Hydraulic Fracturing Unit Profiling for Predictive Maintenance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The operation of hydraulic fracturing equipment at a wellsite is complex and time-consuming due to the numerous stages and equipment involved, leading to inaccuracies and reduced equipment life from missed maintenance, which can result in equipment breakdowns.
Innovation Solution
A wellsite hydraulic fracturing system with a supervisory controller that monitors and manages hydraulic fracturing units, including internal combustion engines, transmissions, and pumps, to determine health assessments and maintenance needs, optimizing equipment usage and scheduling through data collection and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual monitoring and maintenance scheduling of hydraulic fracturing equipment is performed, then equipment operation can be controlled, but maintenance accuracy decreases and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables equipment to self-monitor its own operational parameters and maintenance needs through integrated sensors and controllers that automatically track hours of operation, pressure levels, flow rates, and other critical metrics, eliminating the need for manual inspection and scheduling
Solution Approach 2:
The supervisory controller continuously receives real-time data from equipment sensors and provides automated feedback regarding maintenance status, equipment health assessments, and scheduling recommendations, enabling precise and timely maintenance decisions without manual intervention
2Reliability
If comprehensive monitoring of all hydraulic fracturing equipment is implemented, then equipment health assessment improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supervisory controller serves multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors operational parameters, assesses equipment health, schedules maintenance, and provides reporting capabilities across all hydraulic fracturing equipment, reducing the need for separate specialized systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines previously separate monitoring, control, and maintenance scheduling functions into a single integrated supervisory controller that manages all hydraulic fracturing equipment through a unified interface and centralized data collection
3Reliability
If frequent maintenance checks are performed manually, then equipment reliability improves, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs maintenance assessments at optimized intervals based on actual equipment usage and condition data, rather than relying on fixed schedules or frequent manual checks, reducing unnecessary downtime while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The supervisory controller predicts maintenance needs in advance based on accumulated operational data and equipment health trends, allowing maintenance to be scheduled proactively before failures occur, minimizing unexpected downtime and maintaining continuous productivity
Data Source
AI summary
A methods and system to operate hydraulic fracturing units may include utilizing hydraulic fracturing unit profiles. The system may include hydraulic fracturing units may include various components. The components may include an engine and associated local controller and sensors, a transmission connected to the engine, transmission sensors, and a pump connected to the transmission and powered by the engine via the transmission and associated local controller and sensors. A supervisory controller may control the hydraulic fracturing units. The supervisory controller may be in communication with components of each hydraulic fracturing unit. The supervisory controller may include instructions to, for each hydraulic fracturing units, obtain hydraulic fracturing unit parameters, determine a hydraulic fracturing unit health assessment, and build a hydraulic unit profile including the health assessment and parameters. The supervisory controller may, based on the health assessment, determine the hydraulic fracturing unit's capability to be operated at a maximum power output.