Automatically controlling a power ramp rate of a motor of a pump system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345144-B2
Application number	US-202217654515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2022
Priority date	Mar 11, 2022
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A controller that is associated with a pump system causes a power ramp rate of a motor of the pump system to have an initial power ramp rate. The controller monitors, after causing the power ramp rate of the motor to have the initial power ramp rate, a frequency of a power bus. One or more power sources provide power to the pump system via the power bus. The controller causes, based on monitoring the frequency of the power bus, the power ramp rate of the motor to be modified.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for hydraulic fracturing, comprising:
a pump system that includes:
a fluid pump,
a motor configured to drive the fluid pump, and
a variable frequency drive (VFD) configured to control the motor;

one or more power sources configured to provide power to the pump system via a power bus; and
a controller configured to:
identify initiation of a ramp up period of the fluid pump;
cause, based on identifying the initiation of the ramp up period of the fluid pump and via the VFD, a power ramp rate of the motor to have an initial power ramp rate;
monitor, during the ramp up period of the fluid pump, a frequency of the power bus;
determine, based on monitoring the frequency of the power bus, whether the frequency of the power bus satisfies a frequency threshold; and
cause, based on determining that the frequency of the power bus satisfies the frequency threshold, and via the VFD, a decrease of the power ramp rate of the motor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, after causing the decrease of the power ramp rate of the motor and based on monitoring the frequency of the power bus, whether the frequency of the power bus ceases to satisfy the frequency threshold; and
cause, based on determining that the frequency of the power bus ceases to satisfy the frequency threshold and via the VFD, an increase of the power ramp rate of the motor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more power sources includes at least one of:
an electrical grid,
one or more turbines,
one or more generator sets,
one or more energy storage devices, or
one or more renewable energy systems.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, to cause the decrease of the power ramp rate of the motor, is configured to:
send, to the VFD, a signal that causes the VFD to decrease the power ramp rate of the motor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
obtain, from the one or more power sources, prior to causing the power ramp rate of the motor to have the initial power ramp rate, power management configuration information; and
determine, based on the power management configuration information, the initial power ramp rate.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, to identify the initiation of the ramp up period of the fluid pump, is configured to:
obtain a setting for a flow rate for the fluid pump; and
determine, based on the setting for the flow rate for the fluid pump, the initiation of the ramp up period of the fluid pump.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, to monitor the frequency of the power bus, is configured to at least one of:
determine, based on communicating with the one or more power sources via a first communication bus, the frequency of the power bus;
determine, based on communicating with the VFD via a second communication bus, the frequency of the power bus; or
determine, based on obtaining a measurement from a sensor, the frequency of the power bus.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decrease of the power ramp rate of the motor is to cause a decrease of a motor speed ramp rate of the motor.

9. A method, comprising:
identifying, by a controller associated with a pump system, initiation of a ramp up period of a fluid pump of the pump system;
causing, by the controller, a power ramp rate of a motor of the pump system to have an initial power ramp rate;
monitoring, by the controller and after causing the power ramp rate of the motor to have the initial power ramp rate, a frequency of a power bus,
wherein one or more power sources provide power to the pump system via the power bus; and

causing, based on monitoring the frequency of the power bus and based on a frequency threshold, the power ramp rate of the motor to be modified,
wherein causing the power ramp rate of the motor to be modified comprises:
sending a signal, to a variable frequency drive (VFD) of the pump system, that causes the VFD to modify the power ramp rate of the motor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein sending the signal comprises:
determining, based on monitoring the frequency of the power bus, whether the frequency of the power bus satisfies the frequency threshold; and
sending, based on determining that the frequency of the power bus satisfies the frequency threshold, the signal to decrease the power ramp rate of the motor.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein sending the signal comprises:
determining, based on monitoring the frequency of the power bus, whether the frequency of the power bus satisfies the frequency threshold; and
sending, based on determining that the frequency of the power bus does not satisfy the frequency threshold, the signal to increase the power ramp rate of the motor.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
obtaining, from the one or more power sources, power management configuration information; and
determining, based on the power management configuration information, the initial power ramp rate.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein monitoring the frequency of the power bus comprises at least one of:
communicating, via a first communication bus, with the one or more power sources to determine the frequency of the power bus;
communicating, via a second communication bus, with the variable frequency drive (VFD) of the pump system to determine the frequency of the power bus; or
communicating, via a third communication bus, with a sensor to determine the frequency of the power bus.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining that the frequency of the power bus ceases to satisfy the frequency threshold; and
causing, based on determining that the frequency of the power bus ceases to satisfy the frequency threshold and via the VFD, an increase of the power ramp rate of the motor.

15. A controller, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors configured to:
identify initiation of a ramp up period of a fluid pump of a pump system of plurality of pump systems;
cause respective power ramp rates associated with the plurality of pump systems to have an initial power ramp rate;
monitor, by the controller and after causing the respective power ramp rates associated with the plurality of pump systems to have the initial power ramp rate, a frequency of a power bus,
wherein one or more power sources provide power to the plurality of pump systems via the power bus; and

cause, based on monitoring the frequency of the power bus and based on a frequency threshold, a power ramp rate associated with at least the pump system to be modified,
wherein, to cause the power ramp rate to be modified, the one or more processors are configured to:
send a signal, to a variable frequency drive (VFD) of the pump system, that causes the VFD to modify the power ramp rate.

16. The controller of claim 15 , wherein, when the frequency of the power bus satisfies the frequency threshold, the signal is to cause a decrease of the power ramp rate associated with at least the pump system.

17. The controller of claim 15 , wherein, when the frequency of the power bus does not satisfy the frequency threshold, the signal is to cause an increase of the power ramp rate associated with at least the pump system.

18. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors, to send the signal, are configured to:
determine, based on monitoring the frequency of the power bus, an intermediate power ramp rate; and
send the signal to cause, based on determinin

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Publes Andy
• Grimes Mark Francis
• Benguedda Riadh
• He Yuesheng
• Paul Mark C
• Kabrich Todd Ryan

Classifications

• F04B2203/0204

  Frequency of the electric current · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• F04B49/20

  by changing the driving speed · CPC title

• E21B43/2607 Primary

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• F04B17/03

  driven by electric motors · CPC title