Control systems for fracturing operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016102537-A1
Application number	US-201414513020-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 13, 2014
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system can include a low pressure manifold that includes an inlet and a plurality of outlets and a high pressure manifold that comprises a plurality of inlets and an outlet. The system can include a flow path that comprises one of the outlets of the low pressure manifold and one of the inlets of the high pressure manifold. The system can further include a pump that includes a portion of the flow path and a valve coupled with one of the low pressure manifold and the high pressure manifold. The system can further include a control system coupled with the valve and the pump, and the control system can include a processor that is configured to make a determination of whether the valve is in fluid communication with the flow path and control at least one of the valve and the pump based on the determination.

First claim

1 . A system, comprising:
a low pressure manifold comprising an inlet and an outlet; a high pressure manifold comprising an inlet and an outlet; a flow path comprising the low pressure manifold outlet and the high pressure manifold inlet; a pump that comprises a portion of the flow path; a valve coupled with one of the low pressure and the high pressure manifolds; and a control system coupled with the valve and the pump, wherein the control system comprises a processor that is configured to determine whether the valve is in fluid communication with the flow path, and wherein the control system controls the valve, the pump, or both based on the determination.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the high pressure manifold is in fluid communication with a wellbore.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the low pressure manifold is in fluid communication with a blender.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises an actuator coupled to the valve, and wherein the processor is configured to control the valve via the actuator.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein when the determination that is made by the processor is that the valve is not in fluid communication with the flow path, the valve is controlled by the processor by at least one of closing the valve and maintaining the valve in a closed state.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the valve is directly connected to one of the inlets of the high pressure manifold.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the valve comprises one of an isolation valve and a bleed valve.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive data representing an operational state of the pump, and wherein the control of at least one of the valve and the pump is further based on the data representing the operational state of the pump.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive data representing an operational state of the valve, and wherein the control of at least one of the valve and the pump is further based on the data representing the operational state of the valve.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein when the determination is that the valve is in fluid communication with the flow path, the pump is in a non-pumping state, and the valve is in a closed state, the valve is controlled by the processor by opening the valve and the pump is controlled by the processor by transitioning the pump to a pumping state after the valve has been opened.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the valve, the pump, or both is controlled based on a command to start pumping.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein when the determination is that the valve is in fluid communication with the flow path, the pump is in a pumping state, and the valve is in an open state, the pump is controlled by the processor by transitioning the pump to a non-pumping state.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow path extends from the low pressure manifold to the high pressure manifold, and wherein, when the pump is in a pumping mode, fluid flow is permitted from the low pressure manifold through said one of the outlets of the low pressure manifold, through the pump, and through said one of the inlets of the high pressure manifold into the high pressure manifold.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is coupled with the valve and the pump via a network.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute computer readable instructions to make the determination and to control at least one of the valve and the pump.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to make the determination by accessing a flow path definition that is representative of the flow path, wherein the flow path definition is stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the control system further comprises the non-transitory computer readable medium.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to create the flow path definition and store the flow path definition in the non-transitory computer readable medium.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the flow path definition comprises a representation of said one of the outlets of the low pressure manifold being in fluid communication with the pump and further comprises a representation of the pump being in fluid communication with said one of the inlets of the high pressure manifold.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the flow path definition further comprises a representation of the valve being coupled to one of said one of the outlets of the low pressure manifold and said one of the inlets of the high pressure manifold.

21 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to make the determination by creating a flow path definition that is representative of the flow path.

22 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system further comprises a sensor for obtaining data from which the processor can make the determination of whether the valve is in fluid communication with the flow path.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the sensor comprises one of an image sensor, an optical receiver, an electrical connector, and a pressure transducer.

24 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the sensor is coupled to said one of the inlets of the high pressure manifold, and wherein the sensor is configured to sense whether a conduit is coupled to said one of the inlets.

25 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the processor is configured to make the determination of whether the valve is in fluid communication with the flow path based at least in part on information provided by the sensor.

26 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow path comprises a first conduit that provides fluid communication between said one of the outlets of the low pressure manifold and the pump and comprises a second conduit that provides fluid communication between the pump and said one of the inlets of the high pressure manifold.

27 . The system of claim 26 , wherein the second conduit comprises steel piping.

28 . A system for treating a subterranean formation, comprising:
a low pressure manifold that comprises an inlet and a plurality of outlets; a high pressure manifold that comprises a plurality of inlets and an outlet; a valve coupled with one of (a) one of the plurality of outlets of the low pressure manifold and (b) one of the inlets of the high pressure manifold; and a control system coupled to the valve, wherein the control system comprises a processor that is configured to:
determine whether the valve is in fluid communication with a flow path that comprises a specific outlet of the low pressure manifold and a specific inlet of the high pressure manifold; and
control the valve based on the determination.

29 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the control system further comprises an actuator coupled with the valve, and wherein the processor is configured to control the valve via the actuator.

30 . The system of claim 28 , further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the valve, wherein the pump comprises a portion of the flow path, and wherein the valve is coupled with one of said specific outlet of the low pressure manifold a

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Lopez Miguel Angel

Classifications

• E21B43/2607 Primary

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• E21B47/0002

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B43/26 Primary

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title