SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMPUTING, MONITORING, MEASURING, OPTIMIZING AND ALLOCATING POWER AND ENERGY FOR A ROD PUMPING SYSTEM

• US 20150091492A1
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BREX, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Long Meadow Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: DaCunha, Jeffrey J., Myers, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,279,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/702
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/126 Adaptations of down-hole pump systems powered by drives outside the borehole, e.g. by a rotary or oscillating drive powered by fluid E21B43/129
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/009 Monitoring of walking-beam pump systems
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/02 the driving mechanisms being situated at ground level F04B47/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/003 Measuring reactive component
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1331 Measuring real or reactive component, measuring apparent energy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/26 Power factor control [PFC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/022 Synchronous motors H02P25/064 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/024 controlled by supply frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/74 controlling two or more ac dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/06 Arrangements for speed regulation of a single motor wherein the motor speed is measured and compared with a given physical value so as to adjust the motor speed

Abstract

A system and methods are provided for controlling a motor of a rod pumping system using previous RPMs of the motor and predicting an RPM of the motor; correcting a power factor of a motor of a rod pumping system; allocating energy consumption and allocating energy generation for a set of wells connected to an electricity meter using an amount of energy generated by each well; and generating an alert if a set of data is beyond a threshold for the set of data.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a motor connected to a rod pumping system and switchably connected to a voltage supply, utilizing an energy monitoring device connected to the motor and the voltage supply, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a last RPM pulse of the motor;

measuring a new RPM pulse of the motor;

calculating an instant RPM from the new RPM pulse and the last RPM pulse;

measuring a present frequency of the voltage supply;

calculating a motor synchronous speed from the present frequency; and

,

determining a switch command based on the instant RPM and the motor synchronous speed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of setting the new RPM pulse as the last RPM pulse.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a switch command based on the instant RPM and the motor synchronous speed further comprises the step of:

determining a status of the voltage supply.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the instant RPM is greater than the motor synchronous speed if the status of the voltage supply is off; and

determining whether the instant RPM is less than the synchronous speed if the status of the voltage supply is on.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

sending a voltage-on command as the switch command if the status of the voltage supply is off and the instant RPM is not greater than the motor synchronous speed; and

,

sending a null command as the switch command if the status of the voltage supply is off and the instant RPM is greater than the motor synchronous speed.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

sending a voltage-off command as the switch command if the status of the voltage supply is on and the instant RPM is not less than the synchronous speed; and

,

sending a null command as the switch command if the status of the voltage supply is on and the instant RPM is less than the motor synchronous speed.

7. A method for controlling a motor connected to a rod pumping system and switchably connected to a voltage supply, utilizing an energy monitoring device connected to the motor and the voltage supply, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a present frequency of the motor;

calculating a motor synchronous speed from the present frequency;

determining at least one time increment;

determining at least one previous RPM pulse for the at least one time increment;

determining a switch command from the motor synchronous speed, the at least one previous time increment, the at least one previous RPM pulse, and a predicted RPM.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of recording a new previous time increment and a new previous RPM.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining a switch command from the motor synchronous speed, the at least one previous time increment, the at least one previous RPM pulse, and a predicted RPM further comprising the steps of:

generating at least one data point from the at least one previous time increment and the at least one previous RPM pulse;

fitting a curve to the at least one data point; and

,

determining a slope of the curve at a most recent data point.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of determining a status of the voltage supply.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the slope of the curve is greater than zero if the status of the voltage supply is on; and

sending a null command as the switch command if the slope of the curve is at most zero.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

determining an acceleration of the curve at the most recent data point if the slope of the curve is greater than zero;

determining whether the acceleration of the curve is at most zero if the status of the voltage supply is on;

calculating the predicted RPM;

determining whether the predicted RPM is at least equal to the motor synchronous speed;

sending a voltage-off command as the switch command if the predicted RPM is at least equal to the motor synchronous speed; and

,

sending a null command as the switch command if the predicted RPM is less than the motor synchronous speed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of calculating the predicted RPM further comprises the steps of:

calculating the predicted RPM by a first set of equations if the acceleration is at most zero; and

,

calculating the predicted RPM by a second set of equations if the acceleration is greater than zero.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the slope of the curve is at least zero if the status of the voltage supply is off; and

,

sending a null command to the switch as the switch command if the slope of the curve is at least zero.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

determining an acceleration of the curve at the most recent data point if the slope is less than zero;

determining whether the acceleration of the curve is at most zero if the status of the voltage supply is off;

calculating the predicted RPM;

determining whether the predicted RPM is at most equal to the motor synchronous speed;

sending a voltage-on command as the switch command to the switch if the predicted RPM is at most equal to the motor synchronous speed; and

,

sending a null command as the switch command if the predicted RPM is greater than the motor synchronous speed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of calculating the predicted RPM further comprises the steps of:

calculating the predicted RPM by a first set of equations if the acceleration is at most zero; and

,

calculating the predicted RPM by a second set of equations if the acceleration is greater than zero.

17. A system for controlling a motor connected to a rod pumping system and switchably connected to a voltage supply comprising:

an energy monitoring device connected to the motor and to the voltage supply, programmed to carry out the steps of;

measuring a present frequency of the voltage supply;

calculating a motor synchronous speed from the present frequency;

determining a voltage status of the motor;

determining a set of motor data; and

,

determining a switch command for the motor based on the motor synchronous speed, the status of the motor, and the set of motor data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the energy monitoring device is further programmed to carry out the steps of:

determining a last RPM pulse of the motor;

measuring a new RPM pulse of the motor;

calculating an instant RPM from the new RPM pulse and the last RPM pulse;

determining the switch command based on the voltage status, the instant RPM, and the motor synchronous speed.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the energy monitoring device is further programmed to carry out the steps of:

determining a set of previous time increments;

determining a previous RPM pulse for each of the set of previous time increments to generate a set of data points;

fitting a curve to the set of data points;

determining a slope of the curve; and

,

determining the switch command based on the voltage status and the slope.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the energy monitoring device is further programmed to carry out the steps of:

determining an acceleration of the curve;

calculating a predicted RPM based on the acceleration; and

,

determining the switch command based on the voltage status, the predicted RPM, and the motor synchronous speed.