Method and system for improving pump efficiency and productivity under power disturbance conditions

• US 7,534,096 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unico, LLC (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Unico, Inc.
• Inventors: Schulz, Harry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; Devon C
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASTURE, DNYANESH G
• Application Number:
  US11/155,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20050281680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 417/44.11, 417 1- 47, 417/53, 318/805
• US Class Current: 417/45
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0021 Safety devices, e.g. for preventing small objects from falling into the borehole
• 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 43/128 Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 13/008 Pumps for submersible use, i.e. down-hole pumping
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 14/28 Safety arrangements; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 15/0061 Means for transmitting movement from the prime mover to driven parts of the pump, e.g. clutches, couplings, transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2/1073 where one member is stationary while the other member rotates and orbits
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/72 preventing reverse rotation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

A system for controlling operation of a progressing cavity pump to maintain the motor operating under power disturbance conditions. For a blackout condition, a backspin controller uses regenerative power to provide controlled deceleration of the pump, counteracting backspin and preventing backspinning freely. For a brownout condition, a power dip controller weakens the motor field to maximize pump production consistent with reduced input power availability. For a phase loss or voltage imbalance condition, a phase loss controller reduces motor power output to keep drive system output power at or below single phase capacity.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of a pump for optimizing pump efficiency and productivity under electrical power disturbance conditions, wherein the pump is driven by an AC electrical motor having a rated operating speed and a motor drive energized by a voltage derived from a bus voltage resulting in a motor flux and field current and a present operating speed of the motor;

said method comprising the steps of;

detecting the occurrence of an electrical power disturbance;

determining when the electrical power disturbance is a power dip condition; and

using a power dip controller to provide controlled operation of the motor when the electrical power disturbance condition is determined to be a power dip condition, by adjusting motor field current and motor flux as the bus voltage fluctuates during the power dip condition;

wherein the step of using the power dip controller includes the steps of monitoring the bus voltage and present operating speed of the motor, continually calculating a value for a field weakening ratio, and managing the motor field current and motor flux in correspondence with the value of the field weakening ratio.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the power dip controller increases the field weakening ratio substantially instantly in response to a reduction in bus voltage, and slowly decreases the field weakening ratio over a period of time when bus voltage is restored after the power dip condition.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of using the power dip controller includes the steps of monitoring the bus voltage and present operating speed of the motor, calculating a value for a field weakening ratio, and using the field weakening ratio to reduce motor field current and motor flux to reduced values whenever rated motor speed is exceeded or the bus voltage becomes less than adequate for the speed at which the motor is running.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, the field weakening ratio includes the terms:

[(present operating speed of the motor/rated operating speed of the motor)*(rated bus voltage/present bus voltage)].

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, reducing the motor flux and current only when the field weakening ratio is greater than 1 (one).

6. The method according to claim1, wherein the step of determining the reduced value of motor field current includes the step of obtaining the quotient of a value of normal motor field current and the value of the field weakening ratio, and wherein the step of determining the reduced value of motor flux includes the step of obtaining the quotient of a value of normal motor flux and the value of the field weakening ratio.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising, calculating the field weakening ratio in such a manner that the value of the field weakening ratio is inversely proportional to the amplitude of the bus voltage.

8. A method for controlling the operation of a pump for optimizing pump efficiency and productivity under electrical power disturbance conditions, wherein the pump is driven by an AC electrical motor having a rated operating speed and a motor drive energized by a voltage derived from a bus voltage having an amplitude, a present bus voltage and a rated bus voltage, the motor drive resulting in a motor flux and field current and a present operating speed of the motor, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring the present bus voltage;

detecting the occurrence of an electrical power disturbance by determining when the amplitude of the bus voltage decreases below a predetermined value, indicative of a voltage sag condition; and

providing controlled operation of the motor under a voltage sag condition by adjusting motor field current and motor flux as the present bus voltage fluctuates during the voltage sag condition;

wherein the step of providing controlled operation of the motor includes the steps of using a power dip controller to continually calculate a value for a field weakening ratio, and managing the motor correspondence with changes in the field weakening ratio.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, the power dip controller increases the field weakening ratio substantially instantly in response to a reduction in bus voltage, and slowly decreases the field weakening ratio over a period of time when bus voltage is restored after the power dip condition.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of providing controlled operation of the motor includes the steps of using the power dip controller to calculate a value for a field weakening ratio, and using the field weakening ratio to reduce motor field current and motor flux to reduced values whenever the rated motor speed is exceeded or the bus voltage becomes less than adequate for the speed at which the motor is running.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, the field weakening ratio includes the terms:

[(present operating speed of the motor/rated operating speed of the motor)*(rated bus voltage/present bus voltage)], and the method further comprises monitoring the present operating speed of the motor.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, reducing the motor flux and current only when the field weakening ratio is greater than 1 (one).

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of determining the reduced value of motor field current includes the step of obtaining the quotient of a value of normal motor field current and the value of the field weakening ratio, and wherein the step of determining the reduced value of motor flux includes the step of obtaining the quotient of a value of normal motor flux and the value of the field weakening ratio.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising, calculating the field weakening ratio in such a manner that the value of the field weakening ratio is inversely proportional to the amplitude of the bus voltage.

15. A system for controlling the operation of a pump for optimizing pump efficiency and productivity under electrical power disturbance conditions, wherein the pump is driven by an AC electrical motor having a rated operating speed and a motor drive energized by a voltage derived from a bus voltage having an amplitude, a present bus voltage and a rated bus voltage, the motor drive resulting in a motor flux and field current and a present operating speed of the motor, said system comprising:

a voltage monitor for providing an output signal indicative of the amplitude of the present bus voltage;

a plurality of parameter monitors for providing outputs indicative of at least the present operating speed of the motor; and

a power dip controller for detecting a power dip condition and to provide controlled operation of the pump motor during the power dip condition by reducing the motor field current and motor flux to reduced values for the motor as the bus voltage decreases during the power dip condition;

wherein the power dip controller responds to the output signal provided by the voltage monitor and an output signal derived from outputs provided by the parameter monitors and indicative of speed of the motor to calculate a value for a field weakening ratio for use in reducing the motor field current and motor flux in correspondence with the field weakening ratio whenever rated motor speed is exceeded or the bus voltage becomes less than adequate for the speed at which the motor is running.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein, the power dip controller increases the field weakening ratio substantially instantly in response to a reduction in bus voltage, and slowly decreases the field weakening ratio over a period of time when bus voltage is restored after the power dip condition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, the field weakening ratio includes the terms:

[(present operating speed of the motor/rated operating speed of the motor)*(rated bus voltage/present bus voltage)].

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, the power dip controller reduces the motor flux and current only when the field weakening ratio is greater that 1 (one).

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the power dip controller establishes a reduced value for the motor field current by obtaining the quotient of the value of normal motor field current and the value of the field weakening ratio, and the power dip controller establishes a reduced value for motor flux by obtaining the quotient of the normal motor flux and the value of the field weakening ratio.