Asymmetric power management and load management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11802468-B2
Application number	US-202217582542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2022
Priority date	Jan 24, 2022
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A method may include receiving information related to operation or a configuration of a hydraulic fracturing system. The hydraulic fracturing system may include a plurality of electric power source outputs and a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs. The method may further include performing, based on the information, asymmetric power management of the plurality of electric power source outputs. The method may further include performing, based on the information, asymmetric load management of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulic fracturing system, comprising:
a plurality of electric power source outputs;
a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs; and
a processor to:
perform asymmetric power management of the plurality of electric power source outputs; and
perform asymmetric load management of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs,
wherein at least one of the asymmetric power management or the asymmetric load management is performed based on:
an indication of a prioritization of fuel cost reduction over engine emissions reduction, or
an indication of a prioritization of engine emissions reduction over fuel cost reduction.

2. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein, to perform the asymmetric load management, the processor is to:
operate the hydraulic fracturing rig at an operating point that is different from a different operating point at which at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig, of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, is operated.

3. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 2 , wherein the operating point and the different operating point correspond to different output power levels.

4. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 2 , wherein the operating point and the different operating point are based on a fuel consumption rate of the hydraulic fracturing rig.

5. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein , to perform the asymmetric power management, the processor is to:
cause power to be drawn from at least one electric power source output of the plurality of electric power source outputs at a different rate than from at least one other electric power source output of the plurality of electric power source outputs.

6. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs comprises at least one electric hydraulic fracturing rig.

7. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 ,
wherein, to perform the asymmetric load management, the processor is to:
distribute different loads to the hydraulic fracturing rig and at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig, of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, further based on different power output profiles.

8. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein, to perform the asymmetric load management, the processor is to:
distribute different loads to the hydraulic fracturing rig and at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig, of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, further based on different maintenance health profiles.

9. A method, comprising:
receiving information related to operation or a configuration of a hydraulic fracturing system,
wherein the hydraulic fracturing system comprises:
a plurality of electric power source outputs, and
a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, and

wherein the information comprises one or more of:
an indication of a prioritization of fuel cost reduction over engine emissions reduction,
an indication of a prioritization of engine emissions reduction over fuel cost reduction,
a total cost of ownership of the hydraulic fracturing rig, or
a cost of engine emissions related to the hydraulic fracturing system;

performing, based on the information, asymmetric power management of the plurality of electric power source outputs; and
performing, based on the information, asymmetric load management of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein performing the asymmetric load management comprises:
operating the hydraulic fracturing rig at an operating point that is different from a different operating point at which at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig, of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, is operated.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the operating point and the different operating point correspond to different output power levels.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the operating point and the different operating point are based on at least one of:
fuel parameters,
engine emissions, or
maintenance data.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein performing the asymmetric power management comprises:
causing power to be drawn from at least one electric power source output of the plurality of electric power source outputs at a different rate than from at least one other electric power source output of the plurality of electric power source outputs.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs comprises at least one electric hydraulic fracturing rig.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
at least one hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs comprises a power output profile that is different from a different power output profile of at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, and
wherein performing the asymmetric load management comprises:
distributing different loads to the at least one hydraulic fracturing rig and the at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig based on the power output profile and the different power output profile.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
at least one hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs comprises a maintenance health profile that is different from a different maintenance health profile of at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs, and
wherein performing the asymmetric load management comprises:
distributing different loads to the at least one hydraulic fracturing rig and the at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig based on the maintenance health profile and the different maintenance health profile.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions, that when executed by a controller of a hydraulic fracturing system, cause the hydraulic fracturing system to:
receive information related to operation or a configuration of the hydraulic fracturing system,
wherein the hydraulic fracturing system comprises:
a plurality of electric power source outputs, and
a plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs;

wherein the information comprises at least one of:
an indication of a prioritization of fuel cost reduction over engine emissions reduction, or
an indication of a prioritization of engine emissions reduction over fuel cost reduction;

perform, based on the information, asymmetric power management of the plurality of electric power source outputs; and
perform, based on the information, asymmetric load management of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing rig comprises an electric hydraulic fracturing rig.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs comprises a power output profile that is different from a different power output profile of at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing rig comprises a maintenance health profile that is different from a different maintenance health profile of at least one other hydraulic fracturing rig of the plurality of hydraulic fracturing rigs.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Publes Andy
• Otten Casey A
• Converse Perry D
• Zhang Yanchai
• Cai Zhijun
• Deng Baoyang
• Haddad Christopher G Y
• Herlehy Jason T
• Kabrich Todd R
• Ahmad Nausheen
• Bufkin Joseph C

Classifications

• E21B43/2607 Primary

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B44/00

  Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions · CPC title