Automated Mix Water Test

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023135663-A1
Application number	US-202117518867-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2021
Priority date	Nov 4, 2021
Publication date	May 4, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of determining a health status of a mixing system may comprise establishing a flow loop via a pump, a flow control valve, and a flow rate sensor. The method may also include performing a diagnostic test that includes positioning the flow control valve in a first position, operating the pump to communicate a fluid via the flow loop at a first speed, measuring a first periodic dataset while the fluid is communicated via the flow loop, and recording the first periodic dataset. The method may also include comparing a result of the diagnostic test to an operational indicator set, determining the health status based upon the comparison of the result of the diagnostic test and the operational indicator set, and outputting, by the unit controller, indicia of the health status of the mixing system via the input output device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method of determining a health status of a mixing system associated with a wellbore pump unit, the method comprising:
establishing, by a unit controller, a flow loop providing a route of fluid communication via a supply pump, a flow control valve, and a flow rate sensor, wherein the unit controller comprises a processor, a non-transitory memory, and an input output device; performing, by the unit controller, a diagnostic test, wherein the diagnostic test comprises:
positioning the flow control valve in a first position;
operating the supply pump to communicate a fluid via the flow loop at a first speed;
measuring, by the flow sensor, a first periodic dataset while the fluid is communicated via the flow loop with the flow control valve in the first position; and
recording the first periodic dataset in memory, wherein the first periodic dataset is associated with the first speed of the supply pump and the first position of the flow control value;
comparing a result of the diagnostic test to an operational indicator set, determining the health status of the mixing system based upon the comparison of the result of the diagnostic test and the operational indicator set; and outputting, by the unit controller, indicia of the health status of the mixing system via the input output device, wherein the indicia of the health status of the mixing system comprises a visual cue, and audible cue, or both.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic test further comprises:
positioning the flow control valve in a second position; operating the supply pump to communicate the fluid via the flow loop at the first speed; measuring, by the flow sensor, a second periodic dataset while the fluid is communicated via the flow loop with the flow control valve in the first position; and recording the second periodic dataset in memory, wherein the second periodic dataset is associated with the first speed of the supply pump and the second position of the flow control value.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the diagnostic test further comprises:
positioning the flow control valve in the first position; operating the supply pump to communicate the fluid via the flow loop at the second speed; measuring, by the flowrate sensor, a third periodic dataset while the fluid is communicated via the flow loop with the flow control valve in the first position; and recording the third periodic dataset in memory, wherein the third periodic dataset is associated with the second speed of the supply pump and the first position of the flow control value.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic test further comprises:
operating the supply pump to communicate the fluid via the flow loop at each of at least two (2) speeds while the flow control valve is positioned in each of at least three (3) positions for each of the at least two (2) speeds.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational indicator set comprises a configuration check, a minimum operational capacity, a nominal operational capacity, and a series of failure modes.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a first post-processing periodic dataset by applying one or more data reduction techniques to the first periodic dataset, wherein the data reduction techniques include data pre-processing, data cleansing, numerosity reduction, or a combination thereof; and generating a first averaged value for he first post-processing periodic dataset by averaging the first post-processing periodic dataset with a mathematical averaging technique, wherein the mathematical averaging techniques includes arithmetic mean, a median, a geometric median, a mode, a geometric mean, a harmonic mean, a generalized mean, a moving average, or combination thereof.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the result of the diagnostic test to which the operational indicator et is compared comprises the first post-processing periodic dataset, the first averaged value, or both.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein one or more of:
comparing the result of the diagnostic test to the operational indicator set, determining the health status of the mixing system based upon the comparison of the result of the diagnostic test and the operational indicator set, generating the first post-processing periodic dataset, and generating the first averaged value for the first post-processing periodic dataset is performed via the unit controller.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein one or more of:
comparing the result of the diagnostic test to the operational indicator set, determining the health status of the mixing system based upon the comparison of the result of the diagnostic test and the operational indicator set, generating the first post-processing periodic dataset, and generating the first averaged value for the first post-processing periodic dataset is performed via a remote computer.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting the first periodic dataset, the first post-processing periodic dataset, the first averaged value for the first post-processing periodic dataset, or combinations thereof to the remote computer via a wireless communication protocol.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication protocol is at least one of a 5G, a long-term evolution (LTE), a code division multiple access (CDMA), or a global system for mobile communications (GSM) telecommunications protocol.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the remote computer is disposed in a network location, wherein the network location is one of i) a VNF on a network slice within a 5G core network, ii) a VNF on a network slice within a 5G edge network, iii) a storage computer communicatively coupled to a network via a mobile communication network, or iv) a computer system communicatively coupled to the network via the mobile communication network.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the network location comprises a database, a storage device, the remote computer, a virtual network function, or combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising accessing, by the remote computer, a historical database on the network location, the historical database comprising data associated with a plurality of pump units.

15 . A wellbore servicing method comprising:
transporting a pump unit to a wellsite, the pump unit comprising unit controller configured to perform a diagnostic test, wherein the unit controller comprises a processor, a non-transitory memory, and an input output device: fluidically connecting the pump unit to a wellhead; establishing a flow loop providing a route of fluid communication via a supply pump, a flow control valve, and a flow rate sensor; performing the diagnostic test, wherein the diagnostic test comprises:
positioning the flow control valve in a first position;
operating the supply pump to communicate a fluid via the flow loop at a first speed;
measuring, by the flow sensor, a first periodic dataset while the fluid is communicated via the flow loop with the flow control valve in the first position; and
recording the first periodic dataset in memory, wherein the first periodic dataset is associated with the first speed of the supply pump and the first position of the flow control value;
comparing a result of the diagnostic test to an operational indicator set, determining the health status one or more components of the pump unit based upon the comparison of the result of the diagnostic test and the operational indicator set; and wherein the hea

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Williams Derek R
• Neal Iii Charles E

Classifications

• F04B51/00 Primary

  Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• E21B33/13

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• B01F2215/0436

  Operational information · CPC title

• B01F35/22

  Control or regulation · CPC title