Plunger pump

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of oil and gas production, and discloses a plunger pump. The plunger pump comprises a crankshaft, a connecting rod, a bearing bush, a temperature detection member, and a battery. The connecting rod is provided with a connecting rod hole, the crankshaft is mounted in the connecting rod hole, and the bearing bush is arranged between the crankshaft and the connecting rod. The connecting rod hole is further provided with a detection hole, the detection hole is communicated with the connecting rod hole, the temperature detection member is electrically connected to the battery, and the temperature detection member is mounted in the detection hole to detect the temperature of the bearing bush.

Description

plunger pump

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202520733879.4, filed on April 17, 2025, entitled "Plunger Pump", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application belongs to the field of oil and gas extraction technology, specifically relating to a plunger pump. Background Technology

[0004] During oil and gas extraction, the working pressure of the plunger pumps used for fracturing operations is increasing. With the corresponding increase in connecting rod load, the working stress on the crankshaft bearings also gradually increases. Under these conditions, if any of the following factors—machining accuracy, assembly process, or lubrication—is problematic, the crankshaft bearings are highly susceptible to bearing failure. In severe cases, this can lead to crankshaft seizure and burnout, causing significant losses. Because current plunger pumps lack the capability to detect bearing failure, bearings that have already failed are often used as normal components, potentially causing further damage to the plunger pump and severely impacting normal operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application discloses a plunger pump, which includes a crankshaft, connecting rod, bearing, temperature sensing element, and battery. The connecting rod has a connecting rod hole, the crankshaft is assembled within the connecting rod hole, and the bearing is disposed between the crankshaft and the connecting rod. The connecting rod also has a detection hole, which communicates with the connecting rod hole. The temperature sensing element is electrically connected to the battery and is installed in the detection hole to detect the temperature of the bearing. Attached Figure Description

[0006] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the piston pump including the connecting rod disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0008] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a portion of the structure in the plunger pump shown in Figure 1;

[0009] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the monitoring principle of the plunger pump disclosed in the embodiment of this application.

[0010] Reference numerals: 1-Wireless transmitter, 2-Bearing, 3-Connecting rod, 4-Protective housing, 5-Battery, 6-Circuit board, 7-Temperature sensor, 8-Wireless receiver, 9-Control device. Detailed Implementation

[0011] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0012] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1-3, this application discloses a plunger pump that can detect the temperature of the bearing 2 at the crankshaft to determine the working state of the bearing 2 and promptly detect any bearing failure, preventing further damage to the plunger pump. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the plunger pump includes a crankshaft, connecting rod 3, bearing 2, temperature detection element 7, and battery 5. Of course, the plunger pump may also include other components and mechanisms such as a plunger, connecting rod, and crosshead; for the sake of brevity, these will not be described in detail here.

[0014] Among them, the crankshaft and connecting rod 3 serve as the power transmission devices of the power end and hydraulic end in the plunger pump. The connecting rod 3 is provided with a connecting rod hole, and the crankshaft can be assembled into the connecting rod hole. Thus, under the rotation of the crankshaft, the connecting rod 3 can perform linear motion, which in turn drives the crosshead and the pull rod connected to the other end of the connecting rod 3 to perform linear motion, thereby completing the pumping of liquid.

[0015] As mentioned above, connecting rod 3 has a connecting rod hole. Therefore, connecting rod 3 is fitted outside the crankshaft. Of course, in order to ensure that connecting rod 3 can form the aforementioned assembly relationship with the crankshaft, connecting rod 3 usually includes two detachable parts, namely connecting rod body and connecting rod cap. The two can be detachably fixedly connected by bolts or other connecting parts. In the process of assembling connecting rod 3 and crankshaft, connecting rod body and connecting rod cap can be installed from opposite sides of crankshaft respectively, and then the two can be detachably fixedly connected. At the same time, since both connecting rod body and connecting rod cap have a semi-circular groove structure, after the assembly work is completed, they can form a connecting rod hole. Correspondingly, the crankshaft is installed in the aforementioned connecting rod hole.

[0016] Meanwhile, in order to improve the continuity and smoothness of the relative motion between the crankshaft and the connecting rod 3, a bearing 2 is provided between the crankshaft and the connecting rod 3. Of course, when the plunger pump is in operation, lubricating materials such as grease or lubricating oil are also provided between the crankshaft, the bearing 2 and the connecting rod 3. On the one hand, this further improves the smoothness of the motion between the two, and on the other hand, the flow of the lubricating material can also remove the heat from the crankshaft and the connecting rod 3, as well as the bearing 2 between them, thereby reducing the working problems of the aforementioned components and improving the reliability of the plunger pump.

[0017] To obtain the working status of the bearing bush 2, in this embodiment, the connecting rod 3 is also provided with a detection hole. In one specific embodiment, the detection hole can be formed on the connecting rod body. To minimize the adverse impact of the detection hole on the overall structural reliability of the connecting rod 3, in another embodiment, the detection hole is provided on the connecting rod cover. Simultaneously, a temperature detection element 7 is installed in the detection hole, and the detection hole communicates with the connecting rod hole to ensure that the area where the bearing bush 2 is located is in communication with the detection hole. This allows the temperature detection element 7 to detect the temperature around the bearing bush 2 through the detection hole, thereby determining the working status of the bearing bush 2 based on its temperature. This allows for timely detection of any bearing bush 2 failure, preventing further damage to the plunger pump. More specifically, the detection head of the temperature detection element 7 can directly contact the bearing bush 2 to achieve the purpose of detecting its temperature. Alternatively, in other embodiments of this application, the temperature of the bearing bush 2 can be indirectly obtained through the temperature of the lubricating oil flowing into the detection hole.

[0018] As described above, the temperature sensor 7 can be installed inside the detection hole. Of course, to ensure the temperature sensor 7 functions properly and provides temperature detection, in this embodiment, the temperature sensor 7 in the plunger pump is also electrically connected to the battery 5, so that the battery 5 provides power to the temperature sensor 7, ensuring that the temperature sensor 7 can detect the temperature of the bearing 2 at the crankshaft. Optionally, by designing the size of the detection hole, the battery 5 can also be installed in the detection hole, and the battery 5 is located on the side of the temperature sensor 7 away from the connecting rod hole. In other words, the distance between the temperature sensor 7 and the connecting rod hole is relatively smaller, and the distance between the battery 5 and the connecting rod hole is relatively larger.

[0019] This application discloses a plunger pump, in which the crankshaft is assembled inside the connecting rod hole of the connecting rod 3, and a bearing 2 is provided between the crankshaft and the connecting rod 3. The connecting rod 3 is also provided with a detection hole, which is connected to the connecting rod hole. A temperature detection element 7 is installed in the detection hole and is also connected to a battery 5, so that the temperature detection element 7 can detect the temperature of the bearing 2 to determine the working state of the bearing 2. In the event of bearing 2 failure, the detection result of the temperature detection element 7 can be used to promptly obtain the aforementioned situation, thereby controlling the plunger pump to stop and replacing the bearing 2, preventing the plunger pump from being further damaged by the bearing 2 continuing to work.

[0020] In order to ensure that the detection results of the temperature detection element 7 can be known by the staff or control equipment 9, in this embodiment of the application, the temperature detection element 7 can be equipped with an alarm function, or an alarm device can be provided for the temperature detection element 7. By connecting the alarm device to the temperature detection element 7, the alarm device can sound an alarm by means of an audible signal when the detected value of the temperature detection element 7 exceeds a preset value.

[0021] In another embodiment of this application, the plunger pump may also include a wireless transmitter 1, and in order to enable the wireless transmitter 1 to reliably form an assembly relationship with the connecting rod 3, the plunger pump also includes a protective shell 4, and the protective shell 4 is fixedly installed on the connecting rod 3. Of course, the protective shell 4 is located on the outside of the connecting rod 3, that is, the protective shell 4 can be fixedly connected to the outer surface of the connecting rod 3, and the connection between the two can include snap-fit ​​or adhesive.

[0022] With the plunger pump including a protective housing 4, both the battery 5 and the wireless transmitter 1 can be installed within the protective housing 4. This provides protection for both the battery 5 and the wireless transmitter 1, reduces the difficulty of installation, and allows for a relatively small detection hole size. More specifically, the plunger pump also includes a circuit board 6, and the wireless transmitter 1 can be soldered onto the circuit board 6. The battery 5 is electrically connected to the circuit board 6 to indirectly power the wireless transmitter 1 through the circuit board 6.

[0023] Of course, to ensure that the temperature sensor 7 installed in the detection hole can still be normally connected to the battery 5, in this embodiment, the detection hole can be extended to the outer surface of the connecting rod 3, and the detection hole and the protective shell 4 can be arranged opposite each other. This ensures that the battery 5 can form an electrical connection with the temperature sensor 7 installed in the detection hole through a wire, so that the battery 5 can normally supply power to the temperature sensor 7. At the same time, in this embodiment, the temperature sensor 7 also needs to be connected to the wireless transmitter 1 for communication, so that the detection value of the temperature sensor 7 can be transmitted to the outside of the plunger pump through the wireless transmitter 1 and be known by the user or control device 9, so that when the detection value of the temperature sensor 7 exceeds the preset value, the plunger pump can be stopped for maintenance in a timely manner.

[0024] Of course, during the operation of the plunger pump, a wireless receiver 8 needs to be set up corresponding to the wireless transmitter 1. Optionally, the wireless receiver 8 is installed in the control equipment 9 far away from the well site. In another embodiment of this application, the wireless receiver 8 can be installed outside the housing of the plunger pump. In this case, the position of the wireless receiver 8 is not affected by the driving action such as movement and rotation inside the plunger pump, and the distance between the wireless receiver 8 and the wireless transmitter 1 inside the plunger pump is relatively small, so as to ensure that the communication connection between the two is relatively stable.

[0025] Of course, the wireless receiver 8 may be equipped with a display screen or similar device so that, when the temperature sensor 7 is working, the detected value of the temperature sensor 7 can be transmitted to the wireless receiver 8 via the wireless transmitter 1 and directly displayed on the aforementioned display screen. This allows the user to obtain the working status of the crankshaft bearing 2 in the plunger pump by observing the temperature reading on the display screen. Similarly, the wireless receiver 8 may also be equipped with an alarm device to issue an audible alarm signal or other alarm information when the detected value of the temperature sensor 7 exceeds a preset value.

[0026] In a further embodiment of this application, the wireless receiver 8 can also be communicatively connected to the control device 9, so that the temperature information received by the wireless receiver 8 can be transmitted to the control device 9, allowing the user or the control device 9 to obtain the working status of the plunger pump more intuitively and comprehensively. To improve the communication stability of the wireless receiver 8, in this embodiment of the application, the wireless receiver 8 and the control device 9 are connected via a cable.

[0027] As described above, both the battery 5 and the wireless transmitter 1 are installed within the protective casing 4. More specifically, the protective casing 4 may include a housing and a substrate, wherein the housing and the cover are fixedly connected. For example, they can be detachably fixedly connected by screws or other connectors, or they can be non-detachably fixedly connected by adhesives. To minimize the shielding effect of the protective casing 4 on the transmission efficiency of the wireless transmitter 1, in this embodiment, the housing is made of a non-metallic material, such as plastic. To improve the mechanical properties of the housing, such as strength, and to enhance its oil resistance and high-temperature resistance, in one specific embodiment of this application, the housing includes polyhexamethylene adipamide and glass fiber. Specifically, glass fiber can be incorporated into the polyhexamethylene adipamide material to form a housing of the desired shape and size.

[0028] Meanwhile, to ensure the assembly reliability between the protective shell 4 and the connecting rod 3, in this embodiment, the substrate is made of metal and is fixedly connected to the connecting rod 3. Specifically, the substrate and the connecting rod 3 can be fixed to each other by welding. In another embodiment of this application, the substrate can be provided with multiple assembly holes, and each assembly hole can be provided with a threaded connector. Of course, the connecting rod 3 is provided with multiple threaded holes, and the multiple threaded holes, multiple assembly holes, and multiple threaded connectors correspond one-to-one. In this case, the substrate can be fixedly connected to the connecting rod 3 through multiple threaded connectors, which can reduce the assembly difficulty between the substrate and the connecting rod 3 and also ensure that a relatively reliable fixed connection relationship can be formed between the substrate and the connecting rod 3.

[0029] As described above, the temperature sensing element 7 is installed in the sensing hole and can operate under the power of the battery 5, and detects the temperature of the bearing 2 at the crankshaft. Optionally, the temperature sensing element 7 is in a continuous working state, that is, when the battery 5 can provide energy, the temperature sensing element 7 detects the temperature of the bearing 2 regardless of whether the plunger pump is working.

[0030] To improve the battery life of 5 and extend the service life of temperature sensing element 7, in another embodiment of this application, the temperature sensing element 7 can detect the temperature of the bearing 2 at the crankshaft only when the plunger pump is operating. For example, by equipping the temperature sensing element 7 with a controller and a wireless receiver 8, external control commands can be transmitted to the controller via the wireless receiver 8, thereby enabling the controller to control the temperature sensing element 7.

[0031] To reduce the control difficulty of the temperature detection element 7, in another embodiment of this application, the plunger pump also includes a vibration detection element to determine whether the plunger pump is in operation based on the vibration of the connecting rod 3. Specifically, both the temperature detection element 7 and the battery 5 are connected to the vibration detection element, which is used to detect vibration information. Therefore, in this embodiment, the vibration detection element is installed on the connecting rod 3 so that it can acquire the vibration of the connecting rod 3. Based on this, when the connecting rod 3 is working, the temperature detection element 7 is also working, thereby reducing the detection frequency of the temperature detection element 7 and improving the battery's endurance and the lifespan of the temperature detection element 7. Specifically, when the plunger pump includes a protective shell 4, the vibration detection element can also be installed inside the protective shell 4, and the vibration detection element can be directly installed on the substrate of the protective shell 4, thereby making the detection sensitivity and reliability of the vibration detection element relatively high.

[0032] In the above embodiments, the plunger pump can be a single-cylinder structure. In other embodiments of this application, the plunger pump can also be a multi-cylinder structure. In this case, a detection hole can be provided on only one connecting rod 3, and a temperature detection element 7 can be installed accordingly.

[0033] In other embodiments of this application, when the plunger pump has a multi-cylinder structure, there are multiple connecting rods 3, bearing shells 2, and temperature detection elements 7. Each connecting rod 3 is provided with a connecting rod hole and a detection hole. Multiple bearing shells 2 are installed in multiple connecting rod holes in a one-to-one correspondence, and multiple temperature detection elements 7 are installed in multiple detection holes to detect the temperature of the corresponding bearing shell 2. This can ensure that the temperature of the bearing shell 2 between each crankshaft and the corresponding connecting rod 3 can be detected individually by the corresponding temperature detection element 7, so as to ensure that the working status of each bearing shell 2 can be obtained in a timely manner.

[0034] Correspondingly, each of the multiple temperature sensors 7 corresponds to a wireless transmitter 1, thereby enabling the temperature information of the bearings 2 at each crankshaft to be transmitted outside the plunger pump. Optionally, there can also be multiple wireless receivers 8, each corresponding to one of the multiple wireless transmitters 1, as shown in Figure 3. In another embodiment of the application, the number of wireless receivers 8 can be one, and each of the multiple wireless transmitters 1 can correspond to a wireless receiver 8. At the same time, the wireless receiver 8 is connected to the control device 9 via wired or wireless means.

[0035] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0036] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A plunger pump, comprising a crankshaft, a connecting rod (3), a bearing (2), a temperature sensing element (7), and a battery (5), wherein the connecting rod (3) is provided with a connecting rod hole, the crankshaft is assembled within the connecting rod hole, and the bearing (2) is provided between the crankshaft and the connecting rod (3); The connecting rod (3) is also provided with a detection hole, which is connected to the connecting rod hole. The temperature detection element (7) is electrically connected to the battery (5), and the temperature detection element (7) is installed in the detection hole to detect the temperature of the bearing (2).

2. The plunger pump according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a protective shell (4) and a wireless transmitter (1). The protective shell (4) is fixedly installed on the connecting rod (3). The detection hole extends to the outer surface of the connecting rod (3) and is disposed opposite to the protective shell (4). The battery (5) and the wireless transmitter (1) are both installed inside the protective shell (4). The wireless transmitter (1) is electrically connected to the battery (5). The temperature detection element (7) is communicatively connected to the wireless transmitter (1).

3. The plunger pump according to claim 2, wherein, It also includes a wireless receiver (8), which is installed outside the housing of the plunger pump. The wireless receiver (8) is communicatively connected to the wireless transmitter (1) and is communicatively connected to the control device (9).

4. The plunger pump according to claim 3, wherein, The wireless receiver (8) is connected to the control device (9) via a cable.

5. The plunger pump according to claim 2, wherein, The protective shell (4) includes a shell and a base plate that are fixedly connected. The shell is made of non-metallic material, the base plate is made of metallic material, and the base plate is fixedly connected to the connecting rod (3).

6. The plunger pump according to claim 5, wherein, The substrate is provided with multiple assembly holes, each of which is provided with a threaded connector, and the substrate is fixedly connected to the connecting rod (3) through the multiple threaded connectors.

7. The plunger pump according to claim 5, wherein, The shell comprises polyhexamethylene adipamide and glass fiber.

8. The plunger pump according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a vibration detection device. The temperature detection device (7) and the battery (5) are both connected to the vibration detection device. The vibration detection device is installed on the connecting rod (3) to detect whether the connecting rod (3) is in working condition. When the connecting rod (3) is working, the temperature detection device (7) is working.

9. The plunger pump according to claim 1, wherein, The connecting rod (3) includes a connecting rod body and a connecting rod cover. The connecting rod body and the connecting rod cover are detachably fixedly connected and form the connecting rod hole. The detection hole is provided in the connecting rod cover.

10. The plunger pump according to claim 1, wherein, The number of connecting rods (3), bearings (2) and temperature detection elements (7) are all multiple. Each connecting rod (3) is provided with a connecting rod hole and a detection hole. Multiple bearings (2) are installed in multiple connecting rod holes in a one-to-one correspondence, and multiple temperature detection elements (7) are installed in multiple detection holes respectively to detect the temperature of the corresponding bearing (2).

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