Mobile Distribution Station Additive Injector for Fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic fracturing operations face inefficiencies due to frequent equipment shut-downs for refueling, which are costly and disrupt continuous operations, and existing hot-refueling methods are unreliable for sustained fuel delivery.
Innovation Solution
A mobile distribution station with a trailer-mounted system that includes pumps, manifolds, reels, hoses, control valves, and sensors, along with an additive injector, allows for continuous fuel delivery and precise control of additive introduction, enabling reliable hot-refueling during operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If equipment operates semi-continuously with surface pumps, then refueling can be performed, but frequent shut-downs occur which reduce efficiency and increase costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous fuel delivery through a mobile distribution station that can refuel equipment while it remains operational. The system uses a trailer-mounted pump, manifold, and hose reel assembly to provide uninterrupted fuel supply, eliminating the need for shut-downs and maintaining continuous productive action.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile distribution station serves as an intermediary between the fuel source and the hydraulic fracturing equipment. It includes a pump, manifold with control valves, and a reel with hose that delivers fuel to the equipment while it operates, enabling hot-refueling without direct interruption of the fracturing process.
2Productivity
If hot-refueling is implemented to maintain continuous operations, then productivity improves, but reliability of fuel delivery becomes difficult to sustain
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that monitor fuel levels, flow rates, and system parameters, with this information fed back to controllers that adjust pump operation, valve positioning, and hose reel deployment. This closed-loop control ensures reliable fuel delivery by responding to actual system conditions in real-time.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile distribution station employs dynamic components including a movable trailer-mounted pump, adjustable manifold valves, and a reel mechanism that can extend and retract hoses as needed. These dynamic elements allow the system to adapt to changing operational requirements and maintain reliable fuel delivery throughout the fracturing process.
3Measurement precision
If additive injection is added to the delivery system, then fuel management precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The additive injection system is integrated with the existing fuel delivery components. The additive injector is connected to the manifold and receives fuel from the same pump system, combining multiple functions (fuel delivery, additive injection, and distribution) into a unified mobile distribution station rather than separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile distribution station is designed as a multi-functional system that can deliver both fuel and additives through the same infrastructure. The manifold with control valves can direct flow to multiple outlets, and the reel system can service multiple equipment simultaneously, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A distribution station includes a mobile trailer and a delivery system. The delivery system includes a pump, a manifold fluidly connected with the pump, reels, hoses, valves situated between the manifold and a respective different one of the hoses, and fluid level sensors. There is also an additive injector fluidly connected with the delivery system and operable to introduce controlled amounts of an additive into the delivery system.