Safety indicator lights for hydraulic fracturing pumps

• US 9,650,871 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: U.S. Well Services, LLC (ProFrac Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: U.S. Well Services, LLC (ProFrac Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Hinderliter, Brandon Neil, Oehring, Jared
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Kenneth L
• Application Number:
  US15/217,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20170022788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0021 Safety devices, e.g. for preventing small objects from falling into the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/03 driven by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/22 of reciprocating-piston type
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/05 Pressure after the pump outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/06 the pumps being all of reciprocating positive-displacement type
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/00 Pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for raising fluids from great depths, e.g. well pumps by using positive or negative pressurised fluid medium acting directly on the liquid to be pumped F04F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/02 the driving mechanisms being situated at ground level F04B47/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/08 Regulating by delivery pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/103 Responsive to speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/20 by changing the driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

A hydraulic fracturing system includes an electrically powered pump that pressurizes fluid, which is piped into a wellbore to fracture a subterranean formation. System components include a fluid source, an additive source, a hydration unit, a blending unit, a proppant source, a fracturing pump, and an electrically powered motor for driving the pump. Also included with the system is a signal assembly that visually displays operational states of the pump and motor, thereby indicating if fluid discharge lines from the pump contain pressurized fluid. The visual display of the signal assembly also can indicate if the motor is energized, so that the discharge lines might soon contain pressurized fluid.

Claims

1. A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation comprising:

a plurality of electric pumps fluidly connected to the formation, and powered by at least one electric motor, and configured to pump fluid at high pressure into a wellbore that intersects the formation, so that the fluid passes from the wellbore into the formation, and fractures the formation;

a variable frequency drive connected to the electric motor to control the speed of the motor, wherein the variable frequency drive frequently performs electric motor diagnostics to prevent damage to the at least one electric motor; and

a signal assembly that selectively emits a visual signal that is indicative of an operational state of the hydraulic fracturing system.

2. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, wherein the signal assembly comprises a plurality of light assemblies arranged in a stack.

3. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 2, wherein each of the light assemblies selectively emit visual light of a color different from visual light emitted by other light assemblies.

4. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 2, wherein a distinctive operational state of the system is indicated by illumination of a combination of the light assemblies.

5. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, wherein the operational states of the hydraulic fracturing system comprise, no electricity to the system, a supply of electricity to all electrically powered devices in the system, a supply of electricity to some of the electrically powered devices in the system, and a pressure in a discharge line of the pump having a magnitude that is at least that of a designated pressure.

6. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, further comprising a controller in communication with the variable frequency drive, a pressure indicator that senses pressure in a discharge line of a one of the pumps, and the signal assembly.

7. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 6, wherein the controller selectively activates the signal assembly in response to a communication signal from one of the variable frequency drive or the pressure indicator.

8. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 1, wherein the visual signal comprises light in the visible spectrum, and that is optically detectable by operations personnel disposed in a zone that is potentially hazardous due to fluid in piping that is pressurized by at least one of the pumps.

9. A hydraulic fracturing system for fracturing a subterranean formation comprising:

a pump having a discharge in communication with a wellbore that intersects the formation;

an electric motor coupled to and that drives the pump;

a variable frequency drive connected to the electric motor that controls a speed of the motor and performs electric motor diagnostics;

a signal assembly that selectively emits different visual signals that are distinctive of an operational state of the system; and

a controller in communication with the signal assembly, and that selectively transmits a command signal to the signal assembly in response to a monitoring signal received by the controller and transmitted from a device in the system.

10. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9, wherein the device in the system that transmits the monitoring signal to the controller comprises one of the variable frequency drive, and a pressure monitor in fluid communication with the discharge of the pump.

11. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9, wherein the signal assembly comprises a stack of light assemblies.

12. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 11, wherein the light assemblies each comprise an electrically powered light source, and that each emit light of a color that is different from a color of a light emitted by the other light assemblies.

13. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9 further comprising a pump controller and auxiliary equipment, and wherein the operational state of the system comprises, the system being isolated from electricity, a fluid pressure of the discharge having a value at least as great as a designated value, the pump drive being energized, and the auxiliary equipment being energized but without a one of the motors being energized.

14. The hydraulic fracturing system of claim 9, wherein the visual signals selectively indicate when the system is safe for operations personnel, when the system is potentially unsafe for operations personnel, and when the system is currently unsafe for operations personnel.

15. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising:

pressurizing fracturing fluid with a pump;

driving the pump with a motor that is powered by electricity;

controlling the speed of the motor with a variable frequency drive, the variable frequency drive further performing electric motor diagnostics;

monitoring an operational state of a hydraulic fracturing system that comprises the pump and motor; and

selectively emitting a visual signal that is indicative of the monitored operational state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the operational state comprises the system being isolated from electricity, a fluid pressure of discharge of the pump having a value at least as great as a designated value, a pump controller being energized, and auxiliary equipment being energized but without a one of the pump motors being energized.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of selectively emitting a visual signal comprises emitting a light from one or more of a stack of light assemblies, where light from one of the stack of light assemblies is different from lights emitted from other light assemblies.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising monitoring electricity to a variable frequency drive, wherein the variable frequency drive controls electricity to the motor.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising monitoring a fluid pressure of discharge of the pump.