High pressure pump with separate clean and dirty fluid circuits

Abstract

Implementations described herein relate to apparatus and methods for using a membrane pump to establish fracking pressure. Apparatus described herein includes, in place of mechanical pumps such as piston and impeller pumps, one or more membrane pumps are employed in a fluid circuit to increase the pressure of the fracking fluid. In operation of this system, a clean fluid circuit is used to pressurize clean fluid, transfer that pressure into the dirty fluid, and then return the clean fluid to a storage, and a dirty fluid circuit flows the dirty fluid from a storage, to the membrane pump to be pressurized, and then into a well bore to pressurize a formation penetrated by the well bore.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fracking fluid pressurization system, comprising;
 a dirty fluid inlet line connected to a dirty fluid source at a first pressure;   a dirty fluid outlet line connectable to a well bore;   a clean fluid inlet line connected to a clean fluid source at a second pressure greater than the first pressure;   a clean fluid return line maintainable at a pressure less than the first pressure;   a membrane pump comprising;
 a body having a hollow interior; and 
 a membrane within the hollow interior of the body, dividing the hollow interior into a first volume and a second volume, the first and second fluid volumes isolated from one another by the membrane; 
 a dirty fluid inlet in fluid communication with the dirty fluid inlet line and the first volume; 
 a dirty fluid inlet check valve fluidly interposed between dirty fluid inlet line and the dirty fluid inlet; 
 a dirty fluid outlet in fluid communication with the first volume and the dirty fluid outlet line; 
 a dirty fluid outlet check valve fluidly interposed between dirty fluid outlet line and the dirty fluid outlet; 
 a clean fluid inlet in fluid communication with the second volume; 
 an inlet user position selectable valve fluidly interposed between the clean fluid inlet line and the clean fluid inlet; 
 a clean fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second volume; and 
 an outlet user position selectable valve fluidly interposed between the clean fluid outlet and the clean fluid outlet line. 
   
     
     
         2 . The fracking fluid pressurization system in  claim 1 , further comprising a dirty fluid pump the output of which is at the first pressure. 
     
     
         3 . The fracking fluid pressurization system in  claim 1 , wherein the dirty fluid pump mixes the proppant with a fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The fracking fluid pressurization system in  claim 2 , further comprising a clean fluid pump the output of which is at the second pressure. 
     
     
         5 . The fracking fluid pressurization system in  claim 1 , wherein the clean fluid outlet is in fluid communication with a fluid tank and the clean fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the fluid tank. 
     
     
         6 . The fracking fluid pressurization system in  claim 5 , further comprising a fluid chiller interposed between the clean fluid outlet and the fluid tank. 
     
     
         7 . The fracking fluid pressurization system in  claim 5 , further comprising a pressure regulator interposed between the clean fluid pump and the inlet user position selectable valve. 
     
     
         8 . A method for establishing a fracking pressure in a dirty fluid including a proppant therein, comprising
 providing a membrane pump comprising;   a body having a hollow interior; and   a membrane within the hollow interior of the body, dividing the hollow interior into a first volume and a second volume, the first and second fluid volumes isolated from one another by the membrane;   providing a dirty fluid inlet in fluid communication with the dirty fluid inlet line and the first volume;   providing a dirty fluid inlet check valve fluidly interposed between dirty fluid inlet line and the dirty fluid inlet;   providing a dirty fluid outlet in fluid communication with the first volume and the dirty fluid outlet line;   providing a dirty fluid outlet check valve fluidly interposed between dirty fluid outlet line and the dirty fluid outlet;   providing a clean fluid inlet in fluid communication with the second volume;   providing an inlet user position selectable valve fluidly interposed between the clean fluid inlet line and the clean fluid inlet;   providing a clean fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second volume; and   providing an outlet user position selectable valve fluidly interposed between the clean fluid outlet and the clean fluid outlet line,   preparing a dirty fluid comprising water, chemistry, proppant, from a water, chemistry, and proppant source,   pumping, using a low-pressure pump, the dirty fluid into the first volume of the membrane pump; and   pumping, a clean fluid from a clean fluid source, using a high-pressure pump to pump the clean fluid into the second volume of the membrane pump, wherein;   the clean fluid in the membrane pump pushing the dirty fluid in the membrane pump out of the membrane pump toward a well bore.   
     
     
         9 . The method for establishing a fracking pressure in a dirty fluid including a proppant therein in  claim 8 , further comprising a dirty fluid pump the output of which is at the first pressure. 
     
     
         10 . The method for establishing a fracking pressure in a dirty fluid including a proppant therein in  claim 8 , wherein the dirty fluid pump mixes the proppant with a fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The method for establishing a fracking pressure in a dirty fluid including a proppant therein  9 , further comprising a clean fluid pump the output of which is at the second pressure. 
     
     
         12 . The method for establishing a fracking pressure in a dirty fluid including a proppant therein in  claim 8 , wherein the clean fluid outlet is in fluid communication with a fluid tank and the clean fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the fluid tank. 
     
     
         13 . The method for establishing a fracking pressure in a dirty fluid including a proppant therein in  claim 12 , further comprising a fluid chiller interposed between the clean fluid outlet and the fluid tank. 
     
     
         14 . The method for establishing a fracking pressure in a dirty fluid including a proppant therein in  claim 12 , further comprising a pressure regulator interposed between the clean fluid pump and the inlet user position selectable valve. 
     
     
         15 . A method of providing a dirty fluid therein a dirty fluid including a proppant therein to a well bore deadheaded to a formation to be fractured, comprising:
 providing a pump housing having a membrane therein separating the interior of the pressure vessel into a first fluid side and a second fluid side, the housing having an internal housing volume therein;   providing a dirty fluid inlet in fluid communication with the dirty fluid inlet line and the first fluid side; and   providing a dirty fluid inlet check valve fluidly interposed between dirty fluid inlet line and the dirty fluid inlet;   providing a dirty fluid outlet in fluid communication with the first fluid side and the dirty fluid outlet line;   providing a dirty fluid outlet check valve fluidly interposed between dirty fluid outlet line and the dirty fluid outlet;   providing a clean fluid inlet in fluid communication with the second fluid side;   providing an inlet user position selectable valve fluidly interposed between the clean fluid inlet line and the clean fluid inlet;   providing a clean fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second fluid side; and   providing an outlet user position selectable valve fluidly interposed between the clean fluid outlet and the clean fluid outlet line,   preparing a dirty fluid comprising water, chemistry, proppant, from a water, chemistry, and proppant source,   pumping, using a low-pressure pump, the dirty fluid into the first fluid side of the membrane pump to establish a full internal housing volume of dirty fluid within the housing,   pumping, a clean fluid from a clean fluid source, using a high-pressure pump to pump the clean fluid into the second fluid side of the membrane pump, wherein;   the clean fluid in the membrane pump pushes the full internal housing volume of dirty fluid in the housing out of the housing toward the well bore.   
     
     
         16 . The method of providing a dirty fluid including a proppant therein to a well bore deadheaded to a formation to be fractured of  claim 15 , wherein
 after pumping the clean fluid in the housing to push the full internal housing volume of dirty fluid in the housing out of the housing toward the well bore refilling the first fluid side of the housing with dirty fluid.   
     
     
         17 . The method of providing a dirty fluid including a proppant therein to a well bore deadheaded to a formation to be fractured of  claim 15 , further comprising providing a dirty fluid pump outputting dirty fluid at a first pressure, wherein;
 the refilling of the first fluid side of the housing with the dirty fluid is provided by opening the outlet user position selectable valve to expose the clean fluid in the second fluid side of the housing to a pressure lower than the first pressure, whereby the pressure in the dirty fluid in the first fluid side is reduced to a pressure less than the first pressure and the dirty inlet check valve opens to allow dirty fluid from the dirty fluid pump to enter the first fluid side.   
     
     
         18 . The method of providing a dirty fluid including a proppant therein to a well bore deadheaded to a formation to be fractured of  claim 17 , further comprising providing a clean fluid pump outputting dirty fluid at a second pressure, wherein;
 the refilling of the second fluid side of the housing with the clean fluid is provided by opening the inlet user position selectable valve to expose the dirty fluid in the first fluid side of the housing to a pressure greater than the first pressure, whereby the pressure in the dirty fluid in the first fluid side is increased to a pressure sufficient to close the dirty inlet check valve and open the dirty fluid outlet check valve.   
     
     
         19 . The method of providing a dirty fluid including a proppant therein to a well bore deadheaded to a formation to be fractured of  claim 18 ,
 whereby the pressure in the dirty fluid in the first fluid side is increased to a pressure sufficient to close the dirty inlet check valve and thereafter open the dirty fluid outlet check valve.   
     
     
         20 . The method of providing a dirty fluid including a proppant therein to a well bore deadheaded to a formation to be fractured of  claim 18 , further comprising
 providing a dirty fluid outlet manifold fluidly connecting between the dirty fluid outlet check valve and a well bore.   
     
     
         21 . A drilling mud pump, comprising:
 a drilling mud fluid inlet line connected to a drilling mud source at a first pressure;   a mud outlet line connectable to a borehole;   a clean fluid inlet line connected to a clean fluid source at a second pressure greater than the first pressure;   a clean fluid return line maintainable at a pressure less than the first pressure;   a membrane pump comprising;
 a body having a hollow interior; and 
 a membrane within the hollow interior of the body, dividing the hollow interior into a first volume and a second volume, the first and second fluid volumes isolated from one another by the membrane; 
 a drilling mud inlet in fluid communication with the drilling mud inlet line and the first volume; 
 a drilling mud inlet check valve fluidly interposed between drilling mud inlet line and the drilling mud inlet; 
 a drilling mud outlet in fluid communication with the first volume and the drilling mud outlet line; 
 a drilling mud outlet check valve fluidly interposed between drilling mud outlet line and the drilling mud outlet; 
 a clean fluid inlet in fluid communication with the second volume; 
 an inlet user position selectable valve fluidly interposed between the clean fluid inlet line and the clean fluid inlet; 
 a clean fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second volume; and 
 an outlet user position selectable valve fluidly interposed between the clean fluid outlet and the clean fluid outlet line.