IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0722130
(2010-03-11)
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등록번호 |
US-8529214
(2013-09-10)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Robbins & Myers Energy Systems L.P.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
34 |
초록
▼
A pump system including a pump and a sensor system for monitoring a fluid production of the pump and providing an output indicative of the fluid production. The sensor system is configured to use at least two discreet methodologies for measuring the fluid production. The pump system further includes
A pump system including a pump and a sensor system for monitoring a fluid production of the pump and providing an output indicative of the fluid production. The sensor system is configured to use at least two discreet methodologies for measuring the fluid production. The pump system further includes a control system operatively coupled to the sensor system and the pump and configured to automatically vary the speed of the pump at least partially based upon the output of the sensor system.
대표청구항
▼
1. A pump system comprising: a pump configured to pump fluid from a well or down hole;a sensor configured to sense a fluid production of said pump and provide an output indicative of said fluid production; anda control system operatively coupled to said pump for automatically varying the speed of sa
1. A pump system comprising: a pump configured to pump fluid from a well or down hole;a sensor configured to sense a fluid production of said pump and provide an output indicative of said fluid production; anda control system operatively coupled to said pump for automatically varying the speed of said pump based upon said output of said sensor system, wherein said control system is configured to increase the speed of said pump to a speed that is at or close to an absolute maximum speed of the pump, as a direct result of a predetermined period of time elapsing, or at a predetermined time, regardless of the production levels of the pump, wherein the control system is configured to receive information relating to the production of fluid while operating at said speed that is at or close to said absolute maximum speed of the bump, and to subsequently decrease the speed of said pump after said increase if said output of said sensor indicates that the pump is not producing fluid at a sufficient rate, and to continue to decrease the speed of said pump until said output of said sensor indicates that the pump is producing fluid flow at said sufficient rate, such that the speed of said pump is increased and subsequently decreased as appropriate to maximize fluid production thereof, and wherein said control system is configured, during said increase in speed when said predetermined period of time has elapsed, or at said predetermined time, to increase the speed of said pump to a speed that is at least about 30% over its current speed. 2. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said pump system is configured such that said pump generally cannot exceed said absolute maximum speed and continue operating properly for an extended period of time. 3. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said absolute maximum speed is the pump speed which is not exceeded during normal operation of the pump. 4. The pump system of claim 1 wherein the control system is configured to maintain said pump speed at the speed which produces said sufficient fluid flow rate. 5. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to decrease the speed of said pump when said output of said sensor indicates that the pump is not producing fluid flow at said sufficient rate. 6. The pump system of claim 5 wherein said control system is configured to continue decreasing the speed of said pump until said output of said sensor indicates that the pump is producing sufficient output. 7. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined period of time is defined by a waiting period of time elapsed after a start time, wherein said start time is a specific time, or a time at which previous increase of the speed of said pump was implemented, or a time at which it was previously determined that a minimum rate of fluid flow was being generated by said pump, or a time at which it was previously determined that a minimum rate of fluid flow was not being generated by said pump, or a time at which it was previously determined that said pump was at a particular speed. 8. The pump system of claim 7 wherein said waiting period of time is a fixed amount of time that is unrelated to the production or operation of the pump. 9. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said sensor is configured to sense a rate of fluid flow output by said pump and wherein said output of said sensor is indicative of said rate of fluid flow output by said pump. 10. The pump system of claim 9 wherein said sensor is configured to use at least two discrete methodologies for measuring said fluid flow rate. 11. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to increase the speed of said pump solely based upon and as a direct result of said predetermined period of time elapsing, or solely based upon and as a direct result of said predetermined time occurring. 12. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to always increase the speed of said pump as a direct result of said predetermined period of time elapsing or at said predetermined time regardless of the production of the pump. 13. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to increase the speed of said pump to said absolute maximum speed at the same time each day. 14. The pump system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to increase the speed of said pump to said absolute maximum speed at a predetermined time after the pump was last increased to said absolute maximum speed. 15. A pump system comprising: a pump;a sensor configured to sense a fluid production of said pump and provide an output indicative of said fluid production; anda control system operatively coupled to said pump for automatically varying the speed of said pump at least partially based upon said output of said sensor system, wherein said control system is configured to increase the speed of said pump as a direct result of a predetermined period of time elapsing, or at a predetermined time, regardless of the fluid production of said pump to a speed at or close to an absolute maximum speed of the pump system, and to receive information relating to the production of fluid while operating at said increased speed, wherein said control system is configured to subsequently decrease the speed of said pump, after said increase of speed, if said output of said sensor indicates that the pump is producing fluid at a sufficiently low rate. 16. The system of claim 15 wherein said control system is configured to periodically increase, at regular time intervals, the speed of said pump to a speed at or close to an absolute maximum speed of the pump system. 17. The pump system of claim 15 wherein said control system is configured to continue to decrease the speed of said pump, until said output of said sensor indicates that the pump is producing fluid flow at said sufficient rate. 18. A method for operating a pump system including a pump, a sensor configured to sense a fluid production of said pump and provide an output indicative of said fluid production, and a control system operatively coupled to said pump and to said sensor, the method comprising the control system automatically carrying out the following steps: increasing the speed of said pump as a direct result of a predetermined period of time elapsing, or at a predetermined time, regardless of a fluid production of said pump;monitoring the fluid production of said pump by said sensor;automatically decreasing the speed of said pump by said control system if said output of said sensor indicates that the pump is producing fluid at a sufficiently low rate; andcontinue to decrease the speed of said pump until said output of said sensor indicates that the pump is producing fluid flow at said sufficient rate. 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said increasing step includes increasing the speed to a speed at or close to an absolute maximum speed of the pump system. 20. The method of claim 18 wherein said control system is configured to automatically vary the speed of said pump at least partially based upon said output of said sensor system. 21. A method for operating a pump system comprising: accessing a pump system including a pump and a sensor configured to sense a fluid production of said pump;after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, or at a predetermined time, increasing the speed of said pump to a speed that is at or close to a maximum operating speed of the pump regardless of a fluid production of said pump;once the pump speed is increased to the speed that is at or close to the maximum operating speed of the pump, monitoring a fluid production of said pump by said sensor;in response to said sensor indicating that the pump is producing fluid at a sufficiently low rate, automatically decreasing the speed of said pump; andcontinuing to decrease the speed of said pump until the pump is operating at a new speed at which said sensor indicates that the pump is producing fluid flow at said sufficient rate; andoperating said pump at said new speed as a set point speed;wherein the increasing, monitoring, decreasing, and continuing to decrease steps result in an increased production of the pump, ΔR, compared to the production of the pump before the increasing, monitoring, decreasing, and continuing to decrease steps were carried out. 22. A method of operating a pump disposed in a well in communication with a reservoir of fluid, comprising the steps of: (a) configuring a sensor system comprising a sensor to sense said fluid from said reservoir moved by said pump;(b) coupling a control system comprising a controller with said sensor system;(c) pumping said fluid with said pump, wherein said pump has a speed, and wherein said pumped fluid has a flow rate;(d) operating said pump at a first constant speed, wherein said first constant speed is the highest speed at which said pump can operate at the time without becoming pumped-off, and wherein a first constant flow rate is generated by said pump at said first constant speed;(e) increasing said speed of said pump regardless of said first constant flow rate after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, or at a predetermined time, to a second constant speed, wherein said second constant speed is greater than said first constant speed, and said second constant speed is the highest speed that said pump can continuously operate;(f) increasing said flow rate after the step of increasing said speed of said pump to said second constant speed;(g) monitoring said flow rate with said sensor system after said second constant speed is reached;(h) maintaining said second constant speed until automatically decreasing said speed of said pump in response to said sensor system indicating that said flow rate is lower than a second flow rate, wherein said second flow rate is lower than said first constant flow rate;(i) continuing to decrease said speed of said pump until said pump is operating at a third constant speed at which said sensor system indicates that said flow rate is a third constant flow rate greater than said first constant flow rate; and(j) operating said pump at said third constant speed. 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of: repeating steps (c) through (j) after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, or at a predetermined time. 24. A method of operating a pump disposed in a well in communication with a reservoir of fluid, comprising the steps of: (a) configuring a sensor system comprising a sensor to sense said fluid from said reservoir moved by said pump;(b) coupling a control system comprising a controller with said sensor system;(c) pumping said fluid with said pump, wherein said pump has a speed, and wherein said pumped fluid has a flow rate;(d) operating said pump at a first constant speed, wherein said first constant speed is the highest speed at which said pump can operate at the time without becoming pumped-off, and wherein a first constant flow rate is generated by said pump at said first constant speed;(e) maintaining said first constant speed until said sensor system indicates that an increase in said first constant flow rate has occurred at a time when no change in said first constant speed has occurred, and in response, automatically decreasing said speed of said pump;(f) continuing to decrease said speed of said pump until said pump is operating at a second constant speed at which said sensor system indicates that said flow rate is a second constant flow rate greater than a minimum constant flow rate; and(g) operating said pump at said second constant speed. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein said increase in said first constant flow rate in step (e) is greater than 10% over said first constant flow rate during a time period of greater than 20 seconds.
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