Electrical submersible pump monitoring and failure prediction
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for monitoring and operating an electrical submersible pump disposed in a hydrocarbon well, the apparatus comprising:
- a logging system configured to record pump motor electrical current logs of the operating electrical power provided to a pump motor of the electrical submersible pump during pumping of well fluids;
a conditioning circuit configured to convert the pump motor electrical current logs to a format for processing;
a frequency spectrum analyzer configured to generate, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of energy density present during pumping of the well fluids in individual frequency ranges of a frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current;
a wavelet analyzer configured to generate, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of variations in signal time shift and frequency characteristics of the pump motor electrical current during pumping of the well fluids to identify variations of the pump motor dynamic behavior as functions of time, the wavelet analyzer configured to apply an adjustable wavelet to a pump motor electrical current waveform based on the pump motor electrical current logs to identify additional load on the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids;
a dynamic behavior analyzer module, comprising;
a signal embedding module configured to, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, superimpose a set of added time series signals of different characteristic frequencies into the pump motor electrical current logs to identify dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids from changes in the pump motor electrical current logs; and
a phase diagram reconstruction module configured to, based on the pump motor electrical current with the superimposed time series signals, sample the received pump motor electrical current with the superimposed time series signals at different time intervals and form a measure of the identified dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor based on fluctuations in the pump motor electrical current during pumping of the well fluids;
an interface module configured to generate pump motor diagnostic information for monitoring the behavior and performance of the pump motor to detect disturbances in performance of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids, the pump motor diagnostic information comprising;
(a) characteristic frequencies and amplitude peaks as a function of frequency in the frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current measures generated by the frequency spectrum analyzer;
(b) variations of signal time shift and frequency characteristics of the pump motor electrical current identifying variations of the pump motor dynamic behavior from the measures generated by the wavelet analyzer; and
(c) phase diagrams of the dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor formed by the phase diagram reconstruction module; and
a diagnostic system configured to;
predict, based on the pump motor diagnostic information, a failure of the pump motor; and
reduce, in response to predicting the failure of the pump motor, an operating speed of the pump motor.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Current supplied to electrical submersible pumps in wells is monitored, and signal processing based on wavelet analysis and phase diagram analysis is performed on the data obtained from monitoring. An incipient malfunction of the electrical submersible pump, such as one due to scale build-up in and around the pump, can be detected at an early stage.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for monitoring and operating an electrical submersible pump disposed in a hydrocarbon well, the apparatus comprising:
-
a logging system configured to record pump motor electrical current logs of the operating electrical power provided to a pump motor of the electrical submersible pump during pumping of well fluids; a conditioning circuit configured to convert the pump motor electrical current logs to a format for processing; a frequency spectrum analyzer configured to generate, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of energy density present during pumping of the well fluids in individual frequency ranges of a frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current; a wavelet analyzer configured to generate, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of variations in signal time shift and frequency characteristics of the pump motor electrical current during pumping of the well fluids to identify variations of the pump motor dynamic behavior as functions of time, the wavelet analyzer configured to apply an adjustable wavelet to a pump motor electrical current waveform based on the pump motor electrical current logs to identify additional load on the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids; a dynamic behavior analyzer module, comprising; a signal embedding module configured to, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, superimpose a set of added time series signals of different characteristic frequencies into the pump motor electrical current logs to identify dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids from changes in the pump motor electrical current logs; and a phase diagram reconstruction module configured to, based on the pump motor electrical current with the superimposed time series signals, sample the received pump motor electrical current with the superimposed time series signals at different time intervals and form a measure of the identified dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor based on fluctuations in the pump motor electrical current during pumping of the well fluids; an interface module configured to generate pump motor diagnostic information for monitoring the behavior and performance of the pump motor to detect disturbances in performance of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids, the pump motor diagnostic information comprising; (a) characteristic frequencies and amplitude peaks as a function of frequency in the frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current measures generated by the frequency spectrum analyzer; (b) variations of signal time shift and frequency characteristics of the pump motor electrical current identifying variations of the pump motor dynamic behavior from the measures generated by the wavelet analyzer; and (c) phase diagrams of the dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor formed by the phase diagram reconstruction module; and a diagnostic system configured to; predict, based on the pump motor diagnostic information, a failure of the pump motor; and reduce, in response to predicting the failure of the pump motor, an operating speed of the pump motor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An apparatus for monitoring and operating an electrical submersible pump disposed in a hydrocarbon well, the apparatus comprising:
-
a logging system configured to record pump motor electrical current logs of the operating electrical power provided to a pump motor of the electrical submersible pump during pumping of well fluids; a conditioning circuit configured to convert the pump motor electrical current logs to a format for processing; a frequency spectrum analyzer configured to generate, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of energy density present during pumping of the well fluids in individual frequency ranges of a frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current; a wavelet analyzer configured to generate, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of variations in signal time shift and frequency characteristics of the pump motor electrical current during pumping of the well fluids to identify variations of the pump motor dynamic behavior as functions of time, the wavelet analyzer configured to apply an adjustable wavelet to a pump motor electrical current waveform based on the pump motor electrical current logs to identify additional load on the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids; and an interface module configured to generate pump motor diagnostic information for monitoring the behavior and performance of the pump motor to detect disturbances in performance of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids, the pump motor diagnostic information comprising; (a) characteristic frequencies and amplitude peaks as a function of frequency in the frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current measures generated by the frequency spectrum analyzer; and (b) variations of signal characteristics from the measures generated by the wavelet analyzer; and a diagnostic system configured to; predict, based on the pump motor diagnostic information, a failure of the pump motor; and reduce, in response to predicting the failure of the pump motor, an operating speed of the pump motor. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An apparatus for monitoring and operating an electrical submersible pump disposed in a hydrocarbon well, the apparatus comprising:
-
a logging system configured to record pump motor electrical current logs of the operating electrical power provided to a pump motor of the electrical submersible pump during pumping of the well fluids; a conditioning circuit configured to convert the pump motor electrical current logs to a format for processing; a frequency spectrum analyzer configured to generate, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of energy density present during pumping of the well fluids in individual frequency ranges of a frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current; a dynamic behavior analyzer module, comprising; a signal embedding module configured to, based on the pump motor electrical current logs, superimpose a set of added time series signals of different characteristic frequencies into the pump motor electrical current logs to identify dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids from changes in the pump motor electrical current logs; and a phase diagram reconstruction module configured to, based on the pump motor electrical current with the superimposed time series signals sample the received pump motor electrical current with the superimposed time series signals at different time intervals and form a measure of the identified dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor based on fluctuations in the pump motor electrical current during pumping of the well fluids; an interface module configured to generate pump motor diagnostic information for monitoring the behavior and performance of the pump motor to detect disturbances in performance of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids, the pump motor diagnostic information comprising; (a) characteristic frequencies and amplitude peaks as a function of frequency in the frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current measures generated by the frequency spectrum analyzer; and (b) phase diagrams of the dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor formed by the phase diagram reconstruction module; and a diagnostic system configured to; predict, based on the pump motor diagnostic information, a failure of the pump motor; and reduce, in response to predicting the failure of the pump motor, an operating speed of the pump motor. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of monitoring and operating an electrical submersible pump disposed in a hydrocarbon well, the method comprising:
-
recording, by a logging system, pump motor electrical current logs of the operating electrical power provided to a pump motor during pumping of well fluids; converting, by a conditioning circuit, the pump motor electrical current logs to a format for processing; generating, by a frequency spectrum analyzer based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of energy density present during pumping of the well fluids in individual frequency ranges of a frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current; generating, by a wavelet analyzer based on the pump motor electrical current logs, measures of variations in signal time shift and frequency characteristics of the pump motor electrical current during pumping of the well fluids to identify variations of the pump motor dynamic behavior as functions of time; applying, by the wavelet analyzer, an adjustable wavelet to a pump motor electrical current waveform based on the pump motor electrical current logs to identify additional load on the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids; superimposing, by a signal embedding module of a dynamic behavior analyzer module, a set of added time series signals of different characteristic frequencies into the pump motor electrical current logs to identify dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids from changes in the pump motor electrical current logs; and sampling, by a phase diagram reconstruction module of the dynamic behavior analyzer module, the received pump motor electrical current logs with the superimposed time series signals at different time intervals; forming, by the phase diagram reconstruction module a measure of the identified dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor based on fluctuations in the pump motor electrical current during pumping of the well fluids; generating, by an interface module, pump motor diagnostic information for monitoring the behavior and performance of the pump motor to detect disturbances in performance of the pump motor during pumping of the well fluids, the pump motor diagnostic information comprising; (a) characteristic frequencies and amplitude peaks as a function of frequency in the frequency spectrum of the pump motor electrical current measures generated by the frequency spectrum analyzer; (b) variations of signal time shift and frequency characteristics of the pump motor electrical current identifying variations of the pump motor dynamic behavior from the measures generated by the wavelet analyzer; and (c) phase diagrams of the dynamic behavior performance changes of the pump motor formed by the phase diagram reconstruction module; predicting, based on the pump motor diagnostic information, a failure of the pump motor; and reducing, in response to predicting the failure of the pump motor, an operating speed of the pump motor. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification