Remote Fueling System for Wellbore Servicing Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wellbore servicing operations face challenges in remote locations where fueling high-pressure pumping units is hazardous and inefficient due to limited fuel tank capacity and the need for personnel to remain outside exclusion zones during high-pressure operations.
Innovation Solution
A remote fueling system that includes a wellbore servicing equipment unit with a fuel tank, fuel level sensors, and indicators allowing remote monitoring and refueling from a safe distance, ensuring continuous operation without stopping the high-pressure pumping process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If fuel tank capacity is increased to enable continuous operation during wellbore servicing, then operational duration is improved, but device complexity and safety risks increase due to larger fuel storage requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel storage system is divided into multiple separate fuel tanks instead of using a single large tank. This segmentation allows the system to achieve the required total fuel capacity for extended operations while reducing the complexity and safety risks associated with managing one large fuel storage system. Each smaller tank can be independently monitored and managed.
Solution Approach 2:
A remote fueling system with automated fuel level monitoring and indicator lights serves as an intermediary between the fuel tanks and operators. This intermediary system enables safe remote refueling operations by providing real-time fuel level information and controlling the refueling process without requiring personnel to be in close proximity to the fuel tanks during high-pressure operations.
2Productivity
If personnel refuel during high-pressure operations, then productivity is improved by avoiding operational interruptions, but safety is worsened due to proximity to exclusion zones
Solution Approach 1:
A remote fueling system with automated fuel level monitoring and indicator lights serves as an intermediary between the fuel tanks and operators. This intermediary system enables safe remote refueling operations by providing real-time fuel level information and controlling the refueling process without requiring personnel to be in close proximity to the fuel tanks during high-pressure operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel system incorporates automated fuel level sensing and indication that allows the system to monitor and communicate its own fuel status without human intervention. The indicator lights automatically signal when refueling is needed, enabling the system to effectively manage its own fuel requirements while maintaining safety distances.
3Ease of operation
If fuel level monitoring is implemented to enable remote refueling decisions, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and indicators
Solution Approach 1:
Manual fuel level checking is replaced with automated fuel level sensors that electronically detect and report fuel levels. This substitution of mechanical inspection with electronic sensing improves ease of operation by providing continuous, accurate fuel level information remotely, while the complexity added is offset by the reliability and automation benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
Visual indicator lights (typically using color changes such as green, yellow, red) are used to communicate fuel level status to operators from a distance. This color-based communication system simplifies the interpretation of fuel levels and enables quick decision-making about refueling needs without requiring operators to closely examine gauges or sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote fueling system is provided. The system comprises a wellbore servicing equipment unit comprising an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank coupled to the internal combustion engine, a fuel distribution channel, a fuel level sensor component, a fuel level indicator, and a fuel level indicator control box. The wellbore servicing equipment is mounted on a trailer upon which the wellbore servicing equipment is transported to the wellbore. The fuel level sensor component senses a fuel level inside the fuel tank. The fuel level indicator indicates a fuel level status of the fuel tank to remote fueling personnel at a standoff distance. The fuel level indicator control box is coupled to the fuel level sensor component and to the fuel level indicator and commands the indication presented by the fuel level indicator based on the fuel level inside the fuel tank sensed by the fuel level sensor component.