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Mobile Booster Pump Station

Oct 1, 2019

The pump package shown here was designed for a hydraulic fracturing water supply application which needed up to 55,000 BPD (1,604 GPM). Nicknamed the “Mobile Booster”, the unit was to be placed in different locations along a frack water supply pipeline to help boost the flow rate. The building can be moved to different locations depending on the location of the fracking site. Since the required amount of flow needed is dependent on the job location, the Mobile Booster adjusts to a required flow rate between 35,000 and 55,000 BPD, or 1,020 and 1,604 GPM.

The design incorporated a charge pump and main pump system. To control the flow rate each pump inside the unit is individually controlled allowing each pump to independently speed up or slow down to control the flow.

All equipment in the package is enclosed in a Colorado Resolution 35 approved building, which meets the required building codes and regulations for the state of Colorado. The enclosure consists of two rooms, an electrical room and a pump room. Separated by a fire wall, each room is individually rated for its own hazardous location classification.

The electrical room is not a classified area, allowing for the use of lower cost, non-rated electrical equipment. Running on 480 volts, the 800 HP electrical room contains two VFDs, two harmonic filters, transformers, and a touch screen PLC control panel. The touch screen gives operators the ability to easily monitor current system status and allows for manual overrides. All controls for the unit are accessible through the touch screen human machine interface (HMI).

Programmed to run fully automatic, the unit automatically adjusts both pumps to meet the required flow rate. Once started, the unit is able to run without an operator present on location. The HMI in the electrical room displays real-time pressure and flow rates for the unit.

In addition to real-time display, the package includes multiple safety features. When a potentially hazardous scenario is encountered, the package will automatically shut down; protecting equipment and any operators that may be present. These safety features protect against low NPSH, high pressure, excessive pump vibration, and high temperatures in the motor.

The pump room of the unit contains two individual pump packages on separate skids. The design allows for the pump and motor unit to be removed from the building for easier access to the pump when required. The main pump skid includes a rebuilt 6 stage Pacific JTC horizontal split case pump with a 700 HP TECO Westinghouse motor. The separate charge pump skid includes a rebuilt Peerless 6AD single stage horizontal split case pump with a 125 HP electric motor.

Designed to be accessible, the unit’s layout incorporate enough space to move around and work on components. Any given component is open and accessible for maintenance or repair. Guards were put in place around all rotating equipment to protect operators from dangerous equipment.

The unit also incorporates an environmentally protective sump system. The system is able to collect any fluids leaking within the package and pumps them back into the pipeline system. As part of the pipeline, the sump system does not require any additional piping or removal of fluids outside of the unit. The sump system is also automatically controlled.

Before being shipped, the unit was fully tested at multiple flow rates. All testing was completed at Power Zone’s facilities. The unit was powered by a generator unit and the piping was connected to the testing facility’s 15,000 gallon water test loop. Documentation from the test included functionality, individual pump curves, and the automatically controlled pump curve to match specified flow rates.

Instrumentation was checked for accuracy, and safety features included in the package were checked to ensure a safe and protected operation. All components of the unit were monitored throughout the test for temperature, leaks, and vibration.

The Mobile Booster was designed, approved by Colorado Resolution 35 standards, built, and fully tested in only 22 weeks. It was shipped from Power Zone and has been on location and in use along a frack water supply pipeline since April of 2015.

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