Hydraulic Fracturing Unit Power Control Under Changing Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of hydraulic fracturing operations with numerous components makes it difficult to efficiently and effectively control the power output of prime movers, leading to inefficiencies, premature wear, and equipment damage due to excess or deficit of power, especially under changing conditions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing semi- or fully-autonomous systems and methods to control the operation of hydraulic fracturing units, using a power output controller to manage power distribution among multiple units based on operational parameters and unit characteristics, dynamically adjusting power outputs in response to changing conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual control of prime movers is used during hydraulic fracturing operations, then operational flexibility is maintained, but equipment wear increases and operational efficiency decreases due to delayed responses to changing power requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables autonomous control where the hydraulic fracturing units self-regulate their power output based on real-time operational conditions. The controller automatically monitors power requirements and adjusts prime mover operation without manual intervention, allowing the system to serve itself and eliminate the trade-off between manual control complexity and equipment durability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where operational parameters are monitored in real-time and fed back to the controller, which automatically adjusts prime mover power output. This closed-loop control ensures optimal performance while preventing equipment wear from mismatched power delivery, resolving the contradiction between operational flexibility and equipment durability
2Productivity
If prime movers operate at maximum power to meet increasing fracturing requirements, then productivity is maintained, but equipment wear accelerates and maintenance frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts prime mover power output in real-time based on actual fracturing requirements rather than operating at fixed maximum capacity. The controller continuously optimizes power delivery to match instantaneous needs, maintaining productivity while reducing excessive wear from sustained maximum-power operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters of the prime movers dynamically, adjusting power output, speed, and load distribution based on real-time feedback. This allows the system to maintain high productivity when needed while operating at lower, less wear-inducing parameters during stable conditions, resolving the contradiction between productivity and equipment service life
3Loss of energy
If hydraulic fracturing units are idled to save energy during excess power conditions, then energy efficiency improves, but equipment wear increases due to extended idle operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic cycling of prime movers between active and idle states rather than continuous idling. The controller rotates which units are idled and which remain operational, distributing wear more evenly across the fleet while maintaining energy efficiency during periods of excess power capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically determines the optimal balance between idling and operating prime movers based on real-time conditions. Rather than static idling decisions, the controller continuously adjusts which units are idled and for how long, preventing excessive wear accumulation while maintaining energy efficiency
4Productivity
If the number of hydraulic fracturing units is increased to meet rising power demands, then productivity increases, but system complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the control functions of multiple hydraulic fracturing units into a single integrated autonomous control system. The controller manages power distribution, coordination, and optimization across all units simultaneously, allowing productivity to scale with unit count while control complexity remains manageable through consolidation of control functions
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous controller serves multiple functions simultaneously: monitoring operational parameters, calculating power requirements, distributing load among units, optimizing efficiency, and preventing equipment wear. This multi-functionality allows the system to manage increasing numbers of units without proportionally increasing control complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for operating hydraulic fracturing units, each including a hydraulic fracturing pump to pump fracturing fluid into a wellhead and an internal combustion engine to drive the hydraulic fracturing pump, may include receiving signals indicative of operational parameters. The systems and methods also may include determining an amount of required fracturing power sufficient to perform the hydraulic fracturing operation, determining an available power to perform the hydraulic fracturing operation and a difference between the available power and the required power, and controlling operation of the hydraulic fracturing units based at least in part on the power difference. When the power difference is indicative of excess power available, the system and methods may include causing at least one of the hydraulic fracturing units to idle, and when the power difference is indicative of a power deficit, increasing a power output of at least one of the hydraulic fracturing units.