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US 10,393,115 B2Granted
Subsea multiphase pump or compressor with magnetic coupling and cooling or lubrication by liquid or gas extracted from process fluid
AssigneeFMC Technologies, Inc.
InventorsChristopher E. Cunningham, Co Si Huynh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A submersible fluid system for operating submersed in a body of water includes an electric machine and a fluid-end. The fluid-end includes a fluid-end housing having an inlet to a fluid rotor, the fluid rotor coupled to the electric machine and carried to rotate in the housing by a bearing in the housing. A fluid separator system receives a multiphase fluid and communicates a flow of the fluid to the inlet and a substantially liquid flow extracted from the multiphase fluid to the bearing.
Claims25
A submersible fluid system for operating submersed in a body of water, the system comprising:
- an electric machine;
- a fluid-end, comprising a fluid-end housing having an inlet to a fluid rotor, the fluid rotor coupled to the electric machine and carried to rotate in the housing by a bearing in the housing;
- and
- a fluid separator system that receives a multiphase fluid and dispenses flows of a multiphase fluid to the inlet and dispenses flows of a substantially liquid flow extracted from the multiphase fluid to the bearing;
- wherein the fluid separator system comprises a separator tank having a top and a bottom, the separator tank comprising:
- an inlet for the multiphase fluid;
- a primary outlet in the bottom of the separator tank and coupled to the inlet of the fluid-end;
- and
- an outlet in the top of the separator tank and coupled to the fluid-end housing to supply substantially gas to a cavity surrounding a drive-end of the fluid rotor.
6 more elements
A submersible fluid system for operating submersed in a body of water, the system comprising:
- an electric machine;
- a fluid-end, comprising a fluid-end housing having an inlet to a fluid rotor, the fluid rotor coupled to the electric machine and carried to rotate in the housing by a bearing in the housing;
- and
- a fluid separator system that receives a multiphase fluid and dispenses flows of a multiphase fluid to the inlet and dispenses flows of a substantially liquid flow extracted from the multiphase fluid to the bearing;
- wherein the separator system comprises a separator tank having a top and a bottom, the separator tank comprising:
- an inlet for the multiphase fluid;
- a primary outlet in the bottom of the separator tank and coupled to the inlet of the fluid-end;
- and
- an additional outlet in the bottom of the separator tank and coupled to the fluid-end housing to supply fluid, substantially liquid, to the bearing;
- wherein the submersible fluid system further comprises a reservoir tank, the reservoir tank being between the additional outlet and the housing of the fluid-end to receive and store liquid from the additional outlet for supplying to the fluid-end when no liquid is being produced from the additional outlet;
- and
- wherein the separator tank further comprises an outlet in the top of the separator tank and coupled to the fluid-end housing to supply substantially gas to a cavity surrounding a drive-end of the fluid rotor;
- and
- wherein the reservoir tank is between the outlet in the top of the separator tank and the fluid-end to receive fluid from the separator tank to drive liquid from the reservoir in the event no liquid is being produced from the additional outlet and the additional outlet is closed.
11 more elements
A method, comprising:
- operating, at a depth underwater, an electric machine and a fluid end, the fluid-end comprising a fluid-end housing having an inlet to a fluid rotor, the fluid rotor coupled to the electric machine and carried to rotate in the housing by a bearing in the housing;
- and
- operating a fluid separator system that receives a multiphase fluid comprising raw hydrocarbon process fluid and communicates a flow of the multiphase fluid to the inlet and a substantially liquid flow extracted from the multiphase fluid to the bearing;
- wherein the multiphase fluid is dispensed from the fluid-end away from both the fluid-end and fluid separator system;
- wherein the fluid separator system comprises a separator tank having a top and a bottom, the separator tank comprising:
- an inlet for the multiphase fluid;
- a primary outlet in the bottom of the separator tank and coupled to the inlet of the fluid-end;
- and
- an outlet in the top of the separator tank and coupled to the fluid-end housing to supply substantially gas to a cavity surrounding a drive-end of the fluid rotor.
6 more elements
A submersible fluid system for operating submersed in a body of water, the system comprising:
- a multiphase fluid inlet configured to receive a multiphase fluid comprising raw hydrocarbon process fluid;
- an electric machine;
- a fluid-end, comprising a fluid-end housing having a rotor inlet to a fluid rotor, the fluid rotor coupled to the electric machine and including a cavity surrounding a drive-end of the fluid rotor, and an outlet;
- and
- a fluid separator system that receives a multiphase fluid from the multiphase fluid inlet, separates a substantially liquid flow from the multiphase fluid, and communicates a flow of the multiphase fluid to the rotor inlet, and communicates another substantially gas flow extracted from the multiphase fluid to the cavity surrounding the drive-end of the fluid rotor;
- wherein the multiphase fluid is dispensed through the outlet of the fluid-end away from both the fluid-end and fluid separator system;
- and
- wherein the fluid separator system comprises a separator tank having a top and a bottom, the separator tank comprising:
- an inlet for the multiphase fluid;
- a primary outlet in the bottom of the separator tank and coupled to the inlet of the fluid-end, and
- an outlet in the top of the separator tank and coupled to the fluid-end housing to supply substantially gas to a cavity surrounding a drive-end of the fluid rotor.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.