A universal monitoring system applicable to a variety of hydraulic fracturing equipment includes an accelerometer mounted on a housing of a positive displacement pump and configured to sense a vibration associated with the positive displacement pump on start-up and generate a wake-up signal. A processor is communicatively coupled to the accelerometer and configured to initiate execution upon receiving the wake-up signal. A pressure strain gauge is mounted directly on the pump housing and is configured to sense deformity in the pump housing caused by alternating high and low pressures within the pump housing and generate sensor data. The processor is configured to receive the sensor data from the pressure strain gauge and configured to analyze the sensor data and determine a cycle count value for the positive displacement pump, and there is at least one communication interface coupled to the processor configured to transmit the sensor data and cycle count value to another device.

A universal monitoring system applicable to a variety of hydraulic fracturing equipment includes an accelerometer mounted on a housing of a positive displacement pump and configured to sense a vibration associated with the positive displacement pump on start-up and generate a wake-up signal. A processor is communicatively coupled to the accelerometer and configured to initiate execution upon receiving the wake-up signal. A pressure strain gauge is mounted directly on the pump housing and is configured to sense deformity in the pump housing caused by alternating high and low pressures within the pump housing and generate sensor data. The processor is configured to receive the sensor data from the pressure strain gauge and configured to analyze the sensor data and determine a cycle count value for the positive displacement pump, and there is at least one communication interface coupled to the processor configured to transmit the sensor data and cycle count value to another device.

A fluid routing plug for use with a fluid end section. The fluid end section being one of a plurality of fluid end sections making up a fluid end side of a high pressure pump. The fluid routing plug is installed within a horizontal bore formed in a fluid end section and is configured to route fluid between an intake and discharge bore. The fluid routing plug comprises a plurality of first and second fluid passages. The first and second passages do not intersect and are offset from one another. The first fluid passages are configured to direct fluid delivered to the horizontal bore from intake bores towards a reciprocating plunger. The second fluid passages are configured to direct fluid pressurized by the plunger towards a discharge bore.

Systems and methods for monitoring, detecting, and/or intervening with respect to cavitation and pulsation events during hydraulic fracturing operations may include a supervisory controller. The supervisory controller may be configured to receive pump signals indicative of one or more of pump discharge pressure, pump suction pressure, pump speed, or pump vibration associated with operation of the hydraulic fracturing pump. The supervisory controller also may be configured to receive blender signals indicative of one or more of blender flow rate or blender discharge pressure. Based on one or more of these signals, the supervisory controller may be configured to detect a cavitation event and/or a pulsation event. The supervisory controller may be configured to generate a cavitation notification signal indicative of detection of cavitation associated with operation of the hydraulic fracturing pump, and/or a pulsation notification signal indicative of detection of pulsation associated with operation of the hydraulic fracturing pump.

An oscillation controller operates on engine speed or RPM data from a pump or pumping unit associated with a wellbore operation. The oscillation controller determines a measure of variability, such as a bandwidth, for the engine speed over a rolling time window and compares the measure of variability to an oscillation bandwidth threshold. The oscillation controller determines that erratic behavior or oscillation is present when the measure of variability exceeds the oscillation bandwidth threshold, and for such instances measures a duration of erratic behavior with a variability timer. If the oscillation controller determines that the erratic behavior has subsided, the variability timer is cleared. The oscillation controller generates at least one warning whenever the variability timer exceeds an oscillation warning threshold. The oscillation controller mitigates erratic behavior by downshifting (or shifting to neutral) at least one gear of the pump or pumping unit if the variability timer exceeds an oscillation mitigation time threshold.

An oscillation controller operates on engine speed or RPM data from a pump or pumping unit associated with a wellbore operation. The oscillation controller determines a measure of variability, such as a bandwidth, for the engine speed over a rolling time window and compares the measure of variability to an oscillation bandwidth threshold. The oscillation controller determines that erratic behavior or oscillation is present when the measure of variability exceeds the oscillation bandwidth threshold, and for such instances measures a duration of erratic behavior with a variability timer. If the oscillation controller determines that the erratic behavior has subsided, the variability timer is cleared. The oscillation controller generates at least one warning whenever the variability timer exceeds an oscillation warning threshold. The oscillation controller mitigates erratic behavior by downshifting (or shifting to neutral) at least one gear of the pump or pumping unit if the variability timer exceeds an oscillation mitigation time threshold.

A multi-pump pump system includes at least two pumps and a system pulsation dampener sized and configured to reduce a magnitude of pressure pulsations within a combined flow output by the at least two pumps, together with at least one mini-dampener coupled between the outlet of one of the pumps and header pipe(s) carrying flow from one of the pumps into the system pulsation dampener, the at least one mini-dampener sized and configured to reduce the magnitude of pressure pulsations over the system pulsation dampener alone. Optionally, a mini-dampener may be coupled between each pump and the system pulsation dampener. A single header pipe may carry combined flow from the at least two pumps into the system pulsation dampener, or separate header pipes may carry individual flows from the pumps into the system pulsation dampener.

A packing assembly includes a packing sleeve having a first sleeve portion and a second sleeve portion, wherein a first sleeve portion outer diameter is larger than a second sleeve portion outer diameter and a first sleeve portion inner diameter is larger than a second sleeve portion inner diameter. The packing assembly also includes a groove formed in the second sleeve portion outer diameter. The packing assembly further includes a shoulder formed at a transition between the first sleeve portion and the second sleeve portion. The packing assembly includes a shelf formed at the transition between the first sleeve portion and the second sleeve portion. The packing assembly also includes a plurality of packing components arranged within the first sleeve portion inner diameter, at least a portion of the plurality of packing components engaging the shelf. The packing assembly further includes a seal positioned within the groove.

An electrical submersible pump (ESP) isolates its motor lubricant from pumped product without requiring a bellows, diaphragm, bladder, or external lubricant pressurizing system. A pair of nested isolation chambers below the motor housing are filled with a barrier fluid that is non-reactive, non-miscible, and higher in density than the pumped product and the motor lubricant. As the motor lubricant expands and contracts after pump start-up and shut-down, motor lubricant and barrier fluid are exchanged between the motor housing and the isolation chambers via three interconnections, while pumped product is exchanged with the inner barrier chamber, while being isolated from the motor housing. The interconnections extend between the bottom of the motor housing and the bottom of the outer barrier chamber, between the top of the outer barrier chamber and the bottom of the inner barrier chamber, and between the top of the inner barrier chamber and the pumped product.

An electrical submersible pump (ESP) isolates its motor lubricant from pumped product without requiring a bellows, diaphragm, bladder, or external lubricant pressurizing system. A pair of nested isolation chambers below the motor housing are filled with a barrier fluid that is non-reactive, non-miscible, and higher in density than the pumped product and the motor lubricant. As the motor lubricant expands and contracts after pump start-up and shut-down, motor lubricant and barrier fluid are exchanged between the motor housing and the isolation chambers via three interconnections, while pumped product is exchanged with the inner barrier chamber, while being isolated from the motor housing. The interconnections extend between the bottom of the motor housing and the bottom of the outer barrier chamber, between the top of the outer barrier chamber and the bottom of the inner barrier chamber, and between the top of the inner barrier chamber and the pumped product.