US-12624623-B2 - Apparatus and methods for interlocking hydraulic fracturing equipment

Abstract

A method for interconnecting components of a hydraulic fracturing system using flexible hose or pipe. The flexible hose or pipe can form a singular flow line which interconnects, for example, a pump and a manifold of the hydraulic fracturing system. Each end of the flexible hose or pipe can be tethered (using a safety restraint) to another component of the hydraulic fracturing system. In the event of a rupture or other failure, the safety restraint retains the tethered flexible pipes or hoses in a fixed position to prevent injury to personnel or damage to surrounding equipment. The method can include positioning a pump adjacent to a manifold, the pump and the manifold being configured to operate within the hydraulic fracturing system, the pump having a pump connection, the pump connection comprising a quick disconnect. The method can further include coupling a first end of a first flexible hose to a first pump connection, coupling a second end of the first flexible hose to a first manifold connection, coupling a first end of a second flexible hose to a second pump connection, and coupling a second end of the second flexible hose to a second manifold connection.

Inventors

• Michael Raymond Cicci
• Michael Patrick Sowko

Assignees

• UNIVERSAL PRESSURE PUMPING, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20250221

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A method for interconnecting components of a hydraulic fracturing system, the method comprising: positioning a pump adjacent to a manifold, the pump and the manifold being configured to operate within the hydraulic fracturing system, the pump having a pump connection, the pump connection comprising a quick disconnect; coupling a first end of a first flexible hose to a first pump connection; coupling a second end of the first flexible hose to a first manifold connection; coupling a first end of a second flexible hose to a second pump connection; and coupling a second end of the second flexible hose to a second manifold connection; wherein the quick disconnect comprises: a safety iron; a lower portion coupled to the safety iron; and an upper portion configured to translate along the safety iron, wherein the safety iron is configured to couple the lower portion and the upper portion together in a locked position.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: tethering the first end of the first flexible hose to the pump; and tethering the second end of the first flexible hose to the manifold.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the hydraulic fracturing system further comprises a blender configured to receive and combine water, sand, and chemicals into a slurry; the pump is configured to receive the slurry; and the pump is configured to pressurize the slurry and deliver the pressurized slurry to the manifold.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: coupling a first end of a third flexible hose to a third pump connection; coupling a second end of the third flexible hose to a third manifold connection; positioning a portion of the third flexible hose adjacent to the first flexible hose and the second flexible hose; and wrapping a safety restraint around the third flexible hose and at least one of the first flexible hose or the second flexible hose to tether the third flexible hose to the at least one of the first flexible hose or the second flexible hose.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the safety restraint is wrapped substantially perpendicular relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the first flexible hose or the second flexible hose.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the quick disconnect is a hydraulically actuated connection.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first manifold connection and the second manifold connection are hydraulically actuated connections.
8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first flexible hose and the second flexible hose have an inner diameter of at least one inch.
9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the quick disconnect is operated either manually or with an electric motor.
10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pump is configured to be transportable to a fracturing site using one or more trucks.
11. 11 . A hydraulic fracturing system comprising: a pump having an outlet configured to output a pressurized fracturing fluid; a manifold having an inlet configured to receive the pressurized fracturing fluid; and a flexible hose having a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to couple to the outlet, the second end being configured to couple to the inlet; wherein: the flexible hose defines a flexible fluid path between the outlet of the pump and the inlet of the manifold and at least one of the first end or the second end of the flexible hose comprises a hose connector having a quick disconnect; and the quick disconnect is cam or gear driven to lock and unlock a first portion and a second portion of the quick disconnect.
12. 12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the quick disconnect comprises a studded ring that includes a male fitting coupled to a female fitting.
13. 13 . The system of claim 11 wherein the quick disconnect comprises a safety iron.
14. 14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the quick disconnect comprises a threaded locking collar.
15. 15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the quick disconnect is either hydraulically actuated or coupled to a motor.
16. 16 . The flexible hose of claim 15 , wherein the second end comprises a hydraulically actuated coupler.
17. 17 . The flexible hose of claim 15 , wherein the second end comprises a wing and thread coupler.
18. 18 . A flexible hose comprising: a first end operably coupled to a first fitting, the first fitting being configured to couple to a pump of a hydraulic fracturing system; a second end operably coupled to a second fitting, the second fitting being configured to couple to a manifold of the hydraulic fracturing system; and a flexible intermediate portion positioned between the first end and the second end, wherein at least one of the first fitting or the second fitting comprises: an upper portion; a lower portion; and a safety iron configured to lock and release the flexible intermediate portion, wherein the upper portion or the lower portion is configured to translate along the safety iron, and wherein the safety iron is actuated by a motor.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/674,682, filed 24 May 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/151,085, filed 6 Jan. 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/100,471, filed 20 Nov. 2020, now patented as U.S. Pat. No. 11,549,348, which issued on 10 Jan. 2023, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/941,459, filed 27 Nov. 2019, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. BACKGROUND Hydraulic fracturing systems utilize fracturing fluid to collect gas and/or oil from geological formations deep below the earth's surface. One or more fracturing pumps are used to pressurize the fracturing fluid to a level which exceeds the tensile strength of the subterranean geological formations below the earth's surface. When distributed into a wellbore, the highly pressurized fluid generates micro fissures or cracks within the geological formations surrounding the wellbore. After the wellbore is depressurized, proppant material in the fracturing fluid remain in the fissures to hold the fissures open so that oil and/or gas trapped within the geological formations can be harvested through the wellbore. SUMMARY In an example of the present disclosure, a system and a method for interconnecting components of a hydraulic fracturing system is disclosed. The method can include positioning a plurality of pumps adjacent to a manifold. The pumps and the manifold can be configured to operate within the hydraulic fracturing system. Each of the plurality of pumps can have a respective pump connection. The manifold can have a plurality of manifold connections configured to be connected to each of the plurality of pumps. The method can also include coupling a first end of a first flexible hose to one of the respective pump connections. The method can further include coupling a second end of the first flexible hose to one of the plurality of manifold connections. The method can include coupling a first end of a second flexible hose to one of the respective pump connections. The method can also include coupling a second end of the second flexible hose to one of the plurality of manifold connections. The method can include positioning a portion of the first flexible hose of the plurality of flexible hoses adjacent to a portion of the second flexible hose of the plurality of flexible hoses. The method can further include wrapping at least one safety restraint around each respective portion of the first and second flexible hoses to tether the first flexible hose to a pump, to the manifold, or to a second flexible hose that is tethered to a pump, or to the manifold. The hydraulic fracturing system can have a blender configured to receive and combine water, sand, and chemicals into a slurry. The plurality of pumps can receive the slurry. The plurality of pumps can be configured to pressurize the slurry and deliver the pressurized slurry to the manifold. In one example, the method can further include coupling a first end of a third flexible hose to one of the respective pump connections; coupling a second end of the third flexible hose to one of the plurality of manifold connections; positioning a portion of the third flexible hose of the plurality of flexible hoses adjacent to the portion of the first and second flexible hoses; and wrapping the at least one safety restraint around each respective portion of the first, second, and third flexible hoses to tether the third flexible hose to a pump, to the manifold, or to a second flexible hose that is tethered to a pump, or to the manifold. In some examples, the plurality of flexible hoses can have an inner diameter of at least one inch. The manifold can be a monoline system having multiple segment pods or a mobile trailer that can be either a monoline or multiple flow system trailer, as has been historically used in the industry. A portion of the safety restraint can be wrapped substantially perpendicular relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the first flexible hose or the second flexible hose. The plurality of pumps can be configured to be transportable to a fracturing site using one or more trucks. Features from any of the disclosed embodiments can be used in combination with one another, without limitation. In addition, other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar elements or features in different views or embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a top view of a conventional hydraulic fracturing system. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the conventional hydraulic fracturing system sh