Dynamic power optimization system and method for electric submersible motors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11795808-B2
Application number	US-202318164868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2023
Priority date	Jan 5, 2017
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A method comprises operating an electric submersible pump (ESP) motor downhole in a well. The ESP motor is electrically connected to a variable speed drive (VSD) proximate to the well. The operating comprises measuring a revolution rate and a motor current of the ESP motor for a first period of time and performing a first adjustment of a voltage output of the VSD. The method comprises measuring, after the first adjustment, the revolution rate and the motor current of the ESP motor for a second period of time determining a difference between the motor current measured for the first period of time and the motor current measured for the second period of time; and performing a second adjustment of the voltage output of the VSD based on a change in the revolution rate and the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
operating an electric submersible pump (ESP) motor downhole in a well, the ESP motor electrically connected to a variable speed drive (VSD) proximate to the well,
wherein the operating comprises, measuring a revolution rate and a motor current of the ESP motor for a first period of time;
performing a first adjustment of a voltage output of the VSD;
measuring, after the first adjustment, the revolution rate and the motor current of the ESP motor for a second period of time;
determining a difference between the motor current measured for the first period of time and the motor current measured for the second period of time; and
performing a second adjustment of the voltage output of the VSD based on a change in the revolution rate and the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises,
performing a first adjustment type that comprises increasing or decreasing the voltage output in response to a drop in the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises performing the first adjustment type in response to the revolution rate being maintained between an upper threshold and a lower threshold for the second period of time.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises performing an adjustment type that is opposite of the first adjustment type in response to,
a change in the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time is an increase and
the revolution rate being maintained between an upper threshold and a lower threshold for the second period of time.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises performing an adjustment type that is opposite of the first adjustment type in response to,
a change in the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time is a decrease and
the revolution rate for the second period of time deviating above an upper threshold or below a lower threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein measuring the revolution rate of the ESP motor comprises measuring a magnetic flux of a shaft of the motor as the shaft rotates,
wherein the magnetic flux of the shaft is measured using a downhole sensor coupled below the motor, and
wherein the downhole sensor is to measure the magnetic flux of a magnet attached to the shaft.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating a power usage of the ESP motor from the measured motor current and the voltage output to the motor and logging the power usage.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
operating an electric submersible pump (ESP) motor downhole in a well, the ESP motor electrically connected to a variable speed drive (VSD) proximate to the well,
wherein the operating comprises, measuring a revolution rate and a motor current of the ESP motor for a first period of time;
performing a first adjustment of a voltage output of the VSD;
measuring, after the first adjustment, the revolution rate and the motor current of the ESP motor for a second period of time;
determining a difference between the motor current measured for the first period of time and the motor current measured for the second period of time; and
performing a second adjustment of the voltage output of the VSD based on a change in the revolution rate and the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises,
performing a first adjustment type that comprises increasing or decreasing the voltage output in response to a drop in the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises performing the first adjustment type in response to the revolution rate being maintained between an upper threshold and a lower threshold for the second period of time.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises performing an adjustment type that is opposite of the first adjustment type in response to,
a change in the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time is an increase and
the revolution rate being maintained between an upper threshold and a lower threshold for the second period of time.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises performing an adjustment type that is opposite of the first adjustment type in response to,
a change in the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time is a decrease and
the revolution rate for the second period of time deviating above an upper threshold or below a lower threshold.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 ,
wherein measuring the revolution rate of the ESP motor comprises measuring a magnetic flux of a shaft of the motor as the shaft rotates,
wherein the magnetic flux of the shaft is measured using a downhole sensor coupled below the motor, and
wherein the downhole sensor is to measure the magnetic flux of a magnet attached to the shaft.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising calculating a power usage of the ESP motor from the measured motor current and the voltage output to the motor and logging the power usage.

15. A system comprising:
an electric submersible pump (ESP) motor;
a variable speed drive (VSD) to output voltage to the ESP motor;
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to perform operations comprising:
operating the ESP motor downhole in a well based on the output voltage from the VSD, wherein the operating comprises,
measuring a revolution rate and a motor current of the ESP motor for a first period of time;
performing a first adjustment of the output voltage of the VSD;
measuring, after the first adjustment, the revolution rate and the motor current of the ESP motor for a second period of time;
determining a difference between the motor current measured for the first period of time and the motor current measured for the second period of time; and
performing a second adjustment of the output voltage of the VSD based on a change in the revolution rate and the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises,
performing a first adjustment type that comprises increasing or decreasing the output voltage in response to a drop in the motor current between the first period of time and the second period of time.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises performing the first adjustment type in response to the revolution rate being maintained between an upper threshold and a lower threshold for the second period of time.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein performing the second adjustment comprises performing an adjustment type that is opposite of the first adjustment type in response to,

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Janger Luke Golden
• Ashbaugh Ryan Bridwell
• Self David Linn
• Nowitzki Wesley John
• Beck David C

Classifications

• E21B47/008 Primary

  Monitoring of down-hole pump systems, e.g. for the detection of "pumped-off" conditions · CPC title

• E21B43/128

  Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives · CPC title

• F04D13/10

  adapted for use in mining bore holes · CPC title

• F04D15/0066

  by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine · CPC title

• F04D25/0686

  specially adapted for submerged use · CPC title