Optimizing diesel fuel consumption for dual-fuel engines

• US 9,683,499 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Summers, Andrew James, Stephenson, Stanley V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Low, Lindsay
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIN, GEORGE C.
• Application Number:
  US14/406,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20160265457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 123 27 GE, 123575, 123299, 123525, 700297, 700295, 307 19, 307 48
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/25 Methods for stimulating production by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/00 Special methods or apparatus for drilling
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/02 Engines characterised by means for increasing operating efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/12 Methods of operating
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 9/02 with compression ignition engines characterised by fuel-air mixture compression with compression ignition F02B1/12; engines characterised by air compression and subsequent fuel addition with compression ignition F02B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0642 at least one fuel being gaseous, the other fuels being gaseous or liquid at standard conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/10 peculiar to compression-ignition engines in which the main fuel is gaseous
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0611 Fuel type, fuel composition or fuel quality
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0625 Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

Systems and methods may be configured to monitor, calculate, and optimize diesel fuel consumption for dual-fuel engines. For example, a method may include performing a well site operation at first operating parameters with a dual-fuel engine configuration operating at first engine parameters, wherein the dual-fuel engine configuration comprises one or more dual-fuel engines; changing the first operating parameters to second operating parameters and the first engine parameters to second engine parameters; determining a maximum natural gas substitution percentage in a fuel comprising a natural gas/diesel mixture for at least one of the dual-fuel engines at the second operating parameters and the second engine parameters; and changing a fuel composition supplied to the at least one of the dual-fuel engines based on the maximum natural gas substitution percentage.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating diesel consumption values for a plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations each independently comprising one or more dual-fuel engines, wherein the diesel consumption values are a function of (1) operating parameters for a well site operation, (2) a model of each of the one or more dual-fuel engines, (3) engine parameters for each of the one or more dual-fuel engines, and (4) a fuel composition for each of the one or more dual-fuel engines, wherein the fuel composition for each of the one or more dual-fuel engines is independently (a) 100% diesel or (b) a natural gas/diesel mixture; and

identifying one or more acceptable dual-fuel engine configurations from the plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations based at least in part on the diesel consumption values with lower values; and

performing a portion of the well site operation with one of the acceptable dual-fuel engine configurations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein natural gas is present in the natural gas/diesel mixture is at an amount of about 20% less than a maximum natural gas substitution percentage to the maximum natural gas substitution percentage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the well site operation is a drilling operation, a stimulation operation, or a cementing operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations are part of a pumping system.

5. A method comprising:

calculating diesel consumption values for a plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations each independently comprising one or more dual-fuel engines, wherein the diesel consumption values are a function of (1) operating parameters for a well site operation, (2) a model of each of the one or more dual-fuel engines;

identifying one or more acceptable dual-fuel engine configurations from the plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations based at least in part on the diesel consumption values with lower values;

performing a well site operation at first operating parameters with one of the acceptable dual-fuel engine configurations operating at first engine parameters, wherein the acceptable dual-fuel engine configuration comprises one or more dual-fuel engines;

changing the first operating parameters to second operating parameters and the first engine parameters to second engine parameters;

determining a maximum natural gas substitution percentage in a fuel comprising a natural gas/diesel mixture for at least one of the dual-fuel engines at the second operating parameters and the second engine parameters; and

changing a fuel composition supplied to the at least one of the dual-fuel engines based on the maximum natural gas substitution percentage.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fuel composition changes from a first fuel composition to a second fuel composition, and wherein the second fuel composition comprises a natural gas/diesel mixture with natural gas being present at an amount of about 20% less than the maximum natural gas substitution percentage to the maximum natural gas substitution percentage.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

producing a guide for the maximum natural gas substitution percentage as a function of a plurality of operating parameters and a plurality of engine parameters; and

wherein determining the maximum natural gas substitution percentage uses the guide.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

calculating the maximum natural gas substitution percentage in real-time at the well site.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the maximum natural gas substitution percentage and changing a fuel composition supplied to the at least one of the dual-fuel engine are automated.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the well site operation is a drilling operation, a stimulation operation, or a cementing operation.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations are part of a pumping system.

12. A method comprising:

calculating diesel consumption values for a plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations each independently comprising one or more dual-fuel engines, wherein the diesel consumption values are a function of (1) operating parameters for a well site operation, (2) a model of each of the one or more dual-fuel engines;

identifying one or more acceptable dual-fuel engine configurations from the plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations based at least in part on the diesel consumption values with lower values;

performing a well site operation with one of the acceptable dual-fuel engine configurations comprising one or more dual-fuel engines, wherein at least one dual-fuel engine uses a fuel comprising a natural gas/diesel mixture having an actual natural gas substitution percentage;

calculating a maximum natural gas substitution percentage for the at least one dual-fuel engine as a function of (1) operating parameters for the well site operation comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a pump rate, a pump time, a wellbore pressure, and the pump time relative to an idle time, (2) the model of the at least one dual-fuel engine, and (3) engine parameters for the at least one dual-fuel engine;

comparing the actual natural gas substitution percentage and the maximum natural gas substitution percentage; and

adjusting the actual natural gas substitution percentage to be about 1% to about 20% less than the maximum natural gas substitution range.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the actual natural gas substitution percentage changes during the well site operation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the well site operation is a drilling operation, a stimulation operation, or a cementing operation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of dual-fuel engine configurations are part of a pumping system.