Wellsite mixing system with calibrator and method of using same

Abstract

A mixing system and method for mixing a wellsite fluid including a mixture is provided. The mixing system includes a mixing unit, feed valves, and a calibrator. The mixing unit includes a mixing tank having mixing bins to pass the mixture therethrough, mixers positionable in the mixing tank, and a driver to drive the mixers. The feed valves selectively permit the components to pass into the mixing tank. The calibrator includes a calibrator sensor that connects to the mixers to measure equipment parameters thereof, and a controller connectable to the calibrator sensor and the feed valves to selectively adjust an amount of the components passing into the mixing tank based on the equipment parameters. The method may involve measuring equipment parameters of the mixers during mixing and calibrating by selectively adjusting an amount of the components passing into the mixing tank based on the measured equipment parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mixing system for mixing a wellsite fluid at a wellsite, the wellsite comprising components, the mixing system comprising:
 a mixing unit to mix the components into a mixture, the mixing unit comprising:
 a mixing tank having at least one mixing bin to pass the mixture therethrough; 
 at least one mixer positionable in the mixing tank; and 
 at least one driver to drive the at least one mixer; 
   feed valves to selectively permit the components to pass into the mixing tank; and   a calibrator comprising a calibrator sensor and a controller, the calibrator sensor operatively connectable to the at least one mixers to measure equipment parameters thereof during mixing, the controller operatively connectable to the calibrator sensors to receive the measured equipment parameters therefrom and to the feed valves to selectively adjust an amount of each of the components passing into the mixing tank based on the measured equipment parameters whereby the wellsite fluid is optimizable.   
     
     
         2 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one mixers comprises a paddle with a shaft extending therefrom, the shaft operatively connectable to the at least one driver and drivable thereby. 
     
     
         3 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein the calibrator sensor comprises a motor sensor to measure load of the at least one driver. 
     
     
         4 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein the calibrator sensor comprises a mixer sensor to measure strain of the at least one mixer. 
     
     
         5 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein the calibrator sensor comprises at least one of a load sensor, a strain gauge, a voltage meter, a current meter, a flow meter, a pressure transducer and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises at least one of a mixing controller, a wellsite controller, a surface unit, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a measurement instrument comprising at least one of a composition analyzer, a viscometer, a density meter, a pressure gauge, a temperature gauge, a flow meter, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein the mixing tank is operatively connectable to a wellbore to pass the mixture thereto. 
     
     
         9 . The mixing system of  claim 8 , wherein the mixing tank is part of a treatment operation at the wellsite, the treatment operation comprising a mixing portion, a pumping portion and an injecting portion. 
     
     
         10 . The mixing system of  claim 9 , wherein the mixing portion comprises a mix portion and a solids portion, the mixing tank being part of the mix portion. 
     
     
         11 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein the components comprise at least two of water, oil, water-based fluid, oil-based fluid, a gelling agent, dry guar powder, cement, bentonite, clay, barite, and calcium oxide. 
     
     
         12 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser. 
     
     
         13 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein the wellsite fluid is a non-Newtonian fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The mixing system of  claim 1 , wherein the feed valves comprise at least one of a valve, a pump, a feed, and a flow control device. 
     
     
         15 . A method of mixing a wellsite fluid, the method comprising:
 selectively passing components into a mixing unit, the mixing unit comprising a mixing tank having at least one mixing bin;   forming a mixture by mixing the components with at least one mixer as the components pass through the at least one bin;   measuring equipment parameters of the at least one mixer during the mixing; and   calibrating the forming by selectively adjusting an amount of each of the components passing into the mixing tank based on the measured equipment parameters.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising determining fluid parameters of the mixture based on the measured equipment parameters. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising determining a viscosity of the mixture in at least one of the at least one bins. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the calibrating comprises comparing the measured equipment parameters and wherein the calibrating is based on the compared measured equipment parameters. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the measuring the equipment parameters comprises measuring load of the at least one driver. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the measuring the equipment parameters comprises measuring strain of the at least one mixer. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the forming comprises creating laminar flow of the wellsite fluid with the at least one mixer. 
     
     
         22 . A method of mixing a wellsite fluid, the method comprising:
 selectively passing components into a mixing unit, the mixing unit comprising a mixing tank having at least one mixing bins;   forming a mixture by mixing the components with at least one mixer as the components pass through the at least one bin;   measuring equipment parameters of the at least one mixer during the mixing;   calibrating the forming by selectively adjusting an amount of each of the components passing into the mixing tank based on the measured equipment parameters; and   injecting the mixture into a formation via a wellbore.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising pumping the mixture. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising forming a treatment fluid by mixing the mixture with solids and injecting the treatment fluid into the wellbore. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising fracturing the formation with the injected mixture.