Rotary Isobaric Pressure Exchanger for Hydraulic Fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic fracturing operations face challenges due to proppant interference with rotating equipment, leading to wear and reduced efficiency in high-pressure pumping systems.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic energy transfer system, specifically a rotating isobaric pressure exchanger (rotary IPX), transfers pressure between proppant-free and proppant-laden fluids with minimal mixing, using a motor system to facilitate rotation and reduce abrasion, enabling efficient operation in corrosive and abrasive environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-pressure pumps with rotating components are used to pump proppant-laden frac fluid, then the fracturing operation can be performed, but the proppant interferes with the rotating equipment causing wear and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the fluid handling into two separate streams: a proppant-free drive fluid and a proppant-laden frac fluid. The pressure exchanger separates these fluids spatially, allowing the drive fluid to power the system without contact with proppant, while the frac fluid is pressurized separately. This segmentation eliminates proppant interference with rotating components.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure exchanger acts as an intermediary device that transfers energy from the proppant-free drive fluid to the proppant-laden frac fluid without direct mixing. The counter-rotating rotors and sealed chambers provide a mechanical interface that couples the two fluid streams while preventing proppant from reaching the rotating components of the drive fluid system.
2Reliability
If proppant-free fluid is used to drive the pressure exchanger, then equipment wear is reduced, but the system becomes more complex due to the need for fluid separation and pressure exchange mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines a pressure exchanger with a motor system in an integrated assembly. The drive fluid motor and frac fluid motor are coupled through the pressure exchanger mechanism, merging the functions of pressure generation and fluid power transmission into a single compact unit. This reduces overall system complexity compared to separate pressurization systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure exchanger serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a pressure generator for the frac fluid, a power transmission device from the drive fluid, and a fluid separation mechanism. The counter-rotating rotors with sealed chambers provide both mixing and separation functions, reducing the need for additional components.
3Ease of operation
If conventional pumps are used that can handle proppant-laden fluid, then the system can pump frac fluid directly, but expensive abrasion-resistant materials and components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the proppant from the drive fluid stream by maintaining separate fluid paths. The drive fluid is kept free of proppant throughout the pressure exchanger and motor system, allowing the use of conventional, cost-effective materials and components rather than expensive abrasion-resistant materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses conventional, inexpensive materials for the drive fluid components since they never contact proppant. The proppant-laden frac fluid components are designed for their specific function without requiring the same level of abrasion resistance, reducing overall equipment cost.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively transfers pressure and work between fluids, reducing equipment wear and allowing for the use of less expensive, non-abrasion-resistant pumps, while maintaining high efficiency and extending equipment life.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure exchanger that transfers pressure and work between a first proppant-free fluid at a first pressure and a second proppant-laden fluid at a second pressure
Implementation Method 2
The pressure exchanger may be coupled to a motor system that facilitates rotation of the pressure exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
A system including a rotary isobaric pressure exchanger (IPX) configured to exchange pressures between a first fluid and a second fluid, and a motor system coupled to the hydraulic energy transfer system and configured to power the hydraulic energy transfer system.