Progressing cavity pump and methods of operation
AssigneeActivate Artificial Lift Inc.
InventorStephen Barbour
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A progressing cavity pump has: a stator; a rotor; the rotor having a first axial operating position within the stator in which a first axial part of the rotor aligns with a first axial part of the stator to form an active pump section adapted to generate a pumping force on rotation of the rotor in the stator; the rotor having a second axial operating position within the stator in which the first axial part of the rotor aligns with a second axial part of the stator to form an active pump section adapted to generate a pumping force on rotation of the rotor in the stator. A related method is disclosed.
Claims20
A method for operating a progressing cavity pump in a borehole, the progressing cavity pump having a rotor within a stator, the method comprising:
- while the rotor is in a first operating position within the stator, rotating the rotor relative the stator, with a first axial part of the rotor aligning with a first axial part of the stator to form an active pump section, and a second axial part of the rotor aligning with a second axial part of the stator to form an inactive pump section with reduced pumping efficiency relative to the active pump section, wherein rotating the rotor relative to the stator when in the first operating position generates a pumping force between the first axial part of the rotor and the first axial part of the stator;
- axially translating the rotor, relative to the stator, from the first operating position within the stator to a second operating position within the stator, wherein the rotor is axially translated using equipment, at a ground surface penetrated by the borehole, to raise or lower the rotor;
- and while the rotor is in the second operating position within the stator, rotating the rotor relative to the stator, with the first axial part of the rotor aligning with the second axial part of the stator to form an active pump section, and the second axial part of the rotor and the first axial part of the stator forming inactive pump sections with reduced pumping efficiency relative to the active pump section, wherein rotating the rotor relative to the stator when in the second operating position generates a pumping force between the first axial part of the rotor and the second axial part of the stator.
A progressing cavity pump comprising:
- a stator;
- a rotor;
- the rotor having a first axial operating position within the stator wherein a first axial part of the rotor aligns with a first axial part of the stator to form an active pump section adapted to generate a pumping force upon rotation of the rotor in the stator, and a second axial part of the rotor aligns with a second axial part of the stator to form an inactive pump section with reduced pumping efficiency relative to the active pump section;
- the rotor having a second axial operating position within the stator wherein the first axial part of the rotor aligns with the second axial part of the stator to form an active pump section adapted to generate a pumping force upon rotation of the rotor in the stator, and the second axial part of the rotor and the first axial part of the stator form inactive pump sections with reduced pumping efficiency relative to the active pump section;
- the first axial part of the rotor defining a first minor rotor diameter, the second axial part of the rotor defining a second minor rotor diameter, and the first minor rotor diameter being larger than the second minor rotor diameter;
- and wherein the progressing cavity pump is structured to be operated in both the first axial operating position and the second operating position to lift fluids in an oil well to a ground surface penetrated by a borehole, and to produce those fluids at the ground surface, and the rotor is structured to be axially translatable between the first axial operating position and the second axial operating position using equipment at, at the ground surface to raise or lower the rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.