Protection of make-up system for high pressure bellows-style pump system
In a bellows pump, detecting and addressing any leakage of treatment fluid into the bellows can be important. Disclosed embodiments may relate to a bellows pump system configured to better prevent contamination due to bellows leakage. For example, the system may include a bellows pump, a make-up system, and a control system. The make-up system may comprise a make-up fluid source fluidly coupled to the bellows and at least one other component of the system. The control system may be configured to receive and evaluate data from one or more sensor, and responsive to detecting a leak using the data, to fluidly isolate the make-up system from the bellows, which may prevent spread of contamination in the system. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.
1 . A method for protecting a bellows pump system during introduction of treatment fluid into a well, comprising:
pumping treatment fluid into the well using the bellows pump system, wherein the bellows pump system comprises a pump having a bellows and a piston, a control system, and a make-up system configured to maintain a controlled volume of drive fluid between the piston and the bellows, and wherein the make-up system is fluidly coupled to the bellows and to at least one additional component of the system;
responsive to receiving, at the control system, sensor data from one or more sensors configured to detect one or more parameters of the bellows pump system, detecting a leak in the bellows based on the sensor data; and
responsive to detecting a leak, fluidly isolating the bellows from a fluid source of the make-up system, thereby fluidly uncoupling the at least one additional component of the system from the bellows,
wherein fluidly isolating the bellows comprises closing a make-up valve of the make-up system and/or shutting off a make-up pump of the make-up system, and
wherein the pump having the bellows and the piston further comprises a hydraulic circuit configured to reciprocally drive the piston in a power end bore, wherein the hydraulic circuit is fluidly coupled to the fluid source of the make-up system, and wherein closing the make-up valve fluidly isolates the bellows from the hydraulic circuit.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising pumping treatment fluid into the well using a second bellows, wherein closing the make-up valve isolates the first bellows from the second bellows.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting a leak comprises comparing, using the control system, the sensor data to a corresponding threshold.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising evaluating the sensor data to determine whether the bellows and piston are out of sync, and responsive to determining that the bellows and piston are out of sync, using the make-up system to adjust an amount of drive fluid between the piston and the bellows to return the piston and bellows to sync.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the pump having the bellows and the piston further comprises a seal disposed between the piston and a bore in which the piston is disposed which is configured to maintain the controlled volume of fluid between the piston and the bellows, and
the seal is configured for an abrasive and/or corrosive environment even though shielded from exposure to treatment fluid by the bellows.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising continuing to pump treatment fluid into the well using the pump having the bellows and the piston while the bellows is isolated.