IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,710,031
Granted Patent B2
US 12,710,031 · App. 18/515,946 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Smoothing pump rate during transition

Inventors: Behrouz Ebrahimi (Houston, TX); Zhijie Sun (Houston, TX); Erik Lee (Houston, TX)
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
F04B23/06E21B43/2607F04B15/02F04B49/20F04B49/065F04B2205/09F04B2207/041
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,710,031
App. No.
18/515,946
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for controlling one or more frac pumps of a fracturing spread. The method comprises adjusting a total pump rate of one or more target pumps of the frac pumps to achieve a total rate setpoint for the frac pumps. The method comprises activating one or more trim pumps for an additional pump rate to compensate for a total rate dip occurring when the total pump rate of the one or more target pumps is adjusted.

Claims (21)

1 . A method for controlling two or more frac pumps of a fracturing spread, the method comprising:

obtaining a total rate setpoint for the fracturing spread;

identifying one or more target pumps of the frac pumps;

determining a total pump rate adjustment of the one or more target pumps of the frac pumps to achieve the total rate setpoint for the frac pumps;

determining a total rate dip aggregated across the one or more target pumps associated with the total pump rate adjustment; identifying one or more trim pumps of the frac pumps configured to compensate for the total rate dip; and

activating the one or more trim pumps of the frac pumps in response to the aggregated total rate dip, wherein the one or more trim pumps are continuously controlled as the aggregated total rate dip is continuously monitored.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a respective rate setpoint for each of the one or more target pumps based on the total rate setpoint;

determining a respective rate dip for each of the one or more target pumps; and

summing the respective rate dips for each of the one or more target pumps to determine the total rate dip.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more target pumps are pumps that require a gear shift to adjust pump rate of the respective pumps.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a respective rate adjustment profile for each of the one or more trim pumps based on the total rate dip.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more trim pumps are pumps that do not require a gear shift to adjust pump rate of the respective pumps, and wherein the one or more trim pumps are a part of the one or more frac pumps or specialized pumps utilized for trimming purposes only.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more trim pumps are selected based on pump type and historical performance.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the total rate dip while adjusting the total pump rate adjustment of the one or more target pumps; and

adjusting an additional pump rate of the one or more trim pumps while adjusting the total pump rate adjustment of the one or more target pumps to compensate for the aggregated total rate dip.

8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

estimating the total rate dip of the one or more target pumps prior to adjusting the total pump rate adjustment of the one or more target pumps; and

determining an additional pump rate of the one or more trim pumps to compensate for the aggregated total rate dip.