Trailer-Mounted Solar Pump System for Wellbore Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pump systems for cattle wells are expensive to install and maintain, as they require fixed installations and large power lines, and existing portable solutions are either immobile or excessively costly to operate.
Innovation Solution
A portable pump system comprising a utility trailer with a reel for flexible pipe, solar panels, a submersible pump, and a sprocket system for mechanical advantage, allowing for easy movement and operation by a single person, with adjustable solar panels for optimal energy harvesting and a hand crank or electric motor for reel operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional pump systems are installed in wells and left there, then a pump can service a single well, but the system becomes fixed and cannot be moved to another well
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is mounted on a trailer with wheels, transforming it from a static well installation to a mobile unit that can be easily transported between wells. The trailer platform provides a dynamic base that allows the pump to be relocated as needed without permanent installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into separable components: the pump unit mounted on the trailer, the flexible pipe that can be coiled and stored, and the outriggers that can be deployed or retracted. This segmentation allows easy assembly, disassembly, and transport of the pump system.
2Use of energy by moving object
If power lines are built to each well, then power can be supplied to the pump, but the cost increases significantly on large tracts of land
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the need for extensive electrical infrastructure (power lines) with a portable power solution. The pump can be powered by generators, batteries, or alternative power sources mounted on the trailer, eliminating the need to build miles of power lines across the land.
Solution Approach 2:
The trailer-mounted pump system can be powered by multiple different power sources (generators, batteries, solar panels, or connection to existing power), making it universally adaptable to different locations without requiring dedicated power line infrastructure at each well.
3Ease of repair
If a pulling unit truck with a three-man crew is used to pull pipe out of the well for maintenance, then repairs can be performed, but the operation becomes complex and requires multiple personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The pump and pipe are combined into a single mobile assembly on the trailer. When maintenance is needed, the entire pump unit can be rolled out on the trailer without needing to pull the pipe separately, eliminating the need for a dedicated pulling unit truck and reducing the crew requirement to a single operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile trailer platform enables dynamic maintenance operations where the pump can be quickly positioned for service. The flexible pipe on the reel can be easily paid out and reconnected, making maintenance operations simple and requiring minimal personnel.
4Adaptability or versatility
If solar-powered pump systems are cemented to the ground, then they can be installed, but they cannot be moved from one well to another
Solution Approach 1:
The solar panels are mounted on the mobile trailer platform rather than being cemented to the ground. This allows the entire solar-powered pump system to be relocated between wells while maintaining operational stability during use through the trailer's outrigger support system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from ground-based fixed installation to trailer-based mobile installation. The outriggers extend laterally from the trailer bed to provide stability in the horizontal dimension, compensating for the lack of permanent ground anchoring and enabling both mobility and operational stability.
5Ease of operation
If reel systems are mounted on a two-ton truck or tandem semi-trailer truck, then they can pull pump cable from oil wells, but the expense becomes huge
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces expensive heavy-duty truck-mounted reel systems with a more economical trailer-mounted reel system. The trailer is significantly less expensive than a two-ton truck or semi-trailer, yet still provides adequate reel capacity and operational capability for the intended application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system scales down the reel system parameters from commercial-grade truck-mounted equipment to a smaller, more affordable trailer-mounted configuration. This parameter change reduces equipment cost while maintaining sufficient operational capability for the specific well service application.
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 provides a cost-effective, portable, and easily operable solution for pumping water from wells, reducing installation and maintenance costs while enabling efficient energy use and easy relocation.
Implementation Method 1
an array of solar panels configured to supply power to the pump
Data Source
AI summary
A portable pump system for use over a wellbore, the system having a utility trailer with a trailer bed and two wheels, a reel around which is wound a length of flexible pipe, an array of solar panels, a submersible pump, front outrigggers extending laterally from opposite sides of a front end of the trailer bed, and rear outriggers extending laterally from opposite sides of a rear end of the trailer bed. The reel is situated at a rear end of the trailer bed. The array of solar panels is situated in the front half of the trailer bed. The submersible pump is attached to a distal end of the flexible pipe. The array of solar panels is configured to supply power to the submersible pump. The reel is mechanically coupled to a sprocket system situated on top of the trailer bed and adjacent to the reel.