Hydration system for hydrating an additive and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9447313-B2
Application number	US-201313911227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2013
Priority date	Jun 6, 2013
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A hydration system configured to selectively enable a continuous process or a batch process of an additive for a hydraulic fracturing fluid, the hydration system including a hydration tank having a plurality of compartments, wherein the hydration tank is configured to enable movement of a material through the plurality of compartments in the continuous process. The hydration tank is configured to substantially restrict movement of the material between the plurality of compartments in the batch process. Also included is a method of selectively hydrating an additive in a batch process or a continuous process using a hydration system configured to enable both the batch process and the continuous process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydration system configured to selectively enable a continuous process of a first additive or a batch process of a second additive for a hydraulic fracturing fluid, the hydration system comprising:
a hydration tank having a plurality of compartments including at least a first compartment, a last compartment, and at least one intermediate compartment interposed in a flow path from the first compartment to the last compartment within the hydration tank;
a first valve arranged to selectively pass the first additive to the first compartment, a second valve arranged to selectively pass the second additive to one compartment amongst the plurality of compartments, a third valve arranged to selectively dispense the first additive in a hydrated state from the last compartment, and a fourth valve arranged to selectively dispense the second additive in a hydrated state from the one compartment amongst the plurality of compartments;
a first pump arranged to pump the first additive through the first valve to the first compartment to enable movement of the first additive through the at least one intermediate compartment and to the last compartment and the third valve in the continuous process; and,
a second pump arranged to pump the second additive in a hydrated state out of the one compartment amongst the plurality of compartments and through the fourth valve in the batch process.

2. The hydration system of claim 1 wherein the at least one intermediate compartment includes a second compartment configured to receive the material from the first compartment, and a third compartment configured to receive the material from the second compartment.

3. The hydration system of claim 1 further comprising a weir separating the first compartment from the at least one intermediate compartment, wherein movement of the first additive from the first compartment to the at least one intermediate compartment is prevented until a height of the first additive in the first compartment exceeds a height of the weir.

4. The hydration system of claim 1 further comprising a wall separating the first compartment and the last compartment, wherein the wall is configured to prevent movement of the first additive and the second additive between the first compartment and the last compartment.

5. The hydration system of claim 1 further comprising a diluent line bypassing the hydration tank, and a gravity-driven viscous fluid line exiting the hydration tank, wherein the hydration system is configured to dilute viscous fluid from the hydration tank.

6. The hydration system of claim 1 further comprising a mixer, the first pump connected to the mixer to receive the first additive from the mixer in the continuous process, and the second valve connected to the mixer to receive the second additive from the mixer in the batch process.

7. The hydration system of claim 6 , wherein the mixer is configured to receive both a synthetically produced polymer and a natural polymer.

8. The hydration system of claim 1 wherein the one compartment amongst the plurality of compartments is the last compartment, and the last compartment includes a first exit configured to direct the first additive in the hydrated state from the last compartment to the third valve, and a second exit configured to direct the second additive in the hydrated state from the last compartment to the second pump via the fourth valve.

9. The hydration system of claim 1 further comprising an input header configured to selectively direct fluid to the first pump.

10. A method of selectively hydrating an additive in a batch process or a continuous process using the hydration system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
when the additive is the first additive, delivering the first additive to the first compartment in the hydration tank and continuously hydrating the first additive through the plurality of compartments in the hydration tank in the continuous process prior to releasing the first additive via the last compartment in the hydration tank; and,
when the additive is the second additive different from the first additive, delivering the second additive to at least one of the first compartment and the last compartment, hydrating the second additive within the hydration tank in the batch process while restricting movement of the second additive between the plurality of compartments in the hydration tank, and releasing the second additive via the at least one of the first and last compartments.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein releasing the first additive via a last compartment in the hydration tank includes directing the first additive to an input header to a blender, and releasing the second additive via the at least one of the first and last compartments includes directing the second additive to the second pump.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first additive requires less hydration time within the hydration tank to reach the hydrated state than the second additive.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising mixing at least one of the first additive and the second additive with fluid in a mixer prior to delivering the at least one of the first additive and second additive to the hydration tank.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising pumping the first additive into the first compartment when the first additive is to be hydrated in the continuous process.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein, when the first additive is to be hydrated, allowing the first additive to flow over and around weirs between the plurality of compartments, and when the second additive is to be hydrated, retaining the second additive in the at least one of the first and last compartments until hydrated.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising selectively opening the first valve and pumping the first additive to the first compartment when the first additive is to be hydrated, and selectively opening at least one of the second valve to selectively deliver the second additive to the first compartment and a fifth valve to selectively deliver the second additive to the last compartment when the second additive is to be hydrated.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising diluting the hydrated first additive using a diluent stream that bypasses the hydration tank, wherein releasing the first additive from the hydration tank includes flowing the first additive within a gravity-driven pumpless viscous fluid line.

18. A hydration system configured to selectively enable a continuous process of a first additive or a batch process of a second additive for a hydraulic fracturing fluid, the hydration system comprising:
a hydration tank having a plurality of compartments including at least a first compartment and a last compartment;
a mixer;
a first valve arranged to selectively deliver the first additive from the mixer to the first compartment, a second valve arranged to selectively deliver the second additive from the mixer to the first compartment, and a third valve arranged to selectively deliver the second additive from the mixer to the last compartment; and,
a first flow meter configured to add the first additive to the first compartment in a ratio according to flow through the first flow meter, and a second flow meter configured to selectively add the second additive to the first and last compartments in a ratio according to flow through the second flow meter;
wherein the first additive is movable through the plurality of compartments from the first compartment to the last compartment in the continuous process, and the second

Assignees

• Weinstein Jeremy Lynn
• Wheeler Richard
• Lambert Bryan Scott
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Weinstein Jeremy Lynn
• Wheeler Richard
• Lambert Bryan Scott

Classifications

• B01F3/1271

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/10

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0606

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• C09K8/685

  containing cross-linking agents · CPC title

• C09K8/68 Primary

  containing organic compounds · CPC title