Monitoring lubricant in hydraulic fracturing pump system

• US 10,436,766 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPM Oil & Gas Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SPM Flow Control Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bayyouk, Jacob A., Stewart, Trever
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US15/289,462
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/05 driven by internal-combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2201/0402 Lubricating oil temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2201/0404 Lubricating oil condition
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/02 the driving mechanisms being situated at ground level F04B47/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/18 Lubricating
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 29/00 Special means in lubricating arrangements or systems providing for the indication or detection of undesired conditions; Use of devices responsive to conditions in lubricating arrangements or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus is adapted to monitor lubricant in a hydraulic fracturing pump system, and includes a gateway and one or more sensors configured to be in communication with the gateway. The one or more sensors are configured to measure quality of the lubricant, a pressure of the lubricant, and a temperature of the lubricant. The gateway is configured to receive sensor data associated with the quality of the lubricant, the pressure of the lubricant, and the temperature of the lubricant. To monitor the lubricant, the gateway is configured to: store the sensor data on the non-transitory computer readable medium; transmit to another computing device the sensor data and/or representative data based on the sensor data; visually indicate a status of the quality of the lubricant; visually indicate a status of the pressure of the lubricant; visually indicate a status of the temperature of the lubricant; or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A monitoring apparatus adapted to monitor lubricant in a hydraulic fracturing pump system, the monitoring apparatus comprising:

a gateway, comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium operably coupled thereto;

one or more sensors configured to be in communication with the gateway;

wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure;

a quality of the lubricant;

a pressure of the lubricant; and

a temperature of the lubricant;

wherein the gateway is configured to receive, from the one or more sensors, sensor data associated with the quality of the lubricant, the pressure of the lubricant, and the temperature of the lubricant;

wherein, to monitor the lubricant, the gateway is configured to;

store the sensor data on the non-transitory computer readable medium;

transmit to another computing device the sensor data and/or representative data based on the sensor data;

visually indicate a status of the quality of the lubricant;

visually indicate a status of the pressure of the lubricant;

visually indicate a status of the temperature of the lubricant;

or any combination thereof; and

wherein the hydraulic fracturing pump system comprises;

an engine,

a transmission operably coupled to the engine, and

a reciprocating pump assembly operably coupled to the transmission, the reciprocating pump assembly comprising a crankshaft via which the transmission is operably coupled to the reciprocating pump so that the engine is configured to rotate the crankshaft, via the transmission, to drive the reciprocating pump assembly;

a crankshaft rotation sensor configured to be in communication with the gateway; and

an element configured to rotate along with the crankshaft and defining first and second outer-diameter transition regions;

wherein the crankshaft rotation sensor is configured to count a number of times the crankshaft rotates;

wherein the crankshaft rotation sensor comprises a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor comprising a distal end configured to be proximate the element when the element rotates along with the crankshaft;

wherein the first and second outer-diameter transition regions are circumferentially spaced; and

wherein the proximity sensor is configured to detect each of the two outer-diameter transition regions as it rotates past the distal end of the proximity sensor.

2. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic fracturing pump system further comprises a lubricant source and a fluid line via which the reciprocating pump assembly is in fluid communication with the lubricant source;

and

wherein the quality, pressure, and temperature of the lubricant is the quality, pressure, and temperature, respectively, of the lubricant when the lubricant is in the fluid line.

3. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise:

a first sensor configured to measure the quality of the lubricant;

a second sensor configured to measure the pressure of the lubricant; and

a third sensor configured to measure the temperature of the lubricant;

wherein each of the first, second, and third sensors is configured to be in communication with the gateway.

4. The monitoring apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus further comprises a sensor connector, the sensor connector comprising:

a body, the body defining a longitudinally-extending flow passage through which the lubricant is configured to flow; and

a plurality of radially-extending openings formed in the body;

wherein the first, second, and third sensors are configured to be connected to the body via respective ones of the radially-extending openings.

5. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the element comprises a collar, the collar comprising first and second arcuate sections defining first and second outer diameters, respectively;

wherein the first and second diameters are different in that the first outer diameter is greater than the second outer diameter; and

wherein the difference between the first and second outer diameters defines the first and second outer-diameter transition regions.

6. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second outer-diameter transition regions are circumferentially spaced by about 180 degrees.

7. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a GPS antenna configured to be operably coupled to the gateway; and

one or more antennas configured to be operably coupled to the gateway;

wherein the gateway is configured to;

interpret GPS location coordinates received via the GPS antenna; and

send information identifying the location of the hydraulic fracturing pump system to another computing device via the one or more other antennas.

8. The monitoring apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more antennas comprise at least one of a cellular antenna and a satellite antenna.

9. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gateway is configured to visually indicate the status of the quality of the lubricant by activating one of a plurality of LED states.

10. A method of monitoring lubricant in a hydraulic fracturing pump system positioned at a location, the hydraulic fracturing pump system comprising an engine, a transmission operably coupled to the engine, and a reciprocating pump assembly operably coupled to the transmission, the reciprocating pump assembly comprising a crankshaft via which the transmission is operably coupled to the reciprocating pump so that the engine is configured to rotate the crankshaft, via the transmission, to drive the reciprocating pump assembly, and an element configured to rotate along with the crankshaft, the element defining first and second outer-diameter transition regions spaced circumferentially, the method comprising:

detecting, using a gateway and a proximity sensor comprising a distal end proximate the element when the element rotates along with the crankshaft, the two outer-diameter transition regions as the element rotates past the distal end of the proximity sensor to determine a RPM of the crankshaft;

detecting, using the gateway and the RPM of the crankshaft, one or more events associated with the lubricant in the hydraulic fracturing pump system, wherein the detected one or more events comprise at least one of the following;

a temperature of the lubricant has exceeded a first threshold;

the temperature of the lubricant has not reached a second threshold;

a pressure of the lubricant pressure has exceeded a third threshold;

the pressure of the lubricant has not reached a fourth threshold; and

the quality of the lubricant has changed; and

activating, using the gateway and/or a computing device in communication therewith, one or more alarms to indicate the existence of the detected one or more events.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting the one or more events comprises:

measuring, using one or more sensors operably coupled to the gateway, one or more physical properties associated with the reciprocating pump assembly;

sending sensor data associated with the one or more physical properties from the one or more sensors to the gateway; and

comparing, using the gateway or a computing device in communication therewith, the sensor data or representative data based thereon with one or more thresholds.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying, using a GPS antenna operably coupled to the gateway, the location of the hydraulic fracturing pump system;

wherein the one or more alarms also indicate the location of the detected one or more events; and

wherein identifying the location of the hydraulic fracturing pump system comprises;

interpreting, using the gateway, GPS location coordinates received via the GPS antenna; and

sending information identifying the location of the hydraulic fracturing pump system to another computing device via one or more other antennas that are operably coupled to the gateway.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the hydraulic fracturing pump system further comprises a lubricant source and a fluid line via which the reciprocating pump assembly is in fluid communication with the lubricant source;

and

wherein the quality, pressure, and temperature of the lubricant is the quality, pressure, and temperature, respectively, of the lubricant when the lubricant is in the fluid line.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the one or more events comprises:

connecting a sensor connector to the fluid line so that the sensor connector is in fluid communication with the fluid line;

connecting one or more sensors to the sensor connector, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of the following;

a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and an oil quality sensor;

wherein the one or more sensors are in communication with the gateway.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the detected one or more events comprise at least one of the following:

the reciprocating pump assembly has become active;

the reciprocating pump assembly has become inactive; and

the operational life of the reciprocating pump assembly has reached or exceeded a fifth threshold.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the element comprises a collar, the collar comprising first and second arcuate sections defining first and second outer diameters, respectively;

wherein the first and second diameters are different in that the first outer diameter is greater than the second outer diameter; and

wherein the difference between the first and second outer diameters defines the first and second outer-diameter transition regions.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second outer-diameter transition regions are circumferentially spaced by about 180 degrees.

18. A monitoring apparatus adapted to monitor a hydraulic fracturing pump system comprising an engine, a transmission operably coupled to the engine, and a reciprocating pump assembly operably coupled to the transmission, the reciprocating pump assembly comprising a crankshaft via which the transmission is operably coupled to the reciprocating pump so that the engine is configured to rotate the crankshaft, via the transmission, to drive the reciprocating pump assembly, the monitoring apparatus comprising:

an element configured to rotate along with the crankshaft;

wherein the element defines first and second outer-diameter transition regions; and

wherein the first and second outer-diameter transition regions are circumferentially spaced by about 180 degrees; and

a proximity sensor comprising a distal end configured to be proximate the element when the element rotates along with the crankshaft;

wherein the proximity sensor is configured to detect each of the two outer-diameter transition regions as it rotates past the distal end of the proximity sensor to count a number of times the crankshaft rotates.

19. The monitoring apparatus of claim 18, wherein the element comprises a collar, the collar comprising first and second arcuate sections defining first and second outer diameters, respectively;

wherein the first and second diameters are different in that the first outer diameter is greater than the second outer diameter; and

wherein the difference between the first and second outer diameters defines the first and second outer-diameter transition regions.

20. The monitoring apparatus of claim 18, further comprising the hydraulic fracturing pump system.