Debris separator

Abstract

A debris separator may include a housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and an internal bore therebetween having a tapered discharge transitioning to the outlet end; and a filter basket connected to the housing at the inlet end and extending into the internal bore, thereby forming an annulus between the filter basket and the housing, the filter basket having a mesh size selected to pass a slurry of proppant therethrough and retain solid objects of a larger size than the proppant.

1 .- 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A debris separator, comprising:
 a housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and an internal bore therebetween having a tapered discharge transitioning to the outlet end; and   a filter basket connected to the housing at the inlet end and extending into the internal bore, thereby forming an annulus between the filter basket and the housing, the filter basket having a mesh size smaller than 120 mesh.   
     
     
         26 . The debris separator of  claim 25 , wherein the debris separator is configured to:
 receive a slurry comprising a fluid and solid objects at the inlet end of the housing;   separate the fluid from the solid objects to produce a filtered fluid; and   discharge the filtered fluid from the outlet end of the housing.   
     
     
         27 . The debris separator of  claim 26 , wherein the slurry passes through the filter basket and into the annulus, thereby retaining the solid objects within the filter basket. 
     
     
         28 . The debris separator of  claim 26 , wherein the inlet end comprises an inlet connector having a plurality of connection ends for receiving a plurality of flows of the slurry. 
     
     
         29 . The debris separator of  claim 25 , further comprising one or more pressure gauges or transducers configured to detect a pressure change in the debris separator. 
     
     
         30 . The debris separator of  claim 25 , wherein the annulus has a size ranging from 2 to 50% of a diameter of the housing. 
     
     
         31 . The debris separator of  claim 25 , wherein a housing inner surface, a filter basket inner surface, and a filter basket outer surface comprise an abrasion resistant coating. 
     
     
         32 . The debris separator of  claim 25 , further comprising at least one flange located proximate the inlet end, the outlet end, or both. 
     
     
         33 . A system comprising:
 a wellhead; and   one or more debris separators configured to receive a slurry comprising a fluid and solid objects, filter the slurry to remove at least a portion of the solid objects and produce a filtered fluid, and deliver the filtered fluid to the wellhead, wherein the one or more debris separators comprises:
 a housing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and an internal bore therebetween having a tapered discharge transitioning to the outlet end; and 
 a filter basket connected to the housing at the inlet end and extending into the internal bore, thereby forming an annulus between the filter basket and the housing. 
   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the slurry passes through the filter basket and into the annulus, thereby retaining the solid objects within the filter basket. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the inlet end comprises a plurality of connection ends for receiving a plurality of flows of the slurry. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the filter basket is configured to be removed and inserted into the housing using guides located on an internal bore surface of the housing, wherein the guides centralize the filter basket within the housing. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the filter basket has a mesh size smaller than 120 mesh. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the filter basket has a mesh size of between 120 mesh and 2 inches. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the solid objects comprise a proppant and wherein the mesh size is selected to pass the slurry therethrough and retain the solid objects of a larger size than the proppant such that the filtered fluid includes the proppant. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , further comprising a blender fluidly connected to the inlet end of the one or more debris separators, wherein the blender is configured to produce the slurry and to discharge the slurry to the one or more debris separators. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the one or more debris separators are connected directly to an outlet of the blender. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 40 , further comprising a manifold fluidly connected to the outlet end of the one or more debris separators and configured to receive the filtered fluid including the proppant. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the one or more debris separators are located on the manifold. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 42 , further comprising one or more frac pumps, fluidly connected to the manifold and configured to receive the filtered fluid including the proppant, to pressurize the filtered fluid including the proppant, and to discharge the filtered fluid including the proppant from the one or more frac pumps to the wellhead via the manifold.