Wellsite Pump Control via Mathematical Belief Model
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-volume, high-pressure pumps in wellsites face challenges in achieving consistent flow rates and efficiency due to mechanical fatigue, wear, and variability in pump components, requiring manual adjustments that are dangerous and inconsistent, and automated control is difficult due to differences in pump components and wear levels.
Innovation Solution
A controller with a processor and memory using a mathematical belief model to automatically control pump flow rates by adjusting speed based on set-points and interrelationships between flow rate, discharge pressure, and probability of achievement, continuously updating the model to optimize pump performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual control and adjustment of pump operation is performed by human operators, then pump performance can be monitored and adjusted, but operator safety is compromised due to exposure to high-pressure fluid and the consistency of pump settings becomes variable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with an automated control system that uses sensors to monitor pump parameters (pressure, flow rate, temperature) and automatically adjusts pump operation. This eliminates operator exposure to high-pressure fluid while maintaining consistent pump settings through automated feedback control, directly resolving the safety and consistency contradictions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system enables the pump to self-regulate its operation by continuously monitoring its own performance parameters and automatically making adjustments to maintain optimal operation. The system performs self-diagnosis and self-correction without human intervention, ensuring both operator safety and consistent performance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If automated control of pumps is implemented using gear and throttle control, then operator safety is improved by reducing manual intervention, but control difficulty increases due to variability in pump components and wear levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system that continuously monitors actual pump performance parameters and compares them with target values. The system automatically adjusts gear and throttle settings based on this feedback to achieve desired flow rates and pressures, compensating for component variability and wear without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts operating parameters (gear selection, throttle position, pump speed) based on real-time sensor data and pump performance characteristics. This adaptive parameter adjustment allows the system to accommodate different pump components and wear levels automatically, simplifying operation while maintaining safety.
3Productivity
If pump operation is manually adjusted to compensate for mechanical fatigue and wear, then pump efficiency can be maintained, but the variability of manual adjustments leads to inconsistent performance
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses feedback from sensors monitoring pressure, flow rate, and temperature to automatically detect changes in pump performance due to mechanical fatigue or wear. The system responds by adjusting operating parameters to compensate for degradation, maintaining consistent efficiency without the variability inherent in manual adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump system performs self-monitoring and self-adjustment to compensate for mechanical degradation over time. The automated control system detects performance changes and automatically optimizes operation, ensuring consistent efficiency and reliability without human intervention.
4Ease of operation
If multiple pumps with different components and wear levels are operated with the same gear and throttle set-points, then operational simplicity is maintained, but flow rate consistency across pumps deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control system applies localized control to each pump, allowing individualized adjustment of gear and throttle set-points based on each pump's specific component configuration and wear level. Sensors monitor each pump's performance independently, and the control system tailors operating parameters to each pump's characteristics, achieving flow rate consistency without sacrificing operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically adjusts operating parameters (gear selection, throttle position, speed) for each pump based on its specific characteristics and real-time performance data. This adaptive parameter customization allows each pump to operate optimally despite component variations and wear, maintaining both operational simplicity and flow rate consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
Automated operation of well site pumping equipment, including generating a mathematical belief model for maintaining an interrelationship between flow rate achievable by a pump unit discharge pressure of the pump unit, and probability of achieving the flow rate at corresponding discharge pressure. Speed of the pump unit is controlled to achieve a target speed based on a flow rate set-point and the mathematical belief model and updating the mathematical belief model at least while the target speed is achieved. Updating the mathematical belief model may include increasing the probability of achieving the flow rate set-point when actual flow rate of the pump unit is not less than the flow rate set-point and decreasing the probability of achieving the flow rate set-point when the actual flow rate of the pump unit is less than the flow rate set-point.