Straight-Line Hydraulic Fracturing Flowback Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and difficulty in maintaining tight, rigid connections between hydraulic pumps and wellheads in hydraulic fracturing operations due to varying terrain elevations and weather conditions, leading to increased setup time and potential contamination risks from improper flowback collection.
Innovation Solution
A single straight-line connection system using pipes and valves between a frac tree and a flowback container, which forms a straight internal channel at a constant height, eliminating bends and turns, and can be buttressed by a support, facilitating safer and more efficient flowback collection and frack fluid delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional interconnected mechanical networks of piping are used to connect frac pumps to wellheads, then the system can convey pressurized fracking fluids, but the setup time increases and the complexity of maintaining tight connections worsens due to varying terrain elevations
Solution Approach 1:
The piping system is divided into modular segments that can be independently assembled and connected. Each module contains standardized connection points, allowing for rapid assembly without complex custom fabrication. The segmentation enables the system to adapt to varying terrain elevations through standardized vertical and horizontal module combinations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vertical dimensionality to the piping layout by incorporating elevated support structures and vertical pipe sections. This allows the system to navigate terrain elevation changes without requiring complex horizontal routing, reducing the overall number of connections needed and simplifying the assembly process.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid piping connections are used between frac pumps and wellheads, then the connection stability improves, but the difficulty of installation increases due to varying terrain elevations and weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable support structures and flexible mounting mechanisms that allow the rigid piping system to be adapted to varying terrain conditions during installation. These dynamic elements enable installers to compensate for elevation changes and ground irregularities without compromising the rigidity of the main piping connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary components such as expansion joints and flexible couplings between rigid pipe sections. These intermediaries absorb the stress from terrain variations and weather-induced movements, maintaining connection stability while simplifying the installation process by reducing the need for precise alignment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex piping networks are used for flowback collection, then the system can handle varying elevations, but the risk of contamination increases due to improper connections
Solution Approach 1:
The piping system incorporates pre-installed check valves and one-way flow control mechanisms that prevent backflow and contamination before they can occur. Connection points are pre-sealed with gaskets and locking mechanisms that ensure tight connections upon assembly, eliminating the need for complex field sealing procedures that could introduce contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable seal rings and single-use connection seals at each joint in the piping system. These inexpensive components guarantee a tight seal for the duration of the operation and are replaced if compromised, ensuring contamination prevention without requiring complex reusable sealing systems that are difficult to install correctly.
Data Source
AI summary
A frac tree coupled to a wellhead is connected to either flowback equipment or zipper modules using a single straight-line connection of pipes, valves, and/or frac iron that define a straight-line pathway for fluid, gas, or flowback materials. The disclosed single straight-line connections referenced herein may be used in pressure pumping operations to deliver hydraulic fracturing fluid (“frack fluid”) to a frac tree for delivery to a wellhead or for carrying flowback from the wellhead to a flowback-collecting equipment. Using the single straight-line connections referenced herein dramatically reduces the complexity of connections needed to deliver frack fluid to or carry flowback away from a well, thereby reducing the cost, improving the efficiency, and increasing the safety of pressure-pumping and flowback operations.