Hydraulic fracturing pump health monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11499547-B2
Application number	US-202016802949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2020
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A hydraulic fracturing machine includes a pump failure detection system. The hydraulic fracturing machine includes a hydraulic fracturing pump with a power end and a fluid end. The power end includes a plurality of roller bearings, and the fluid end includes a flow of fluid. A particle sensor coupled to the power end is configured to transmit particle information regarding a quantity of particles in the fluid. A temperature sensor, also coupled to the power end, is configured to transmit temperature information regarding a temperature of the fluid. A vibration sensor coupled to the power end is configured to transmit vibration information regarding a vibration of each of the plurality of roller bearings. An electronic control module analyzes the particle information, the temperature information and the vibration information, and calculates a failure warning level based on the analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulic fracturing machine with a pump failure detection system, the hydraulic fracturing machine comprising:
a hydraulic fracturing pump having a power end and a fluid end, the power end including a plurality of roller bearings, the fluid end having a flow of fluid, wherein the power end includes an inlet valve for receiving fluid in the power end of the pump and an outlet valve for discharge of the fluid from the power end of the pump;
two temperature sensors, wherein a first temperature sensor is positioned at the inlet valve and a second temperature sensor is positioned at the outlet valve, the first and second temperature sensors directly contacting a flow of fluid in the power end and configured to transmit temperature information regarding the flow of fluid in the power end;
a particle sensor coupled to the power end and configured to transmit particle information regarding a quantity of particles in the flow of fluid in the power end;
a vibration sensor coupled to the power end and configured to transmit vibration information regarding a vibration of each of the plurality of roller bearings; and
an electronic control module configured to analyze the particle information, the temperature information and the vibration information, and to calculate a failure warning level based on the analysis.

2. The hydraulic fracturing machine of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control module is further configured to receive the particle information, the temperature information and the vibration information transmitted by the particle sensor, the temperature sensor and the vibration sensor.

3. The hydraulic fracturing machine of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control module is further configured to provide the calculated failure warning level to an operator of the hydraulic fracturing machine.

4. The hydraulic fracturing machine of claim 1 , wherein the vibration sensor is coupled to a housing of the power end of the hydraulic pump proximate the plurality of roller bearings.

5. The hydraulic fracturing machine of claim 1 , further including a plurality of vibration sensors positioned proximate the plurality of roller bearings.

6. The hydraulic fracturing machine of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of vibration sensors is coupled to a housing of the power end of the hydraulic pump, and at least one of the plurality of vibration sensors are coupled to a gear cover of the power end of the hydraulic pump.

7. The hydraulic fracturing machine of claim 1 , wherein the particle sensor is positioned downstream from a fluid filter.

8. A failure detection system for a hydraulic pump including a lubrication system, the failure detection system comprising:
a particle sensor operatively disposed in the lubrication system, the particle sensor configured to monitor and transmit particle data including a quantity of particles in a lubricant flowing through the lubrication system;
an inlet temperature sensor operatively disposed in an inlet valve of the lubrication system and an outlet temperature sensor operatively disposed in an outlet valve of the lubrication system, each of the inlet temperature sensor and the outlet temperature sensor configured to monitor and transmit temperature data including a temperature of the lubricant;
a plurality of vibration sensors coupled to a power end of the hydraulic pump, the plurality of vibration sensors configured to monitor and transmit vibration data including an acceleration of each of a plurality of roller bearings; and
an electronic control module in operative communication with the particle sensor, the temperature sensor, and the plurality of vibration sensors, the electronic control module coupled to the power end of the hydraulic pump and configured to:
receive the particle data transmitted by the particle sensor;
determine a quantity of particles in the lubricant based on the received particle data;
trigger a quality warning if the quantity of particles exceeds a predetermined threshold particle value;
receive the temperature data transmitted by the inlet temperature sensor and the outlet temperature sensor;
calculate a difference value between the temperature data received from the inlet temperature sensor and the temperature data received from the outlet temperature sensor;
trigger a temperature warning if the difference value exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature value;
receive vibration data transmitted by the plurality of vibration sensors;
trigger a vibration warning if, after performing vibration based detection calculations on the vibration data, a threshold vibration value is exceeded;
calculate a failure warning level of the hydraulic pump based on the quality warning, the temperature warning and the vibration warning; and
transmit the failure warning level to an operator of the hydraulic pump.

9. The failure detection system of claim 8 , wherein the threshold vibration value is determined by the electronic control module based on a current pump speed of the hydraulic pump and a discharge pressure of a fluid flowing through the hydraulic pump.

10. The failure detection system of claim 8 , wherein the lubrication system includes a lubricant filter, the particle sensor being positioned downstream from the lubricant filter.

11. The failure detection system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of vibration sensors are coupled to a housing of the power end of the hydraulic pump proximate the plurality of roller bearings.

12. The failure detection system of claim 8 , wherein the calculated warning level is transmitted to the operator via an electronic display.

13. The failure detection system of claim 12 , wherein the operator of the hydraulic pump is instructed, via the electronic display, to take actions specific to the calculated failure warning level.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Yanchai
• Cai Zhijun
• Pauli Nathan S
• Dong Zhaoxu
• Sun Yong
• Hu Xuefei

Classifications

• F04B9/045

  the means being eccentrics · CPC title

• F04B2205/11

  Outlet temperature · CPC title

• F04B1/0538

  located side-by-side · CPC title

• F04B1/053

  with actuating or actuated elements at the inner ends of the cylinders · CPC title

• F04B51/00 Primary

  Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations · CPC title