Wellsite electrical power management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549506-B2
Application number	US-202016933601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2020
Priority date	Jul 25, 2019
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A method includes supplying a plurality of generators, each generator in electrical communication with a switchgear with each switchgear in data communication with a generator data management system. The method also includes supplying a plurality of electrically driven fracturing pumps with each electrically driven fracturing pump in data communication with pump data management system. Further, the method includes supplying a load shedding system, the load shedding system in data communication with the generator data management system and a pump control system, the pump control system in data communication with the pump data management system. The method includes determining which pumps should have speed reduced by the load shedding system and reducing the speed of the pumps determined by the load shedding system using the pump control system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
supplying:
a plurality of generators, each generator in electrical communication with a switchgear, each switchgear in data communication with a generator data management system;
a plurality of electrically driven fracturing pumps, each electrically driven fracturing pump in data communication with pump data management system;
a load shedding system, the load shedding system in data communication with the generator data management system; and
a pump control system, the pump control system in data communication with the pump data management system;

determining which pumps should have speed reduced by the load shedding system; and
reducing the speed of the pumps determined by the load shedding system using the pump control system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising supplying a communications hub, the communications hub in data communication with the load shedding system and the pump control system.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the load shedding system, the pump control system, and the communication hub are located in a data van.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising supplying a plurality of electrically driven blending units and blending operation control.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining which pumps should have speed reduced by the load shedding system comprises:
a) setting a threshold value for maximum power capacity of a generator;
b) setting a priority sequence of electrically driven fracturing pumps for speed control;
c) measuring the total power demand (Pmax) for all electrically driven fracturing pumps;
d) determining if Pmax has been reached; and
e) if Pmax has been reached, sending speed reduction commands to electrically driven fracturing pumps according to the priority sequence.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining which pumps should have speed reduced by the load shedding system comprises:
a) setting a threshold value for maximum power capacity of a generator;
b) measuring power demand (Pd) against power capacity (Pc);
c) measuring the total power demand (Pmax) for all electrically driven fracturing pumps;
d) determining if Pmax has been reached;
e) if Pmax has been reached, measuring unit power demand (UpD) for each of the electrically driven fracturing pumps based on power consumption and setting a priority sequence from highest to lower UpD; and
f) sending speed reduction commands to electrically driven fracturing pumps according to the priority sequence.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining which pumps should have speed reduced by the load shedding system comprises:
a) setting a threshold value for maximum power capacity of a generator;
b) setting a threshold value for minimum unit power efficiency for each electrically driven fracturing pump (Upe);
c) measuring power demand (Pd) against power capacity (Pc);
d) measuring the total power demand (Pmax) for all electrically driven fracturing pumps;
e) determining if Pmax has been reached;
f) if Pmax has been reached, measuring Upe for each of the electrically driven fracturing pumps and setting a priority sequence from lowest to highest Upe, wherein Upe is hydraulic horsepower/horsepower electric;
g) sending speed reduction commands to electrically driven fracturing pumps according to the priority sequence.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining which pumps should have speed reduced by the load shedding system comprises:
a) setting a threshold value for maximum power capacity of a generator;
b) setting a threshold value for unit apparent power for each electrically driven fracturing pump (UpS);
c) measuring power demand (Pd) against power capacity (Pc);
d) measuring the total power demand (Pmax) for all electrically driven fracturing pumps;
e) determining if Pmax has been reached;
f) if Pmax has been reached, measuring UpS for each of the electrically driven fracturing pumps and setting a priority sequence from highest to lowest UpS, wherein UpS is unit apparent power;
g) sending speed reduction commands to electrically driven fracturing pumps according to the priority sequence.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pump control system and load shedding system are in data communication with a communications hub.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communications hub includes an operator interface for setup and communication management of an operation of the electrically driven fracturing pumps, the generators, and electrically driven blending units.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the communications hub further includes an operator interface for setup and management of an operation of CAS units, hydrators, and equipment associated with the operation of the electrically driven fracturing pumps.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
supplying support equipment, the support equipment including CAS units, hydrators, and equipment associated with the operation of the electrically driven fracturing pumps;
supplying a support equipment data management system in data communication with the support equipment;
determining which support equipment should be turned off by the load shedding system; and
turning off the support equipment determined by the load shedding system using the support equipment control system.

Assignees

• Stewart & Stevenson Llc

Inventors

• Harvell Chris
• Smith Paul
• Payne Mark

Classifications

• E21B4/04

  Electric drives (E21B4/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/2607

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• H02J3/14

  by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading · CPC title

• F04B49/065 Primary

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• F04B49/20

  by changing the driving speed · CPC title