveshaft coupled between the transmission and the hydraulic fracturing pump to transfer torque from the engine to the hydraulic fracturing pump;

a memory configured to store fuel consumption data for the hydraulic fracturing rig; and
a controller programmed to:
receive a total pump flow and pressure request;
identify a pump flow distribution for the hydraulic fracturing rig based on the total pump flow and pressure request, the fuel consumption data, component durability data, and one or more weight factors associated with fuel economy and component durability; and
provide information regarding the pump flow distribution to the hydraulic fracturing rig,
wherein the information regarding the pump flow distribution is utilized to control the hydraulic fracturing rig.

2. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the component durability data includes at least one of durability data for a transmission component or durability data for a pump component.

3. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the component durability data includes transmission gear life prediction data.

4. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the component durability data includes pump cavitation prediction data.

5. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the component durability data includes pump life prediction data.

6. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel consumption data corresponds to the hydraulic fracturing rig.

7. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , further including:
at least one sensor, positioned at the hydraulic fracturing rig, configured to measure one or more physical properties related to an operation of the hydraulic fracturing rig.

8. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing rig includes a fuel meter configured to:
generate the fuel consumption data; and
transmit the fuel consumption data to the controller.

9. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more weight factors include a weight factor associated with a fuel efficiency for the engine.

10. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more weight factors include a weight factor associated with a life prediction for the engine.

11. A method for operating a hydraulic fracturing system including a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, the method comprising:
transferring torque from an engine to a hydraulic fracturing pump using a transmission and a driveshaft at a hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs;
receiving, by a controller, a total pump flow and pressure request;
identifying, by the controller, a pump flow distribution for the hydraulic fracturing rig based on the total pump flow and pressure request, fuel consumption data, component durability data, and one or more weight factors associated with fuel economy and component durability; and
providing, by the controller, information regarding the pump flow distribution to the hydraulic fracturing rig,
wherein the information regarding the pump flow distribution is utilized to control the hydraulic fracturing rig.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the component durability data includes transmission gear life prediction data.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the component durability data includes durability data for a pump component.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating the fuel consumption data at the hydraulic fracturing rig; and
transmitting the fuel consumption data to the controller.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more weight factors include:
a first weight factor associated with a fuel efficiency for the engine, and
a second weight factor associated with a life prediction for the engine.

16. A control system for a hydraulic fracturing system including a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, the control system comprising:
a memory; and
a controller programmed to:
receive a total pump flow and pressure request;
identify a pump flow distribution for a hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs based on the total pump flow and pressure request, fuel consumption data, component durability data, and one or more weight factors associated with fuel economy and component durability; and
provide information regarding the pump flow distribution to the hydraulic fracturing rig,
wherein the information regarding the pump flow distribution is utilized to control the hydraulic fracturing rig.

17. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the component durability data includes durability data for a pump component.

18. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more weight factors include a first weight factor and a second weight factor.

19. The control system of claim 18 , wherein, when identifying the pump flow distribution, the controller is programmed to:
determine a first value based on the first weight factor and a fuel efficiency for an engine of the hydraulic fracturing rig, and
determine a second value based on the second weight factor and a life prediction for the engine, and
identify a pump flow distribution for a hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs based on the total pump flow and pressure request, the fuel consumption data, the component durability data, the first value, and the second value.

20. The control system of claim 16 , wherein the component durability data includes transmission gear life prediction data.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Yanchai
• Dust Maurice

Classifications

• G05B13/021

  in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance · CPC title

• E21B41/0092 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/2607 Primary

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• E21B41/00

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title