Diverter Injection System with Bypass Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for injecting diverter materials during hydraulic fracturing operations require shutting down equipment, adding time and complexity, and can cause flow blockages or damage due to the need to mix diverter with high-pressure fluids and pump through rotating equipment.
Innovation Solution
A diverter injection system that allows direct injection of diverter into a high-pressure stream without shutting down equipment, using a system with canisters to store diverter and valves to control flow paths, enabling selective injection timing and concentration control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If diverter is mixed with high-pressure fluids and pumped through rotating equipment, then diverter can be injected into the wellbore, but flow blockages or damage may occur and equipment must be shut down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the diverter injection function from the main high-pressure fluid system by providing a separate canister and flow path. The diverter is stored in a canister that connects to the discharge line through a bypass, allowing diverter injection without mixing with high-pressure fluids through rotating equipment, thereby eliminating flow blockages and damage risks while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a bypass line as an intermediary pathway between the pump discharge and the wellbore. This bypass allows diverter to be injected directly into the high-pressure stream without passing through rotating equipment, serving as a mediator that protects the system from damage while enabling diverter injection
2Ease of operation
If equipment is shut down to inject diverter, then diverter injection can be performed, but operational time increases and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous operation of the hydraulic fracturing equipment while allowing diverter injection. The bypass system with valve control allows the main pump to continue operating without shutdown, maintaining continuous useful action while enabling diverter injection when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dynamic valve control system that allows flexible switching between normal fluid flow and diverter injection modes. The valve can be opened or closed based on operational needs, providing dynamic control without requiring equipment shutdown, thereby simplifying operation and reducing time loss
Data Source
AI summary
A diverter injection system is disclosed herein along with systems and methods relating thereto. In an embodiment, the diverter injection system includes a system inlet and a system outlet. In addition, the diverter injection system includes a canister including an internal volume configured to retain diverter therein. Further, the diverter injection system includes a first flow path extending between the system inlet and the system outlet that bypasses the canister, and a second flow path that extends from the system inlet, through the canister, and then to the system outlet. Still further, the diverter injection system includes a plurality of valves, wherein actuation of the plurality of valves is configured to selectively switch between the first flow path and the second flow path.