Electrical power generation and distribution system with power recovery and regeneration
A well construction system with motor equipment having at least one of a drawworks motor, a top drive motor, or a combination thereof, and an electrical power system having a power recovery and regeneration system. The power recovery and regeneration system includes at least one energy storage device that is not a capacitor bank. The well construction system may be operated by generating AC power that is made available on an AC node, converting AC power available on the AC node to DC power available on a DC node, storing energy based on DC power available on the DC node by the power recovery and regeneration system, and regenerating the stored energy from the power recovery and regeneration system to AC power, DC power, or a combination thereof for consumption by an electrical consumer of the well construction system.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a well construction system comprising:
motor equipment comprising at least one of: a drawworks motor, a top drive motor, or a combination thereof; and
an electrical power system comprising:
a generator-set operable to generate AC electrical power that is output at a generator node of the generator-set;
a rectifier, wherein:
an input node of the rectifier is coupled to the generator node during a generation state of the generator-set;
the rectifier is operable to convert AC electrical power received at the input node of the rectifier to DC electrical power that is output to an output node of the rectifier; and
the output node of the rectifier is coupled to a DC node;
at least one inverter electrically coupled between the DC node and the motor equipment, wherein the at least one inverter is operable to:
invert DC electrical power received from the DC node to AC electrical power that is provided to the motor equipment; and
convert AC electrical power generated by the motor equipment to DC electrical power that is provided to the DC node; and
a power recovery and regeneration system electrically coupled to the DC node during a recovery state and during a regeneration state, wherein the power recovery and regeneration system comprises a first energy storage device and a second energy storage device, wherein the first energy storage device is connected in parallel with the second energy storage device during a charge state, wherein the first energy storage device is connected in series with the second energy storage device during a discharge state, and wherein at least one of the first and second energy storage devices does not comprise a capacitor bank.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second energy storage devices comprises a battery.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second energy storage devices comprises a flywheel.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the motor equipment comprises the drawworks motor and the top drive motor;
the at least one inverter comprises a drawworks inverter and a top drive inverter;
the drawworks inverter is coupled between the DC node and the drawworks motor; and
the top drive inverter is coupled between the DC node and the top drive motor.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the generator node is coupled to an AC node;
the well construction system further comprises a drilling fluid pump and a small load;
an electrical system of the drilling fluid pump is coupled to the AC node; and
an electrical system of the small load is coupled to the AC node.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the generator node is coupled to an AC node; and
the electrical power system further comprises an alternative electrical power generation system coupled to the AC node, wherein the alternative electrical power generation system comprises at least one of a heat-to-electrical current converter, a solar panel, and/or a wind turbine.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second energy storage devices is a flywheel operatively connected with the motor equipment, and wherein the at least one inverter is operable to increase frequency of the AC electrical power that is provided to the motor equipment to increase the rotational speed of the flywheel and thus increase amount of energy stored by the flywheel.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the DC node is a first DC node, the rectifier is a first rectifier, and the at least one inverter is at least one first inverter;
the power recovery and regeneration system comprises:
a second DC node;
a second rectifier having an output node coupled to the second DC node; and
a second inverter having an input node coupled to the second DC node, wherein one of the first and second energy storage devices comprises a flywheel;
the power recovery and regeneration system is operable to configure, during the recovery state:
the second DC node electrically coupled to the first DC node; and
an output node of the second inverter electrically coupled to the flywheel, wherein the second inverter is operable to invert DC electrical power available on the second DC node to AC electrical power that is provided to the flywheel; and
the power recovery and regeneration system is operable to configure, during the regeneration state:
the second DC node electrically coupled to the first DC node; and
an input node of the second rectifier electrically coupled to the flywheel, wherein the second rectifier is operable to convert AC electrical power from the flywheel to DC electrical power that is provided to the second DC node.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the generator-set comprises:
a prime mover having a drive shaft; and
a synchronous electrical machine having a rotor mechanically coupled to the drive shaft; and
the power recovery and regeneration system is operable to configure, during a starting state of the generator-set, the synchronous electrical machine electrically coupled to the power recovery and regeneration system and electrically de-coupled from the input node of the rectifier.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the DC node is a first DC node;
the at least one inverter is at least one first inverter;
the rectifier is a first rectifier;
the power recovery and regeneration system comprises:
a second DC node;
a second inverter having an input node coupled to the second DC node;
a third DC node;
a second rectifier having an output node coupled to the third DC node; and
a transformer, wherein at least one of the first and second energy storage devices is a flywheel;
the power recovery and regeneration system is operable to configure, during the recovery state:
the second DC node electrically coupled to the first DC node;
an output node of the second inverter electrically coupled to a primary winding of the transformer, wherein the second inverter is operable to invert DC electrical power available on the second DC node to AC electrical power that is provided to the primary winding of the transformer; and
a secondary winding of the transformer electrically coupled to the flywheel;
the power recovery and regeneration system is operable to configure, during the regeneration state:
the second DC node electrically coupled to the first DC node;
the third DC node electrically coupled to the second DC node; and
an input node of the second rectifier electrically coupled to the flywheel, wherein the second rectifier is operable to convert AC electrical power from the flywheel to DC electrical power that is provided to the third DC node.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the generator-set is a first generator-set;
the generator node is a first generator node;
the electrical power system comprises:
a second generator-set operable to generate AC electrical power that is output at a second generator node of the second generator-set; and
a second rectifier;
an input node of the second rectifier is coupled to the second generator node during a generation state of the second generator-set;
the second rectifier is operable to convert AC electrical power received at the input node of the second rectifier to DC electrical power that is output to an output node of the second rectifier; and
the output node of the second rectifier is coupled to the DC node.
12. A method comprising:
operating a well construction system, wherein:
the well construction system comprises:
motor equipment comprising at least one of a drawworks motor, a top drive motor, and/or a combination thereof; and
an electrical power system comprising a power recovery and regeneration system, wherein the power recovery and regeneration system comprises at least one
energy storage device that is not a capacitor bank; and
operating the well construction system comprises:
generating AC electrical power that is made available on an AC node;
converting AC electrical power available on the AC node to DC electrical power available on a DC node, wherein the motor equipment is configured to consume DC electrical power available on the DC node;
inverting AC electrical power generated by the motor equipment to DC electrical power that is provided to the DC node;
storing energy based on DC electrical power available on the DC node by the power recovery and regeneration system; and
regenerating the stored energy from the power recovery and regeneration system to AC electrical power, DC electrical power, or a combination thereof for consumption by an electrical consumer of the well construction system.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the AC node is a first AC node, and wherein operating the well construction system further comprises:
generating, by a first generator-set, AC electrical power at a first frequency that is made available at the first AC node during at least a portion of operating the well construction system;
generating, by a second generator-set, AC electrical power at a second frequency that is made available at a second AC node during at least a portion of generating, by the first generator-set, AC electrical power at the first frequency, wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency; and
converting AC electrical power available on the second AC node to DC electrical power available on the DC node.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein:
the at least one energy storage device comprises a flywheel; and
storing energy by the power recovery and regeneration system comprises inverting DC electrical power available on the DC node into AC electrical power that is made available to the flywheel.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein:
the at least one energy storage device comprises a flywheel; and
regenerating the stored energy from the power recovery and regeneration system comprises converting AC electrical power from the flywheel to DC electrical energy made available on the DC node.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein:
the DC node is a first DC node;
the at least one energy storage device comprises a flywheel; and
regenerating the stored energy from the power recovery and regeneration system comprises:
converting AC electrical power from the flywheel to DC electrical power made available on a second DC node; and
inverting DC electrical power available on the second DC node to AC electrical power that is made available on the AC node.
17. A method comprising:
operating a well construction system, wherein:
the well construction system comprises:
a generator-set comprising a prime mover and a synchronous electrical machine;
an electrical system comprising a power recovery and regeneration system, wherein the power recovery and regeneration system comprises at least one energy storage device that is not a capacitor bank; and
an electrical power consumer electrically coupled to the electrical system; and operating the well construction system comprises:
storing, in the power recovery and regeneration system, energy distributed in the electrical system; and
starting the prime mover, including electrically coupling the power recovery and regeneration system to the synchronous electrical machine, wherein:
the at least one energy storage device comprises a flywheel;
the power recovery and regeneration system comprises a rectifier and an inverter,
electrically coupling the power recovery and regeneration system to the synchronous electrical machine comprises:
electrically coupling the flywheel to an input node of the rectifier;
electrically coupling an output node of the rectifier to an input node of the inverter; and
electrically coupling an output node of the inverter to the synchronous electrical machine; and
starting the prime mover further includes rotating a rotor of the prime mover by the synchronous electrical machine, the synchronous electrical machine receiving AC power from the output node of the inverter.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein:
the generator-set is a first generator-set;
operating the well construction system comprises generating electrical power by a second generator-set electrically coupled to the electrical system;
electrical power generated by the second generator-set is provided to the electrical system; and
electrically coupling the power recovery and regeneration system to the synchronous
electrical machine is performed while electrical power is being generated by the second generator-set.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein operating the well construction system comprises, after starting the prime mover, electrically coupling the synchronous electrical machine to the electrical system.