Pump assembly and method for assessing valve conditions in pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016208794-A1
Application number	US-201514599622-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2015
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of monitoring and assessing valve conditions in a pump includes collecting data regarding timing of a pump piston and vibration of a pump fluid end, processing the data to form a filtered and transformed vibration signal, banding the vibration signal into high energy bands and low energy bands, and comparing a ratio of at least one high energy band to at least one low energy band of the vibration signal with at least one constant to determine valve condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of monitoring and assessing valve conditions in a pump, the method comprising:
collecting data regarding timing of a pump piston and vibration of a pump fluid end; processing the data to form a filtered and transformed vibration signal; banding the vibration signal into high energy bands and low energy bands; and comparing a ratio of at least one high energy band to at least one low energy band of the vibration signal with at least one constant to determine valve condition.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, if the ratio of the at least one high energy band to the at least one low energy band of the vibration signal is greater than a first constant amongst the at least one constant, determining the valve to be in good condition.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein, if the ratio of the at least one high energy band to the at least one low energy band of the vibration signal is less than the first constant, but greater than a second constant amongst the at least one constant, determining the valve to be worn out.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein, if the ratio of the at least one high energy band to the at least one low energy band of the vibration signal is less than the second constant, determining the valve to be destroyed.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein banding the vibration signal into high energy bands and low energy bands includes banding the vibration signal into harmonic frequency response spectral bands and non-harmonic frequency response spectral bands.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the data includes noise filtering.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein noise filtering includes time synchronous averaging.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein noise filtering includes spectral averaging.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein processing the data further includes passing the signal through a low pass filter.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein processing the data further includes fast Fourier transformation.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the transformation prepares the signal for banding.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a sensor to provide a timing signal of the pump piston.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising arranging a sensor to detect vibration within the fluid end of the pump.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein arranging a sensor includes utilizing an accelerometer.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein data is collected at more than 10,000 samples per second.

16 . A pump assembly comprising:
a pump including a power end, a fluid end, a piston, and a plurality of valves; a timing sensor configured in the power end to sense movement of the piston; an accelerometer in the fluid end to sense vibrations within the fluid end; and, a system configured to collect data from the timing sensor and accelerometer, process the data to provide a filtered and transformed vibration signal, and compare a ratio of high energy bands and low energy bands of the vibration signal to at least one constant to assess valve condition.

17 . The pump assembly of claim 16 , wherein the system includes a user operable display arranged to indicate the valve condition.

18 . The pump assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a prime mover operatively connected to the power end to move the piston, wherein the system sends a signal to the prime mover to halt operation if at least one of the valves requires immediate replacement as determined by the assessed valve condition.

19 . The pump assembly of claim 16 , wherein the pump is a positive displacement reciprocating pump.

20 . The pump assembly of claim 16 , wherein the valves of the pump include at least one inlet valve and at least one outlet valve.

21 . A method of monitoring and assessing valve conditions in the pump assembly of claim 16 , the method comprising:
collecting data regarding timing of the piston and vibrations in the fluid end; processing the data by the system to form a filtered and transformed vibration signal; banding the vibration signal by the system into the high energy bands and the low energy bands; and comparing a ratio of at least one high energy band to at least one low energy band of the vibration signal with the at least one constant to determine valve condition.

Assignees

• Singh Gulshan
• Jaeger Thomas
• Lee Erik N
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Singh Gulshan
• Jaeger Thomas
• Lee Erik N

Classifications

• F04B51/00 Primary

  Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations · CPC title

• F04B49/22

  by means of valves (F04B49/03 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04B2201/0802

  Vibration · CPC title

• F04B2201/0604

  Valve noise · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title