Detecting Damage in an Oilfield Mixing Device

• US 20160320347A1
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Moakler, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 9,989,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/062 by mixing components
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/003 of rotating machines G01H1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/00 Testing of machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/015 Attenuation, scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/46 by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis or wavelet analysis spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14

Abstract

Information relating to vibration of a rotating component of an oilfield mixing device is obtained. The oilfield mixing device is operable to blend oilfield materials while the rotating component rotates. Damage sustained by the rotating component is then determined based on the obtained information.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a system operable to indicate that damage has been sustained by a rotating component of an oilfield mixing device that is operable for blending oilfield materials, wherein the system comprises;

a sensor connected with the oilfield mixing device and operable to generate information related to vibration of the rotating component; and

a monitoring device in communication with the sensor and operable to determine an amplitude of the generated information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the oilfield mixing device is a vortex mixing device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the rotating component is a slinger of the vortex mixing device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the system is operable to estimate an amount of erosion of the rotating component based on the determined amplitude.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer operable to generate the information related to vibration of the rotating component.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the accelerometer is a multi-axis accelerometer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a first sensor, and wherein the system further comprises a second sensor operable to generate information related to rotational speed and/or phase angle of the rotating component.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the information generated by the first and second sensors are indicative of:

an amount of damage sustained by the rotating component due to prolonged exposure to the oilfield materials; and

a location of the damage on the rotating component.

9. A method, comprising:

obtaining information relating to vibration of a rotating component of an oilfield mixing device, wherein the oilfield mixing device is operable to blend oilfield materials while the rotating component rotates; and

detecting damage sustained by the rotating component based on the obtained information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the oilfield mixing device is vortex mixing device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the rotating component is a slinger of the vortex mixing device.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein detecting damage sustained by the rotating component comprises estimating an amount of erosion sustained by the rotating component based on the obtained information, and wherein the erosion sustained by the rotating component is caused by prolonged exposure to the oilfield materials.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein detecting damage sustained by the rotating component comprises:

determining an amplitude of the obtained information; and

estimating an amount of damage sustained by the rotating component based on the determined amplitude.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising estimating remaining life of the rotating component based on the estimated amount of damage sustained by the rotating component.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the amplitude of the obtained information comprises determining the amplitude at a frequency that distinguishes vibration of the rotating component from vibration of other components of the oilfield mixing device.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises:

collecting information relating to rotational speed and/or phase angle of the rotating component; and

estimating a location of the detected damage on the rotating component based on the collected information.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein obtaining the information relating to vibration of the rotating and detecting damage sustained by the rotating component is performed without disassembling the rotating component from the oilfield mixing device.

18. A method, comprising:

detecting vibrations generated by a plurality of rotating components of an oilfield mixing device;

associating the detected vibrations with corresponding ones of the plurality of rotating components based on a corresponding plurality of frequencies of the detected vibrations;

determining an amplitude of the detected vibrations at one of the plurality of frequencies corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of rotating components; and

detecting damage sustained by the selected one of the plurality of rotating components based on the determined amplitude.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising estimating remaining life of the selected one of the plurality of rotating components based on the determined amplitude and/or the detected damage.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

detecting rotational speed and/or phase angle of the selected one of the plurality of rotating components; and

estimating a location of the detected damage on the selected one of the plurality of rotating components based on the detected rotational speed and/or phase angle.