High Pressure Valve and Transmission Safety Checks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018196446-A1
Application number	US-201515324064-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2015
Priority date	Oct 2, 2015
Publication date	Jul 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of servicing a request during high pressure wellsite pumping operations to manipulate a valve in a manifold system having a plurality of valves includes receiving a plurality of valve configurations that would result in an overpressured manifold system and comparing the request to a proposed valve configuration that would result from a proposed valve manipulation. The method includes determining whether a pump to the manifold system is operating. The method further includes determining whether the proposed valve manipulation inhibits a flow path between the pump and an outlet of the manifold system and would result in an overpressured manifold system. The method also includes in response to a determination that the proposed valve manipulation inhibits the flow path: blocking the proposed valve manipulation and presenting an operator with an override option.

First claim

1 . A method of servicing a request to manipulate a valve in a manifold system having a plurality of valves, comprising:
receiving a plurality of valve configurations for the plurality of valves that would result in an overpressured manifold system; receiving a request to manipulate the valve in the manifold system; determining whether a pump to the manifold system is operating; in response to a determination that the pump to the manifold system is operating, determining whether the proposed valve manipulation would inhibit a flow path between the pump and an outlet of the manifold system based on the received overpressured manifold system valve configurations; and in response to a determination that the proposed valve manipulation would inhibit the flow path and would result in an overpressured manifold system, blocking the proposed valve manipulation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to manipulate the valve is a request to open the valve.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to manipulate the valve is a request to close the valve.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the proposed valve manipulation would not inhibit the flow path, manipulating the valve in accordance with the request.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the determination that the proposed valve manipulation would inhibit the flow path and would result in an overpressured manifold system:
providing a warning regarding the inhibited flow path to an operator;
providing an override option to the operator;
determining whether the operator has selected the override option; and
in response to a determination that the operator has selected the override option, manipulating the valve in accordance with the request.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the operator has not selected the override option, discarding the request to manipulate the valve.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request to operate the pump; and determining whether the valve configuration once manipulated as requested matches one of the plurality of valve configurations that would result in an overpressured manifold system.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the manipulated valve configuration matches a valve configuration that would result in an overpressured manifold system:
blocking the proposed pump operation;
providing a warning regarding an unacceptable flow path to the operator;
providing a second override option to the operator;
determining whether the operator has selected the second override option; and
in response to a determination that the operator has selected the second override option, starting the pump.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that a flow path exists that would not result in an overpressured manifold system, starting the pump.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the operator has not selected the second override option, maintaining the pump in its current state.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the pump to the manifold system is not operating, manipulating the valve in accordance with the request.

12 . A system for servicing a request to manipulate a valve in a manifold system having a plurality of valves, comprising:
a memory storing a plurality of valve configurations that would result in an overpressured manifold system; and one or more processors in communication with the memory and operable to cause the system to:
receive a plurality of valve configurations for the plurality of valves that would result in an overpressured manifold system;
receive a request to manipulate the valve in the manifold system;
determine whether a pump to the manifold system is operating;
in response to a determination that the pump to the manifold system is operating, determine whether the proposed valve manipulation would inhibit a flow path between the pump and an outlet of the manifold system based on the received overpressured manifold system valve configurations; and
in response to a determination that the proposed valve manipulation would inhibit the flow path and would result in an overpressured manifold system, block the proposed valve manipulation.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the request to manipulate the valve is a request to open the valve.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the request to manipulate the valve is a request to close the valve.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to cause the system to:
in response to the determination that the proposed valve manipulation would inhibit the flow path and would result in an overpressured manifold system:
provide a warning regarding the inhibited flow path to an operator;
provide an override option to the operator;
determine whether the operator has selected the override option; and
in response to a determination that the operator has selected the override option, manipulate the valve in accordance with the request.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to cause the system to:
in response to a determination that the operator has not selected the override option, discard the request to manipulate the valve.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to cause the system to:
receive a request to operate the pump; and determine whether the valve configuration once manipulated as requested matches one of the plurality of valve configurations that would result in an overpressured manifold system.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to cause the system to:
in response to a determination that the manipulated valve configuration matches a valve configuration that would result in an overpressured manifold system:
block the proposed pump operation;
provide a warning regarding an unacceptable flow path to the operator;
provide a second override option to the operator;
determine whether the operator has selected the second override option; and
in response to a determination that the operator has selected the second override option, start the pump.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to cause the system to:
in response to a determination that the operator has not selected the second override option, maintain the pump in its current state.

20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to cause the system to:
in response to a determination that the pump to the manifold system is not operating, manipulate the valve in accordance with the request.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Imel Chip L
• Funkhouser James Douglas
• Neal Charles Edward
• Williams Derek

Classifications

• G05D7/0688 Primary

  by combined action on throttling means and flow sources (G05D7/0694 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• F16K37/0083

  by measuring valve parameters · CPC title

• E21B47/00

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title

• G05B19/042

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title