Modular Well Fracturing Manifolds for Hose Clutter Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fracturing systems for oil and gas wells face challenges with hose management during operations, including difficulty in accessing equipment due to hoses lying on the ground and the elevated positioning of manifolds, which complicates maintenance and worker safety.
Innovation Solution
A modular system with adjustable and independently supported manifolds, featuring low-pressure and high-pressure manifolds connected by spools of varying lengths, allowing for flexible configuration and positioning on the ground, and height-adjustable legs for improved accessibility and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hoses are extended to reach distant trucks from the manifold, then all trucks can be connected to the manifold, but hoses lie on the ground creating safety hazards and accessibility issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the manifold into multiple modular units, each capable of serving a subset of trucks. This segmentation allows hoses to be kept shorter and more manageable, reducing clutter on the ground while maintaining the ability to connect multiple trucks through the distributed manifold structure
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold is elevated to a higher dimension (above ground level) using support structures. This vertical displacement removes hoses from the ground plane, eliminating safety hazards and improving worker accessibility while preserving all fluid connection capabilities
2Ease of operation
If the manifold is elevated on a trailer, then it is positioned for operation, but workers have difficulty accessing equipment for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The support structures include adjustable legs that can be dynamically repositioned. This allows the manifold to be elevated during operation for optimal positioning, then lowered or reconfigured during maintenance to improve worker accessibility to equipment
3Adaptability or versatility
If hoses are made longer to reach the farthest truck, then all trucks can be connected, but hose management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using one or two extremely long hoses, the system segments the fluid distribution into multiple manifold units distributed across the site. Each unit serves a localized group of trucks with shorter hoses, reducing the complexity of hose management while maintaining comprehensive coverage
Solution Approach 2:
Additional manifold units act as intermediary distribution points between the central fluid source and distant trucks. These intermediaries reduce the required hose length from each connection point, simplifying hose management while extending the effective coverage range
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative modular manifold disclosed herein includes, among other things, a low-pressure manifold comprising a frac fluid outlet valve, wherein a fracturing fluid is adapted to be supplied from the low-pressure manifold via the frac fluid outlet valve to a suction side of a frac pump, and a high-pressure manifold comprising at least one frac fluid inlet valve, wherein the high-pressure manifold is adapted to receive, via the frac fluid inlet valve, a fracturing fluid discharged from the frac pump. In this example, the modular manifold also includes a support structure for mechanically supporting the low- and high-pressure manifolds and a plurality of height-adjustable support legs operatively coupled to the support structure.