Automatic vibratory separator

• US 20080128334A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Padalino, Norman Frank, Koederitz, William Leo, Guggari, Mallapa Ishwarappa, McClung, Guy LaMonte, Scott, Eric Landon, McDonough, Kevin Thomas, Seyffert, Kenneth Wayne, Stone, Lyndon Ray, Smith, George Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/977,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20080128334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/309
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/0315 arranged for inward flow filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/0376 supported
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/37 in parallel connection
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/722 containing fixed liquid displacement elements or cores
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/76 for discharging the filter cake, e.g. chutes
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/18 Control
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 2230/01 Wet separation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/065 Separating solids from drilling fluids

Abstract

Methods for automatically controlling a vibratory separator, e.g., but not limited to a shale shaker for processing drilling fluid, the methods in certain aspects including: introducing material to a vibratory separator; sensing with sensor apparatus a state parameter indicative of operation of the vibratory separator; providing a signal indicative of a value of said state parameter to control apparatus; and, with the control apparatus, automatically controlling the vibratory separator based on the level of the state parameter. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Claims

18. A method for automatically boosting acceleration of a basket of a vibratory separator, the method comprising

introducing material to a vibratory separator, the vibratory separator comprising a base, a basket movably mounted on the base and for supporting screen apparatus for treating material introduced into the vibratory separator, screen apparatus supported by the basket, the material flowing onto the screen apparatus for treatment, motor apparatus connected to the basket for vibrating the basket and the screen apparatus, drive apparatus for selectively driving the motor apparatus at a selected speed so that a desired force is applied to the screen apparatus to facilitate treatment of the material, sensor apparatus connected to the vibratory separator for sensing a parameter indicative of force applied by the motor apparatus, the sensor apparatus for providing a signal corresponding to a level of said force, control apparatus for receiving signals from the sensor apparatus, for controlling the vibratory separator based on said signals, and for automatically signalling the drive apparatus to control the speed of the motor apparatus to control said force,

sensing with the sensor apparatus the parameter indicative of said force and providing a signal indicative of a level of said force to the control apparatus, and

with the control apparatus determining if the level of said force is at least at a preset level and, if said force is not at said preset level, increasing the speed of the motor apparatus to change said force so that said preset level is met or exceeded, said increasing of said force resulting in a corresponding automatic increase in acceleration of the basket.

19. A method for automatically controlling a vibratory separator, the method comprising

introducing material to a vibratory separator, the vibratory separator comprising a base, a basket movably mounted on the base and for supporting screen apparatus for treating material introduced into the vibratory separator, the screen apparatus supported by the basket, the material flowing onto the screen apparatus for treatment, motor apparatus connected to the basket for vibrating the basket and the screen apparatus, drive apparatus for selectively driving the motor apparatus at a selected speed so that a desired force is applied to the screen apparatus to facilitate treatment of the material, sensor apparatus connected to the vibratory separator for sensing a state parameter associated with operation of the vibratory separator, the sensor apparatus for providing a signal corresponding to a measured level of said state parameter, control apparatus for receiving signals from the sensor apparatus, for controlling the vibratory separator based on said signals, and for automatically signalling the drive apparatus to control the speed of the motor apparatus to control said force,

sensing with the sensor apparatus a level of the state parameter and providing a signal indicative of said level to the control apparatus, and

with the control apparatus and based on said level signalling the drive apparatus to change the speed of the motor apparatus,

said state parameter comprising at least one of a vibratory separator parameter or a material parameter,

said material parameter comprising a drilling fluid parameter when said material is drilling fluid, including viscosity, temperature, flow rate, fluid level in the basket, specific gravity, solids content level, and solids stickiness level,

said vibratory separator parameter comprising a parameter associated with a shale shaker when the vibratory separator is a shale shaker, including acceleration amplitude, motion profile, basket angle, angle of attack, vibration frequency, and screen mesh of the screen apparatus.

20. A method for automatically controlling acceleration of a basket of a vibratory separator, the method comprising

introducing material to a vibratory separator, the vibratory separator comprising a base, a basket movably mounted on the base and for supporting screen apparatus for treating material introduced into the vibratory separator, screen apparatus supported by the basket, the material flowing onto the screen apparatus for treatment, motor apparatus connected to the basket for vibrating the basket and the screen apparatus, the motor apparatus applying force to the basket to accelerate the basket, drive apparatus for selectively driving the motor apparatus at a selected speed so that a desired acceleration is applied to the screen apparatus to facilitate treatment of the material, sensor apparatus connected to the vibratory separator for sensing a parameter indicative of acceleration applied by the motor apparatus, the sensor apparatus for providing a signal corresponding to a level of said acceleration, control apparatus for receiving signals from the sensor apparatus, for controlling the vibratory separator based on said signals, and for automatically signalling the drive apparatus to control the motor apparatus,

sensing with the sensor apparatus the parameter indicative of said acceleration and providing a signal indicative of said level to the control apparatus, and

with the control apparatus controlling the motor apparatus to automatically control said acceleration.

1. A method for automatically controlling a vibratory separator, the method comprising

introducing material to a vibratory separator, the vibratory separator comprising a base, a basket movably mounted on the base and for supporting screen apparatus for treating material introduced into the vibratory separator, screen apparatus supported by the basket, the material flowing onto the screen apparatus for treatment, motor apparatus connected to the basket for vibrating the basket and the screen apparatus, drive apparatus for selectively driving the motor apparatus at a selected speed so that a desired force is applied to the screen apparatus to facilitate treatment of the material, sensor apparatus connected to the vibratory separator for sensing a parameter indicative of force applied by the motor apparatus, the sensor apparatus for providing a signal corresponding to a level of said force, control apparatus for receiving signals from the sensor apparatus, for controlling the vibratory separator based on said signals, and for automatically signalling the drive apparatus to control the speed of the motor apparatus to control said force,

sensing with the sensor apparatus the parameter indicative of said force and providing a signal indicative of a level of said force to the control apparatus, and

with the control apparatus determining if the level of said force is acceptable and, if said level is not acceptable, changing said level to an acceptable level by signalling the drive apparatus to change the speed of the motor apparatus so that said level is acceptable.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the control apparatus automatically increases the speed of the motor apparatus to automatically increase the level of said force.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the vibratory separator is a shale shaker and the material is drilling fluid with solids therein.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the control apparatus is programmable computer apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the drive apparatus is a variable frequency drive apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor apparatus is accelerometer apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the vibratory separator includes material flow sensing apparatus, the control apparatus in communication with the material flow sensing apparatus to receive therefrom signals indicative of material flow rate, the method further comprising

controlling with the control apparatus the level of force applied by the motor apparatus based on material flow rate.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising

automatically increasing with the control apparatus the speed of the motor apparatus to increase the force applied by the motor apparatus when an increased material flow rate is sensed by the material flow sensing apparatus.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the material is drilling fluid with solids therewith.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the speed of the motor apparatus is increased to a predetermined value.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the control apparatus automatically controls the motor so that a constant force is applied by the motor apparatus.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the level of force is controlled by the control apparatus to achieve any of:

reducing energy consumption by the vibratory separator; and

applying a minimum necessary force to the material based on an amount of material being treated within the vibratory separator.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the drive apparatus of the vibratory separator has manually operable push-button apparatus including a mode push button for switching the vibratory separator between an automatic mode and a manual mode, the method further comprising

pushing the mode push button to switch the vibratory separator from manual mode to automatic mode.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the control apparatus is remote from the shale shaker and is in wireless communication with the sensor apparatus.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising

if the material flow sensing apparatus senses an increased material flow rate at a predetermined level for a predetermined time period, with the control apparatus increasing the level of force applied by the motor apparatus.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said increasing of the level of force inhibits flooding of the vibratory separator by material introduced thereto.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising

increasing the level of force applied by the motor apparatus for a predetermined time period.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising

temporarily increasing the acceleration to accommodate unusually high flow of the material to the vibratory separator.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising

varying the acceleration over a continuous range.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the sensor apparatus includes accelerometer apparatus for measuring basket acceleration, the method further comprising

feeding a signal from the accelerometer apparatus to the control apparatus, the signal indicative of actual acceleration of the basket,

comparing the signal to a desired acceleration value, and

changing the motor operation until the actual acceleration matches the desired acceleration.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the material is drilling fluid, the method further comprising

decreasing basket angle to tilt the basket fully uphill, and

upon the basket reaching a fully uphill position, automatically increasing basket acceleration to lower drilling fluid level in the basket.

22-1. The method of claim 20 wherein the material is drilling fluid and the method further comprising

controlling the acceleration to be constant under varying drilling fluid conditions.

25. A vibratory separator for treating fluid introduced thereto, the vibratory separator comprising

a base,

a basket movably mounted on the base,

screen apparatus on the basket for treating material introduced into the vibratory separator, the screen apparatus supported by the basket, the material flowable onto the screen apparatus for treatment,

motor apparatus connected to the basket for vibrating the basket and the screen apparatus,

drive apparatus for selectively driving the motor apparatus at a selected speed,

sensor apparatus connected to the vibratory separator for sensing a state parameter associated with operation of the vibratory separator, the sensor apparatus for providing signals corresponding to a level of said parameter,

control apparatus for receiving signals from the sensor apparatus, for controlling the vibratory separator based on said signals, the sensor apparatus for sensing the state parameter and providing a signal indicative of a level of said parameter to the control apparatus, and the control apparatus for automatically signalling the drive apparatus to control the motor apparatus based on a value of said state parameter.