Hydraulic energy transfer system with fluid mixing reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512567-B2
Application number	US-202117152612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2021
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A hydraulic energy transfer system including an isobaric pressure exchanger (IPX) configured to exchange pressure between a first fluid and a second fluid. The IPX includes a channel formed by the IPX. The IPX is designed to direct the first fluid to a first opening of the channel and the second fluid to a second opening of the channel. The IPX further includes a barrier disposed within the channel. The barrier is designed to reduce mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid while exchanging pressure between the first fluid and the second fluid within the channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary pressure exchanger comprising:
a first end cover forming a first aperture;
a second end cover forming a second aperture; and
a rotor comprising a first distal end adjacent the first end cover and a second distal end adjacent the second end cover, wherein:
the rotor forms a first channel along an axis from the first distal end to the second distal end;
the rotor is configured to receive, via the first aperture formed by the first end cover along the axis, a first fluid into the first channel via the first distal end of the rotor and to receive, via the second aperture formed by the second end cover, a second fluid into the first channel via the second distal end of the rotor;
a barrier is to be disposed between the first fluid and the second fluid in the first channel;
the barrier is configured to reduce mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid in the first channel while enabling pressure exchange between the first fluid and the second fluid in the first channel; and
a controller is configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the rotary pressure exchanger and vary proportions of the first fluid and the second fluid entering the rotary pressure exchanger to further reduce the mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid in the rotary pressure exchanger.

2. The rotary pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotor further forms a second channel;
the rotary pressure exchanger is configured to direct the first fluid into the second channel via the first distal end of the rotor and to receive the second fluid into the second channel;
a second barrier is disposed between the first fluid and the second fluid in the second channel; and
the second barrier is configured to isolate the first fluid and the second fluid while enabling corresponding pressure exchange between the first fluid and the second fluid within the second channel.

3. The rotary pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first channel is an axial channel and the barrier is to axially move within the first channel, wherein the barrier is driven by:
the first fluid at a higher pressure to transfer pressure to the second fluid that is at a lower pressure; or
the second fluid at the higher pressure to transfer pressure to the first fluid that is at the lower pressure.

4. The rotary pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control speed of the rotor to reduce contact time between the first fluid and the second fluid to be less than approximately 0.15 seconds.

5. The rotary pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the rotary pressure exchanger is configured to rotate about a central axis of the rotary pressure exchanger, and wherein the first channel is disposed off-center from the central axis of the rotary pressure exchanger.

6. A hydraulic energy transfer system comprising:
a pressure exchanger comprising:
a first end cover forming a first aperture; and
a second end cover forming a second aperture, wherein:
the pressure exchanger forms a channel along an axis;
the pressure exchanger is configured to receive, via the first aperture formed by the first end cover along the axis, a first fluid into the channel via a first channel opening and to receive, via the second aperture formed by the second end cover, a second fluid into the channel via a second channel opening;
a barrier is disposed between the first fluid and the second fluid in the channel; and
the barrier is configured to reduce mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid in the channel while exchanging pressure between the first fluid and the second fluid in the channel; and
a controller is configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the pressure exchanger and vary proportions of the first fluid and the second fluid entering the pressure exchanger to further reduce the mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid in the pressure exchanger.

7. The hydraulic energy transfer system of claim 6 , wherein the channel is an axial channel and the barrier is configured to axially move within the channel.

8. The hydraulic energy transfer system of claim 6 , wherein the barrier comprises a fluid barrier forming an interface between the first fluid and the second fluid.

9. The hydraulic energy transfer system of claim 8 , wherein the fluid barrier is retained within the channel while exchanging pressure between the first fluid and the second fluid.

10. The hydraulic energy transfer system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a high-pressure pump configured to pump the first fluid, wherein the pressure exchanger is configured to receive the first fluid from the high-pressure pump; and
a low-pressure pump configured to pump the second fluid, wherein the pressure exchanger is configured to receive the second fluid from the low-pressure pump.

11. The hydraulic energy transfer system of claim 10 , wherein the pressure exchanger is configured to block flow of the second fluid through the high-pressure pump.

12. The hydraulic energy transfer system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of a first flow rate of the first fluid or a second flow rate of the second fluid into the pressure exchanger.

13. The hydraulic energy transfer system of claim 12 , further comprising a rotor configured to rotate about a central axis of the pressure exchanger, the rotor forming the channel, wherein the first flow rate and the second flow rate are associated with a rotor rotation speed, wherein the rotor rotation speed meets a threshold condition that reduces mixing between the first fluid and the second fluid across the barrier.

14. A system comprising:
a high-pressure pump configured to pump a first fluid that is substantially proppant free;
a low-pressure pump configured to pump a second fluid containing a proppant; and
a pressure exchanger configured to prevent the second fluid from entering the high-pressure pump while exchanging pressure between the first fluid and the second fluid, wherein the pressure exchanger comprises:
a first end cover forming a first aperture;
a second end cover forming a second aperture; and
a rotor comprising a first distal end adjacent the first end cover and a second distal end adjacent the second end cover axis, wherein:
the rotor forms a first channel along an axis from the first distal end to the second distal end;
the rotor is configured to receive, via the first aperture formed by the first end cover along the axis, the first fluid into the first channel via the first distal end of the rotor and to receive, via the second aperture formed by the second end cover, the second fluid into the first channel via the second distal end of the rotor;
a barrier is disposed between the first fluid and the second fluid in the first channel;
the barrier is configured to reduce mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid in the first channel while enabling pressure exchange between the first fluid and the second fluid in the first channel; and
a controller is configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the pressure exchanger and vary proportions of the first fluid and the second fluid entering the pressure exchanger to further reduce the mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid in the pressure exchanger.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second channel formed by the rotor, wherein the pressure exchanger is configured to direct the first fluid into the second channel via the first distal end of the rotor and to receive the second fluid into of

Assignees

• Energy Recovery Inc

Inventors

• Ghasripoor Farshad
• Martin Jeremy Grant
• Krish Prem
• Gobburi Baji

Classifications

• E21B43/267 Primary

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• F04F13/00

  Pressure exchangers · CPC title

• E21B43/16 Primary

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• G05D16/18

  derived from an external source · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title