Modular hybrid low emissions power for hydrocarbon extraction

Abstract

A system for supplying electric power includes: a plurality of electric motors coupled to well treatment pumps; a mobile substation that receives power from a utility electric grid; a plurality of mobile electric power generating units; a controller configured to (i) receive a total required flow rate of the liquid; (ii) calculate a total amount of electric power required to achieve the required total flow rate; (iii) receive an amount of power available from the utility electric grid; (iv) direct the substation to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors; and (v), direct one or more electric power generating units in the plurality of electric power generating units to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors according to a priority order to meet the total amount of electric power, if the required amount of electric power exceeds the amount of power available from the utility grid.

What is claimed is:   
     
       1. A system for supplying electric power to a plurality of electric motors coupled to formation treatment pumps, the system comprising:
 a plurality of electric motors, each motor coupled to a well treatment pumpconfigured to treat an earth formation by pumping a liquid into a borehole penetrating the earth formation; 
 a mobile substation configured to connect to and receive power from a utility electric grid; 
 a plurality of mobile electric power generating units configured to generate electric power; and 
 a controller configured to (i) receive a total required flow rate of the liquid; (ii) calculate a total amount of electric power required to achieve the required total flow rate; (iii) receive an amount of power available from the utility electric grid; (iv) direct the substation to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors; and (v), direct one or more electric power generating units in of the plurality of mobile electric power generating units to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors according to a priority order to meet the total amount of electric power, if the required amount of electric power exceeds the amount of power available from the utility electric grid. 
 
     
     
       2. The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising one or more superconducting cables configured to supply electrical power to one or more electric motors in of the plurality of electric motors. 
     
     
       3. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein a mobile electric power generating unit having a lower amount of emissions has a higher priority in the priority order than a mobile electric power generating unit having a higher amount of emissions. 
     
     
       4. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein each electric motor in of the plurality of electric motors is coupled to a motor control center configured to start or stop the corresponding electric motor. 
     
     
       5. The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller is coupled to each of the motor control centers. 
     
     
       6. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a lowest emissions combination of mobile electric power generating units that provides the total amount of required electric power in combination with electric power received from the utility electric grid. 
     
     
       7. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a signal informing of an amount of electric power being received by the system. 
     
     
       8. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the of mobile electric power generating units comprises a synchronizer configured to synchronize the frequency of electric power generated by the corresponding mobile electric power generating unit to the frequency of the utility electric grid. 
     
     
       9. The system according to  claim 8 , wherein one or more electric motors in the plurality of electric motors is coupled to two or more pumps. 
     
     
       10. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the mobile substation is disposed on a trailer configured for operation on public roads. 
     
     
       11. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein each electric motor in the plurality of electric motors is disposed on a trailer configured for operation on public roads. 
     
     
       12. The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is disposed on a trailer configured for operation on public roads. 
     
     
       13. A method for supplying electric power to a plurality of electric motors coupled to hydraulic fracturing pumps, the method comprising:
 receiving, using by use of a controller, a total required flow rate of fracturing liquid to be pumped; 
 calculating, using by use of the controller, a total amount of electric power required to achieve the required total flow rate; 
 receiving, using by use of the controller, information concerning an amount of power available from a utility electric grid; 
 directing, using by use of the controller, a mobile substation connected to the utility electric grid to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors; and 
 directing, using by use of the controller, one or more mobile electric power generating units in a plurality of mobile electric power generating units to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors according to a priority order to meet the total amount of electric power, if the required amount of electric power exceeds the amount of power available from the utility electric grid. 
 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising synchronizing a frequency of electric power generated by the one or more electric generating units to the frequency of the utility electric grid using a synchronizer disposed at each of the mobile electric power generating units. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the controller comprises a processor. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein each electric motor in of the plurality of electric motors is coupled to a motor control center configured to start or stop the corresponding electric motor and the controller is coupled to each of the motor control centers. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a lowest emissions combination of mobile electric power generating units that provides the total amount of required electric power in combination with electric power received from the utility electric grid. 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising transmitting a signal informing of an amount of electric power being received by the system. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising receiving a signal that informs the controller that the amount of power available from the utility electric grid is being reduced. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising directing one or more of the mobile electric power generating units to provide electric power to the plurality of electric motors to make up for the lost power from the electric utility electric grid in accordance with the priority order. 
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising using one or more superconducting cables to supply provide the electric power to one or more electric motors in of the plurality of electric motors. 
     
     
       22. A system for supplying electric power to one or more electric motors coupled to formation treatment pumps, the system comprising:
 one or more electric motors each motor coupled to a well treatment pump;   a mobile substation that allows the system to connect to and receive power from a utility electric grid;   one or more mobile electric power generating units that allow the system to generate electric power; and   one or more controllers that allow the system to (i) receive a total required flow rate of the liquid; (ii) calculate a total amount of electric power required to achieve the required total flow rate; (iii) receive an amount of power available from the utility electric grid; (iv) direct the substation to provide electric power to one or more of the electric motors; and (v) direct one or more of the mobile electric power generating units to provide electric power to one or more of the electric motors according to a priority order to meet the total amount of electric power.    
     
     
       23. The system according to  claim 22 , wherein one or more of the controllers direct one or more of the mobile electric power generating units to provide electric power if the required amount of electric power exceeds the amount of power available from the utility electric grid.  
     
     
       24. The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the priority of a utility electric grid or mobile electric power generating unit within the priority order is determined by (a) lowest emissions, (b) highest reliability, or (c) a weighted combination of lowest emissions and highest reliability.  
     
     
       25. The system according to  claim 22 , wherein one or more of the electric motors receives electric power through one or more superconducting cables.  
     
     
       26. The system according to  claim 22 , wherein each of the of mobile electric power generating units comprises a synchronizer configured to synchronize the frequency of electric power generated by the corresponding mobile electric power generating unit to the frequency of the utility electric grid.  
     
     
       27. The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the mobile substation comprises one or more switches that control the power provided from the mobile substation to one or more of the electric motors.  
     
     
       28. The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the system comprises two or more electric motors, and one or more of the controllers selects one or more of the electric motors to be powered according to the priority order.  
     
     
       29. A system for supplying electric power to one or more electric motors coupled to formation treatment pumps, the system comprising:
 one or more electric motors, each motor coupled to a well treatment pump;   a plurality of electric power sources;   a substation connecting the plurality of electric power sources to one or more of the electric motors;   one or more controllers for controlling electric power distribution from the plurality of electric power sources to one or more of the electric motors, one or more of the controllers configured to distribute power from the plurality of electric power sources according to a priority order, wherein the priority order is based at least in part on the one or more emissions criteria associated with the plurality of electric power sources.    
     
     
       30. The system according to  claim 29 , wherein one or more of the controllers are configured to determine (a) a lowest emissions combination of electric power sources capable of powering the one or more electric motors, (b) a highest reliability combination of electric power sources capable of powering the one or more electric motors, or (c) a weighted combination of lowest emissions and highest reliability combination of electric power sources capable of powering the one or more electric motors.  
     
     
       31. The system according to  claim 29 , wherein the priority order is based at least in part on at least one of one or more emissions criteria or one or more reliability considerations associated with the plurality of electric power sources.  
     
     
       32. The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the priority order is based at least in part on the one or more reliability considerations associated with the plurality of electric power sources, and wherein the one or more reliability considerations comprise one or more of a time-to-shutdown for maintenance associated with one or more of the electric power sources of the plurality of electric power sources.  
     
     
       33. The system according to  claim 31 , wherein a first electric power source having a lower amount of emissions has a higher priority than a second electric power source having a higher amount of emissions.  
     
     
       34. A method for supplying electric power to a one or more electric motors coupled to hydraulic fracturing pumps the method comprising:
 connecting one or more electric motors to one or more hydraulic fracturing pumps;   connecting the one or more electric motors to a substation;   connecting a plurality of electric power sources to the substation;   configuring one or more controllers to be in communication with the substation;   selecting, by use of one or more of the controllers, a first electric power source of the plurality of electric power sources according to a priority order;   directing, by use of one or more of the controllers, the substation to provide electric power from the first electric power source to one or more of the electric motors;   selecting, by use of one or more of the controllers, a second electric power source of the plurality of electric power sources according to the priority order; and   directing, by use of one or more of the controllers, the substation to provide electric power from the second electric power source to one or more of the electric motors, wherein the priority order is based at least in part on the one or more emissions criteria associated with the plurality of electric power sources.    
     
     
       35. The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising determining, by use of one or more of the controllers, at least one of (a) a lowest emissions combination of electric power sources, (b) a most reliable combination of electric power sources, or (c) a weighted combination of lowest emission and most reliable electric power sources of the plurality of electric power sources.  
     
     
       36. The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising prioritizing, by use of one or more of the controllers, the plurality of electric power sources based at least in part on at least one of one or more emissions criteria or one or more reliability considerations associated with the plurality of electric power sources.  
     
     
       37. The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the prioritizing is based on the one or more reliability considerations associated with the plurality of electric power sources, and wherein the one or more reliability considerations comprise one or more of a time-to-shutdown for maintenance associated with one or more of the electric power sources of the plurality of electric power sources.  
     
     
       38. The method according to  claim 36  wherein a lower amount of emissions corresponds to a higher priority and a higher amount of emissions corresponds to a lower priority.