Active accumulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11739740-B2
Application number	US-201817296417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2018
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

An active accumulator system which automatically adjusts or adapts the charge pressure or volume of an accumulator to maintain an optimal charge pressure or volume of the accumulator may provide optimal operation of a pump. An active accumulator system may comprise a flow line coupled to a pump, wherein a fluid flows through the flow line to the pump, an accumulator coupled to the flow line, a transducer coupled to the pump, wherein the transducer detects a parameter of the pump at an inlet of the pump, and a controller coupled to the transducer and the accumulator, wherein the controller receives the parameter, and wherein the controller regulates air flow to the accumulator such that the accumulator is adjusted to an optimal charge pressure based at least in part on the parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An active accumulator system, comprising:
a flow line coupled to a pump, wherein a fluid flows through the flow line to the pump;
an accumulator coupled to the flow line;
a transducer coupled to the pump, wherein the transducer detects a parameter of the pump at an inlet of the pump;
a cavitation detector coupled to the pump, wherein the cavitation detector monitors a cavitation condition of the pump; and
a controller coupled to the transducer, the cavitation detector, and the accumulator, wherein the controller receives the parameter, and wherein the controller regulates air flow to the accumulator to adjust the accumulator to an optimal charge pressure based at least in part on the parameter.

2. The active accumulator system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is indicative of a suction header pressure of the fluid.

3. The active accumulator system of claim 1 , wherein the controller adjusts the accumulator to an optimal volume.

4. The active accumulator system of claim 1 , wherein the cavitation detector monitors volumetric flowrates into and out of the pump.

5. The active accumulator system of claim 1 , wherein the cavitation detector provides a feedback signal to the controller.

6. The active accumulator system of claim 1 , wherein the controller receives the cavitation condition, and wherein the controller regulates air flow to the accumulator based on the cavitation condition.

7. The active accumulator system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is a pressure transducer.

8. The active accumulator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an air source coupled to the accumulator; and
a regulator coupled to the air source, wherein the regulator at least one of allows air flow to the accumulator and restricts air flow to the accumulator.

9. The active accumulator system of claim 8 , wherein the accumulator comprises the regulator.

10. A method, comprising the steps of:
detecting a parameter at a pump via a transducer coupled to the pump, wherein a fluid flows through a flow line to the pump, and wherein the threshold parameter is a volumetric flow rate indicative of a cavitation condition of the pump;
comparing the parameter to a threshold parameter via a controller, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to an accumulator; and
adjusting the accumulator to at least one of an optimal charge pressure and or an optimal volume based on the comparison, wherein the accumulator is coupled to the flow line.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the parameter is a suction header fluid pressure of the fluid.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the optimal charge pressure or the optimal volume of the accumulator is adjusted to a minimum suction header pressure of the pump.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the adjusting the accumulator to at least one of the optimal charge pressure or the optimal volume comprises at least one of adding gas to the accumulator or withdrawing gas from the accumulator.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one of adding gas to the accumulator or withdrawing gas from the accumulator is performed automatically by a regulator.

15. A controller configured to automatically adjust an accumulator, comprising:
one or more processors;
at least one non-transitory memory; and
one or more instructions stored in the at least one non-transitory memory that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the controller to perform a method comprising:
detecting a parameter at a pump via a transducer coupled to the pump, wherein a fluid flows through a flow line to the pump;
comparing the parameter to a threshold parameter via the controller, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the accumulator;
detecting a cavitation condition and sending a signal to the accumulator in response to detecting the cavitation condition; and
adjusting at least one of a charge pressure or a volume of the accumulator based on the comparison, wherein the accumulator is coupled to the flow line.

16. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the parameter is a suction header fluid pressure.

17. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that when executed by the controller, further cause the controller to perform the method further comprising at least one of adding gas to the accumulator or withdrawing gas from the accumulator to adjust the accumulator to an optimal charge pressure.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein a cavitation detector is coupled to the pump, wherein the cavitation detector monitors a cavitation condition of the pump, and wherein the cavitation detector monitors volumetric flowrates into and out of the pump.

19. An active accumulator system, comprising:
a flow line coupled to a pump, wherein a fluid flows through the flow line to the pump;
an accumulator coupled to the flow line;
an air source coupled to the accumulator;
a regulator coupled to the air source, wherein the regulator at least one of allows air flow to the accumulator or restricts air flow to the accumulator;
a transducer coupled to the pump, wherein the transducer detects a parameter of the pump at an inlet of the pump; and
a controller coupled to the transducer and the accumulator, wherein the controller receives the parameter, and wherein the controller regulates air flow to the accumulator to adjust the accumulator to an optimal charge pressure based at least in part on the parameter.

20. The active accumulator system of claim 19 , wherein the accumulator comprises the regulator.

21. A method, comprising the steps of:
detecting a parameter at a pump via a transducer coupled to the pump, wherein a fluid flows through a flow line to the pump;
comparing the parameter to a threshold parameter via a controller, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to an accumulator; and
adjusting the accumulator to at least one of an optimal charge pressure or an optimal volume based on the comparison,

wherein the accumulator is coupled to the flow line and
wherein the at least one of the optimal charge pressure or the optimal volume of the accumulator is adjusted to a minimum suction header pressure of the pump.

22. A method, comprising the steps of:
detecting a parameter at a pump via a transducer coupled to the pump, wherein a fluid flows through a flow line to the pump;
comparing the parameter to a threshold parameter via a controller, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to an accumulator; and
adjusting the accumulator to at least one of an optimal charge pressure or an optimal volume based on the comparison,
wherein the accumulator is coupled to the flow line, wherein the adjusting the accumulator to at least one of the optimal charge pressure or the optimal volume comprises at least one of adding gas to the accumulator or withdrawing gas from the accumulator, and wherein the at least one of adding gas to the accumulator or withdrawing gas from the accumulator is performed automatically by a regulator.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Stephenson Stanley V
• Beisel Joe A

Classifications

• F04B11/0008 Primary

  using accumulators · CPC title

• E21B43/121

  Lifting well fluids (monitoring of down-hole pump systems E21B47/008) · CPC title

• E21B43/126

  Adaptations of down-hole pump systems powered by drives outside the borehole, e.g. by a rotary or oscillating drive (powered by fluid E21B43/129) · CPC title

• E21B43/129

  Adaptations of down-hole pump systems powered by fluid supplied from outside the borehole (gas-lift E21B43/122; jet pumps E21B43/124) · CPC title

• F04B9/10

  the fluid being liquid · CPC title