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.
Claims9
A pump comprising:
- a first impeller configured to provide kinetic energy to flow fluid through the pump, the first impeller comprising an impeller blade having a stationary portion and a movable portion made of an adaptive material configured to modify, during operation of the pump, a geometric dimension of the impeller blade to modify fluid flow through the pump;
- 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 impeller shroud encasing the impeller blade, the shroud comprising an upper shroud in contact with a top portion of the blade and a lower shroud in contact with a lower portion of the blade, the pump further comprising an impeller elastomeric material between the movable portion and either the upper shroud or the lower shroud, the elastomeric material configured to seal against migration of fluid from one blade cavity to another blade cavity.
A pump comprising:
- a first impeller configured to provide kinetic energy to flow fluid through the pump, the first impeller comprising an impeller blade having a stationary portion and a movable portion made of an adaptive material configured to modify, during operation of the pump, a geometric dimension of the impeller blade to modify fluid flow through the pump;
- and
- 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, wherein the first impeller and the first diffuser form a first pump stage, the pump further comprising a second pump stage comprising a second impeller and a second diffuser, the second pump stage connected in series with the first pump stage, wherein the second pump stage does not include adaptive materials.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.