Patent ID: 6817419
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
In a well production management and storage system having at least one collecting tank and at least one well pump and a control panel with a timing trigger for activating said at least one well pump and deactivating said one well pump for a first predetermined run cycle and a first predetermined rest cycle, the improvement, which comprises:a controller for adjusting at least one of said first predetermined run cycle and said predetermined rest cycle, said controller including: (a) detecting means for detecting change in rate of rise in liquid in said collecting tank when said at least one pump is in a run cycle; (b) upward adjustment means for increasing said first run cycle or decreasing said first rest cycle, or both, by a predetermined increment, in response to a detection of increase in said rate of rise of liquid in said collecting tank that exceeds a preset rate of rise increase increment; (c) downward adjustment means for decreasing said first run cycle or increasing said first rest cycle, or both, by a predetermined increment, in response to a detection of decrease in said rate of rise of liquid in said collecting tank that exceeds a preset rate of rise decrease increment; and, (d) a computer device with sufficient hardware and software affiliated therewith so as to: (i) read and store liquid levels of said at least on collecting tank at specified times during well pump run cycles; (ii) calculate rates of rise in said at least one collecting tank during run cycles by calculating differences in said liquid levels for specified periods of times; (iii) associate said rates of rise with a chronological designation and store said rates of rise with their associated chronological designation; (iv) compare a new calculated rate of rise with an earlier stored rate of rise to determine if a change had occurred in excess of a specified incremental difference; and, (v) if a change has not occurred in excess of a specified increment difference, maintain status quo, and if a change has occurred in excess of a specified incremental difference, and if the change is an increase, increase said run cycle or decrease said rest cycle, or both, by a predetermined amount, and if a change has occurred in excess of a specified incremental difference, and if the change is a decrease, decrease said run cycle or increase said rest cycle, or both, by a predetermined amount.