Hydraulic fracturing equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to hydraulic fracturing equipment which comprises a pneumatic conveying pipeline, a hydraulic conveying pipeline and a mixed flow pipeline, the pneumatic conveying pipeline is used for conveying small-particle proppant, the hydraulic conveying pipeline in the embodiment is used for conveying large-particle proppant, and the pneumatic conveying pipeline and the hydraulic conveying pipeline are arranged in an up-down array mode. One ends of the pneumatic conveying pipeline and the hydraulic conveying pipeline are respectively connected with an air pump and a water pump, the mixed-flow pipeline adopts a double-layer structure, the inner layer of the mixed-flow pipeline is communicated to one end of the pneumatic conveying pipeline far away from the air pump, and the outer layer of the mixed-flow pipeline is communicated to one end of the hydraulic conveying pipeline far away from the water pump. The utility model aims to solve or at least alleviate the problems of poor adaptability and non-uniform distribution of a single medium in the propping agent conveying process of the hydraulic fracturing equipment, and provides the hydraulic fracturing equipment with a novel structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of oil and gas extraction technology, and in particular relates to a hydraulic fracturing device. Background Technology

[0002] In oil and gas field development, hydraulic fracturing equipment is widely used as an important tool to improve reservoir permeability. However, existing hydraulic fracturing equipment suffers from poor adaptability to single media and uneven proppant distribution in practical applications, leading to a proppant concentration attenuation below 20% at the fracture distal end, significantly impacting the conductivity of complex fracture networks. Current research on hydraulic fracturing equipment mainly focuses on optimizing the delivery pipeline structure, improving proppant injection methods, and enhancing mixing efficiency. These studies are largely based on traditional hydraulic delivery methods, making it difficult to achieve uniform distribution and efficient delivery of proppant within the fracture. Furthermore, due to the differences in physical properties of proppant particles of different sizes, traditional equipment is prone to stratification or deposition during delivery, further reducing operational effectiveness.

[0003] Existing hydraulic fracturing equipment has the following shortcomings:

[0004] (1) Existing equipment mostly adopts a single medium transportation method, which is difficult to meet the differentiated transportation needs of small and large particle proppant, resulting in uneven mixing of proppant in the pipeline;

[0005] (2) The existing equipment lacks effective power assistance design during the transportation process, and the proppant is prone to concentration decay during long-distance transportation, especially at the far end of the crack;

[0006] (3) The existing equipment has a relatively traditional pipeline structure design. The distribution control of the inner and outer media during the mixing process is not precise enough, which affects the overall distribution effect of the proppant in the crack. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and solve or at least alleviate the problems of poor adaptability and uneven distribution of single media in hydraulic fracturing equipment during proppant delivery, thereby providing a novel hydraulic fracturing equipment. This equipment improves the mixing effect and delivery efficiency of proppant of different particle sizes by optimizing the delivery pipeline design and introducing an auxiliary power unit, thus increasing the proppant concentration at the distal end of the fracture and enhancing the flow conductivity of complex fracture networks.

[0008] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0009] A hydraulic fracturing device includes a pneumatic delivery pipeline, a hydraulic delivery pipeline, and a mixed-flow pipeline. The pneumatic delivery pipeline is used to deliver small-particle proppant, and in this embodiment, the hydraulic delivery pipeline is used to deliver large-particle proppant. The pneumatic and hydraulic delivery pipelines are arranged in an array, one above the other. One end of each pipeline is connected to an air pump and a water pump, respectively. The mixed-flow pipeline has a double-layer structure, with the inner layer connected to the end of the pneumatic delivery pipeline furthest from the air pump, and the outer layer connected to the end of the hydraulic delivery pipeline furthest from the water pump.

[0010] To further realize this utility model, the following technical solutions may be preferred:

[0011] Preferably, it also includes a small particle proppant tank and a large particle proppant tank, which are respectively connected to the middle of the pneumatic conveying pipeline and the hydraulic conveying pipeline.

[0012] Preferably, both the pneumatic conveying pipeline and the hydraulic conveying pipeline are provided with a Venturi tube in the middle, and the two Venturi tubes are respectively connected to the small particle proppant tank and the large particle proppant tank.

[0013] Preferably, the end of the mixed-flow pipe away from the pneumatic or hydraulic conveying pipe is provided with a booster section, and an air guide sleeve is fitted on the outside of the booster section. The booster section is evenly distributed with micropores, and the air guide sleeve is connected to the air pump through a pipe.

[0014] Preferably, the diameter of the micropores is 0.5 mm to 1 mm, the spacing between the micropores is 5 mm to 10 mm, the direction of the micropores is at an angle of 30° to 45° with the horizontal plane, and is inclined towards the conveying direction.

[0015] Preferably, the outlet end of the mixing pipe is provided with a diverter, which consists of multiple branch pipes, each with a diameter smaller than that of the mixing pipe.

[0016] Preferably, the outlet end of the branch pipe is provided with a nozzle, the nozzle is conical in shape, and the outlet diameter of the nozzle is 2mm to 5mm.

[0017] Preferably, a flow regulating valve is provided at the connection between the pneumatic conveying pipeline and the hydraulic conveying pipeline and the mixed flow pipeline.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this utility model through the above technical solution are:

[0019] By optimizing the design of pneumatic and hydraulic delivery pipelines, and combining the double-layer structure of the mixed-flow pipeline with the auxiliary power unit of the booster section, the problems of poor adaptability and uneven distribution of single media in traditional hydraulic fracturing equipment during proppant delivery are solved. Small and large proppant particles are delivered pneumatically and hydraulically respectively, avoiding stratification caused by differences in physical properties. The double-layer structure of the mixed-flow pipeline achieves inner and outer layer distribution of proppant, while the high-pressure gas injection in the booster section further promotes uniform mixing of the proppant. The design of the diverter allows the proppant to enter the fracture at high speed, increasing the proppant concentration at the distal end of the fracture and enhancing the flow capacity of complex fracture networks. This invention has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and is suitable for various types of proppant delivery scenarios, significantly improving the effect and efficiency of hydraulic fracturing operations. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure of this utility model;

[0022] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0023] 1. Pneumatic conveying pipeline; 2. Hydraulic conveying pipeline; 3. Mixed flow pipeline; 4. Venturi tube; 5. Small particle proppant tank; 6. Large particle proppant tank; 7. Booster section; 8. Air guide sleeve. Detailed Implementation

[0024] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model. Example

[0026] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the equipment includes a pneumatic conveying pipeline 1, a hydraulic conveying pipeline 2, and a mixing pipeline 3. These three components are arranged and connected in a specific manner to achieve the delivery and mixing of the proppant. The pneumatic conveying pipeline 1 is located above, and the hydraulic conveying pipeline 2 is located below. They are arranged in an array, with a Venturi tube 4 installed in the middle of each. The Venturi tubes 4 are connected to the small-particle proppant tank 5 and the large-particle proppant tank 6, respectively. One end of the mixing pipeline 3 is connected to the pneumatic conveying pipeline 1 and the hydraulic conveying pipeline 2, and the other end is equipped with a booster section 7. An air guide sleeve 8 is fitted around the outside of the booster section 7, and the air guide sleeve 8 is connected to an air pump via a flexible hose.

[0027] The Venturi tubes 4 of both the pneumatic conveying pipeline 1 and the hydraulic conveying pipeline 2 are located in the middle of the pipeline, with their throat diameter smaller than that at both ends, forming a local negative pressure area. This negative pressure area is connected to the small-particle proppant tank 5 and the large-particle proppant tank 6 via pipelines. The small-particle proppant tank 5 is located above the Venturi tube 4 of the pneumatic conveying pipeline 1, and the large-particle proppant tank 6 is located below the Venturi tube 4 of the hydraulic conveying pipeline 2. This positional relationship ensures that the proppant smoothly enters the conveying pipeline under the influence of gravity and hydrodynamic forces. A filter screen is installed at the inlet end of the pneumatic conveying pipeline 1. The pore size of the filter screen is smaller than the minimum particle size of the proppant, preventing impurities from entering the pipeline and causing blockage. The filter screen is fixed to the pipeline inlet with clips for easy disassembly and cleaning. Flow regulating valves are installed at the outlet ends of both the pneumatic conveying pipeline 1 and the hydraulic conveying pipeline 2. The opening of the flow regulating valves is controlled by a knob to adjust the proppant delivery rate.

[0028] The mixing pipe 3 adopts a double-layer structure design, with the inner and outer pipes connected to the pneumatic conveying pipe 1 and the hydraulic conveying pipe 2, respectively. The outlet ends of both the inner and outer pipes are equipped with tapered sections whose diameter gradually decreases along the conveying direction, allowing the proppant to gradually accelerate and stabilize during flow. The double-layer structure of the mixing pipe 3 ensures that small proppant particles flow along the inner layer and large proppant particles flow along the outer layer, thus forming an inner and outer layer distribution. The booster section 7 is evenly distributed with micropores, each with a diameter of 0.5 mm to 1 mm and a spacing of 5 mm to 10 mm. The micropores are oriented at an angle of 30° to 45° to the horizontal plane, tilted towards the conveying direction. The air guide sleeve 8 is connected to an air pump via a hose. High-pressure gas output from the air pump enters the booster section 7 through the air guide sleeve 8 and is injected into the interior of the mixing pipe 3 through the micropores. The high-pressure gas forms a vortex within the mixing pipe 3, promoting the mixing of the inner and outer proppant layers and propelling the proppant along the conveying direction.

[0029] A diverter is installed at the outlet end of the mixed-flow pipe 3. The diverter consists of multiple branch pipes, each with a diameter smaller than that of the mixed-flow pipe 3. The number of branch pipes is determined according to construction requirements. A nozzle is installed at the outlet end of each branch pipe; the nozzle is conical in shape and has an outlet diameter of 2mm to 5mm. The diverter design allows the proppant to enter the fracture at high speed, increasing the proppant concentration at the distal end of the fracture and enhancing the flow conductivity of complex fracture networks.

[0030] In actual operation, firstly, the air pump is started to inject high-pressure gas into the pneumatic delivery pipeline 1. The negative pressure created by the Venturi tube 4 draws small-particle proppant from the small-particle proppant tank 5 into the pneumatic delivery pipeline 1. Simultaneously, the water pump is started to inject high-pressure water into the hydraulic delivery pipeline 2. The negative pressure created by the Venturi tube 4 draws large-particle proppant from the large-particle proppant tank 6 into the hydraulic delivery pipeline 2. The flow control valves of the pneumatic and hydraulic delivery pipelines 1 and 2 are adjusted to achieve a preset delivery ratio of the two types of proppant. After entering the mixed-flow pipeline 3, the proppant forms an inner and outer layer distribution under the action of the double-layer structure. Small-particle proppant flows along the inner layer, and large-particle proppant flows along the outer layer, with the two types of proppant initially contacting each other during the flow. Subsequently, high-pressure gas from the booster section 7 is injected into the interior of the mixed-flow pipeline 3 through micro-holes, forming a vortex and promoting complete mixing of the inner and outer layers of proppant. The mixed proppant accelerates its flow through the converging section, further improving the mixing uniformity. Finally, the mixed proppant is injected into the fracture through the branch pipes of the distributor, completing the fracturing operation.

[0031] The specific connections and coordination of the components in the above embodiments ensure the normal operation of the equipment. The pneumatic delivery pipeline 1 and the hydraulic delivery pipeline 2 are connected to the small-particle proppant tank 5 and the large-particle proppant tank 6 respectively through the negative pressure area formed by the Venturi tube 4. The high-speed movement of the air and water flows draws the proppant from the storage tanks into the delivery pipelines. The double-layer structure of the mixing pipeline 3 achieves the inner and outer layer distribution of the proppant, while the high-pressure gas injection in the booster section 7 further promotes the uniform mixing of the proppant. The design of the diverter allows the proppant to enter the fracture at high speed, increasing the proppant concentration at the distal end of the fracture and enhancing the flow capacity of complex fracture networks. The entire equipment has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and is suitable for various types of proppant delivery scenarios, significantly improving the effect and efficiency of hydraulic fracturing operations.

[0032] To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and implement this invention, the specific implementation principle of this invention is further explained below in conjunction with a specific application scenario.

[0033] In actual hydraulic fracturing operations, the pneumatic delivery pipeline 1 and the hydraulic delivery pipeline 2 are first connected to the mixed-flow pipeline 3, ensuring the accurate installation of the venturi tube 4. The air pump is started to inject high-pressure gas into the pneumatic delivery pipeline 1, while the water pump is started to inject high-pressure water into the hydraulic delivery pipeline 2. At this time, due to the high-speed passage of the air or water flow, a local negative pressure area is formed at the throat of the venturi tube 4. This negative pressure area is connected to the small-particle proppant tank 5 and the large-particle proppant tank 6 through pipelines. Since the small-particle proppant tank 5 is located above the venturi tube 4 in the pneumatic delivery pipeline 1, and the large-particle proppant tank 6 is located below the venturi tube 4 in the hydraulic delivery pipeline 2, the small-particle and large-particle proppant are drawn into their respective delivery pipelines under the influence of gravity and hydrodynamic forces, respectively. This process utilizes the Venturi effect to ensure that the proppant can smoothly enter the delivery pipeline and reduce the possibility of blockage.

[0034] Subsequently, the flow control valves at the outlets of pneumatic conveying pipeline 1 and hydraulic conveying pipeline 2 are adjusted to control the delivery volume of the two proppants to reach a preset ratio. The flow control valves are opened via knobs, allowing operators to adjust them flexibly according to actual needs. After the proppant enters the mixed-flow pipeline 3, due to its double-layer structure design—the inner layer connecting to pneumatic conveying pipeline 1 and the outer layer connecting to hydraulic conveying pipeline 2—smaller proppant particles flow along the inner layer, while larger proppant particles flow along the outer layer. This inner-outer-layer distribution design avoids stratification or deposition of the proppants due to differences in physical properties during delivery, thus initially achieving the separate delivery of the two proppants.

[0035] When the proppant flows to the booster section 7 of the mixing pipe 3, the gas guide sleeve 8 delivers high-pressure gas to the booster section 7 via a pump connected by a hose. The high-pressure gas is injected into the interior of the mixing pipe 3 through evenly distributed micro-holes in the booster section 7. The micro-holes 9 are oriented at an angle of 30° to 45° to the horizontal plane and tilted towards the conveying direction, thus creating a vortex within the mixing pipe 3. The vortex not only promotes complete mixing of the inner and outer proppant layers but also propels the proppant to move along the conveying direction, solving the problem of proppant concentration decay during long-distance conveying in traditional equipment. Furthermore, the tapered section design at the outlet of the mixing pipe 3 allows the proppant to gradually accelerate and stabilize during flow, further improving mixing uniformity.

[0036] Finally, the mixed proppant is injected into the fracture through multiple branch pipes of the distributor. Each branch pipe of the distributor is equipped with a conical nozzle at its outlet end, with an outlet diameter of 2mm to 5mm. The conical design allows the proppant to enter the fracture at high speed, significantly increasing the proppant concentration at the distal end of the fracture. Simultaneously, the number of branch pipes can be flexibly adjusted according to construction needs, thereby meeting the fracturing requirements under different operating conditions. The uniform distribution of proppant in the fracture effectively enhances the conductivity of complex fracture networks, overcoming the technical deficiency of existing equipment where the proppant concentration at the distal end of the fracture decreases to below 20%.

[0037] All content not described in detail in this specification is prior art known to those skilled in the art, and the model parameters of each electrical appliance are not specifically limited; conventional equipment can be used. Electrical control components not mentioned in this technical solution are not shown in the figures because they are prior art, and will not be described further here.

[0038] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A hydraulic fracturing apparatus, characterized by, It comprises pneumatic conveying pipeline (1), hydraulic conveying pipeline (2) and mixed flow pipeline (3), the pneumatic conveying pipeline (1) is used to convey small particle proppant, the hydraulic conveying pipeline (2) is used to convey large particle proppant, the pneumatic conveying pipeline (1) and the hydraulic conveying pipeline (2) are arranged in array up and down, the pneumatic conveying pipeline (1) and the hydraulic conveying pipeline (2) are respectively connected with air pump and water pump at one end, the mixed flow pipeline (3) adopts double-layer structure, the inner layer of mixed flow pipeline (3) is communicated to the one end of pneumatic conveying pipeline (1) far from air pump, the outer layer of mixed flow pipeline (3) is communicated to the one end of hydraulic conveying pipeline (2) far from water pump.

2. A hydraulic fracturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, It also comprises small particle proppant tank (5) and large particle proppant tank (6), the small particle proppant tank (5) and the large particle proppant tank (6) are respectively communicated to the middle part of pneumatic conveying pipeline (1) and hydraulic conveying pipeline (2).

3. A hydraulic fracturing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The middle part of pneumatic conveying pipeline (1) and hydraulic conveying pipeline (2) is provided with venturi (4), two venturis (4) are respectively communicated to small particle proppant tank (5) and large particle proppant tank (6).

4. The hydraulic fracturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The one end of mixed flow pipeline (3) far from pneumatic conveying pipeline (1) or hydraulic conveying pipeline (2) is provided with boost section (7), boost section (7) is provided with air guide sleeve (8) outside, boost section (7) is uniformly provided with micropore, air guide sleeve (8) is connected to air pump through pipeline.

5. A hydraulic fracturing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein, The diameter of micropore is 0.5mm to 1mm, the spacing between micropores is 5mm to 10mm, the direction of micropore is 30° to 45° angle with horizontal plane, and is inclined to conveying direction.

6. The hydraulic fracturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The outlet end of mixed flow pipeline (3) is provided with flow divider, flow divider is composed of multiple branch pipelines, the diameter of each branch pipeline is less than the diameter of mixed flow pipeline.

7. A hydraulic fracturing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The outlet end of branch pipeline is provided with nozzle, the shape of nozzle is conical, and the outlet diameter of nozzle is 2mm to 5mm.

8. The hydraulic fracturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The connection place of pneumatic conveying pipeline (1) and hydraulic conveying pipeline (2) with mixed flow pipeline (3) is provided with flow regulating valve.

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