Fracturing Pump Closed-Loop Control for Emissions and Fuel Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic fracturing systems lack closed-loop control of multiple pump systems, failing to account for emissions and fuel consumption, which are significant environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
A control system that identifies engine operation information, selects optimization maps based on methane number information, and controls multiple pump systems to optimize performance and reduce emissions and fuel consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple pump systems operate at high pressure to achieve required flow rate, then hydraulic fracturing performance is improved, but emissions and fuel consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors engine operation information, emissions data, and performance metrics from multiple pump systems, using closed-loop feedback to dynamically adjust operating parameters. This enables real-time optimization that maintains required flow rates while minimizing emissions by adjusting pump operations based on actual system conditions and methane number characteristics of the fuel being used.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operating parameters of pump systems based on methane number information of gaseous fuel. By adjusting parameters such as injection timing, pressure, and flow rate according to the specific methane number characteristics, the system optimizes combustion efficiency to reduce emissions while maintaining the hydraulic fracturing performance required for achieving target flow rates.
2Power
If pump systems operate at high power to maintain fracturing performance, then fluid injection capability is improved, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts the operating conditions of multiple pump systems based on real-time monitoring of engine performance, fuel characteristics (methane number), and hydraulic fracturing requirements. This dynamic optimization allows the system to maintain required injection power when needed while reducing fuel consumption during periods of lower demand or by operating multiple pumps at optimized individual load points rather than running single pumps at peak power.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the fluid injection task across multiple pump systems, allowing each pump to operate at optimized power levels rather than requiring one pump to operate at maximum power. By distributing the total flow requirement across multiple pumps and coordinating their operations based on fuel characteristics and engine performance, the system achieves required injection capability with lower overall fuel consumption.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If closed-loop control is implemented across multiple pump systems, then emissions and fuel efficiency are optimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system serves multiple functions within a single integrated platform: it monitors engine operation information from multiple pumps, analyzes methane number characteristics of gaseous fuel, coordinates pump operations, optimizes combustion parameters, and tracks both emissions and fuel consumption. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be multiple separate control systems into one universal controller, managing complexity while achieving comprehensive optimization across multiple pump systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system identifies preferred performance information associated with a hydraulic fracturing system; and obtains engine operation information associated with a plurality of engines included in a plurality of respective pump systems of the hydraulic fracturing system. The control system identifies, based on the engine operation information, a set of one or more engines, of the plurality of engines, that are utilizing gaseous fuel and/or that are capable of utilizing gaseous fuel, and obtains methane number information associated with the set of one or more engines. The control system selects, based on the preferred performance information and the methane number information, a set of one or more operation optimization maps, determines, based on the set of one or more operation optimization maps and the engine operation information, control information associated with the plurality of pump systems. The control system controls, based on the control information, the plurality of pump systems.