Grid power for hydrocarbon service applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11715951-B2
Application number	US-202117393174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2021
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A grid power configuration may provide a reliable, efficient, inexpensive and environmentally conscious power source to a site, for example, a remote site such as a well services environment. Grid power may be provided for one or more operations at the site by coupling a main breaker to a switchgear unit coupled to one or more loads. The switchgear unit may be coupled to the main breaker via a main power distribution unit and may also be coupled to one or more loads. At least one of a grid power unit and a switchgear unit may be coupled to the main breaker via the main power distribution unit and may also be coupled to one or more additional loads. A control center may be communicatively coupled to the main breaker or any one or more other components to control one or more operations of the grid power configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A grid power system for distribution of electrical power for hydraulic fracturing at a well site, comprising:
a main breaker coupled to an electrical power source, wherein the main breaker is a mobile unit mounted on a trailer or skid, wherein the main breaker includes a current monitoring system which monitors current at one or more output lines of the main breaker, wherein the main breaker is opened when the current at the one or more output lines equals or exceeds a preset current threshold;
a transformer coupled to one of the one or more of the output lines of the main breaker, wherein the transformer provides a plurality of secondary outputs that are phase shifted relative to each other; and
two or more electric pumping units coupled to the transformer, wherein the transformer transforms a line voltage received from the main breaker into a different voltage level for output to the two or more electric pumping units, wherein a first secondary output of the transformer is coupled to a first one of the two or more electric pumping units, wherein a second secondary output of the transformer is coupled to a second one of the two or more electric pumping units, and wherein the second secondary output of the transformer is phase shifted relative to the first secondary output of the transformer.

2. The grid power system of claim 1 , further comprising a first switchgear unit coupled to the transformer, wherein one of the plurality of secondary outputs of the transformer is provided to the first switchgear unit.

3. The grid power system of claim 2 , further comprising a grounding system coupled to the transformer, wherein the grounding system comprises a a high-resistance grounding system, and wherein the two or more electric pumping units is coupled to the transformer through the grounding system.

4. The grid power system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the transformer, the first switchgear, and the grounding system are housed in a grid power unit coupled to the main breaker, wherein the grid power unit is mounted on a trailer.

5. The grid power system of claim 4 , further comprising a second switchgear unit coupled to the main breaker and the grid power unit, wherein the grid power unit is coupled to the main breaker through the second switchgear unit.

6. The grid power system of claim 5 , further comprising one or more communication lines coupled to at least one of the main breaker or the switch gear unit.

7. The grid power system of claim 6 , wherein the main breaker is coupled via the one or more communication lines to a control center which controls operation of the main breaker.

8. The grid power system of claim 5 , further comprising one or more secondary loads coupled to the second switchgear unit.

9. The grid power system of claim 8 , wherein the second switchgear unit comprises one or more load control devices which protect the one or more secondary loads coupled to the second switchgear unit from damage due to power fluctuations.

10. The grid power system of claim 5 , wherein the main breaker comprises a third switchgear unit.

11. The grid power system of claim 5 , further comprising a main power distribution unit coupled to the main breaker and the second switchgear unit, wherein the second switchgear unit is coupled to the main breaker through the main power distribution unit, and wherein the main power distribution unit is mounted on a trailer or a skid.

12. The grid power system of claim 11 , wherein the grid power unit is coupled to the main breaker through the main power distribution unit and the second switchgear unit.

13. The grid power system of claim 5 , wherein the second switchgear unit comprises at least one of:
an uninterruptable power supply;
a computing system coupled to the uninterruptable power supply;
a transformer; and
a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system coupled to the transformer.

14. The grid power system of claim 4 , further comprising a main power distribution unit coupled to the main breaker and the grid power unit, wherein the grid power unit is coupled to the main breaker through the main power distribution unit.

15. The grid power system of claim 14 , further comprising a second switchgear unit coupled to the main power distribution unit, wherein the second switchgear unit is coupled to the main breaker through the main power distribution unit.

16. The grid power system of claim 15 , further comprising one or more secondary loads coupled to the second switchgear unit.

17. The grid power system of claim 16 , wherein the second switchgear unit comprises one or more load control devices which protect the one or more secondary loads coupled to the second switchgear unit from damage due to power fluctuations.

18. The grid power system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more loads may comprise a second transformer.

19. A grid power system for distribution of electrical power for hydraulic fracturing at a well site, comprising:
a main breaker coupled to an electrical power source, wherein the main breaker includes a current monitoring system which monitors current at one or more output lines of the main breaker, wherein the main breaker is opened when the current at the one or more output lines equals or exceeds a preset current threshold;
a main power distribution unit coupled to the main breaker;
a plurality of electric pumping units coupled to receive electrical power from the main power distribution unit, wherein each of the electric pumping units is coupled to a manifold that is coupled to a wellhead at the well site;
a blender power distribution unit coupled to the main power distribution unit; and
a blending system coupled to the blender power distribution unit, wherein the blender power distribution unit receives power from the main breaker through the main power distribution unit and distributes the received power to one or more components of the blending system.

20. The grid power system of claim 19 , wherein each of the electric pumping units comprises a transformer that adapts electric power for a variable frequency drive (VFD) associated with the electric pumping unit.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Weightman Glenn Howard
• Vallejo Carlos Alfredo
• Todd David Norman
• Alshutlawy Mohamad
• Fischer John Harold

Classifications

• H02J2105/16

  being internal to power sources or power generation plants · CPC title

• H02J3/0075 Primary

  for providing alternative feeding paths between load and source according to economic or energy efficiency considerations, e.g. economic dispatch · CPC title

• H02J3/0073

  by providing alternative feeding paths when the main path fails · CPC title

• H02J3/02

  using a single network for simultaneous distribution of AC power at different frequencies · CPC title

• H02J3/003

  Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand · CPC title