Optimization of engine emissions from equipment used in well site operations

• US 10,408,028 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Stephenson, Stanley V., Summers, Andrew James
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, Abdelmoniem I
• Application Number:
  US15/022,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20160222771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/00 Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 11/00 Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus , e.g. for catalytic activity safety, indicating or supervising devices for internal combustion engines F02B77/08; testing of machines G01M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/36 Control for minimising NOx emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/38 Control for minimising smoke emissions, e.g. by applying smoke limitations on the fuel injection amount
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/00 Control systems adapted for specific engine types; Special features of engine control systems not otherwise provided for; Power supply, connectors or cabling for engine control systems
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/00 Controlling engines, such controlling being peculiar to the devices driven thereby, the devices being other than parts or accessories essential to engine operation, e.g. controlling of engines by signals external thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/04 peculiar to engines driving pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring, calculating, and/or optimizing engine emissions produced in operating motorized equipment in well site operations or other jobs are provided. In one embodiment, the methods comprise: providing a set of exhaust emissions rates for one or more engines at a job site as a function of a speed of each engine and total brake horsepower to be provided by each engine; identifying one or more operating speeds or transmission gears for the one or more engines during an operation at the job site based at least in part on the set of exhaust emissions rates for the one or more engines; and operating the one or more engines at the one or more operating speeds or transmission gears during an operation at the job site.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a set of exhaust emissions rates for one or more engines at a hydrocarbon well site as a function of a speed of each engine and total brake horsepower to be provided by each engine, wherein the total brake horsepower is based on an external parasitic load for the engine and an internal parasitic load for the engine, wherein the external parasitic load includes power output by the one or more engines that is not used to generate hydraulic horsepower;

identifying one or more operating speeds or transmission gears for the one or more engines during an operation at the job site based at least in part on the set of exhaust emissions rates for the one or more engines without reference to any of a fuel consumption and a fuel consumption rate of any of the one or more engines; and

reducing exhaust emissions of the one or more engines by operating the one or more engines at the one or more operating speeds or transmission gears during an operation at the job site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the set of exhaust emission rates comprises nitrogen dioxide emission rates, nitrogen monoxide emission rates, carbon monoxide emission rates, carbon dioxide emission rates, hydrocarbon emission rates, particulate matter emission rates, and any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining the external parasitic load for the one or more engines.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the job site comprises a well site wherein a well bore has been drilled to penetrate at least a portion of a subterranean formation.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the operation comprises at least a portion of a subterranean fracturing operation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying one or more operating speeds for the one or more engines comprises identifying the speed at which one or more of the exhaust emission rates is the lowest for a predetermined total brake horsepower.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more operating speeds for the one or more engines are identified independent of fuel consumption rates.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising adjusting the operating speeds or transmission gears of the one or more engines during the operation at the job site based at least in part the operating speeds for the one more engines identified substantially in or near real time with the operation.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein a computer processor automatically adjusts the operating speeds or transmission gears of the one or more engines during the operation at the job site based at least in part the operating speeds for the one more engines identified substantially in or near real time with the operation.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the steps of calculating a set of exhaust emissions rates for one or more engines at a job site and identifying one or more operating speeds or transmission gears for the one or more engines during an operation at the job site is performed at a location remote from the job site.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more engines comprise a plurality of engines at a job site.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying one or more operating speeds or transmission gears for the plurality of engines comprises identifying the combination of speeds at which the sum of the exhaust emission rates for the plurality of engines is the lowest for a preselected set of brake horsepower loads for the plurality of engines.

13. A control system comprising:

at least one data processor;

a memory comprising data for a set of exhaust emissions rates for one or more engines at a hydrocarbon well site as a function of a speed of each engine and total brake horsepower to be provided by each engine, wherein the total brake horsepower is based on an external parasitic load for the engine and an internal parasitic load for the engine, wherein the external parasitic load includes power output by the one or more engines that is not used to generate hydraulic horsepower; and

a memory comprising executable instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one data processor to

identify one or more operating speeds or transmission gears for the one or more engines during an operation at the job site based at least in part on the set of exhaust emissions rates for the one or more engines without reference to any of a fuel consumption and a fuel consumption rate of any of the one or more engines, and

reduce exhaust emissions of the one or more engines by operating the one or more engines at the one or more operating speeds or transmission gears during an operation at the job site.

14. The control system of claim 13 wherein the executable instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one data processor to adjust the operating speeds or transmission gears of the one or more engines during the operation at the job site based at least in part the operating speeds for the one more engines identified substantially in or near real time with the operation.

15. The control system of claim 13 further comprising an external communications interface communicatively coupled to the data processor, wherein the external communications interface is communicatively coupled to a network and permits data from the control system to be remotely accessed by a computer system communicatively coupled to the network.

16. A method comprising:

plotting and curve-fitting a set of exhaust emissions rates for one or more engines at a hydrocarbon well site as a function of total brake horsepower load and engine speed to generate a formula for the exhaust emissions of the engine, wherein the total brake horsepower is based on an external parasitic load for the one or more engines and an internal parasitic load for the one or more engines, wherein the external parasitic load includes power output by the one or more engines that is not used to generate hydraulic horsepower;

using the formula for the exhaust emissions of an engine to identify one or more operating speeds or transmission gears for the one or more engines during an operation at the job site without reference to any of a fuel consumption and a fuel consumption rate of any of the one or more engines; and

reducing exhaust emissions of the one or more engines by operating the one or more engines at the one or more operating speeds or transmission gears during an operation at the job site.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of determining the external parasitic load for the one or more engines.