Centrifugal pump with adaptive pump stages
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsRafael Adolfo Lastra Melo, Chidirim Enoch Ejim
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Abstract
A centrifugal pump with adaptive pump stages includes an impeller configured to provide kinetic energy to fluid flow through the pump. The impeller has multiple geometric dimensions. The pump includes a diffuser connected to the impeller that is configured to convert the kinetic energy provided by the impeller into static pressure energy to flow the fluid through the pump. The pump includes an adaptive material attached to the impeller that is configured to modify, during operation of the pump, a geometric dimension to modify fluid flow through the pump.
Claims22
A pump comprising:
- a first impeller configured to provide kinetic energy to flow fluid through the pump, the first impeller having a plurality of geometric dimensions;
- a first diffuser fluidly connected to the first impeller, the first diffuser configured to convert the kinetic energy provided by the first impeller into static pressure energy to flow the fluid through the pump;
- and
- an adaptive material attached to the first impeller, the adaptive material configured to modify, during operation of the pump, a geometric dimension of the plurality of geometric dimensions to modify fluid flow through the pump,
- wherein the first impeller and the first diffuser form a first pump stage, wherein the pump further comprises a second pump stage connected in series with the first pump stage, the second pump stage comprising:
- a second impeller configured to provide kinetic energy to flow fluid through the pump;
- and
- a second diffuser fluidly connected to the second impeller, the second diffuser configured to convert the kinetic energy provided by the second impeller into static pressure energy to flow the fluid through the pump, wherein the second pump stage does not include adaptive materials.
A method comprising:
- forming a first pump stage of a pump by attaching an adaptive material to first impeller of pump, the first impeller configured to provide kinetic energy to flow fluid through the pump, the first impeller having a plurality of geometric dimensions, the adaptive material configured to modify, during operation of the pump, a geometric dimension of the plurality of geometric dimensions to modify fluid flow through the pump, wherein the first impeller is fluidly connected to a first diffuser configured to convert the kinetic energy provided by the first impeller into static pressure energy to flow the fluid through the pump;
- forming a second pump stage comprising a second impeller and a second diffuser fluidly connected to the second impeller, wherein the second pump stage does not include adaptive materials;
- fluidly connecting the first pump stage and the second pump stage in series;
- and
- actuating the adaptive material during the operation of the pump to modify the geometric dimension of the first impeller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.