Pumping station for a pipeline and method for starting a combustion engine in a pumping station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10935012-B2
Application number	US-201716327941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2016
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A pumping station for a pipeline, in particular an oil or gas pipeline, has a feed pump for delivering a fluid through the pipeline and a combustion engine for driving the feed pump. A hydrostatic system has a hydraulic motor for driving the combustion engine, in order to accelerate same to start-up. The hydraulic system also has a hydraulic pressure accumulator of limited volume which can be filled with a pressurized hydraulic medium to be admitted to the first hydraulic motor, thereby powering the latter. A pressure differential in the hydrostatic system prevailing over the hydraulic motor is variably adjustable, in order to accelerate the combustion engine to a predefined firing speed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pumping station for a pipeline, the pumping station comprising:
at least one feed pump for delivering a fluid through the pipeline;
at least one combustion engine configured for driving said at least the one feed pump;
a hydrostatic system having a first hydraulic motor configured to drive said at least one combustion engine and to accelerate said at least one combustion engine to start-up;
said hydrostatic system having a hydraulic pressure accumulator of limited volume to be filled with a pressurized hydraulic medium, which can be fed to said first hydraulic motor, to thereby power said first hydraulic motor; and
wherein a pressure differential in the hydrostatic system prevailing over said first hydraulic motor is variably adjustable, in order to accelerate said combustion engine to a predefined firing speed; and
an adjustable throttle valve in said hydrostatic system upstream or downstream of the first hydraulic motor in a flow direction of the hydraulic medium, for variable adjustment of the pressure differential prevailing over said first hydraulic motor.

2. A method for starting at least one combustion engine in a pumping station according to claim 1 , the method comprising the following steps:
accelerating the at least one combustion engine by at least one first hydraulic motor and subsequently firing the at least one combustion engine;
adjusting a speed of the combustion engine to a predefined firing speed before firing, using the first hydraulic motor for variable adjustment of a pressure differential occurring in a hydrostatic system as hydraulic medium flows therethrough.

3. The method according to claim 2 , which comprises determining a state variable in the hydrostatic system by at least one sensor and a control device, and calculating or determining therefrom an actual speed of the combustion engine.

4. The method according to claim 3 , which comprises registering as the state variable at least one variable selected from the group consisting of:
a hydraulic medium flow through the first hydraulic motor and/or through an additional hydraulic motor;
a speed of the additional hydraulic motor and/or the hydraulic pump;
the hydraulic medium flow through an adjustable throttle valve;
a position of the adjustable throttle valve and/or, with the proviso that the additional hydraulic motor is a variable-capacity motor, a setting of the variable-capacity motor and/or of an actuator of the adjustable throttle valve and/or of the additional hydraulic motor connected thereto; and
where the hydraulic pump is a variable-capacity pump, the position of the hydraulic pump and/or of an actuator connected thereto.

5. The method according to claim 4 , which comprises accelerating the turbocharger of the combustion engine by way of the drive before firing of the combustion engine.

6. The method according to claim 2 , which comprises accelerating the turbocharger of the combustion engine by way of the drive before firing of the combustion engine.

7. The pumping station according to claim 1 , which comprises an additional hydraulic motor in said hydrostatic system connected to receive hydraulic medium from said the pressure accumulator, and a hydraulic pump powered by said additional hydraulic motor configured to feed hydraulic medium into said first hydraulic motor.

8. The pumping station according to claim 7 , which comprises an hydraulic medium reservoir containing hydraulic medium, and wherein said hydraulic pump is configured to feed the hydraulic medium from said hydraulic medium reservoir into said first hydraulic motor.

9. The pumping station according to claim 7 , wherein said additional hydraulic motor is a variable-capacity motor and/or said hydraulic pump is a variable-capacity pump.

10. The pumping station according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an additional hydraulic motor in said hydrostatic system connected to receive hydraulic medium from said the pressure accumulator, and a hydraulic pump powered by said additional hydraulic motor configured to feed hydraulic medium into said first hydraulic motor, further comprising a hydraulic medium reservoir containing hydraulic medium, and wherein said hydraulic pump is configured to feed the hydraulic medium from said hydraulic medium reservoir into said first hydraulic motor;
at least one booster pump in said hydrostatic system, for feeding hydraulic medium from a hydraulic medium reservoir into said pressure accumulator; and
said pressure accumulator being an accumulator with a gas tensioning device, and an additional pressurized gas reservoir having a gas-carrying connection to a gas side of said pressure accumulator.

11. The pumping station according to claim 10 , which comprises a control device and at least one sensor disposed in said hydrostatic system and connected to said at least the one sensor for determining a speed of said combustion engine indirectly as a function of sensor measured values.

12. The pumping station according to claim 11 , wherein said combustion engine, said at least one feed pump and said first hydraulic motor are arranged inside an explosion safety zone, and at least one or more or all of the following devices are positioned, spatially separated, outside said explosion safety zone:
said hydraulic pressure accumulator;
at least one booster pump;
said hydraulic medium reservoir;
an additional hydraulic motor;
an adjustable throttle valve;
at least one sensor;
a gas reservoir; and
a control device.

13. The pumping station according to claim 12 , wherein said at least one booster pump together with its electric drive motor and said additional hydraulic motor together with the hydraulic pump are disposed outside said explosion safety zone.

14. The pumping station according to claim 12 , wherein said combustion engine comprises at least one turbocharger, to which a drive is assigned in order to accelerate said turbocharger on or before a start of said combustion engine.

15. The pumping station according to claim 1 , which comprises at least one booster pump in said hydrostatic system, for feeding hydraulic medium from a hydraulic medium reservoir into said pressure accumulator.

16. The pumping station according to claim 15 , wherein said booster pump is an electric drive motor.

17. The pumping station according to claim 1 , wherein said pressure accumulator is an accumulator with a gas tensioning device, and an additional pressurized gas reservoir has a gas-carrying connection to a gas side of said pressure accumulator.

18. The pumping station according to claim 1 , which comprises a control device and at least one sensor disposed in said hydrostatic system and connected to said at least the one sensor for determining a speed of said combustion engine indirectly as a function of sensor measured values.

19. The pumping station according to claim 1 , wherein said combustion engine, said at least one feed pump and said first hydraulic motor are arranged inside an explosion safety zone, and at least one or more or all of the following devices are positioned, spatially separated, outside said explosion safety zone:
said hydraulic pressure accumulator;
at least one booster pump;
said hydraulic medium reservoir;
an additional hydraulic motor;
an adjustable throttle valve;
at least one sensor;
a gas reservoir; and
a control device.

20. The pumping station according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one booster pump together with its electric drive motor and said additional

Assignees

• Voith Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Flemmer Daniel
• Brahmer Bert

Classifications

• F04B23/00

  Pumping installations or systems (pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors F04B17/00) · CPC title

• F04B17/05 Primary

  driven by internal-combustion engines · CPC title

• F02N7/06

  the engines being of reciprocating-piston type (of internal-combustion type F02N7/10) · CPC title

• F15B1/02

  Installations or systems with accumulators · CPC title

• F02N15/022

  the starter comprising an intermediate clutch · CPC title