Hydraulic fracturing operation control method and related device

Abstract

The invention provides a hydraulic fracturing operation control method and a related device, and the control method comprises the steps: determining the flow of fracturing base fluid in unit time and the first sand conveying amount from a sand conveying device in unit time based on the current sand concentration value of fracturing fluid; determining a first sand conveying speed based on the first sand conveying amount; and when the first target sand concentration value is larger than the current sand concentration value, the first sand conveying speed is increased, and when the second target sand concentration value is smaller than the current sand concentration value, the first sand conveying speed is reduced. According to the embodiment of the invention, different sand conveying amounts and the sand conveying speed of the belt can be matched based on the sand concentrations in different fracturing fluids, so that the change of the sand conveying amount is adjusted through the change of the sand conveying speed, and finally the requirements of different sand concentrations are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of fracturing sand transportation, and specifically, to a control method for hydraulic fracturing operations and related devices. Background Art

[0002] The oil and gas industry commonly uses hydraulic fracturing to increase the production of hydrocarbon production wells, such as oil wells, gas wells, etc. Hydraulic fracturing, sometimes also called "fracking" or "hydrofracking", is the process of injecting fracturing fluid into the wellbore. The fracturing fluid is typically a mixture of water, proppants (such as sand, fracturing sand, ceramics, etc.), and chemicals, to break underground geological formations and release hydrocarbon reserves. The fracturing fluid is pumped into the wellbore at a sufficient pressure to form fractures in the underground geological formation. Once in the wellbore, the pressurized fracturing fluid flows into the underground geological strata, fracturing the underground formation. The fracturing fluid may include water, various chemical additives, and proppants to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon reserves such as oil and gas. Proppants, such as fracturing sand, can prevent fractures and cracks in the underground formation from closing and keep the formation open, allowing hydrocarbon reserves to flow to the surface.

[0003] Hydraulic fracturing typically uses large amounts of sand (e.g., about 6000 to 7000 tons per well) to assist in well fracturing. Before being transported to the well site, the sand undergoes a processing process: (1) removing impurities; (2) drying the fracturing sand to meet fracturing transportation requirements; (3) making it suitable for metering into the mixing process using conventional hydraulic fracturing process equipment (e.g., a fracturing blender) to produce a slurry or fracturing fluid. Mining and / or processing operators initially mine fracturing sand from sand deposits containing quartz grains with desired properties (e.g., relatively high crush strength and roundness). To meet fracturing standards, operators process the mined sand by washing the sand to remove impurities and then drying the sand to remove moisture. Then, the mining operator can further filter out sand grains that do not meet the specific size criteria for fracturing operations. Once the processing is complete, the operator loads and transports the fracturing sand to the well site, which may be hundreds of kilometers from the origin, using specialized railcars, trailers (e.g., hopper trailers and pneumatic containers), and trucks that protect the fracturing sand from environmental exposure. The operator stores the dry sand at various points along the supply chain using silos, dome bins, and other large and expensive storage containers. Keeping the fracturing sand dry before mixing to form the fracturing fluid increases the operator's ability to reliably control and meter the flow of fracturing sand. In contrast, wet fracturing sand typically clumps together, resulting in less consistent flow and making it more difficult to meter for fracturing purposes. However, drying, transporting, and storing large amounts of dry fracturing sand increases the financial, operational, and logistical costs associated with fracturing operations.

[0004] Existing conveying devices on well sites can often only perform blanking operations on the wet fracturing sand in one sand transport vehicle, resulting in low blanking efficiency. In addition, conventional sand mixing equipment is equipped with auger devices, which transport dry fracturing sand from equipment such as sand transport vehicles or sand storage tanks to the sand mixing tank of the sand mixing equipment through spiral movement. Generally, the fracturing sand has a certain humidity. When the water content in the wet fracturing sand is relatively high, due to the good fluidity of the wet fracturing sand, it can be transported by the auger. However, when the water content in the wet fracturing sand is relatively low, the poor fluidity of the wet fracturing sand makes it easy to aggregate. Therefore, when the auger blade rotates in a closed space, there will be situations where the auger blade gets stuck or blocked, affecting the fracturing operation of adding fracturing sand. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a control method and related device for hydraulic fracturing operations to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, an aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a control method for hydraulic fracturing operations, including: determining the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand transportation volume from the sand transportation device per unit time based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid; determining the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume; when the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, increasing the first sand transportation speed, and when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value, decreasing the first sand transportation speed.

[0007] In some embodiments, when the sand transportation device includes a belt conveyor, the determining the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume includes: determining the sand transportation cross-sectional area of the belt conveyor; determining the first sand transportation length per unit time based on the first sand transportation volume and the sand transportation cross-sectional area; determining the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation length.

[0008] In some embodiments, the increasing the first sand transportation speed when the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value includes: determining the second sand transportation volume based on the first target sand concentration value; determining the second sand transportation length based on the second sand transportation volume;

[0009] Increasing the first sand transportation speed to the second sand transportation speed based on the second sand transportation length.

[0010] In some embodiments, the decreasing the first sand transportation speed when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value includes: determining the third sand transportation volume based on the second target sand concentration value; determining the third sand transportation length based on the third sand transportation volume; decreasing the first sand transportation speed to the third sand transportation speed based on the third sand transportation length.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the sand transportation device further includes a buffering device, it further includes: adjusting the discharging speed of the buffering device.

[0012] In some embodiments, it further includes: obtaining the moisture content of the wet fracturing sand in the sand transportation device; when the moisture content is greater than the reference moisture content, increasing the first sand transportation speed; when the moisture content is less than the reference moisture content, decreasing the first sand transportation speed.

[0013] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control device for a hydraulic fracturing operation, including: a first determination module for determining the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand transportation amount from the sand transportation device per unit time based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid; a second determination module for determining the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation amount; an adjustment module for increasing the first sand transportation speed when the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, and decreasing the first sand transportation speed when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value.

[0014] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an operation system for a wet fracturing sand well site, including the above-mentioned control device for a hydraulic fracturing operation, a sand transportation device, and a sand mixing device.

[0015] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that when the program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of the above.

[0016] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, which at least includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor. Wherein, when the processor executes the program, it implements the method as described in any one of the above.

[0017] The embodiments of the present disclosure can match different sand transportation amounts and the sand transportation speed of the belt based on the sand concentration in different fracturing fluids, so as to adjust the change of the sand transportation amount by changing the sand transportation speed, and finally meet the requirements of different sand concentrations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments recorded in the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a layout schematic diagram of the sand transportation device provided by the first embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 Schematic layout diagram of the belt conveyor device in the sand transportation device provided by the first embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3 Schematic structural diagram of the buffer unit in the sand transportation device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic layout diagram of the sand transportation device provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 5 Schematic structural diagram of the buffer unit in the sand transportation device provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 6 Schematic layout diagram (one) of the operation system for the wet fracturing sand well site provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 7 Schematic layout diagram (two) of the operation system for the wet fracturing sand well site provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 8 Schematic layout diagram (three) of the operation system for the wet fracturing sand well site provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 9 Schematic layout diagram of the sand transportation device provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 10 Schematic structural diagram of the conveying unit in the sand transportation device provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 11 Schematic layout diagram of the operation system for the wet fracturing sand well site provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 12 Schematic step diagram (one) of the control method for the hydraulic fracturing operation provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 13 Schematic step diagram (one) of the control method for the hydraulic fracturing operation provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 14 Schematic step diagram (one) of the control method for the hydraulic fracturing operation provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Reference numerals:

[0034] First to Fourth Embodiments: 1 - buffer device; 11 - buffer unit; 111 - frame; 112 - hopper frame; 113 - hopper body; 114 - elastic member; 115 - motor; 116 - moisture measuring device; 117 - stirring device; 118 - gate; 119 - baffle; 121 - impurity collection device; 2 - first belt conveyor; 21 - base; 22 - conveyor belt; 221 - first belt section; 222 - second belt section; 23 - blanking device; 24 - lifting device; 25 - belt scale; 3 - second belt conveyor; 31 - base; 32 - first - stage conveyor belt; 33 - second - stage conveyor belt; 34 - lifting device; 35 - blanking device; 36 - belt scale; 100 - sand - conveying device; 200 - transportation device; 300 - sand - mixing equipment.

[0035] Fifth to Seventh Embodiments: 1 - first conveying assembly; 2 - second conveying assembly; 11 - first buffer device; 12 - first belt conveyor; 121 - first base; 122 - first conveyor belt; 123 - first blanking device; 124 - first lifting device; 125 - first belt scale; 21 - second buffer device; 211 - second stirring device; 22 - second belt conveyor; 221 - second base; 222 - second conveyor belt; 2221 - first belt section; 2222 - second belt section; 223 - second blanking device; 224 - second lifting device; 225 - second belt scale; 100 - sand - conveying device; 200 - transportation device; 300 - sand - mixing equipment. Detailed Embodiments

[0036] Reference is made herein to the various aspects and features of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the embodiments claimed herein. Accordingly, the above description should not be regarded as limiting, but merely as an exemplification of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are included in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the general description of the present disclosure given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0039] These and other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the preferred forms of the embodiments, given as non - limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] It should also be understood that, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to some specific examples, those skilled in the art can surely implement many other equivalent forms of the present disclosure, which have the features as claimed and thus are all within the protection scope defined hereby.

[0041] When combined with the accompanying drawings, the above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent in view of the following detailed description.

[0042] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, it should be understood that the embodiments claimed are merely examples of the present disclosure and can be implemented in various ways. Well-known and / or repetitive functions and structures are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure with unnecessary or redundant details. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details claimed herein are not intended to be limiting, but are merely used as a basis and representative basis for the claims to teach those skilled in the art to use the present disclosure in substantially any suitable detailed structure in a variety of ways.

[0043] This specification may use the phrases "in one embodiment", "in another embodiment", "in yet another embodiment", or "in other embodiments", each of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments according to the present disclosure.

[0044] The first embodiment of the present disclosure provides a sand transportation device, the sand transportation device includes a buffer device and a transportation device, where the buffer device includes at least one buffer unit, and the transportation device can be a belt transportation device or a screw transportation device. In this embodiment, the belt transportation device is taken as an example for introduction.

[0045] As Figures 1-3 shown, in this embodiment, the sand transportation device includes a buffer device 1 and a first transportation device 2, the buffer device 1 is a buffer unit 11, the buffer unit 11 is used to process the externally input wet fracturing sand, the first transportation device 2 is disposed opposite to the discharge port of the buffer unit 11, and the first transportation device 2 can transport the processed wet fracturing sand into a sand mixing device, where the sand mixing device is, for example, a sand mixing tank.

[0046] Specifically, when using the sand transportation device of this embodiment, the wet fracturing sand is transported into the buffer unit 11 located in the fracturing well site by means of ton bags, sand transport vehicles, or dump trucks, etc. at the fracturing well site. The buffer unit 11 can perform various processes on the wet fracturing sand, such as vibration, filtration, stirring, etc., and can transport the processed wet fracturing sand onto the first transportation device 2. Finally, the first transportation device 2 transports the wet fracturing sand into the sand mixing device based on a predetermined transportation speed. The buffer device 1 in this embodiment is disposed at a first position of the first transportation device 2, for example, it can be the first end of the first transportation device 2. The wet fracturing sand falls from the buffer device 1 onto the first transportation device 2 and is transported from a second position of the first transportation device 2 to the sand mixing device, and the second position can be the second end of the first transportation device 2.

[0047] Specifically, the first conveying device 2 includes a base 21, on which a conveying belt 22 is arranged. The conveying belt 22 is inclined, with its first end facing the discharge port of the buffer unit 11 of the buffer device 1. A blanking device 23 is arranged at the second end of the conveying belt 22. Here, the wet fracturing sand is conveyed to the sand mixing equipment through the blanking device 23. The conveying belt 22 here can be a flat belt or a belt with partitions.

[0048] Further, a lifting device 24 is arranged, for example, in the middle of the conveying belt 22. One end of the lifting device 24 is connected to the base 21, and the other end of the lifting device 24 is connected to, for example, the middle of the conveying belt 22. By the action of the lifting device 24, the second end of the conveying belt 22 can be lifted to a predetermined height, so that the conveying belt 22 can be arranged in an inclined manner.

[0049] The lifting device 24 here can be, for example, a support rod with a fixed length or a telescopic oil cylinder with a variable length. The telescopic oil cylinder can be manually or automatically controlled. In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the conveying belt 22 is changed by the lifting device 24, so that the blanking device 23 can correspond to sand mixing equipment at different heights.

[0050] Further, for the convenience of conveying the wet fracturing sand, the conveying belt 22 includes a first belt portion 221 and a second belt portion 222 which are connected to each other. The first belt portion 221 is arranged on the base 21 and, for example, at a position close to the first end of the base 21, and is arranged parallel to the base 21. The second belt portion 222 is inclined relative to the base 21. Among them, the first end of the second belt portion 222 is connected to the first belt portion 221, and its second end can be inclined by the lifting device 24. The blanking device 23 is arranged at the second end of the second belt portion 222.

[0051] In this way, the wet fracturing sand discharged from the discharge port of the buffer unit 11 can first fall onto the horizontally arranged first belt portion 221, which is convenient for loading the wet fracturing sand. Then, the wet fracturing sand is conveyed to a higher position through the second belt portion 222 and then falls into the sand mixing equipment through the blanking device 23.

[0052] Further, the first conveying device 2 further includes a weighing assembly for weighing the weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the conveying belt 22, which may be, for example, an electronic belt scale, a nuclear belt scale, dual lidar detection, or a binocular vision measurement system. In this embodiment, a belt scale 25 is provided on the first belt portion 221 and / or the second belt portion 222 of the conveying belt 22, particularly on the second belt portion 222. The weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the second belt portion 222 can be weighed by the belt scale 25, so as to facilitate the buffer unit 11 to control the feeding amount.

[0053] Further, in this embodiment, the buffer unit 11 includes a frame 111, and a hopper assembly is provided on the frame 111. Here, the hopper assembly is arranged above the frame 111. The hopper assembly includes a hopper frame 112 and a hopper body 113. The hopper frame 112 is arranged on the upper end surface of the frame 111, and the hopper body 113 is arranged below the hopper frame 112. The bottom of the hopper body 113 has a feeding port, and a gate plate 118 is arranged inside the feeding port. The wet fracturing sand after vibration and stirring falls onto the first conveying device 2 through the feeding port. Here, the gate plate 118 can control the opening and closing of the feeding port, and the wet fracturing sand falls onto the first conveying device 2 through the hopper assembly.

[0054] The buffer unit 11 of the embodiment of the present disclosure is an integrated sand tank integrating multiple functions such as vibration and stirring. Therefore, an elastic member 114 is arranged between the hopper frame 112 of the hopper assembly and the frame 111. The elastic member 114 may be, for example, a vibration spring. Here, the hopper assembly is vibrated through the elastic member 114, so as to realize the vibration of the wet fracturing sand. Among them, a motor 115 is arranged on the hopper frame 112, and the motor 115 is connected to the elastic member 114 to drive the vibration of the elastic member 114.

[0055] Further, a moisture measuring device 116 is arranged inside the hopper body 113. Here, the moisture content in the wet fracturing sand is measured by the moisture measuring device 116. In addition, a stirring device 117 is arranged inside the hopper body 113. The stirring device 117 is connected to the motor 115 to stir the vibrated wet fracturing sand.

[0056] The embodiment of the present disclosure can perform various treatments such as vibration and stirring on the wet fracturing sand during the transportation process of the wet fracturing sand, so as to avoid the aggregation of the wet fracturing sand due to low moisture content and improve the effect of subsequent fracturing operations.

[0057] The above embodiments of the present disclosure can highly integrate the hopper assembly and the belt conveying device, which can not only reduce the height of the hopper assembly to facilitate the feeding of wet sand, but also shorten the overall length dimension of the sand conveying device to facilitate transportation.

[0058] The second embodiment of the present disclosure provides a sand conveying device, which includes a buffer device and a conveying device. Here, the buffer device includes at least one buffer unit, and the conveying device includes multiple levels of conveying units.

[0059] As Figures 4-5 shown, in this embodiment, the sand conveying device includes a buffer device 1 and a second conveying device 3. The buffer device 1 includes multiple buffer units 11. In this embodiment, the number of buffer units 11 is three. The buffer units 11 are used to process the externally input wet fracturing sand. The second conveying device 3 is disposed opposite to the discharge port of the buffer unit 11. The second conveying device 3 can convey the processed wet fracturing sand into the sand mixing device. Here, the sand mixing device is, for example, a sand mixing tank.

[0060] Specifically, when using the sand conveying device of this embodiment, the wet fracturing sand is conveyed into the buffer unit 11 located in the fracturing well site by means of ton bags, sand transport vehicles or dump trucks, etc. at the fracturing well site. Here, the buffer unit 11 can perform various treatments on the wet fracturing sand, such as vibration, filtration, stirring, etc., and can convey the processed wet fracturing sand onto the second conveying device 3. Finally, the second conveying device 3 conveys the wet fracturing sand into the sand mixing device based on a predetermined conveying speed.

[0061] The buffer device 1 in this embodiment is disposed at the first end of the second conveying device 3. The wet fracturing sand is input from the buffer device 1 to the first end of the second conveying device 3 and is conveyed from the second end of the second conveying device 3 to the sand mixing device.

[0062] Specifically, the second conveying device 3 includes a base 31, and a first-stage conveying belt 32 and a second-stage conveying belt 33 are sequentially disposed on the base 31. Here, the first-stage conveying belt 32 and the second-stage conveying belt 33 are both inclined with respect to the base 31.

[0063] Wherein, the first end of the first-stage conveyor belt 32 is disposed opposite to the first end of the base 31, and the second end of the first-stage conveyor belt 32 is disposed opposite to and above the first end of the second-stage conveyor belt 33. In this way, the wet fracturing sand falls from the buffer device 1 onto the first end of the first-stage conveyor belt 32, and after being conveyed by the first-stage conveyor belt 32, it falls from the second end of the first-stage conveyor belt 32 onto the first end of the second-stage conveyor belt 33. The second end of the second-stage conveyor belt 33 is disposed higher than the base 31, especially higher than the height of the second end of the first-stage conveyor belt 32.

[0064] In this embodiment, the first-stage conveyor belt 32 is inclined, for example, by means of a bracket or the like, and the inclination angle of the second-stage conveyor belt 33 can be adjusted. Specifically, a lifting device 34 is provided, for example, in the middle of the second-stage conveyor belt 33. One end of the lifting device 34 is connected to the base 31, and the other end of the lifting device 34 is connected to, for example, the middle of the second-stage conveyor belt 33. By the action of the lifting device 34, the second end of the second-stage conveyor belt 33 can be lifted to a predetermined height, so that the second-stage conveyor belt 33 is disposed in an inclined manner and the inclination angle can be adjusted.

[0065] The lifting device 24 herein can be, for example, a support rod with a fixed length or a telescopic oil cylinder with a variable length. The telescopic oil cylinder can be manually or automatically controlled. In this embodiment, by changing the inclination angle of the conveyor belt 22 through the lifting device 24, the blanking device 23 can correspond to sand mixing equipment at different heights.

[0066] Furthermore, a blanking device 35 is provided at the second end of the second-stage conveyor belt 33, and the wet fracturing sand on the second-stage conveyor belt 33 falls into the sand mixing equipment through the blanking device 35.

[0067] Furthermore, the second conveying device 3 further includes a weighing assembly for weighing the weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the conveyor belt 22. It can be, for example, an electronic belt scale, a nuclear belt scale, a dual lidar detection, or a binocular vision measurement system. In this embodiment, a belt scale 36 is provided on the first-stage conveyor belt 32 and / or the second-stage conveyor belt 33. Through the belt scale 36, the weight of the wet fracturing sand on the first-stage conveyor belt 32 and / or the second-stage conveyor belt 33 can be weighed. Preferably, in order to measure more accurately and precisely, the belt scale 36 is installed on the second-stage conveyor belt 33.

[0068] The buffer device 1 in this embodiment includes three buffer units 11 arranged in parallel. The blanking amount of wet fracturing sand can be increased through the multiple buffer units 11. The discharge ports of the three buffer devices 11 are all arranged facing the first-stage conveyor belt 32. Therefore, the length of the first-stage conveyor belt 32 here matches the arrangement length of the buffer device 1, so that the wet fracturing sand in each buffer unit 11 can fall onto the first-stage conveyor belt 32. In addition, the inclination angle of the first-stage conveyor belt 32 here is small to facilitate the blanking of the buffer unit 11.

[0069] The structure of the buffer unit 11 in this embodiment refers to the structure of the buffer unit in the above first embodiment. It is an integrated sand tank integrating multiple functions such as vibration, filtration, and stirring. Specifically, the buffer unit 11 includes a frame 111, and a hopper assembly is arranged on the frame 111. Here, the hopper assembly is arranged above the frame 111. The hopper assembly includes a hopper frame 112 and a hopper body 113. The hopper frame 112 is arranged on the upper end surface of the frame 111, and the hopper body 113 is arranged below the hopper frame 112. The bottom of the hopper body 113 has a blanking port, and a gate plate 118 is arranged inside the blanking port. The wet fracturing sand after vibration and stirring falls onto the first-stage conveyor belt 32 through the blanking port. Here, the gate plate 118 can control the opening and closing of the blanking port, and the wet fracturing sand falls onto the first-stage belt conveyor device 32 through the hopper assembly.

[0070] The buffer unit 11 of the embodiment of the present disclosure is an integrated sand tank integrating multiple functions such as vibration, filtration, and stirring. Therefore, an elastic member 114 is arranged between the hopper frame 112 of the hopper assembly and the frame 111 here. The elastic member 114 can be, for example, a vibration spring. Here, the hopper assembly realizes vibration through the elastic member 114, so as to realize the vibration of the wet fracturing sand. Among them, a motor 115 is arranged on the hopper frame 112, and the motor 115 is connected to the elastic member 114 to drive the vibration of the elastic member 114 through the motor 115.

[0071] Compared with the buffer unit in the first embodiment, a filtering device is provided in the hopper assembly of the buffer unit 11 in this embodiment, so as to filter the wet fracturing sand input into the hopper assembly. In addition, an impurity collection device 121 may be provided in the buffer unit 11. In this way, the wet fracturing sand is transported by a sand transport vehicle or a loader and other devices above the buffer device 1 and enters the inside of the buffer unit 11. The wet fracturing sand can accelerate its fluidity through vibration and can pass through the filtering device more smoothly. During the filtering process, larger impurities are filtered out, and the filtered impurities are collected through the impurity collection device 121 for convenience.

[0072] Further, a moisture measuring device 116 is provided inside the hopper body 113 to measure the moisture content in the wet fracturing sand through the moisture measuring device 116. In addition, a stirring device 117 is provided inside the hopper body 113, and the stirring device 117 is connected to the motor 115 to stir the vibrated wet fracturing sand through the stirring device 117.

[0073] In addition, a baffle 119 is provided above the hopper assembly. Here, the baffle 119 is detachably provided above the hopper frame 112. Here, the baffle 119 can realize sand feeding on both sides. For example, if sand is fed on one side, the baffle 119 is arranged on the opposite side. In another embodiment, the baffle 119 adopts a three-sided enclosure structure form, with one side left open for convenient sand feeding. In this embodiment, by providing the baffle 119, a larger volume of wet sand can be accommodated and the wet sand can be prevented from falling outside.

[0074] In this way, after being filtered by the filtering device, the wet fracturing sand is stirred by the stirring device and then falls onto the first-stage conveyor belt 32 through the gate plate, and then falls onto the second-stage conveyor belt 33 through the conveyance of the first-stage conveyor belt 32, and finally falls into the sand mixing equipment through the feeding device 35. Of course, the buffer unit in this embodiment can also be used in the device of the first embodiment.

[0075] The embodiment of the present disclosure can perform various treatments such as vibrating, filtering, and stirring on the wet fracturing sand during the transportation process of the wet fracturing sand, so as to avoid the aggregation of the wet fracturing sand due to low moisture content and improve the effect of subsequent fracturing operations. Of course, the buffer unit in this embodiment can also be used in the device of the first embodiment.

[0076] Compared with the above embodiments, in this embodiment, the two-stage conveyor belt is adopted, so that the sand feeding position is lower and the sand feeding amount is larger, which is suitable for sand feeding operations in different ways such as sand transport vehicles, dump trucks, forklifts, loaders, cranes + ton bags, etc.

[0077] The third embodiment of the present disclosure provides a buffer unit for a sand transportation device, which can be a buffer unit in any of the structural forms in the above first embodiment and second embodiment.

[0078] The fourth embodiment of the present disclosure provides an operation system for a wet fracturing sand well site, which includes a sand transportation device, a transportation device, and a sand mixing device. The sand transportation device here is a sand transportation device in any of the implementation manners in the above first embodiment and second embodiment.

[0079] This embodiment is mainly used for a wet fracturing sand well site. After the wet fracturing sand is processed at the production site, it is transported to the well site or near the well site by the first transportation device and then stacked and stored. Since the well site here is an open sand factory, an appropriate spraying device can be provided for the wet fracturing sand to maintain the moisture content of the wet fracturing sand, avoid the raising of dust caused by using other equipment, and pollute the environment. Then, the wet fracturing sand is transported to the position of the buffer device of the sand transportation device through the second transportation device, and the wet fracturing sand is transported to the sand mixing device through the belt conveyor device for preparing fracturing fluid. The first transportation device here can be a sand truck or a tipping truck, the second transportation device can be a sand truck or a tipping truck or a loader, and the sand mixing device can be a sand mixing tank of a sand mixing truck.

[0080] In one embodiment, as Figures 6-7 shown, the operation system for the wet fracturing sand well site includes a sand transportation device 100, a transportation device 200, and a sand mixing device 300. The sand transportation device 100 here adopts the structure of the first embodiment for example. In this embodiment, the sand transportation device 100 can transport the wet fracturing sand transported by the multiple transportation devices 200 to the sand mixing device 300 for example.

[0081] To save space and facilitate material falling, the multiple transportation devices 200 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the belt conveyor device. Considering that the buffer unit 11 in the sand transportation device 100 is used to receive the wet fracturing sand transported by the transportation device 200, the size of the hopper assembly of the buffer unit 11 in the direction perpendicular to the belt conveyor device 2 can be increased here, so as to be able to receive the wet fracturing sand transported by the multiple transportation devices 200 at the same time. The widened hopper assembly here can realize the sand loading work of multiple workstations at the same time, and the placement angle of each transportation device 200 can be adjusted according to the limitation of the operation site, reducing the adverse impact of the limited space of the fracturing well site. In addition, since the material falling position of the buffer unit 11 in the first embodiment and the second embodiment is relatively high, the height of the transportation device 200 can be raised to improve the feeding effect.

[0082] In another embodiment, asFigure 8 As shown, the operation system for the wet fracturing sand well site includes a sand transportation device 100, a transportation device 200, and a sand mixing device 300. Here, the sand transportation device 100 adopts the structure of the second embodiment above. In this embodiment, the sand transportation device 100 can transport the wet fracturing sand transported by multiple transportation devices 200.

[0083] To save space and facilitate material falling, multiple transportation devices 200 are arranged side by side along the extension direction of the belt conveyor device. The buffer unit 11 in the sand transportation device 100 is used to receive the wet fracturing sand transported by the transportation device 200. Here, the number of the buffer units 11 can be matched with the number of the transportation devices 200, and the length of the first-stage conveyor belt is extended, so that multiple transportation devices 200 can correspondingly drop the wet fracturing sand into the corresponding buffer units 11.

[0084] The embodiments of the present disclosure can simultaneously realize the material falling of the wet fracturing sand transported by multiple transportation devices, improve the efficiency of material falling, and perform various treatments such as vibration and stirring on the wet fracturing sand during the transportation process of the wet fracturing sand to avoid the aggregation of the wet fracturing sand due to low moisture content, and improve the effect of subsequent fracturing operations.

[0085] The fifth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a sand transportation device, as Figure 9 and Figure 10 shown. The sand transportation device includes a first conveying assembly. Different from the first embodiment and the second embodiment above, the wet fracturing sand transportation device 100 includes a first conveying assembly 1. The first conveying assembly 1 includes a first buffer device 11 and a first conveying device 12. Among them, the first conveying device 12 is used to connect the first buffer device 11 and the sand mixing device 300. The vertical tank unit 3 is arranged in the first buffer device 11 and is used to receive the external wet fracturing sand. Here, the vertical tank unit 3 has a predetermined height. The first buffer device 11 can process the wet fracturing sand in the vertical tank unit 3 and convey the processed wet fracturing sand to the sand mixing device 300 through the first conveying device 12.

[0086] Specifically, when using the wet fracturing sand transportation device of this embodiment, the wet fracturing sand is input from the top of the vertical tank unit 3 in the form of a ton bag at the fracturing well site and falls into the vertical tank unit 3. The wet fracturing sand in the vertical tank unit 3 is subjected to various fine treatments such as vibration, filtration, and stirring in the first buffer device 11. The wet fracturing sand after fine treatment falls onto the first conveying device 12, and finally, the wet fracturing sand is conveyed into the sand mixing device 300 by the first conveying device 12 based on a predetermined conveying speed.

[0087] Specifically, the first buffer device 11 in this embodiment is disposed at a first position (such as the first end) of the first conveying device 12, and the sand mixing device 300 is disposed at a second position (such as the second end) of the first conveying device 12. Specifically, the first conveying device 12 includes a first base 121, and a first conveying belt 122 is disposed on the first base 121. The first conveying belt 122 here can be a flat belt or a belt with partitions. The first conveying belt 122 is arranged horizontally or obliquely, with its first end facing the discharge port of the first buffer device 11. A first blanking device 123 is disposed at the second end of the first conveying belt 122. Here, it is connected to the sand mixing device 300 through the first blanking device 123, and wet fracturing sand is conveyed to the sand mixing device 300 through the first blanking device 123. In addition, the first blanking device 213 can also break up the agglomerated wet fracturing sand.

[0088] Further, in order to achieve the inclination of the first conveying belt 122, a first lifting device 124 is disposed, for example, in the middle of the first conveying belt 122. One end of the first lifting device 124 is connected to the first base 121, and the other end of the first lifting device 124 is connected to, for example, the middle of the first conveying belt 122. By the action of the first lifting device 124, the second end of the first conveying belt 122 can be lifted to a predetermined height, so that the first conveying belt 122 can be inclined at a certain angle.

[0089] The first lifting device 124 here can be, for example, a telescopic oil cylinder, and the telescopic oil cylinder can be manually or automatically controlled. In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the first conveying belt 122 is adjusted by the first lifting device 124, so that the first blanking device 123 can correspond to the sand mixing device 300 at different heights.

[0090] Further, the first conveying device 12 further includes a weighing assembly, which is used to weigh the weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the first conveying belt 122. It can be, for example, an electronic belt scale, a nuclear belt scale, a dual lidar detection, a binocular vision measurement system, etc. In this embodiment, a first belt scale 125 is disposed on the first conveying belt portion 122. Through the first belt scale 125, the weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the first conveying belt 122 can be weighed, so as to facilitate the first buffer device 11 to control the amount of feeding.

[0091] Such as Figure 3As shown, the first buffer device 11 is a sand tank integrating functions of vibration, filtration, and stirring, so as to realize the functions of breaking, vibrating, stirring, and continuously conveying wet fracturing sand. Here, the treatment of wet fracturing sand enhances the fluidity of wet fracturing sand and transforms it into basically dry fracturing sand, so as to accurately control the conveying amount of metered wet fracturing sand.

[0092] In one embodiment, the vertical tank unit 3 in the first buffer device 11 is a separate component. Here, the treatment of wet fracturing sand enhances the fluidity of wet fracturing sand and transforms it into basically dry fracturing sand, so as to accurately control the conveying amount of metered wet fracturing sand. The first buffer device 11 may refer to the buffer devices in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0093] In another embodiment, the vertical tank unit 3 is the main body of the first buffer device 11. A arch-breaking device is arranged at the bottom in the vertical tank unit 3. The arch-breaking device includes a driving unit and a rotating shaft, and a plurality of teeth are arranged in sequence along the extending direction of the rotating shaft. Here, the wet fracturing sand entering the vertical tank unit 3 is processed by the arch-breaking device and then falls onto the first conveying device 12. Preferably, a vibration assembly is arranged between the arch-breaking device and the vertical tank unit 3.

[0094] The sixth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a sand conveying device, which includes a first conveying component and a second conveying component. Here, the first conveying component is connected to the second conveying component. The second conveying component can receive wet fracturing sand transported by an external transportation device, etc., and after primary treatment, convey the wet fracturing sand to the vertical tank unit. The wet fracturing sand in the vertical tank unit falls into the first conveying component, and the first conveying component finely processes the wet fracturing sand and then conveys the wet fracturing sand to the sand mixing equipment.

[0095] Furthermore, here the second conveying component can be one or multiple, and the number of the second conveying components corresponds to the number of transportation devices. Among them, when there are multiple second conveying components, the multiple second conveying components are all connected to the first conveying component. Here, through the multiple second conveying components, wet fracturing sand transported from different transportation devices can be received, thereby improving the efficiency of conveying and processing wet fracturing sand.

[0096] The first conveying component includes a first buffer device and a first belt conveying device. Among them, the first buffer device is used for finely processing wet fracturing sand. The second conveying component includes a second buffer device and a second belt conveying device. Among them, the second buffer device is used for preliminarily processing wet fracturing sand.

[0097] In this embodiment, asFigures 4-5 As shown, the wet fracturing sand conveying device includes a first conveying component 1 and a second conveying component 2. The first conveying component 1 includes a first buffer device 11 and a first conveying device 12. Among them, the first conveying device 12 is used to connect the first buffer device 11 and the sand mixing equipment 300. Here, the sand mixing equipment 300 is, for example, a sand mixing tank on a sand mixing truck. The vertical tank unit 3 is arranged on the first buffer device 11. Here, the first buffer device 11 at least includes the vertical tank unit 3. For the specific structure, refer to the description of the first embodiment.

[0098] The second conveying component 2 includes a second buffer device 21 and a second conveying device 22. The second buffer device 21 is used to receive the wet fracturing sand from the external transportation device 200 and perform preliminary treatment. The second conveying device 22 is used to connect the second buffer device 21 and the top of the vertical tank unit 3.

[0099] Specifically, when using the sand conveying device of this embodiment, at the fracturing well site, the wet fracturing sand is transported to the second buffer device 21 of the second conveying component 2 through a transportation device 200 such as a sand truck or a dump truck for preliminary treatment such as stirring. The wet fracturing sand after preliminary treatment is transported to the vertical tank unit 3 through the second conveying device 22. The vertical tank unit 3 is arranged on the discharge side of the second conveying component 2.

[0100] Among them, the top of the vertical tank unit 3 is connected to the discharge end of the second conveying device 22, and it can receive the wet fracturing sand conveyed by the second conveying device 22. The wet fracturing sand in the vertical tank unit 3 falls into the first buffer device 11 for fine treatment, and then the fine-treated wet fracturing sand is transported to the sand mixing equipment 300 through the first conveying device 12.

[0101] In this embodiment, the first buffer device 11 is arranged at the first end of the first conveying device 12. The wet fracturing sand falls from the vertical tank unit 3 into the first buffer device 11 and is conveyed to the sand mixing equipment 300 through the second end of the first conveying device 12.

[0102] Specifically, the first conveying device 12 includes a first base 121. A first conveying belt 122 is arranged on the first base 121. Here, the first conveying belt 122 can be a flat belt or a belt with partitions. The first conveying belt 122 is arranged horizontally or obliquely. Its first end faces the discharge port of the first buffer device 11, and its second end is provided with a first feeding device 123. Here, it is connected to the sand mixing equipment 300 through the first feeding device 123, and it is used to convey the wet fracturing sand to the sand mixing equipment 300. In addition, the first feeding device 213 can break up the agglomerated wet fracturing sand.

[0103] Further, a first lifting device 124 is provided, for example, in the middle of the first conveyor belt 122. One end of the first lifting device 124 is connected to the first base 121, and the other end of the first lifting device 124 is connected to, for example, the middle of the first conveyor belt 122. By the action of the first lifting device 124, the second end of the first conveyor belt 122 can be lifted to a predetermined height, so that the first conveyor belt 122 can be inclined at a certain angle.

[0104] The first lifting device 124 here can be, for example, a telescopic oil cylinder, and the telescopic oil cylinder can be manually or automatically controlled. In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the first conveyor belt 122 is adjusted by the first lifting device 124, so that the first blanking device 123 can correspond to sand mixing devices 300 at different heights.

[0105] The first conveying device 12 further includes a weighing assembly for weighing the weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the first conveyor belt 122. It can be, for example, an electronic belt scale, a nuclear belt scale, a dual lidar detection, a binocular vision measurement system, etc. In this embodiment, a first belt scale 125 is provided on the first conveyor belt portion 122, and the weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the first conveyor belt 122 can be weighed by the first belt scale 125, so as to facilitate the first buffer device 11 to control the amount of material discharged.

[0106] The first buffer device 11 in this embodiment is a sand tank integrating functions of vibration, filtration, and stirring. Refer to the structure of the first buffer device 11 in the above embodiment.

[0107] Further, the second conveying device 22 includes a second base 221, and a second conveyor belt 222 is provided on the second base 221. The second conveyor belt 222 is arranged horizontally or obliquely. Among them, the first end of the second conveyor belt 222 is disposed opposite to the discharge port of the second buffer device 21, and a second blanking device 223 is provided at the second end of the second conveyor belt 222. The second blanking device 223 is connected to the top of the vertical tank unit 3. The second conveyor belt 222 here can be a flat belt or a belt with partitions.

[0108] Further, a second lifting device 224 is provided, for example, in the middle of the second conveyor belt 222. One end of the second lifting device 224 is connected to the second base 221, and the other end of the second lifting device 224 is connected to, for example, the middle of the second conveyor belt 222. By the action of the second lifting device 224, the second end of the second conveyor belt 222 can be lifted to a predetermined height, so that the second conveyor belt 222 can be inclined at a certain angle.

[0109] Here, the second lifting device 124 can be, for example, a telescopic oil cylinder, and the telescopic oil cylinder can be manually or automatically controlled. In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the second conveyor belt 222 is adjusted by the second lifting device 224, so that the second blanking device 223 can correspond to the vertical tank units 3 at different heights.

[0110] Further, for the convenience of transporting wet fracturing sand, the second conveyor belt 222 here includes a first belt portion 2221 and a second belt portion 2222 connected to each other. The first belt portion 2221 is arranged on the second base 221 and, for example, is arranged at a position close to the first end of the second base 221, and is arranged parallel to the second base 221. The second belt portion 2222 is arranged horizontally or obliquely relative to the second base 221. Among them, the first end of the second belt portion 2222 is connected to the first belt portion 2221, and its second end can be lifted by the second lifting device 224. The second blanking device 223 is arranged at the second end of the second belt portion 2222. In this way, the wet fracturing sand transported by the external transport device can first fall onto the horizontally arranged first belt portion 2221. The lower feeding position facilitates the feeding of wet fracturing sand from the transport device 200. Then, after the wet fracturing sand is transported to a higher position through the second belt portion 2222, it falls into the vertical tank unit 3 through the second blanking device 223.

[0111] Further, the second conveying device 22 further includes a weighing assembly for weighing the weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the second conveyor belt 222. It can be, for example, an electronic belt scale, a nuclear belt scale, a dual lidar detection, or a binocular vision measurement system. In this embodiment, a second belt scale 225 is arranged on the first belt portion 2221 and / or the second belt portion 2222 of the second conveyor belt 222, especially on the second belt portion 2222. Through the belt scale 225, the weight or volume of the wet fracturing sand on the second belt portion 2222 can be weighed, so as to facilitate the second buffer device 22 to control the feeding amount.

[0112] In this embodiment, the second buffer device 21 is disposed at the first end of the second conveying device 22. Wet fracturing sand falls from the external transportation device 200 into the second buffer device 21, and is conveyed from the first end of the second conveying device 22 to the second end of the second conveying device 22, and finally falls into the vertical tank unit 3. Wherein, a second stirring device 211 is arranged in the second buffer device 21. The main function of the second buffer device 21 in this embodiment is to realize the feeding of wet fracturing sand and to perform preliminary stirring on the wet fracturing sand, and the wet fracturing sand falls into the vertical tank unit 3 through the second conveying device 22.

[0113] The above embodiments of the present disclosure highly integrate the sand conveying device, and can also handle a large amount of wet fracturing sand to facilitate feeding, thereby improving the feeding efficiency.

[0114] The seventh embodiment of the present disclosure provides an operation system for a wet fracturing sand well site, which includes a transportation device and a sand mixing device. This embodiment is mainly used for a wet fracturing sand well site. After the wet fracturing sand is processed at the production site, it is transported to the well site or near the well site by the first transportation device and then stacked and stored. Since the well site here is an open sand factory, an appropriate spraying device can be provided for the wet fracturing sand to maintain the moisture content of the wet fracturing sand, and to avoid raising dust caused by using other equipment and polluting the environment.

[0115] Then, the wet fracturing sand is conveyed to the position of the first conveying component or the second conveying component of the sand conveying device by means of a ton bag or through the second transportation device, and the wet fracturing sand is conveyed to the sand mixing device through the corresponding conveying unit for preparing fracturing fluid. Here, the first transportation device can be a sand truck or a dump truck, the second transportation device can be a sand truck or a dump truck or a loader, and the sand mixing device can be the sand mixing tank of a sand mixing truck.

[0116] Specifically, the sand conveying device here is the sand conveying device of any one of the above first embodiments. Of course, in some embodiments, the operation system further includes a transportation device. The sand conveying device here is the sand conveying device of any one of the above second embodiments.

[0117] In one embodiment, as Figure 9 shown, the operation system for the wet fracturing sand well site includes a sand conveying device 100 and a sand mixing device 300. Here, the sand conveying device 100 adopts the structure of the first embodiment, for example, the wet fracturing sand is conveyed onto the sand conveying device 100 by means of a ton bag. In this embodiment, the sand conveying device 100 can convey wet fracturing sand to the sand mixing device 300, for example.

[0118] In another embodiment, as Figure 11As shown, the operation system for the wet fracturing sand well site includes a sand transportation device 100, a transportation device 200, and a sand mixing device 300. Here, the sand transportation device 100 adopts the structure of the second embodiment, for example. In this embodiment, the sand transportation device 100 can transport wet fracturing sand transported by the plurality of transportation devices 200 to the sand mixing device 300, for example. For example, the number of the second buffer devices 21 can be matched with the number of the transportation devices 200, so that the plurality of transportation devices 200 can correspondingly drop wet fracturing sand into the corresponding second buffer devices 21.

[0119] To save space and facilitate material dropping, the plurality of transportation devices 200 can be arranged around the first buffer device here, so that the plurality of second conveying components 2 can all be connected to the vertical tank unit 3, thereby being able to simultaneously receive the wet fracturing sand transported by the plurality of second conveying components 2. Here, the placement angle of each transportation device 200 can be adjusted according to the limitations of the operation site, reducing the adverse effects of limited space in the fracturing well site.

[0120] The embodiment of the present disclosure can simultaneously achieve the material dropping of wet fracturing sand transported by multiple transportation devices, improve the material dropping efficiency, and perform various treatments such as vibration and stirring on the wet fracturing sand during the transportation process of the wet fracturing sand to avoid the situation of aggregation of the wet fracturing sand due to low moisture content, and improve the effect of subsequent fracturing operations.

[0121] The eighth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control method for hydraulic fracturing operations, as Figures 12-14 shown, which is applicable to the operation system of the upper sand well site. The operation system may further include, for example, a pumping device in addition to the sand transportation device and the sand mixing device. Here, the sand transportation device, the pumping device, and the sand mixing device are controlled by the control center of the fracturing well site. Of course, they can also be controlled separately and independently.

[0122] During the fracturing operation, when a fracturing fluid with a certain sand concentration is required, control the supply of fracturing base fluid to the mixing tank of the sand mixing device, control the movement of, for example, the belt in the sand transportation device at a certain speed, transport the wet fracturing sand to the mixing tank of the sand mixing device, and can also measure the weight of the wet fracturing sand on the belt in real time through devices such as a belt scale, and obtain the weight of the sand fed per unit time based on the real-time weight and speed. The mixing tank of the mixing device mixes the fracturing base fluid and the wet fracturing sand to form a fracturing fluid, and pumps the fracturing fluid into the fracturing wellhead through the pumping device, thereby realizing the fracturing operation.

[0123] The control method for the hydraulic fracturing operation includes:

[0124] S101, based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid, determine the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand transportation amount from the sand transportation device per unit time.

[0125] In this step, based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid, determine the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand transportation volume from the sand transportation device per unit time. Considering that when it is necessary to adjust the sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid, it is necessary to determine the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time corresponding to the current sand concentration value and the sand transportation volume in the same unit time. Generally, the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid here remains stable. Therefore, the sand concentration value can be adjusted by adjusting the sand transportation volume per unit time.

[0126] The current sand concentration value here can be the ratio of the mass of the sand to the volume of the fracturing base fluid, and its unit is kg / m³. Of course, in some scenarios, the current sand concentration value can also refer to the sand-to-fluid ratio, that is, the ratio of the bulk volume of the sand to the volume of the fracturing base fluid, and its unit is percentage. Therefore, the first sand transportation volume here can be mass or volume.

[0127] S102, determine the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume.

[0128] After determining the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand transportation volume from the sand transportation device per unit time based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid through the above step S101, in this step, determine the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume. The current sand transportation volume here is related to the current transportation speed of the wet fracturing sand. Therefore, after obtaining the sand transportation volume, the current transportation speed can be further determined.

[0129] S103, when the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, increase the first sand transportation speed; when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value, decrease the first sand transportation speed.

[0130] After determining the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume through the above step S102, in this step, when the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, increase the first sand transportation speed; when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value, decrease the first sand transportation speed. Specifically, the sand transportation volume per unit time can be adjusted by adjusting the sand transportation speed, so as to meet the requirements of different sand concentrations.

[0131] Further, when the sand transportation device includes a belt conveyor, the determining the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume includes:

[0132] S201, determine the sand transportation cross-sectional area of the belt conveyor.

[0133] S202, determine the first sand transportation length per unit time based on the first sand transportation volume and the sand transportation cross-sectional area.

[0134] S203. Determine the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation length.

[0135] Based on the meanings of different sand concentration values, the first sand transportation volume here can be volume or mass. When the first sand transportation volume is mass, the volume can be obtained by dividing the first sand transportation volume by the sand density before step S202, and then the first sand transportation length can be determined in combination with the sand transportation cross-sectional area.

[0136] The sand density here is related to the water content of the wet fracturing sand in the sand transportation device. For example, different water contents of wet fracturing sand can be pre-associated with corresponding density values, and the current sand density can be determined according to the water content situation of the wet fracturing sand.

[0137] Common weighing methods for wet fracturing sand on the sand transportation device include, for example, belt scale weighing, laser weighing, volume calculation methods, etc. Based on the belt conveyor device, a belt scale can be used to weigh the wet fracturing sand. Generally, the belt conveyor device is driven by a motor to move the belt.

[0138] In this step, the sand transportation volume and speed of the belt conveyor device are associated with information such as the final sand concentration, so as to realize the closed-loop control of the sand concentration measurement of the fracturing fluid output by the sand mixing device. By controlling the change of the frequency of the variable-frequency motor for driving, the change of the output speed of the motor is realized, and the change of the weight of the transported wet fracturing sand is realized. Here, the cross-sectional area of the wet fracturing sand on the belt per unit section remains unchanged. Different sand concentrations in the fracturing fluid are matched with different sand transportation speeds of the belt to realize the adjustment of the sand transportation volume by changing the sand transportation speed, and finally meet the requirements of different sand concentrations.

[0139] Specifically, calculate the sand transportation volume of the wet fracturing sand according to the cross-sectional area of the wet fracturing sand on the belt of the belt conveyor device and the sand transportation speed of the belt. Specifically, considering the weighing stability, for example, the belt can be set as a U shape and cooperate with the upper scraper device, etc., so that the wet fracturing sand or dry fracturing sand on the belt can always be in a stable cross-sectional state. The cross-section is completely filled with fracturing sand, and due to the influence of gravity, the internal gaps of the wet fracturing sand are also very small. It can be understood that the fracturing sand in this cross-section is in a full state. In this way, when calculating the sand transportation volume of the fracturing sand, the sand transportation length per unit time can be calculated based on the known sand transportation speed per unit time, and the sand transportation volume of the fracturing sand per unit time can be calculated through the cross-sectional area and the sand transportation length.

[0140] Further, when the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, increasing the first sand transportation speed includes:

[0141] Determine a second sand transportation volume based on the first target sand concentration value;

[0142] Determine a second sand transportation length based on the second sand transportation volume;

[0143] Increase the first sand transportation speed to a second sand transportation speed based on the second sand transportation length.

[0144] In addition, when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value, reducing the first sand transportation speed includes:

[0145] Determine a third sand transportation volume based on the second target sand concentration value;

[0146] Determine a third sand transportation length based on the third sand transportation volume;

[0147] Reduce the first sand transportation speed to a third sand transportation speed based on the third sand transportation length.

[0148] Furthermore, when the sand transportation device further includes a buffer device, it further includes adjusting the discharge speed of the buffer device.

[0149] Specifically, when adopting the sand transportation device of the above embodiment, the sand transportation device includes a buffer device. The material is transported into the buffer device through a transportation device and discharged from the buffer device onto a belt transportation device. In this step, in addition to adjusting the sand transportation speed of the belt transportation device, the discharge speed of the buffer device can also be adjusted. Here, the discharge speed is related to the cross-sectional area of the wet fracturing sand on the belt. For example, when it is necessary to reduce the sand transportation volume, while keeping the sand transportation speed unchanged, the discharge volume of the buffer device can be reduced; when it is necessary to increase the sand transportation volume, while keeping the sand transportation speed unchanged, the discharge volume of the buffer device can be increased.

[0150] In addition, in some cases, if a vertical tank unit is used for storage and discharge in the sand transportation device, in order to avoid blocking the tank of the wet fracturing sand due to a large amount of wet fracturing sand stored in the vertical tank unit, it is necessary to control the real-time rotation of the stirring component to achieve the stirring function during the discharge of the wet fracturing sand, so that the wet fracturing sand remains in a flowing state, and it needs to be linked with the sand mixing equipment when the operation stops. Among them, when it is known that the sand concentration requirement of the fracturing fluid for the wet fracturing sand becomes less, accurately control the synchronous reduction of the wet fracturing sand in the vertical tank unit. When the sand mixing operation is completed, the wet fracturing sand in the vertical tank unit needs to return to a safe position to ensure that there is no accumulation of a large amount of wet fracturing sand and it cannot form a flowing state.

[0151] In some embodiments, especially for the fourth to sixth embodiments involving a vertical tank unit, the control method of the hydraulic fracturing operation further includes:

[0152] S301. Obtain the moisture content of the wet fracturing sand in the sand transportation device;

[0153] S302. When the moisture content is greater than the reference moisture content, increase the first sand transportation speed;

[0154] S303. When the moisture content is less than the reference moisture content, decrease the first sand transportation speed.

[0155] Specifically, the above steps mainly consider the influence of the change in moisture content in, for example, the vertical tank unit on the sand mixing effect. First, set the reference moisture content. During the fracturing operation, when the moisture content increases, it means that the sand content decreases under the same sand transportation volume of the wet fracturing sand, and the sand transportation speed can be appropriately increased for correction; when the moisture content decreases, it means that the sand content increases under the same sand transportation volume of the wet fracturing sand, and the sand transportation speed can be appropriately decreased for correction.

[0156] The embodiments of the present disclosure can match different sand transportation volumes and the sand transportation speed of the belt based on the sand concentration in different fracturing fluids, so as to realize the adjustment of the change in the sand transportation volume by changing the sand transportation speed, and finally meet the requirements of different sand concentrations.

[0157] Based on the same inventive concept as the above eighth embodiment, the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control device for hydraulic fracturing operations, including a first determination module, a second determination module, and an adjustment module that are coupled to each other, where:

[0158] The first determination module is used to determine the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand transportation volume from the sand transportation device per unit time based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid;

[0159] The second determination module is used to determine the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume;

[0160] The first adjustment module is used to increase the first sand transportation speed when the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, and decrease the first sand transportation speed when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value.

[0161] When the sand transportation device includes a belt conveyor, the second determination module includes:

[0162] The first determination unit is used to determine the sand transportation cross-sectional area of the belt conveyor;

[0163] The second determination unit is used to determine the first sand transportation length per unit time based on the first sand transportation volume and the sand transportation cross-sectional area;

[0164] The third determination unit is used to determine the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation length.

[0165] Further, the first adjustment module includes:

[0166] A fourth determination unit, configured to determine a second sand transportation volume based on the first target sand concentration value;

[0167] A fifth determination unit, configured to determine a second sand transportation length based on the second sand transportation volume;

[0168] A first adjustment unit, configured to increase the first sand transportation speed to a second sand transportation speed based on the second sand transportation length.

[0169] Further, the first adjustment module includes:

[0170] A sixth determination unit, configured to determine a third sand transportation volume based on the second target sand concentration value;

[0171] A seventh determination unit, configured to determine a third sand transportation length based on the third sand transportation volume;

[0172] A second adjustment unit, configured to reduce the first sand transportation speed to a third sand transportation speed based on the third sand transportation length.

[0173] Further, when the sand transportation device further includes a buffer device, it further includes: a second adjustment module, configured to adjust the discharge speed of the buffer device.

[0174] Further, it further includes a third adjustment module, which includes an acquisition unit, a third adjustment unit, and a fourth adjustment unit, where:

[0175] The acquisition unit is configured to acquire the water content of the wet fracturing sand in the sand transportation device;

[0176] The third adjustment unit is configured to increase the first sand transportation speed when the water content is greater than the reference water content;

[0177] The fourth adjustment unit is configured to reduce the first sand transportation speed when the water content is less than the reference water content.

[0178] The embodiments of the present disclosure can match different sand transportation volumes and the sand transportation speed of the belt based on the sand concentration in different fracturing fluids, so as to adjust the change of the sand transportation volume by changing the sand transportation speed, and finally meet the requirements of different sand concentrations.

[0179] The ninth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage medium, which is a computer-readable medium and stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method provided in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, including the following steps S11 to S13:

[0180] S11. Determine the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand transportation volume from the sand transportation device per unit time based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid.

[0181] S12. Determine the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume.

[0182] S13. When the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, increase the first sand transportation speed; when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value, decrease the first sand transportation speed.

[0183] Furthermore, when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the other methods provided in the seventh embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0184] The embodiments of the present disclosure can match different sand transportation volumes and the sand transportation speed of the belt based on the sand concentration in different fracturing fluids, so as to adjust the change of the sand transportation volume by changing the sand transportation speed, and finally meet the requirements of different sand concentrations.

[0185] The tenth embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device. The electronic device at least includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program on the memory, it implements the methods provided in any embodiment of the present disclosure. Exemplarily, the computer program steps of the electronic device are as follows: S21 to S23:

[0186] S21. Determine the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand transportation volume from the sand transportation device per unit time based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid.

[0187] S22. Determine the first sand transportation speed based on the first sand transportation volume.

[0188] S23. When the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, increase the first sand transportation speed; when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value, decrease the first sand transportation speed.

[0189] Furthermore, the processor also executes the computer program in the ninth embodiment described above.

[0190] The embodiments of the present disclosure can match different sand transportation volumes and the sand transportation speed of the belt based on the sand concentration in different fracturing fluids, so as to adjust the change of the sand transportation volume by changing the sand transportation speed, and finally meet the requirements of different sand concentrations.

[0191] In the description of this specification, the descriptions with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, without contradiction, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0192] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of the present disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0193] Any process or method description depicted in a flowchart or otherwise described herein may be understood to represent code for a module, segment, or portion that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a customized logic function or process. The scope of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure includes additional implementations, where the functions may be performed in a substantially simultaneous manner or in an order opposite to that shown or discussed, according to the functions involved, which should be understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of the present disclosure pertain.

[0194] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein can, for example, be considered as a definable sequence list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be specifically implemented in any computer-readable medium for use by an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a system including a processor, or other systems that can fetch and execute instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device), or in conjunction with these instruction execution systems, apparatus, or devices. For the purposes of this specification, a "computer-readable medium" can be any device that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include the following: electrical connection parts with one or more wirings (electronic devices), portable computer disk cartridges (magnetic devices), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber devices, and portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM). Additionally, the computer-readable medium can even be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, because the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other media, followed by editing, interpretation, or other appropriate processing as necessary, and then storing it in a computer memory.

[0195] It should be understood that various parts of the present disclosure can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented using software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented using hardware, as in another embodiment, any one or a combination of the following techniques well known in the art can be used: discrete logic circuits with logic gate circuits for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits with suitable combinational logic gate circuits, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0196] Those of ordinary skill in the art of this technology can understand that all or part of the steps carried by the methods of the above embodiments can be completed by instructing relevant hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0197] In addition, each functional unit in various embodiments of the present disclosure may be integrated into a processing module, may exist separately as individual physical units, or two or more units may be integrated into one module. The above-mentioned integrated module may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional module. When the integrated module is implemented in the form of a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0198] The above-mentioned storage medium may be a read-only memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disc, etc. Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a hydraulic fracturing operation, characterized in that: include: Based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid, determine the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand delivery amount from the sand delivery device per unit time; determining a first sand transport speed based on the first sand transport amount; When the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, the first sand transport speed is increased, and when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value, the first sand transport speed is reduced.

2. The method for controlling hydraulic fracturing operations according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the sand conveying device comprises a belt conveying device, determining the first sand conveying speed based on the first sand conveying amount comprises: Determine the sand conveying cross-sectional area of ​​the belt conveyor; Determine a first sand transport length per unit time based on the first sand transport amount and the sand transport cross-sectional area; A first sand transport speed is determined based on the first sand transport length.

3. The control method for hydraulic fracturing operation according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, increasing the first sand transport speed includes: determining a second sand delivery rate based on the first target sand concentration value; determining a second sand transport length based on the second sand transport amount; The first sand transport speed is increased to a second sand transport speed based on the second sand transport length.

4. The control method for hydraulic fracturing operation according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value, reducing the first sand transport speed includes: determining a third sand delivery amount based on the second target sand concentration value; Determine a third sand transport length based on the third sand transport amount; The first sand transport speed is reduced to a third sand transport speed based on the third sand transport length.

5. The method for controlling hydraulic fracturing operations according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the sand conveying device further includes a buffer device, it further includes: adjusting the discharge speed of the buffer device.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: Obtaining the moisture content of the wet fracturing sand in the sand transporting device; When the water content is greater than a reference water content, increasing the first sand transport speed; When the water content is lower than a reference water content, the first sand transporting speed is reduced.

7. A control device for hydraulic fracturing operation, characterized in that: include: A first determination module is used to determine the flow rate of the fracturing base fluid per unit time and the first sand delivery amount from the sand delivery device per unit time based on the current sand concentration value of the fracturing fluid; A second determination module, configured to determine a first sand transport speed based on the first sand transport amount; The regulating module is used to increase the first sand transport speed when the first target sand concentration value is greater than the current sand concentration value, and to reduce the first sand transport speed when the second target sand concentration value is less than the current sand concentration value.

8. An operating system for wet fracturing sand well field, characterized in that: It comprises the control device, sand conveying device and sand mixing equipment for hydraulic fracturing operation as described in claim 7.

9. A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises at least a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the program, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

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