Attorney Docket No. 0486-10685-1
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`SPECIFICATION
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`TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
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`BE IT KNOWN that we, Chris Buckley, of Tomball, Texas; and Paul Thomas
`Lightfoot, of Stockton Brook, Staffordshire, UK; have invented a new and useful
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`ELECTRIC DRIVE PUMP FOR WELL STIMULATION
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`of which the following is a specification.
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`Specification
`Attorney Docket No. 0486-10685-1
`Page 1
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 1
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 1
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`BACKGROUND
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`1.
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`Field of the Invention
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`The present application relates generally to hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas
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`wells, and in particular to an electric drive pump used to drive a fluid end for the
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`pumpingof a fracturing fluid into a well.
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`2.
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`Description of Related Art
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`lt
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`is difficult
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`to economically produce hydrocarbons from low permeability
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`reservoir rocks. Oil and gas production rates are often boosted by hydraulic fracturing, a
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`technique that
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`increases rock permeability by opening channels through which
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`hydrocarbons can flow to recovery wells. Hydraulic fracturing has been used for
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`decades to stimulate production from conventional oil and gas wells. The practice
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`consists of pumping fluid into a wellbore at high pressure (sometimes as high as 50,000
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`PSl). Inside the wellbore, large quantities of proppants are carried in suspension by the
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`fracture fluid into the fractures. When the fluid enters the formation,
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`it fractures, or
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`creates fissures,
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`in the formation. Water, as well as other fluids, and some solid
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`proppants, are then pumpedinto the fissures to stimulate the release of oil and gas from
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`the formation. When the pressure is released,
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`the fractures partially close on the
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`proppants, leaving channels for oil and gasto flow.
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`Fracturing rock in a formation requires that the fracture fluid be pumpedinto the
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`well bore at very high pressure. This pumping is typically performed by large diesel-
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`powered pumps in communication with one or more fluid ends. These specialized
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`pumps are used to power the operation of the fluid end to deliver fracture fluids at
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`sufficiently high rates and pressures to complete a hydraulic fracturing procedure or
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`“frac job.” Such pumps are able to pump fracturing fluid into a well bore at a high
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`enough pressure to crack the formation, but they also have drawbacks. For example,
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`the diesel pumps are very heavy, and thus must be moved on heavy dutytrailers,
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`making transport of
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`the pumps between oilfield sites expensive and inefficient.
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`In
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`addition, the diesel engines required to drive the pumpsrequire a relatively high level of
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`Specification
`Attorney Docket No. 0486-10685-1
`Page 2
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 2
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 2
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`expensive maintenance. Furthermore, the cost of diesel fuel is much higher than in the
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`past, meaning that the cost of running the pumpshasincreased.
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`Although great strides have been made with respect to the power end of a
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`fracturing pump system, considerable shortcomings remain. An improved pump for
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`hydraulic fracturing fluid that overcomes the problems associated with diesel pumpsis
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`needed.
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`DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`The novel features believed characteristic of the application are set forth in the
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`description. However, the application itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and
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`further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the
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`following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying
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`drawings.
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`Figure 1
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`is a side view of a schematic of a power end in communication with a
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`plurality of electric motors according to an embodiment of the present application.
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`Figure 2 is a perspective view of a representative example of the power end with
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`electric motors in association with a fluid end.
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`Figures 3-6 are charts of the operative functioning of the electric motors in
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`various different power demand conditions.
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`While the application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative
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`forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the
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`drawings and are herein described in detail.
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`It should be understood, however, that the
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`description herein of specific embodiments is not intendedto limit the application to the
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`particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,
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`equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the application as
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`described herein.
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`Specification
`Attorney Docket No. 0486-10685-1
`Page 3
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 3
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 3
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
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`Illustrative embodiments of the preferred embodiment are described below.
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`In
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`the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are describedin this
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`specification.
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`It will of course be appreciated that in the developmentof any such actual
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`embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the
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`developer’s specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-
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`related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover,it will
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`be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming
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`but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill
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`in the art
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`having the benefit of this disclosure.
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`The assembly in accordance with the present application overcomes one or more
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`problems commonly associated with conventional pumps used to stimulate a well.
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`The electric drive pump of the present application is configured to incorporate a plurality
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`of electric motors to the power end or pump portion of a pump system. The motors are
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`configured to operate independently to vary the power supplied and may operate in any
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`sequential order. By including smaller motors, the motors are more easily obtained in
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`the market, precise power requirements may be met smoothly, and overall power
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`consumption may be minimized. These and other unique features of the device are
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`discussed below andillustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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`Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 in the drawings, a side view of a schematic of a
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`power end in communication with a plurality of electric motors and a representative
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`perspective viewis illustrated. The power end includes a pump that is used to operate
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`one or more fluid ends. The fluid ends are used to pump fluid into a well. As stated
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`previously, a diesel powered power end has a number of disadvantages. This system
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`includes a series of electric motors of sufficient number needed to give the required
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`output to operate the one or more fluid ends. The precise number is dependent upon
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`design constraints and engineering parameters.
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`It
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`is understood that more than one
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`may be used.
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`In Figure 1, a total of 10 are shown or implied, with 5 being located on
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`either side of the power end.
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`Specification
`Attorney Docket No. 0486-10685-1
`Page 4
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 4
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 4
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`The electric motors may be coupled to the power end in various orientations.
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`Ultimately any restriction on the chosen orientation is that it must be able to convey
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`energy so as to operate the power end.
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`For example, the electric motors may be
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`mounted in parallel with an axis of the pump; or the electric motors may be mounted
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`perpendicular to the axis of the pump. Any combination of parallel or perpendicular are
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`permitted between the numbers of motors. Additionally, any orientation between or
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`beyond parallel and perpendicular are possible.
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`Selected gearing may be used to assist in mating the electric motors to the
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`power end. As seen from Figure 1, these can be mounted at both ends of the pump,
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`which apply the drive by means of any of the following: a gear/gears, chain or belt drive,
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`or a combination of some or all. A clutch or system of clutches could be used to
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`couple/de-couple the motors from the drive of the pump. Also a transfer gear system
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`can be usedif required. This may depend on the orientation of the axis of the motor to
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`the axis of the pump.
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`Each electric motor is configured to produce a set amount of power (power max).
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`The sizing of the plurality of motors can be such that they output equal or different
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`amounts of power individually. Collectively,
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`to some degree, a sufficient amount of
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`power needs to be output from some number of the plurality of electric motors as is
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`necessary to achieve the pumpsoutput.
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`It
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`is understood that if each of the motors are independently operable, some
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`motors may be on while other are off. Referring now also to Figures 3-6 in the
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`drawings, charts of the operative functioning of the electric motors are illustrated. The
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`motors can be used in a continuous duty cycle or as a sequenced duty cycle to meet
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`the requirement of the pumps output. Each chart includes a table showing 14 motors
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`which may be associated with a left side and a right side (the number of motors is
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`exemplary only). The motors may be on one side only or associated with both sides.
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`Under each side a label of “on” and “off” is provided.
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`In Figure 3, an example of the
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`operation of the motors is provided wherein only a small amount of power is needed.
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`In
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`this condition, only motor #1 is turned on. The others remained off.
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`Specification
`Attorney Docket No. 0486-10685-1
`Page 5
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 5
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 5
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`In Figure 4, a 50% output
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`is required.
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`To produce this amount,
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`the even
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`numbered motors are operative while the odd numbered motors are deactivated or
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`turned off.
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`In this case, 50% power is provided by operating half the motors atfull
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`capacity.
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`In Figure 5, 100% power is required and therefore all motors are turned on.
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`In Figure 6, 70% power is required.
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`In this example, motors 1, 5, 9, and 13 are off while
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`the others are on. As seen from the exemplary charts of Figures 3-6,
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`the power
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`supplied can be adjusted by changing the number of motors turned on.
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`Asalluded to above, it would appear that each motor is configured to operate in
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`full output mode only.
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`It is understood that the system of the present application may
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`permit the motors to be run at various speeds or power outputs. This could allow all the
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`motors to operate for a 50% required output, where each motor is producing only 1% its
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`max output.
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`An advantage of varied output motors would be that potentially
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`maintenance may be provided to select motors during operation of the fluid end without
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`the need to completely shut down operations as other motors may be set
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`to
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`compensate for the needed load conditions. Naturally, the motors may interact and
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`operate in any number of different manners.
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`It is evident by the foregoing description that the subject application has other
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`significant benefits and advantages. The present assembly is amenable to various
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`changes and modifications without departing from the spirit
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`thereof. The particular
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`embodiments disclosed aboveare illustrative only, as the system and method may be
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`modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in
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`the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident any alterations,
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`modifications, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the
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`application.
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`It
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`is apparent that a system and method with significant advantages has
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`been described and illustrated.
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`Specification
`Attorney Docket No. 0486-10685-1
`Page 6
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 6
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 6
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`1/4
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`Electric Motors Power End
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`Gearing
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`FIG. 1
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 7
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 7
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`2/4
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`Electric Motors
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`Power End
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`Electric Motors
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`Fluid End
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`FIG. 2
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 8
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 8
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`3/4
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`Motor #
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`Left Side
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`Right Side
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`Example: Tick Over
`Example: 50% Required
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`Motor # Left Side—Right Side
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 9
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 9
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`4/4
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`Motor #
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`Left Side
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`Right Side
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`Example: 100% Required
`Example: 70% Required
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`Right Side
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`Motor #
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`Left Side
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 10
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`LIBERTY EXHIBIT 1005, Page 10
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