Split-Stream Blender Layout for Fracturing Pump Redundancy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hydraulic fracturing operations are prone to costly downtime due to component failures in single-blender systems, leading to issues like sand accumulation in wellbores and pressure drops causing cavitation, which can result in equipment damage and operational inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A multi-blender system with independently operable units, each equipped with separate pumps, allows for segmented operation of clean and dirty streams, enhancing fluid delivery control and increasing pump longevity by enabling redundancy and flexible fluid mixing configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single-blender system is used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to costly downtime from component failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational continuityVSAvoidsystem configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into multiple independent blender units (first blender unit, second blender unit), each capable of operating separately. This segmentation allows one blender to fail while the other continues operation, eliminating single points of failure and improving operational continuity without requiring an overly complex integrated system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each blender unit is equipped with its own dedicated pumps (suction pumps and discharge pumps), creating localized functional independence. This local quality ensures that pump failures in one blender do not affect the other blenders, maintaining system reliability while keeping each modular unit's complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a single-blender system operates continuously, then productivity is maintained, but harmful factors increase due to sand accumulation and equipment damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment integrityVSAvoidwellbore sanding

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables discarding of abrasive slurry through dedicated flow paths and recovering clean fluid for recirculation. Each blender unit has separate suction and discharge pumps that can handle different fluid conditions, allowing the system to discard sand-laden fluid while recovering and reusing cleaner fluid portions, preventing wellbore sanding and equipment damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Solution Approach 2:

The multiple blender units act as intermediaries between the fluid source and the wellbore. By routing fluid through different blender units with dedicated pumps, the system can mediate the flow to prevent direct contact between abrasive slurry and sensitive equipment, reducing harmful effects while maintaining continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If pump pressure drops occur, then energy use decreases, but reliability deteriorates due to cavitation and equipment failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepump operational stabilityVSAvoidpump energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides beforehand cushioning by having redundant blender units with dedicated pumps ready to take over if pressure drops occur in one unit. This prior preparation prevents cavitation and equipment failure by ensuring continuous stable pressure through alternative pathways, maintaining pump operational stability without excessive energy consumption from over-engineering a single pump system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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 reduces downtime and maintains operational efficiency by allowing seamless switching between clean and dirty fluid streams, preventing wellbore sanding and equipment failures, thus optimizing hydraulic fracturing processes.

Implementation Method 1

a suction pump configured to deliver fluid to the mixing tub

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure difference: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

a discharge pump configured to draw fluid from the mixing tub and deliver the fluid to an outlet

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical force: Mechanical Force

Implementation Method 3

a mixer configured to mix fluid and solid particulates

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical agitation: Stirring

Data Source

PatentUS20250369329A1Hydraulic fracturing arrangement and blending system

Publication Date: 2025.12.04 BJ ENERGY SOLUTIONS LLC

AI summary

A hydraulic fracturing system for blending liquid and solid particulates together to prepare a fracturing fluid, the system can include a plurality of independently operable blender units. In some aspects the blender units can operate with different sand concentrations in a split stream operation. In further aspects, a pump can be operated with the blender units to provide multiple fluid sources for a fleet of fracturing pumpers.