Drive power based pump monitoring

Abstract

A method of monitoring one or more conditions of a pumping unit comprising pumping a wellbore treatment fluid into a wellbore wherein the pumping unit comprises a unit controller communicatively coupled to a variable frequency drive (VFD) communicatively coupled to a prime mover that is rotationally coupled to a pump. The unit controller comprises a processor configured to retrieve a data stream indicative of a pumping operation via one or more parameters from the VFD. A monitoring process can compare the one or more parameters from the VFD to a lower limit threshold and modify the pumping operation in response to the lower limit threshold exceeding the one or more parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system of a pumping unit, comprising:
 a variable frequency drive (VFD) communicatively coupled to a prime mover;   a pump rotationally coupled to the prime mover;   a unit controller communicatively coupled to the VFD, the unit controller comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory and configured to:   control a pumping operation of the pumping unit via control of the prime mover;   receive a data stream of one or more parameters from the VFD indicative of the pumping operation;   compare the one or more parameters to a lower limit threshold; and   modify the pumping operation in response to the lower limit threshold exceeding the one or more parameters.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more sensors configured to measure data indicative of a pumping operation, and wherein the one or more sensor are communicatively coupled to the unit controller. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the one or more sensors comprise a positional sensor, a torque sensor, a rotary encoder, a pressure sensor, a flowrate sensor, a vibration sensor, a density sensor, or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the unit controller is further configured to:
 compare the one or more parameters to an upper limit threshold.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise i) output torque, ii) output current, iii) motor speed, iv) power factor, v) load percentage, vi) total power output, vii) output frequency, viii) output voltage, ix) acceleration rate, x) deceleration rate, xi) PID setpoint, or xii) combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an upper limit threshold by applying a positive delta value to a calculated parameter value;   determining a the lower limit threshold by applying a negative delta value to the calculated parameter value; and   determining a normal operation range of the pump that is a function of the upper limit threshold and the lower limit threshold, wherein the upper limit threshold is greater than the calculated parameter value, and wherein the lower limit threshold is less than the calculated parameter value.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the calculated parameter value is determined by i) a pressure setpoint, ii) a flowrate setpoint, iii) a treatment fluid, or iv) combinations thereof in a pump schedule.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the calculated parameter value is an average parameter value of a group of two or more pumping units performing the pumping operation.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a high pressure line fluidically coupling the pumping unit to a wellbore;   a wellbore treatment fluid for the pumping unit to pump into the wellbore; and   wherein the wellbore treatment fluid is selected from a group consisting of a drilling mud, a fracturing slurry, a cementitious slurry, a spacer fluid, a completion fluid, an acidizing fluid, a gravel packing fluid, a resin compound, and water.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the pump is a fluid end, a positive displacement pump, a plunger pump, a piston pump, a progressive cavity pump, a gear pump, a screw pump, a lobe pump, a double screw pump, an impeller and diffuser, a centrifugal pump, a multistage centrifugal pump, a turbine, or any other type of pump suitable for pressurizing fluids; and   wherein the prime mover is an electrical motor.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second pump rotationally coupled to the prime mover. 
     
     
         12 . A method of monitoring a condition of a pumping unit pumping a wellbore treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating a formation, comprising:
 pumping the wellbore treatment fluid with the pumping unit comprising a unit controller communicatively coupled to a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is communicatively coupled to a prime mover that is rotationally coupled to a pump;   retrieving, by the unit controller comprising a processor and non-transitory memory, a data stream indicative of a pumping operation via one or more parameters from the VFD;   comparing the one or more parameters to a lower limit threshold; and   modifying the pumping operation in response to the lower limit threshold exceeding the one or more parameters.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise i) output torque, ii) output current, iii) or both. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein modifying the pumping operation comprises i) slowing a pumping speed of the pumping unit or stopping the pumping unit. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining, by the unit controller, a calculated parameter for the VFD corresponding to i) a setpoint pressure, ii) a setpoint flowrate, iii) a treatment fluid density, or iv) combinations thereof, of a pump schedule; and   determining, by the unit controller, the lower limit threshold for the one or more parameters of the VFD by applying a negative delta to the calculated parameter.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 comparing the one or more parameters to an upper limit threshold; and   modifying the pumping operation in response to the one or more parameters exceeding the upper limit threshold.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 (i) transporting the pumping unit to a wellsite; and   (ii) fluidically coupling the pumping unit to the wellbore.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 (i) transporting the pumping unit to a wellsite, wherein the pumping unit is a first pumping unit;   (ii) fluidically coupling the first pumping unit to a fluid network comprising at least a second pumping unit;   (iii) fluidically coupling the fluid network to a treatment fluid source and the wellbore at the wellsite;   (iv) communicatively coupling a system controller to each of the pumping units, wherein a managing process executing on the system controller directs the pumping operation and receives data indicative of the pumping operation; and   (v) wherein modifying the pumping operation comprises stopping, by the system controller, the pumping operation of the first pumping unit;   (vi) isolating the first pumping unit from the fluid network; and   (vii) replacing the first pumping unit with a third pumping unit held in reserve.   
     
     
         19 . A method of monitoring a condition of a pumping unit pumping a wellbore treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating a formation, comprising:
 directing a pumping operation via a system controller communicatively coupled to the two or more pumping units, wherein each of the two or more pumping units comprise a unit controller communicatively coupled to a variable frequency drive (VFD) that is communicatively coupled to a prime mover that is rotationally coupled to a pump;   pumping the wellbore treatment fluid via the two or more pumping units into the wellbore; retrieving, by the unit controller comprising at least one processor and non-transitory memory, a data stream indicative of the pumping operation via one or more parameters from the VFD;   determining, by the system controller comprising at least one processor and non-transitory memory, a calculated parameter value by averaging a first parameter value from each of the two or more pumping units;   determining, by the system controller, a lower limit threshold by applying a delta value to the calculated parameter value;   comparing the first parameter value of each of the two or more pumping units to the lower limit threshold; and   identifying a failing pump of the two or more pumping units in response to the lower limit threshold exceeding the first parameter value of the failing pump.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 confirming a poor health status of one or more components of the failing pump by comparing periodic pumping data from one or more sensors to the first parameter value of the failing pump.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising
 determining a value of remaining pumping life of the failing pump in response to confirming the one or more components.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first parameter value is i) output torque or ii) output current. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein modifying the pumping operation comprises i) reducing a motor speed or ii) stopping the pump. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 (i) transporting the two or more pumping units to a wellsite;   (ii) fluidically coupling two or more pumping units to a fluid network; and   (iii) fluidically coupling the fluid network to a treatment fluid source and the wellbore.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 retrieving, by the system controller, periodic pumping data indicative of the pumping operation, and wherein the periodic pumping data includes an indication of pumping performance of the pumping unit.