Fluid mixing system
First Claim
1. A system for mixing a cement slurry in a well cementing operation, comprising:
- i) a liquid material supply including means for controlling the flow of liquid therefrom, and a first flow meter for determining the flow rate of liquid supplied therefrom;
ii) a solid cement supply including means for controlling the flow of solid cement supplied therefrom;
iii) a mixer which receives the liquid and solid cement from the liquid material supply and solid cement supply respectively and mixes them to form a slurry, and includes an output for delivering materials from the mixer, a second flow meter being located in the output for determining the flow rate of slurry from the mixer;
iv) a device for determining the variation over time of the amount of slurry in the mixer;
v) a delivery system connected to the output of the mixer for delivering the slurry to a well; and
vi) a monitoring system which determines the ratio of solid cement and liquid in the mixer from flow rates determined by the first and second flow meters and from the determined variation over time of the amount of slurry in the mixer;
wherein the means for controlling the flow of liquid and means for controlling the flow of solid cement are operated to control the relative amounts of solid and liquid material added to the mixer according to the determined ratio of solid cement and liquid in the mixer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for continuously mixing a borehole fluid such as cement includes using a measurement of the solid fraction of a cement slurry as it is being mixed to determine the ratio of the solid and liquid components to be added to the slurry. A system for mixing the includes a liquid material (water) supply including a flow meter; a solid material (cement) supply; a mixer which receives the liquid and solid materials and includes an output for delivering materials from the mixer to a delivery system; a device for measuring the amount of material in the mixer; and a flow meter in the output; wherein measurements from the flow meters and the device for measuring the amount of material in the mixer are used to control the amount of solid and/or liquid material added to the mixer.
99 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A system for mixing a cement slurry in a well cementing operation, comprising:
-
i) a liquid material supply including means for controlling the flow of liquid therefrom, and a first flow meter for determining the flow rate of liquid supplied therefrom;
ii) a solid cement supply including means for controlling the flow of solid cement supplied therefrom;
iii) a mixer which receives the liquid and solid cement from the liquid material supply and solid cement supply respectively and mixes them to form a slurry, and includes an output for delivering materials from the mixer, a second flow meter being located in the output for determining the flow rate of slurry from the mixer;
iv) a device for determining the variation over time of the amount of slurry in the mixer;
v) a delivery system connected to the output of the mixer for delivering the slurry to a well; and
vi) a monitoring system which determines the ratio of solid cement and liquid in the mixer from flow rates determined by the first and second flow meters and from the determined variation over time of the amount of slurry in the mixer;
wherein the means for controlling the flow of liquid and means for controlling the flow of solid cement are operated to control the relative amounts of solid and liquid material added to the mixer according to the determined ratio of solid cement and liquid in the mixer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
Specification