Fluid pump health protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12180980-B2
Application number	US-202217819778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2022
Priority date	Aug 15, 2022
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

In some implementations, a controller may monitor, in connection with a fluid pump driven by a motor that is controlled by a variable frequency drive and over a time period, a torque of the motor to obtain torque data, a speed of the motor to obtain speed data, and a pressure of the fluid pump to obtain pressure data. The controller may determine that the fluid pump is associated with a leak of a particular severity level based on the torque data indicating a deviation that satisfies a first threshold, the speed data indicating a deviation that satisfies a second threshold, and the pressure data indicating a deviation that satisfies a third threshold. The controller may perform at least one operation based on the particular severity level of the leak.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for hydraulic fracturing, comprising:
a fluid pump;
a motor configured to drive the fluid pump;
a variable frequency drive (VFD) configured to control the motor; and
a controller configured to:
monitor, over a time period, a torque of the motor to obtain torque data, a speed of the motor to obtain speed data, and a pressure of the fluid pump to obtain pressure data;
determine that the fluid pump is associated with a leak of a particular severity level based on the torque data indicating a deviation that satisfies a first threshold, the speed data indicating a deviation that satisfies a second threshold, and the pressure data indicating a deviation that satisfies a third threshold; and
cause, via the VFD, reduction of the speed of the motor based on the particular severity level of the leak,
wherein the controller, to cause reduction of the speed of the motor, is configured to:
cause, if the particular severity level is a first severity level, reduction of the speed of the motor until at least one of the first threshold, the second threshold, or the third threshold is not satisfied, and
cause, based on the particular severity level being a second severity level, reduction of the speed of the motor by setting a speed target setting to a minimum speed that provides pressurization by the fluid pump.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the deviation of the torque data is a difference between the torque data and reference torque data, the deviation of the speed data is a difference between the speed data and reference speed data, and the deviation of the pressure data is a difference between the pressure data and reference pressure data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, with reference to a table indicating sets of operating parameter values associated with cavitation, a cavitation level associated with operating parameters for the fluid pump and the motor,
the cavitation level indicating a probability that cavitation is to occur; and

cause, via the VFD, reduction of the speed of the motor based on the cavitation level.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller, to determine the cavitation level, is configured to:
determine, for the operating parameters, a motor speed associated with cavitation by interpolating values for the operating parameters to the sets of operating parameter values; and
determine the cavitation level based on a difference between the motor speed associated with cavitation and the speed of the motor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine at least one of the torque or the speed based on a signal of the VFD.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the fluid pump includes an intake pressure of the fluid pump and a discharge pressure of the fluid pump.

7. A method, comprising:
monitoring, by a controller in connection with a fluid pump driven by a motor that is controlled by a variable frequency drive (VFD) and over a time period, a torque of the motor to obtain torque data, a speed of the motor to obtain speed data, and a pressure of the fluid pump to obtain pressure data;
determining, by the controller, that the fluid pump is associated with a leak of a particular severity level, corresponding to a quantity of thresholds satisfied, based on whether the torque data indicates a deviation that satisfies a first threshold, the speed data indicates a deviation that satisfies a second threshold, and the pressure data indicates a deviation that satisfies a third threshold; and
causing, by the controller and based on the particular severity level of the leak, reduction of the speed of the motor by setting a speed target setting to a minimum speed that provides pressurization by the fluid pump.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the deviation of the torque data is from an average deviation or a standard deviation of the torque data,
wherein the deviation of the speed data is from an average deviation or a standard deviation of the speed data, and
wherein the deviation of the pressure data is from an average deviation or a standard deviation of the pressure data.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
causing transmission of a notification indicating the leak.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein causing the reduction of the speed of the motor includes causing, via the VFD, the reduction of the speed of the motor.

11. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
causing, based on a different severity level that indicates less severity than the particular severity level, reduction of the speed of the motor until at least one of the first threshold, the second threshold, or the third threshold is not satisfied.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining, with reference to a table indicating sets of operating parameter values associated with cavitation, a cavitation level associated with operating parameters for the fluid pump and the motor,
the cavitation level indicating a probability that cavitation is to occur.

13. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the particular severity level is a first type of severity level when the quantity of thresholds satisfied indicates that all of the first threshold, the second threshold, and the third threshold are satisfied, and
wherein the particular severity level is a second type of severity level or a third type of severity level when the quantity of thresholds satisfied indicates that less than all of the first threshold, the second threshold, and the third threshold are satisfied.

14. A controller, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
monitor, in connection with a fluid pump driven by a motor that is controlled by a variable frequency drive (VFD) and over a time period, at least one of a torque of the motor to obtain torque data, a speed of the motor to obtain speed data, or a pressure of the fluid pump to obtain pressure data;
determine whether the fluid pump is associated with a leak of a particular severity level based on at least one of the torque data indicating a deviation that satisfies a first threshold, the speed data indicating a deviation that satisfies a second threshold, or the pressure data indicating a deviation that satisfies a third threshold;
determine, with reference to a table indicating sets of operating parameter values associated with cavitation, a cavitation level associated with operating parameters for the fluid pump and the motor,
the operating parameters including:
a proppant percentage of a fracking fluid, and
one or more other operating parameters,

the table indicating that at a first value for a proppant percentage of the fracking fluid and one or more other values for the one or more other operating parameters cavitation occurs at a first motor speed,
the table indicating that at a second, different value for the proppant percentage of the fracking fluid and the same one or more other values for the one or more other operating parameters cavitation occurs at a second, different motor speed,
the sets of operating parameter values including:
a first set that includes the first value and the one or more other values, and
a second set that includes the second, different value and the same one or more other values, and

the cavitation level indicating a probability that cavitation is to occur; and

cause, via the VFD, reduction of the speed of the motor based on at least one of the particular severity level of the leak or the cavitation level.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• He Yuesheng
• Publes Andy
• Paul Mark C
• Grimes Mark Francis

Classifications

• F04B49/06

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• F04D29/669 Primary

  especially adapted for liquid pumps (F04D29/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04B51/00 Primary

  Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations · CPC title