Caterpillar Inc.

Shawn M Damm

Todd R Kabrich

Yuesheng He

Sri Harsha Uddanda

Shivangi Wagle

Christopher F Gallmeyer

Prasanna Mohan Ballal

Geetika Dilawari

Hannes Marscheider

Yanchai Zhang

Scott Byron Fiveland

Arvind Sivasubramanian

Isaac Ethan Fox

Julia H Jenks

Matthew Parker

Rodney D Harms

Kyle McElmury

Joseph P Fuller

Andy Pierpont

Oskar Turner

A control system identifies preferred performance information associated with a hydraulic fracturing system; and obtains engine operation information associated with a plurality of engines included in a plurality of respective pump systems of the hydraulic fracturing system. The control system identifies, based on the engine operation information, a set of one or more engines, of the plurality of engines, that are utilizing gaseous fuel and/or that are capable of utilizing gaseous fuel, and obtains methane number information associated with the set of one or more engines. The control system selects, based on the preferred performance information and the methane number information, a set of one or more operation optimization maps, determines, based on the set of one or more operation optimization maps and the engine operation information, control information associated with the plurality of pump systems. The control system controls, based on the control information, the plurality of pump systems.

Closed-loop control of a plurality of pump systems of a hydraulic fracturing system

A hydraulic fracturing pump system may include a hydraulic fracturing pump, a gaseous fuel engine configured to drive the hydraulic fracturing pump, and a transmission system including a gear system mechanically coupled to the hydraulic fracturing pump and torque converter configured to fluidly couple the gaseous fuel engine and the gear system. The torque converter may include an impeller, a turbine fluidly coupled to the impeller and mechanically coupled to the gear system, a stator positioned between the impeller and the turbine, an impeller clutch configured to mechanically couple the impeller to the gaseous fuel engine, and a lockup clutch configured to mechanically couple the gaseous fuel engine and the gear system.

Control of an impeller clutch of a torque converter for a gaseous fuel engine

A control system may include a recirculation circuit configured to direct fluid from an outlet of a fluid pump of a hydraulic fracturing system to an inlet of the fluid pump. The control system may include a control valve in the recirculation circuit. The control system may include a controller configured to cause opening of the control valve to cause the fluid to flow through the recirculation circuit at a first time when proppant is being added to the fluid. The controller may be configured to cause, after closing of the control valve and at a second time when the proppant is no longer being added to the fluid, re-opening of the control valve to cause the fluid to flow through the recirculation circuit to flush the recirculation circuit of the proppant.

Operation of a recirculation circuit for a fluid pump of a hydraulic fracturing system

A control system may include a recirculation circuit configured to direct fluid from an outlet of a fluid pump of a hydraulic fracturing system to an inlet of the fluid pump. The control system may include a control valve in the recirculation circuit. The control system may include a choke valve in the recirculation circuit. The control system may include a controller configured to cause opening of the control valve to cause the fluid to flow through the recirculation circuit, and cause, based on a pressure of the fluid flowing through the recirculation circuit downstream of the control valve and the choke valve, actuation of the choke valve to maintain the pressure of the fluid below a threshold.

A control system may include a recirculation circuit configured to direct fluid from an outlet of a fluid pump, via a first portion of the recirculation circuit, to an inlet of the fluid pump via a second portion of the recirculation circuit. The control system may include a control valve and a choke valve in the recirculation circuit. The control system may include a controller configured to identify, based on a differential pressure that is based on a first pressure of the fluid in the first portion and a second pressure of the fluid in the second portion while the control valve is closed, a position for the choke valve that is to result in a flow velocity of the fluid through the control valve that is below a threshold, and configured to cause actuation of the choke valve in accordance with the position.

A control system may include a fluid conduit configured to direct fluid discharged from a fluid pump. The control system may include a shutoff valve and a throttling valve in the fluid conduit. The control system may include a controller configured to cause, while the shutoff valve is closed, actuation of the throttling valve to an open position. The controller may be configured to obtain first information indicating a first pressure of the fluid in the fluid conduit at a first side of the throttling valve between the throttling valve and the shutoff valve and second information indicating a second pressure of the fluid in the fluid conduit at a second side of the throttling valve. The controller may be configured to transmit a signal to indicate that the shutoff valve has a leak based on the first pressure being different from the second pressure.

A system, apparatus, and method for controlling an engine system can provide fuel reactivity compensation control for an engine of the engine system. Pilot fuel quantity supplied to the engine can be controlled using a nitrous oxide (NOx) error. Likewise, air-to-fuel ratio (AFR) for the engine can be controlled using the NOx error. Each of a pilot fuel offset and an AFR control trim can be generated using the NOx error. The pilot fuel offset and the AFR control trim can be used to control the pilot fuel quantity and the AFR, respectively.

System, apparatus, and method for controlling an engine system to account for varying fuel quality

A method for detecting reverse flow for a dual fuel engine is disclosed. The engine may include an intake manifold, a liquid fuel supply line and a gaseous fuel supply line, the gaseous fuel supply line including a gaseous fuel supply and a gaseous fuel rail. The method may include: operating the dual fuel engine in a liquid fuel only mode via the liquid fuel supply line; determining a reverse flow in the gaseous fuel supply line; and outputting an indication of reverse flow in response to the determination of reverse flow.

Reverse flow detection system

A system, apparatus, and method for controlling an engine system can provide fuel reactivity compensation control for an engine of the engine system. The control can include controlling pilot fuel quantity supplied to an engine based on a pilot fuel offset value; and controlling air-to-fuel ratio (AFR) for the engine based on an AFR control trim value. A NOx error value can be used to generate one of the pilot fuel offset value or the AFR control trim value, and an exhaust temperature error value can be used to generate the other of the pilot fuel offset value or the AFR control trim value.

Systems and methods for reverse flow detection for a dual fuel engine are disclosed. The engine may include an intake manifold, a liquid fuel supply line and a gaseous fuel supply line, the gaseous fuel supply line including a gaseous fuel supply and a gaseous fuel rail. The method may include: receiving sensed values of gaseous fuel supply pressure, intake manifold pressure, and gaseous fuel rail pressure; determining a threshold value based on the sensed value of gaseous fuel supply pressure; determining a reverse flow in the gaseous fuel supply line based on the sensed values of gaseous fuel supply pressure and gas rail pressure and the determined threshold value; and outputting an indication of reverse flow in response to the determination of reverse flow.

Systems and methods for reverse flow detect

A control system for controlling pilot fuel injection in a dual fuel engine is disclosed. The control system may determine, using measurements from one or more sensors, one or more combustion parameters associated with the dual fuel engine during operation of the dual fuel engine. The control system may determine an estimated nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions level based on the one or more combustion parameters, and may determine a NOx error based on a comparison between the estimated NOx emissions level and a desired NOx emissions level. The control system may control a quantity of pilot fuel injected into the dual fuel engine based on the NOx error.

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Peoria, IL, United States of America

Shawn M Damm