Automatic vibratory separator
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- introducing a material to be separated to a screen apparatus of a basket assembly operatively coupled to a vibratory separator and adapted to be vibrated so as to facilitate separation of said material to be separated;
sensing a state of said material introduced to said screen apparatus by using at least one sensor apparatus operatively coupled to said vibratory separator;
automatically adjusting said vibratory separator to vibrate said basket assembly at a first vibratory separator setting when said sensed state of said material is at a first sensed state, wherein vibrating said basket assembly at said first setting comprises automatically adjusting an acceleration of said basket assembly to a first preselected acceleration level based on said first sensed state; and
automatically adjusting said vibratory separator to vibrate said basket assembly at a second vibratory separator setting different than said first vibratory separator setting when said sensed state of said material is at a second sensed state different than said first sensed state, wherein vibrating said basket assembly at said second vibratory separator setting comprises automatically adjusting said acceleration of said basket assembly to a second preselected acceleration level different than said first preselected acceleration based on said second sensed state.
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Abstract
Methods for automatically controlling a vibratory separator, e.g., but not limited to a shale shaker for processing drilling fluid, the methods in certain aspects including: introducing material to a vibratory separator; sensing with sensor apparatus a state parameter indicative of operation of the vibratory separator; providing a signal indicative of a value of said state parameter to control apparatus; and, with the control apparatus, automatically controlling the vibratory separator based on the level of the state parameter. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 CFR 1.72(b).
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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introducing a material to be separated to a screen apparatus of a basket assembly operatively coupled to a vibratory separator and adapted to be vibrated so as to facilitate separation of said material to be separated; sensing a state of said material introduced to said screen apparatus by using at least one sensor apparatus operatively coupled to said vibratory separator; automatically adjusting said vibratory separator to vibrate said basket assembly at a first vibratory separator setting when said sensed state of said material is at a first sensed state, wherein vibrating said basket assembly at said first setting comprises automatically adjusting an acceleration of said basket assembly to a first preselected acceleration level based on said first sensed state; and automatically adjusting said vibratory separator to vibrate said basket assembly at a second vibratory separator setting different than said first vibratory separator setting when said sensed state of said material is at a second sensed state different than said first sensed state, wherein vibrating said basket assembly at said second vibratory separator setting comprises automatically adjusting said acceleration of said basket assembly to a second preselected acceleration level different than said first preselected acceleration based on said second sensed state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method, comprising:
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introducing a material to be separated to a screen apparatus of a shale shaker basket assembly, wherein said material to be separated comprises a mixture of drilling fluid and solids and said basket assembly is adapted to be vibrated so as to separate said drilling fluid from said solids; sensing a state of said material introduced to said screen apparatus by using at least one sensor apparatus operatively coupled to said shale shaker; operating said shale shaker at a first shale shaker setting to separate said drilling fluid from said solids, wherein operating said shale shake at said first shale shaker setting comprises vibrating said basket assembly at a first acceleration level and automatically adjusting an excitation force applied to said basket assembly to maintain said first acceleration level based on said sensed state of said material; automatically adjusting said operation of said shale shaker to a second shale shaker setting different than said first shale shaker setting when said sensed state of said material exceeds a predetermined state, wherein automatically adjusting said operation of said shale shaker to said second shale shaker setting comprises automatically increasing said acceleration of said basket assembly to a predetermined second acceleration level greater than said first acceleration level. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification