System for detecting leakage in a pump used in hydraulic fracturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016168976-A1
Application number	US-201414571758-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for detecting leakage in a pump includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, multiple third pressure sensors, and a controller. The first pressure sensor is configured to output a pressure value associated with a suction manifold of the pump. The second pressure sensor is configured to output a pressure value associated with a discharge manifold of the pump. The third pressure sensors are configured to output a pressure value associated with the cylinders of the pump. The controller is disposed in communication with the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors. The controller is configured to determine amplitude of a leak, and a location of the leak in the pump on the basis of pressure values received from the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for detecting leakage in a pump, the system comprising:
a first pressure sensor located in a suction manifold of the pump and configured to output a pressure value associated with the suction manifold; a second pressure sensor located in a discharge manifold of the pump and configured to output a pressure value associated with the discharge manifold; a plurality of third pressure sensors, wherein at least one third pressure sensor is located in each cylinder of the pump such that the third pressure sensors are configured to output a pressure value associated with the cylinders of the pump; and a controller disposed in communication with the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors, the controller configured to determine an amplitude of a leak, and a location of the leak in the pump on the basis of pressure values received from the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the location of the leak as being in at least one of a suction valve associated with the suction manifold, a discharge valve associated with the discharge manifold, and a packing associated with one or more cylinders of the pump.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to analyze pressure values from the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors in a time-frequency domain.

4 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a display device coupled to the controller, wherein the display device is configured to display the amplitude of the leak, and the location of the leak.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the display device is configured to display a continuous plot of pressure versus time for the pressure values received by the controller from the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the display device is further configured to display a continuous plot of amplitude versus frequency associated with pressure values from each of the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the third pressure sensors.

7 . A method of detecting leakage in a pump, the method comprising:
obtaining a pressure value associated with a suction manifold of the pump; obtaining a pressure value associated with a discharge manifold of the pump; obtaining a pressure value associated with each cylinder of the pump; and determining an amplitude of a leak, and a location of the leak in the pump on the basis of pressure values associated with the suction manifold, the discharge manifold, and each cylinder of the pump.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining the location of the leak includes determining the location of the leak as being in at least one of a suction valve associated with the suction manifold, a discharge valve associated with the discharge manifold, and a packing associated with one or more cylinders of the pump.

9 . The method of claim 7 further comprising analyzing pressure values associated with the suction manifold, the discharge manifold, and the cylinders of the pump in a time-frequency domain.

10 . The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying the amplitude of the leak, and the location of the leak on a display device.

11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying a continuous plot of pressure versus time for the pressure values associated with the suction manifold, the discharge manifold, and each cylinder of the pump.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying a continuous plot of amplitude versus frequency for the pressure values associated with the suction manifold, the discharge manifold, and each cylinder of the pump.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction, the sequences of instruction including instruction which when executed by a computer-based system for detecting leakage in a pump, causes the computer-based system to perform operations, comprising:
obtaining, by the computer based system, a pressure value associated with a suction manifold of the pump; obtaining, by the computer based system, a pressure value associated with a discharge manifold of the pump; obtaining, by the computer based system, a pressure value associated with each cylinder of the pump; and determining, by the computer based system, an amplitude of a leak, and a location of the leak in the pump on the basis of pressure values associated with the suction manifold, the discharge manifold, and each cylinder of the pump.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Yanchai
• Jacobson Evan Earl
• Padarthy Koti Ratnam
• Dandibhotla Venkata Bhagavathi

Classifications

• G01M3/26 Primary

  by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors · CPC title

• E21B47/1025

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/0007 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/117

  Detecting leaks, e.g. from tubing, by pressure testing · CPC title

• E21B47/008 Primary

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