Method and system for energy recovery from a rod pump

1. A system for energy recovery from a rod pump having a rod string including a polished rod, the system comprising:

a hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder barrel, a piston located for reciprocating movement within the cylinder barrel, and a pressure chamber in the cylinder barrel;

the piston connected to the polished rod of the rod pump such that the polished rod reciprocates with the reciprocating movement of the piston to perform a pumping action;

a reversible hydraulic gear pump having an inlet port, an outlet port, and a coupling shaft;

a first hydraulic fluid line connecting the outlet port directly to the pressure chamber of the cylinder barrel; and

a reversible motor-generator having a rotor shaft directly connected to the coupling shaft such that the rotor shaft and the coupling shaft, and the reversible hydraulic gear pump and the reversible motor-generator, rotate in a forward direction and a reverse direction in unison; and

a variable speed drive connected to the reversible motor-generator;

wherein the variable speed drive is configured to operate the reversible motor-generator in a motor mode to rotate the rotor shaft and the coupling shaft in the forward direction so that the reversible hydraulic gear pump rotates in the forward direction to pump hydraulic fluid from the reversible hydraulic gear pump through the outlet port and the first hydraulic fluid line to the pressure chamber to displace the piston in the cylinder barrel and raise the rod string in an upstroke, and to operate the reversible motor-generator in a generator mode in which a weight of the rod string lowers in a downstroke and displaces the piston in the cylinder barrel to pump hydraulic fluid from the pressure chamber through the first hydraulic fluid line to the reversible hydraulic gear pump through the outlet port, which rotates the coupling shaft and the reversible hydraulic gear pump in the reverse direction and the rotor shaft and the reversible motor-generator in the reverse direction such that the motor-generator generates electricity; and

wherein the variable speed drive is configured such that the system modulates a flow of the hydraulic fluid from the pressure chamber through the reversible hydraulic gear pump by the variable speed drive modulating the reverse speed of the motor-generator, which modulates the reverse rotation of the reversible hydraulic gear pump through the rotor shaft and coupling shaft during the downstroke.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reversible motor-generator is connected to one or both of a power grid and a second system for energy recovery from a second rod pump, such that the power grid and/or the second system receive electrical power from the reversible motor-generator when operating in the motor mode, and the reversible motor-generator transmits electrical power to the power grid and/or the second system when operating in the generator mode.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller that incorporates the variable speed drive.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic cylinder includes a seal gland that with the piston defines the pressure chamber that retains hydraulic fluid.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic cylinder includes a piston rod connected to the piston and to the polished rod, and the piston rod passes through the seal gland.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the cylinder barrel is oriented above the rod pump such that the cylinder barrel, the piston rod, and the rod string are coaxial.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the cylinder barrel is mounted on a flange of the rod pump.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a reservoir of the hydraulic fluid connected to the inlet port of the reversible hydraulic pump, wherein the motor-generator operates in the motor mode to rotate the rotor shaft and the coupling shaft in a forward direction so that the reversible hydraulic pump pumps the hydraulic fluid from the reservoir through the inlet port to the pressure chamber to displace the piston in the cylinder barrel and raise the rod string in the upstroke, and the motor-generator operates in the generator mode in which the weight of the rod string lowers the piston in the cylinder barrel in a downstroke to pump the hydraulic fluid from the pressure chamber into the outlet port of the reversible hydraulic gear pump, and from the inlet port of the reversible hydraulic gear pump to the reservoir to rotate the coupling shaft and the rotor shaft in the reverse direction such that the motor-generator generates electricity.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a second hydraulic fluid line connecting the inlet port of the reversible hydraulic pump to the reservoir.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a valve on the first hydraulic fluid line having a first position in which the hydraulic fluid flows between the reversible hydraulic gear pump and the reservoir.