Automatic pump speed controller

• US 4,076,458 A
• Filed: 05/07/1975
• Issued: 02/28/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whittaker Corp (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Whittaker Corp (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Ray L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Freeh, William L.
• Application Number:
  US05/575,445
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 417/12, 417/26, 417/28, 417/44, 417/46, 417/47, 417/52, 417/18, 417/63, 417/22, 417/4-8
• US Class Current: 417/46
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/08 the motors being actuated by fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/103 Responsive to speed

Abstract

An automatic pump speed controller for controlling and maintaining the strokes per minute of a down-hole oil well pump and providing signals on the surface indicating the actual strokes per minute of the pump. The automatic pump speed controller comprises a means for measuring the strokes per minute of the pump, and a means for adjusting the pump to correspond to a preselected stroke per minute value. The automatic pump speed controller also provides for a visual read out of the actual strokes per minute of the pump which enables an observer to obtain this information. In the present invention, pressure pulses from the pump are transmitted to the invented automatic pump controller on the surface and are monitored. If the pulses indicate that the pump is operating at a rate different than the preselected rate, the controller is adapted to automatically readjust the pump to conform to the preselected rate. Because the invented controller is ably to quickly and efficiency control the pump rate, the efficiency of the oil well is greatly increased.

Claims

1. Apparatus for pumping oil from an oil well comprising:

(a) a reciprocating piston hydraulic pump located down the bore hole of the oil well remote from the surface;

(b) means for operating said hydraulic pump for causing said pump to reciprocate to pump oil from said down hole location remote from the surface, said pump generating pressure pulses with each stroke of the piston of said pump, which pressure pulses travel from the pump to the surface;

(c) means located at the surface of said oil well for sensing the said pressure pulses generated by said remotely located down hole reciprocating piston hydraulic pump, and for generating a signal representative of the rate of the pressure pulses sensed per unit of time and thereby of the speed in strokes per unit time of said remotely located down hole reciprocating piston pump;

(d) input means for enabling the selection of a predetermined pumping rate for said pump and for generating a signal representative of the said selected pumping rate in strokes per unit time;

(e) comparator means coupled to said input means and to said signal generating means for comparing said selected pumping rate signal with said actual pumping rate signal and for generating a difference signal representative of the difference between the actual and selected pumping rates; and

(f) means for adjusting said pumping rate of said pump, said means for adjusting said pumping rate being coupled to said pump and to said comparator means such that when said actual pumping rate differs from said predetermined pumping rate, said means for adjusting said pumping rate is activated and causes said pump to conform to said predetermined rate.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for adjusting said pumping rate comprises a throttle valve.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, in addition thereto, a computer interface is coupled to said controller, said computer interface adapted to control and monitor said hydraulic pump controller from a remote location.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for sensing said pressure pulses comprises a transducer, said transducer being adapted to convert said pressure pulses received from said pump into electric signals representative of said actual pumping rate of said pump.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said input means for selecting a predetermined pumping rate is a variable switch, said variable switch being adapted to be set at any of a number of predetermined positions, each said position corresponding to a different pumping rate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 where said variable switch is a series of digital input thumbwheel switches.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said hydraulic pump is powered by a flow of power oil, said flow of power oil being adjusted by said means for adjusting said pumping rate.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for adjusting said pumping rate is a throttle valve;

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said controller comprises in addition thereto, a signal processor, said signal processor adpated to receive signals from said pump and to select that signal which corresponds approximately to the actual pumping rate of said pump.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said signal processor is coupled to said means for measuring said actual pressure pulses.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said means for measuring said pressure pulses is a transducer, said transducer is adapted to convert said pressure pulses received from said pump into electrical signals whereby said electrical signals are transmitted to said signal processor.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein in addition thereto, a visual indicator for indicating the pump speed of said pump is provided, said visual indicator is coupled to said comparator means, said indicator being adapted to indicate the actual pumping rate of said pump.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said visual indicator is a series of light-emitting diodes.

14. A pump controller coupled to a down-hole oil well reciprocating piston hydraulic pump, said hydraulic pump creating a pressure pulse for each stroke of said pump, the rate of said pressure pulses corresponding to the pumping rate, which pressure pulses travel up the said well to the surface, said controller comprising:

a transducer coupled to said pump for sensing said pressure pulses of said pump in strokes per unit time and for converting said sensed pulses into an electric signal representative of said rate of said pulses and thus of said actual pumping rate;

(b) input means for enabling the selection of a predetermined pumping rate of said pump and for generating a signal representative of the said selected pumping rate in strokes per unit time;

(c) a signal processor, said signal processor coupled to said transducer, said signal processor adapted to receive siad signals from said transducer and to produce an output signal representative of the actual pumping rate of said pump;

(d) comparator means for comparing said predetermined pumping rate signal with said actual pumping rate signal, said comparator means coupled to said transducer and to said signal processor and generating a difference signal; and

(e) means for adjusting said pumping rate being coupled to said pump and to said comparator means to receive said difference signal such that when said actual pumping rate differs from said predetermined pumping rate, said means for adjusting said pumping rate is activated and causes said pump to conform to said predetermined rate.

15. The controller as defined in claim 14 wherein said input means comprises a variable switch, said variable switch being adapted to be set at any of a number of predetermined positions, each said position corresponding to a different pumping rate.

16. The controller as defined in claim 15 wherein said variable switch varies from 0-999 strokes per minute.

17. The controller as defined in claim 14 wherein, in addition thereto, a means for transmitting said pumping rate to a receiving location is coupled to said controller.

18. The controller as defined in claim 17 wherein said transmitting means is adapted to vary said pumping rate of said down-hole hydraulic pump.

19. A pump controller for controlling and measuring the pump rate of a down-hole reciprocating piston hydraulic pump, said hydraulic pump creating a pressure pulse for each stroke of said pump corresponding to the pumping rate which pressure pulse then travels up the said well to the surface, said controller comprising:

(a) a transducer coupled to said pump for sensing said pressure pulses of said pump in strokes per unit time, said transducer adapted to convert said pressure pulses into electric signals representative of said actual pumping rate;

(b) input means for enabling the selection of a desired pumping rate for said pump and for generating a signal representative of the said selected pumping rate in strokes per unit time, said input means being adapted to be set at a number of predetermined positions, each said position corresponding to a different pumping rate;

(c) a signal processor, said signal processor coupled to said transducer, said signal processor adapted to receive and filter said electric signal from said transducer and to produce an output signal which corresponds to the actual pumping rate of said pump;

(d) counting means, said counting means coupled to said signal processor, said counting means being adapted to receive said output signal from said signal processor which corresponds to said actual pumping rate of said pump, said counting means counting each said signal for a selected period of time to determine said measured pumping rate of said pump;

(e) comparator means for comparing said predetermined pumping rate with said actual pumping rate, said comparator means coupled to said transducer and to said counting means; and

(f) means for adjusting said pumping rate of said pump, said means for adjusting said pumping rate coupled to said pump and to said comparator means such that when said actual pumping rate differs from said predetermined pumping rate, said means for adjusting said pump rate is activated and causes said pump to conform to said selected rate.

20. The controller as defined in claim 19 wherein said means for adjusting said pumping rate of said pump comprises a motor and throttle valve, said motor coupled to said comparator and to said throttle valve, said motor being adapted to selectively open or close said throttle valve when said measured pumping rate differs from said predetermined pumping rate.

21. The controller as defined in claim 19 wherein in addition thereto, a visual indicator for indicating the pump speed of said pump is provided, said visual indicator is coupled to said comparator means, said indicator being adapted to indicate the actual pumping rate of said pump.

22. The controller as defined in claim 21 wherein said visual indicator is a series of light-emitting diodes.

23. The controller as defined in claim 19 wherein, in addition thereto, a means for transmitting said pumping rate to a receiving location is coupled to said controller.

24. The controller as defined in claim 23 wherein said transmitting means is adapted to vary said pumping rate of said downhole hydraulic pump.

25. In an oil well field having at least one oil well having a down-hole well reciprocating piston hydraulic pump, said hydraulic pump creating a pressure pulse for each stroke of said pump corresponding to the actual pumping rate which then travels up said well to the surface, the improvement which comprises a pump controller for controlling the pumping rate of said pump, said controller comprising:

(a) means for sensing said pressure pulses of said pump in strokes per unit time and for generating a signal representative of said actual pumping rate;

(b) input means for enabling the selection of a predetermined pumping rate of said pump and for generating a signal representative of the said selected pumping rate in strokes per unit time;

(c) comparator means for comparing said selected pumping rate signal with said actual pumping rate signal, said comparator means coupled to said input means and to said means for generating said actual pumping rate signal and generating a difference signal; and

(d) means for adjusting said pumping rate of said pump, said means for adjusting said pumping rate being coupled to said comparator means to receive said difference signal such that when said actual pumping rate differs from said predetermined pumping rate, said means for adjusting said pumping rate is activated and causes said pump to conform to said predetermined rate.

26. The oil well field as defined in claim 25 wherein said means for adjusting said pumping rate is a throttle valve.

27. The oil well field as defined in claim 25 wherein said controller further comprises a signal processor, said signal processor coupled to said sensing and generating means and processing that signal which corresponds approximately to the actual pumping rate of said pump.

28. The oil well field as defined in claim 25 wherein there are a plurality of oil wells each having a controller coupled thereto.