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US 11,377,939 B1Granted
Interlocking diffuser arrangement in electrical submersible pump
AssigneeBaker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
InventorsZheng Ye, Mark Paquette
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical submersible well pump has upper and lower diffusers non-rotatably mounted in a housing. A rotatable impeller between the upper and lower diffusers has a bottom shroud. An outward-facing wall is on an upper end of the lower diffuser. A lower end of the upper diffuser has an inward-facing wall that fits closely around the outward-facing wall of the lower diffuser. A key mounted between the inward-facing and outward-facing walls prevents relative rotation between the diffusers. The key extends axially above an upper end of the neck and radially inward from the inward-facing wall of the upper diffuser into close proximity to the bottom shroud, creating a sand dam.
Claims20
An electrical submersible well pump, comprising:
- a tubular housing having a longitudinal axis;
- an upper and a lower diffuser non-rotatably mounted in the housing, each of the diffusers having an outer wall in close reception with an inner wall of the housing;
- a shaft extending through the diffusers on the axis;
- an impeller between the upper and lower diffusers and mounted to the shaft for rotation in unison, the impeller having a bottom shroud;
- an outward-facing wall on an upper end of the lower diffuser having an outer diameter less than the outer wall of the lower diffuser, defining an upward-facing shoulder;
- the upper diffuser having an inward-facing wall that fits around the outward-facing wall of the lower diffuser, the upper diffuser having a lower end that abuts the upward-facing shoulder of the lower diffuser;
- a key mounted between the inward-facing wall and the outward-facing wall to prevent relative rotation between the upper and lower diffusers;
- and wherein
- the key extends axially above an upper end of the outward-facing wall and radially inward from the inward-facing wall of the upper diffuser into close proximity to the bottom shroud, creating a sand dam to retard swirling of sand-laden water surrounding the bottom shroud.
6 more elements
An electrical submersible well pump, comprising:
- a tubular housing having a cylindrical inner wall with a longitudinal axis;
- an upper and a lower diffuser non-rotatably mounted in the housing;
- an axially extending shaft extending through the diffusers;
- an impeller between the upper and lower diffusers and mounted to the shaft for rotation in unison, the impeller having a conical bottom shroud and a cylindrical skirt depending from the bottom shroud that fits within and engages a cavity in the lower diffuser in rotating sliding engagement;
- an external upward-facing shoulder on the lower diffuser;
- an outward-facing wall extending upward from the upward-facing shoulder and spaced inward from the inner wall of the housing;
- a lower end of the upper diffuser having an inward-facing wall that fits around the outward-facing wall of the lower diffuser, the lower end of the upper diffuser having a downward-facing rim that abuts the upward-facing shoulder;
- a key mounted between the inward-facing wall and the outward-facing wall to prevent relative rotation between the upper and lower diffusers;
- and wherein
- the key extends axially above an upper end of the outward-facing wall and radially inward past the inward-facing wall toward the bottom shroud, creating a sand dam to retard swirling of sand-laden water surrounding the bottom shroud.
7 more elements
An electrical submersible well pump, comprising:
- a tubular housing having a cylindrical inner wall with a longitudinal axis;
- a plurality of diffusers non-rotatably mounted in the housing;
- a shaft extending through the diffusers on the axis;
- a plurality of impellers, each between two of diffusers and mounted to the shaft for rotation in unison, each of the impellers having a conical bottom shroud and a depending cylindrical skirt that fits within and engages a cavity in a next lower one of the diffusers in rotating sliding engagement;
- an external upward-facing shoulder on each of the diffusers;
- an outward-facing wall extending upward from each of the upward-facing shoulders and spaced inward from the inner wall of the housing;
- a lower end of a next upper one of the diffusers having an inward-facing wall that fits around the outward-facing wall of the next lower one of diffusers, the lower end of the next upper one of the diffusers having a downward-facing rim that abuts the upward-facing shoulder of the next lower one of the diffusers;
- an axially extending outward-facing slot in the outward-facing wall of each of the diffusers;
- an axially extending inward-facing slot in the inward-facing wall of each of the diffusers;
- a plurality of keys, each of the keys having in inner side received within one of the outward-facing slots and an outer side received within one of the inward-facing slots to prevent relative rotation between the upper and lower diffusers;
- wherein
- each of the keys has a lower end at the upward-facing shoulder and an upper portion protruding above the outward-facing slot of the diffuser in which is carried;
- and
- the upper portion of each of the keys extends radially inward past the inward-facing wall toward the bottom shroud of a next upper one of the impellers, creating a sand dam to retard swirling of sand-laden water surrounding the bottom shroud.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.