LINEAR ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR AN OILFIELD PUMP

• US 20080264625A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Ochoa, Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/740,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20080264625A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/68.5
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/03 driven by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/042 the solenoid motor being separated from the fluid flow

Abstract

An oilfield pump employing a linear electric motor. The linear electric motor replaces a conventional crankshaft or hydraulic techniques for driving a plunger of the pump. This may reduce the number of equipment parts and amount of maintenance expenses associated with the operation of oilfield pumps. Furthermore, the use of a linear electric motor may also increase the precision and control over the fluid delivery provided by the pump assembly.

Claims

1. An oilfield pump assembly comprising:

a plunger for reciprocating relative to a chamber to direct a fluid therefrom; and

a linear electrical motor coupled to said plunger for the reciprocating.

2. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 1 further comprising a fluid end to house the chamber, the chamber coupled to a cylinder of the linear electric motor to accommodate a rear of said plunger.

3. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 2 wherein said linear electric motor comprises a stator adjacent the cylinder to electromagnetically actuate linear movement of said rear.

4. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 3 wherein said stator comprises an array of magnets and cooling fins.

5. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 3 wherein said rear comprises:

a ferrous core; and

an outer layer of bands selected from a group consisting of copper and iron.

6. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 3 wherein said movement is substantially frictionless.

7. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 1 wherein the reciprocating is to direct the fluid to a well at an oilfield for a well services operation thereat.

8. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 7 wherein the well services operation is one of drilling, fracturing, cementing, and dosing.

9. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 7 wherein the oilfield pump assembly is a first oilfield pump assembly coupled to the well, the well coupled to a second oilfield pump assembly for obtaining fluid therefrom.

10. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 2 wherein said fluid end is one of a triplex configuration and a singular configuration.

11. An oilfield pump assembly comprising:

a plunger for reciprocating relative to a chamber to direct a fluid therefrom;

a primary linear electric motor coupled to said plunger for the reciprocating; and

a secondary linear electric motor coupled to said primary linear electric motor for increased power of the reciprocating.

12. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 11 wherein the increased power of the reciprocating is to direct the fluid under a pressure of more than about 15,000 PSI.

13. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 12 wherein the reciprocating is to direct the fluid to a well for a fracturing operation thereat.

14. An oilfield pump assembly comprising:

a primary pump fluid end;

a secondary pump fluid end;

a plunger for reciprocating between a chamber of said primary pump fluid end and a chamber of said secondary pump fluid end to direct fluid from the chambers; and

a linear electric motor disposed between said primary pump fluid end and said secondary pump fluid end and coupled to said plunger for the reciprocating.

15. The oilfield pump assembly of claim 14 wherein the reciprocating is to direct the fluid to a well for a drilling operation thereat.

16. A method of performing a well services operation in a well at an oilfield, the method comprising:

powering a linear electric motor with an electric power source at the oilfield, the linear electric motor coupled to a plunger; and

employing the linear electric motor to reciprocate the plunger relative to a chamber to direct a well services fluid therefrom and to the well.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the well services operation is one of drilling, fracturing, cementing, and dosing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the well services operation comprises cementing a borehole casing, and wherein the well services fluid comprises a cement slurry.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

driving the cement slurry into the borehole casing through a cementing pipe terminating within the borehole casing; and

forcing the cement slurry into a space between the borehole casing and a wall of the well for stabilization of the borehole casing.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said driving and said forcing occur under pressurization of between about 1,500 PSI and about 15,000 PSI.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said powering delivers between about 150 KW and about 600 KW to the linear electric motor.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the linear electric motor operates at between about 200 Hp and about 800 Hp.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the linear electric motor operates in an electromagnetic polyphase manner.