Load Sense Pump Backup for Pressure-Compensated Wellbore Hydraulics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pressure-compensated hydraulic pumps in fracturing environments can fail, leading to cessation of operations, damage, and increased maintenance costs due to inability to maintain constant high pressure for wellbore flushing, necessitating a reliable backup solution.
Innovation Solution
A load sense pump is configured as a backup for pressure-compensated pumps, operating independently and increasing its discharge pressure to support hydraulic fluid flow and maintain equipment functionality in case of failure, using sensors and circuitry to detect pressure drops and switch operations to ensure continuous wellbore operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a pressure-compensated pump is used to maintain constant high pressure, then operational efficiency is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to pump failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
A load sense pump is pre-configured as a backup unit before the pressure-compensated pump fails. The backup pump remains in standby mode with all necessary components (hydraulic fluid reservoir, control circuitry, sensors) prepared in advance, so that upon detection of primary pump failure, it can immediately take over without interruption to wellbore flushing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a backup pump and control mechanisms in advance to cushion against the harmful effect of primary pump failure. This redundancy ensures that when the pressure-compensated pump fails, the backup system is already in place to prevent operational cessation, equipment damage, and wellbore plugging.
2Reliability
If a backup pump system is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load sense pump is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a primary pump for normal operations and as a backup pump when the pressure-compensated pump fails. The control circuitry and sensors are configured to automatically detect failure conditions and switch between pumps, eliminating the need for separate dedicated backup equipment and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup pump system is merged with the primary pressure-compensated pump into a single integrated hydraulic system. Both pumps share common components including the hydraulic fluid reservoir, control circuitry, sensors, and piping infrastructure. This consolidation reduces the number of separate systems needed while maintaining reliability through redundancy.
Data Source
AI summary
A load sense pump can be used as a backup for a pressure-compensated pump in a wellbore operation. A pumping system can include a first pump, a second pump, a check valve, and a directional control valve. The first pump, which can be a load sense pump, can be used to provide pressure to a first hydraulic load. The second pump, which can be a pressure-compensated pump, can be used to provide pressure to a second hydraulic load. The directional control valve can be controllable to cause the first pump to change operation to provide pressure to the first hydraulic load and through the check valve to the second hydraulic load.