Devices And Methods For Landfill Gas Well Monitoring And Control

• US 20150226045A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Q.E.D. Environmental Systems, Inc. (Graco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Graco Minnesota Incorporated (Graco Incorporated)
• Inventors: FISCHER, David A., MIODUSZEWSKI, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,029,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/006 Shafts or wells in waste dumps
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/03 Well heads; Setting-up thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/025 Chokes or valves in wellheads and sub-sea wellheads for variably regulating fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/12 Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions

Abstract

A landfill well control system is disclosed which provides the ability to input a user selected set point to control a flow related variable at a landfill wellhead. A flow control actuator controls movement of a landfill gas (LFG) flow control valve. A sensor may be used for sensing the flow related variable. A controller is operably associated with the flow control actuator and the sensor. A user interface has a set selection for enabling a set point associated with the flow related variable, which is to be controlled by the system, to be input by the user. The controller operates to control the LFG flow control valve as needed to maintain the set point in an autopilot-like fashion.

Claims

1. A landfill well control system, comprising:

a landfill gas (LFG) wellhead flow control valve;

a flow control actuator for controlling movement of the LFG flow control valve;

a sensor for sensing a flow related variable;

a controller operably associated with the flow control actuator and the sensor;

a user interface including a set selection for enabling a set point associated with the flow related variable, which is to be controlled by the system, to be input to the system by a user; and

wherein the controller thereafter operates to control the LFG flow control valve as needed to maintain the set point in an autopilot-like fashion.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless, hand-holdable personal electronic device configured to communicate with the controller, the wireless, hand-holdable device including a software monitoring application having a table, the table having data correlating related to helping a user determine a desired landfill gas output flow rate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow control actuator comprises an electronically controlled, powered flow control device actuator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes an alphanumeric keyboard.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a display.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile memory in communication with the controller.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface port having at least one of:

an RS-232 interface;

an RS-422 interface; and

a USB interface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a transducer for sensing at least one of pressure or applied vacuum.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a battery for powering the system.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a short range, wireless, digital transceiver for enabling the controller to communicate with additional wellheads which form a network of independent wellheads at a landfill.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to communicate with at least one cloud-based subsystem.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller and user interface form subassemblies of a combination unit, and wherein the combination communicates with the flow control actuator to control the flow control actuator.

13. A landfill well control system, comprising:

a landfill gas (LFG) flow control valve;

an electrically powered flow control actuator for controlling movement of the LFG flow control valve;

a sensor for sensing a flow related variable;

a combination unit in communication with the electrically powered flow control actuator, the combination unit including;

a controller in communication with the sensor and the electrically powered flow control actuator;

a non-volatile memory in communication with the controller;

a user interface in communication with the controller and including a set selection for enabling a set point associated with the flow related variable, which is to be controlled by the system, to be input to the combination unit by a user; and

wherein the controller thereafter operates to control the LFG flow control valve as needed to maintain the set point in an auto pilot-like fashion.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a flow measurement element provided at the LFG flow control valve producing differential pressures proportional to the landfill gas flow (LFG) rate, the differential pressures converted to signals for use by the controller in controlling positioning of the LFG flow control valve and being communicated as needed to the controller to maintain the set point.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a mobile hand-held personal electronic device operating in wireless communication with the combination unit, the mobile hand-held personal electronic device including stored information which assists the user in determining a flow control valve position to achieve a desired LFG flow rate through the LFG flow control valve.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the combination unit further includes a low power, short range, wireless digital radio for communicating wirelessly with an external subsystem.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the digital radio is used to communicate wirelessly with one or more other additional wellheads in a mesh network of wellheads at the landfill.

18. A method for controlling a flow of a landfill gas (LFG) through a wellhead at a landfill well, the method comprising:

providing a landfill gas (LFG) flow control valve;

using a flow control actuator for controlling movement of the LFG flow control valve;

using a sensor for sensing a flow related variable;

using a controller to electronically to communicate with the sensor and to control the flow control actuator;

using a user interface including a set selection for enabling a set point associated with the flow related variable to be controlled by the system, to be input by a user; and

using the controller to thereafter control the flow control actuator, to in turn control the LFG flow control valve, as needed to maintain the set point input by the user in an auto pilot-like fashion.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising using a personal electronic device to communicate with the controller and to assist in controlling operation of the LFG flow control valve.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising using the system to control at least one of:

LFG flow rate;

or

vacuum being applied to the wellhead.

21. A landfill well control system, comprising:

a landfill gas (LFG) flow control valve for controlling an LFG flow through a wellhead assembly;

an electrically powered flow control actuator for controlling movement of the LFG flow control valve;

a sensor for sensing a vacuum level for an applied vacuum being applied to an interior area of a discharge pipe of the wellhead assembly;

a combination unit in communication with the electrically powered flow control actuator, the combination unit including;

a controller in communication with the sensor and the electrically powered flow control actuator;

a non-volatile memory in communication with the controller;

a user interface in communication with the controller and including a set selection for enabling a set point associated with the applied vacuum, which is to be controlled by the system, to be input to the combination unit by a user; and

wherein the controller thereafter operates to control the LFG flow control valve as needed to maintain the set point for the applied vacuum in an auto pilot-like fashion.