Rotary isobaric pressure exchanger system with flush system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739128-B2
Application number	US-201414586565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A system including a frac system with a hydraulic energy transfer system configured to exchange pressures between a first fluid and a second fluid, and a flush system configured remove particulate out of the hydraulic energy transfer system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a frac system, comprising:
a hydraulic energy transfer system configured to exchange pressures between a first fluid and a second fluid, wherein the hydraulic energy transfer system comprises a rotary isobaric pressure exchanger comprising a rotor, a sleeve surrounding the rotor, a first end cap, and a second end cap; and
a flush system configured to remove particulate out of the hydraulic energy transfer system, the flush system is configured to pump a third fluid into a gap between the sleeve and the rotor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid is a substantially particulate free fluid and the second fluid is a particulate laden fluid.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flush system comprises a pump configured to pump the third fluid into the hydraulic energy transfer system to remove particulate.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first fluid and the third fluid are the same.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flush system comprises a fluid treatment system configured to convert the first or second fluid into the third fluid.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the frac system comprises a controller that controls the flow of the third fluid of the fluid system into the hydraulic energy transfer system to remove particulate.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller communicates with a first sensor and is configured to detect whether the rotor is rotating within a threshold range based on feedback from the first sensor.

8. A method, comprising:
monitoring rotation of a rotor in a rotary isobaric pressure exchanger, wherein the rotary isobaric pressure exchanger comprises the rotor, a sleeve surrounding the rotor, a first end cap, and a second end cap; and
detecting a condition when the rotor is rotating outside of a threshold range; and flushing the rotary isobaric pressure exchanger with a flush fluid in response to the condition by pumping the flush fluid into a gap between the sleeve and the rotor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein monitoring rotation of the rotor comprises monitoring an acoustic sensor, an optical sensor, or a pressure sensor with a controller.

10. The method of claim 8 , comprising controlling a pump to pump the flush fluid through the rotary isobaric pressure exchanger in response to the condition.

11. The method of claim 8 , comprising controlling a fluid treatment system to form the flush fluid.

12. The method of claim 8 , comprising controlling a pump to pump the flush fluid through the rotary isobaric pressure exchanger before starting or shutting down a frac system coupled to the rotary isobaric pressure exchanger.

13. The method of claim 8 , comprising controlling a pump to pump the flush fluid through the rotary isobaric pressure exchanger while operating a frac system coupled to the rotary isobaric pressure exchanger.

Assignees

• Energy Recovery Inc

Inventors

• Ghasripoor Farshad
• Martin Jeremy Grant
• Krish Prem

Classifications

• F04F13/00

  Pressure exchangers · CPC title

• E21B43/26 Primary

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/2607 Primary

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title