IP Library Granted Patent US 11,939,862
Granted Patent B2
US 11,939,862 · App. 17/486,400 · Granted Mar 26, 2024

Cementing unit power on self test

Inventors: Derek R. Williams (Duncan, OK); Charles E. Neal, III (Duncan, OK)
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
E21B47/12E21B33/14E21B44/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,939,862
App. No.
17/486,400
Granted
Mar 26, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wellbore pumping unit comprising a main pump, a power source, a controller, and a plurality of sensors is provided. A method of performing a diagnostic check of the unit controller and the plurality of sensors when power is applied to the unit controller. A diagnostic application executing in memory writes a status of the plurality of analog inputs of a plurality of valve position sensors, a status of a plurality of frequency inputs of a plurality of flowmeters, and a plurality of calibration data files that correlate to a plurality of sensors to a diagnostic report file. The status of the sensor inputs and calibration data files can be a pass or a fail. The status of the sensor inputs can be displayed on a human machine interface.

Claims (61)

1. A method of automating a diagnostic procedure executing on a computer system on a wellbore pump unit, comprising:

applying power to a unit controller comprising a processor, a non-transitory memory, at least one network device, a secondary storage device, and an input output device;

generating, by a diagnostic application, a diagnostic report file in the memory of the unit controller, wherein the diagnostic report file comprises a pass/fail status of a plurality of analog inputs, wherein the analog inputs comprise a plurality of analog sensors, and wherein the analog sensors comprises a plurality of pressure sensors, a plurality of valve position sensors, a plurality of tub level sensors, or combination thereof;

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a pass/fail status of the secondary storage device, wherein a write access is a passing status and a locked access is a failing status; and

displaying, by the diagnostic application, the pass/fail statuses in the diagnostic report file via the input output device; wherein the input output device comprises an interactive display, and wherein the pass/fail statuses comprise a color indicator, a text message, or combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a pass/fail status of a plurality of frequency inputs, wherein the frequency inputs comprise a plurality of frequency sensors, and wherein the frequency sensors comprise a plurality of flow meters, at least one positional sensors, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a pass/fail status of at least one Modbus inputs, wherein the Modbus input comprise a Modbus sensor, and wherein the Modbus sensor comprises at least one density sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a pass/fail status of a plurality of calibration data files, wherein the calibration data files correlate to a plurality of sensors.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a pass/fail status of the network device, wherein the network device comprises Ethernet, WIFI, Bluetooth, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave, 6LoWPan, Thread, WiFi-ah, or combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

initializing, by the unit controller, a diagnostic application in response to a start-up procedure.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a unique serial number identifying the unit controller.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

establishing a communication session, by the unit controller, via a wireless communication protocol with a mobile communication network, wherein the wireless communication protocol communicates wirelessly according to at least one of a 5G, a long term evolution (LTE), a code division multiple access (CDMA), or a global system for mobile communications (GSM) telecommunications protocol;

establishing a geographical location of the wellbore pump unit based on a location provided by the mobile communication network; and

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file the geographical location of the wellbore pump unit.

9. A method of communicating diagnostic data from a pump unit, comprising:

starting a unit controller comprising a processor, a non-transitory memory, and an input output device;

starting, by the unit controller, a diagnostic application executing on the unit controller in response to a start-up procedure;

generating, by the diagnostic application, a diagnostic report file in the memory of the unit controller a pass/fail status at startup of a plurality of sensor inputs from a plurality of sensors communicatively connected to the input output device, wherein the sensors comprise a plurality of pressure sensors, flowrate sensors, valve position sensors, density sensors, or combinations thereof and wherein the sensor inputs comprise a plurality of analog inputs, frequency inputs, Modbus inputs, or combinations thereof;

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a pass/fail status at of a plurality of calibration files correlated to the plurality of sensors communicatively connected to the input output device;

writing, by the diagnostic application, i) a date stamp, ii) a time stamp, iii) a version of the diagnostic application, iv) a unique serial designation for the unit controller, or v) combinations thereof, to the diagnostic report file;

connecting, by the diagnostic application, to a database in a network location via a wireless communication protocol;

transmitting, by the diagnostic application, the diagnostic report file to a database in the network location via the wireless communication protocol;

displaying, by the diagnostic application, a passing or a failing status of the sensor inputs via an interactive display; and

alerting a service center, by the diagnostic application, the passing or the failing status of the sensor inputs via the wireless communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the wireless communication protocol communicates wirelessly according to at least one of a 5G, a long term evolution (LTE), a code division multiple access (CDMA), or a global system for mobile communications (GSM) telecommunications protocol.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the network location is one of i) a VNF on a network slice within a 5G core network, ii) a VNF on a network slice within a 5G edge network, a storage computer communicatively coupled to a network via a mobile communication network, or iv) a computer system communicatively coupled to the network via the mobile communication network.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the network location comprises a remote application, a database, a storage device, a computer system, a virtual network function, or combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a pass/fail status at of a plurality of input output devices communicatively connected to the processor; and

wherein the plurality of input out devices comprises a first interactive display, a second interactive device, a keyboard, a keypad, a touch screen, or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

writing to memory of the unit controller, by the diagnostic application, a pass/fail status at of an input output device communicatively connected to the processor; and

wherein the input out device comprises an interactive display.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

establishing a communication session by the unit controller with the wireless communication protocol with a mobile communication network.

16. A method for controlling a wellbore pumping unit, comprising:

transporting the wellbore pumping unit to a wellsite, wherein the wellbore pumping unit comprises a unit controller, a power source, and a plurality of sensors;

connecting the wellbore pumping unit to a wellbore, wherein the wellbore pumping unit is fluidically connected to the wellbore via a wellhead;

applying power from the power source to the unit controller comprising a processor and non-transitory memory;

initializing, by the unit controller, a diagnostic application executing on the unit controller in response to a start-up procedure;

generating, by the diagnostic application, a diagnostic report file in memory of the unit controller comprising a pass/fail status at startup of a plurality of sensor inputs from the plurality of sensors communicatively connected to the unit controller wherein: the sensors comprise a plurality of pressure sensors, flowrate sensors, valve position sensors, position sensors, tub level sensors, density sensors, or combinations thereof and wherein the sensor inputs comprise a plurality of analog inputs, frequency inputs, Modbus inputs, or combinations thereof;

writing, by the diagnostic application, i) a date stamp, ii) a time stamp, iii) a version of the diagnostic application, iv) a unique serial designation for the unit controller, or v) combinations thereof, to the diagnostic report file;

displaying, by the diagnostic application, a pass/fail status of the plurality of sensors via an interactive display; and

treating the wellbore, by the wellbore pumping unit, by pumping a wellbore treatment fluid into the wellbore via a wellhead.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

writing, by the diagnostic application, to the diagnostic report file a pass/fail status of a plurality of input output devices communicatively connected to the processor; and

wherein the plurality of input out devices comprises a first interactive display, a second interactive device, a keyboard, a keypad, a touch screen, or combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein

the wellbore pumping unit is a mud pump, a cement pumping unit, a blender unit, a water supply unit, or a fracturing pump.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein

the wellbore treatment fluid comprises a drilling mud, a cement slurry, a spacer fluid, a completion fluid, or a fracturing slurry.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2021
From: WILLIAMS, DEREK R.; NEAL, CHARLES E., III
To: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 057613/0018 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230094201A1 · Mar 30, 2023
Cited By (1)
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