IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,428,218
Granted Patent B2
US 11,428,218 · App. 17/386,708 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Systems and methods of utilization of a hydraulic fracturing unit profile to operate hydraulic fracturing units

Inventors: Tony Yeung (Houston, TX); Ricardo Rodriguez-Ramon (Houston, TX); Andres Alvarez (Houston, TX); Joseph Foster (Houston, TX)
Assignee: BJ Energy Solutions, LLC
F04B51/00E21B43/2607F04B15/02F04B49/065G01L3/00G01L5/0061G01L5/0071
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,428,218
App. No.
17/386,708
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A methods and system to operate hydraulic fracturing units may include utilizing hydraulic fracturing unit profiles. The system may include hydraulic fracturing units may include various components. The components may include an engine and associated local controller and sensors, a transmission connected to the engine, transmission sensors, and a pump connected to the transmission and powered by the engine via the transmission and associated local controller and sensors. A supervisory controller may control the hydraulic fracturing units. The supervisory controller may be in communication with components of each hydraulic fracturing unit. The supervisory controller may include instructions to, for each hydraulic fracturing units, obtain hydraulic fracturing unit parameters, determine a hydraulic fracturing unit health assessment, and build a hydraulic unit profile including the health assessment and parameters. The supervisory controller may, based on the health assessment, determine the hydraulic fracturing unit's capability to be operated at a maximum power output.

Claims (55)

1. A supervisory controller to operate hydraulic fracturing units for a hydraulic fracturing system, the supervisory controller comprising:

a first control output in signal communication with one or more pump controllers, each pump controller included on a pump and each pump included on one of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units, such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

for each of the one or more pump controllers, obtain a set of pump information;

a second control output in signal communication with one or more hydraulic fracturing unit controllers, each hydraulic fracturing unit controller included on one of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing unit controllers:

obtain a set of maintenance data,

obtain a set of operation data,

obtain a set of equipment health ratings,

obtain a set of equipment configurations, and

obtain a set of equipment alarm histories;

a third control output in signal communication with one or more engine controllers, each engine controller included on an engine and each engine included on one of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

for each of the one or more engine controllers, obtain a set of engine information; and

a fourth control output in signal communication with one or more transmission controllers, each transmission controller included on a transmission and each transmission included on one of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

for each of the one or more transmission controllers, obtain a set of transmission information;

a terminal input/output socket in signal communication with a terminal such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

in response to a determination that pump information, maintenance data, operation data, equipment health ratings, equipment configuration, equipment alarm history, and engine information for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units is received,

build a pump profile for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, each pump profile including one or more of the pump information, maintenance data, operation data, equipment health ratings, equipment configuration, equipment alarm history, or engine information,

add a health assessment to the pump profile for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, and

determine which of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units not to utilize in a hydraulic fracturing operation based on the pump profile for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units.

2. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein, based on the health assessment of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units, the supervisory controller is configured to prompt, at the terminal, a user to inspect one or more of a pump, an engine, or a transmission of the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

3. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein, based on the health assessment of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units, the supervisory controller is configured to derate a pump associated with the health assessment of the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

4. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein, based on maintenance of a pump associated with the health assessment of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units, the supervisory controller is configured to adjust the rating of the pump associated with the health assessment of the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

5. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the supervisory controller is configured to determine a maximum available power of an engine of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units based on, at least in part, equipment configuration, equipment health ratings, equipment alarm history, and engine information associated with the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

6. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the supervisory controller is configured to determine a maximum flow rate of a pump of one or more of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units based on, at least in part, pump information associated with the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

7. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 , wherein the supervisory controller is configured to prevent upshift out of neutral of a transmission of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units based on, at least in part, transmission information associated with the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

8. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1 ,

wherein the supervisory controller is configured to transmit to the terminal a graphical user interface (GUI),

wherein the GUI displays a selectable list of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, and

wherein, in response to a selection of one of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, the supervisory controller is configured to display selectable tabs, each of the selectable tabs including different data points from the selected hydraulic fracturing unit's pump profile.

9. A supervisory controller to operate hydraulic fracturing units having one or more pumps for a hydraulic fracturing system, the supervisory controller comprising:

a first control output in signal communication with one or more pump controllers, each pump controller included on one of the one or more pumps and each pump included on one of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units, such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

for each of the one or more pump controllers, obtain a set of pump information;

a second control output in signal communication with one or more hydraulic fracturing unit controllers, each hydraulic fracturing unit controller included on one of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing unit controllers:

obtain a set of maintenance data,

obtain a set of operation data,

obtain a set of equipment health ratings,

obtain a set of equipment configurations, and

obtain a set of equipment alarm histories;

a third control output in signal communication with one or more engine controllers, each engine controller included on an engine and each engine included on one of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

for each of the one or more engine controllers, obtain a set of engine information; and

a fourth control output in signal communication with one or more transmission controllers, each transmission controller included on a transmission and each transmission included on one of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

for each of the one or more transmission controllers, obtain a set of transmission information;

a terminal input/output socket in signal communication with a terminal such that the supervisory controller is configured to:

in response to a determination that pump information, maintenance data, operation data, equipment health ratings, equipment configuration, equipment alarm history, and engine information for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units is received,

build a pump profile for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, each pump profile including one or more of the pump information, maintenance data, operation data, equipment health ratings, equipment configuration, equipment alarm history, or engine information,

add a health assessment to the pump profile for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units,

determine a maximum flow rate of each of the one or more pumps based on, at least in part, the pump information and

determine which of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units not to utilize in a hydraulic fracturing operation based on the pump profile for each of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units; and

the supervisory controller further being configured to (1) transmit to the terminal a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI configured to display a selectable list of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, and (b) in response to a selection of one of the one or more hydraulic fracturing units, display selectable tabs, each of the selectable tabs including different data points from the selected hydraulic fracturing unit's pump profile.

10. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9 , wherein, based on the health assessment of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units, the supervisory controller is configured to prompt, at the terminal, a user to inspect one or more of a pump, an engine, or a transmission of the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

11. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 10 , wherein, based on the health assessment of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units, the supervisory controller is configured to derate a pump associated with the health assessment of the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

12. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 11 , wherein, based on maintenance of the pump associated with the health assessment of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units, the supervisory controller is configured to adjust the rating of the pump associated with the health assessment of the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

13. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9 , wherein the supervisory controller is configured to determine a maximum available power of an engine of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units based on, at least in part, equipment configuration, equipment health ratings, equipment alarm history, and engine information associated with the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

14. The supervisory controller for a hydraulic fracturing system of claim 13 , wherein the supervisory controller is configured to prevent upshift out of neutral of a transmission of one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units based on, at least in part, transmission information associated with the one or more of the hydraulic fracturing units.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2024
From: BJ ENERGY SOLUTIONS. LLC
To: ECLIPSE BUSINESS CAPITAL LLC. AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 068970/0125 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2022
From: BJ ENERGY SOLUTIONS, LLC
To: ECLIPSE BUSINESS CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 062116/0333 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 24, 2022
From: BJ ENERGY SOLUTIONS, LLC
To: BAIWIN FINANCING, LLC
Reel/Frame 058829/0708 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2021
From: YEUNG, TONY; RODRIGUEZ-RAMON, RICARDO; ALVAREZ, ANDRES; FOSTER, JOSEPH
To: BJ SERVICES, LLC
Reel/Frame 057000/0087 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2021
From: BJ SERVICES, LLC
To: BJ ENERGY SOLUTIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 057000/0110 →
Continuity (4)
Division 17301475 · Apr 5, 2021
Provisional Application 62705628 · Jul 8, 2020
Provisional Application 62705357 · Jun 23, 2020
Related Publication 20210396223A1 · Dec 23, 2021