US 12,247,469 B2Granted

Electrical submersible pump for a wellbore

AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company

InventorsMostafa M. Bori, Hashim A. Alsadah, Matias S. Funes, Ahmed A. Khalaf

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Abstract

A downhole pumping system includes an electric motor configured to receive electric power from a cable coupled to a power source at a terranean surface; and a submersible pump coupled to the electric motor and positionable within a wellbore formed from the terranean surface toward a subterranean formation. The submersible pump is configured to circulate a wellbore fluid through the wellbore toward the terranean surface. The submersible pump includes a plurality of radial stages, with at least one radial stage including one or more shape members integrated with, attached to, or made a part of one or more surfaces of the submersible pump. Each of the one or more shape members is configured to undergo a shape change based at least in part on a characteristic of the wellbore fluid.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A downhole pumping system, comprising:

an electric motor configured to receive electric power from a cable coupled to a power source at a terranean surface;
and
a submersible pump coupled to the electric motor and positionable within a wellbore formed from the terranean surface toward a subterranean formation, the submersible pump configured to circulate a wellbore fluid through the wellbore toward the terranean surface, the submersible pump comprising a plurality of radial stages, with at least one radial stage of the plurality of radial stages comprising a plurality of shape change members attached to one or more surfaces of the submersible pump, each of the plurality of shape change members configured to undergo a shape change based at least in part on a characteristic of the wellbore fluid, the plurality of shape change members comprising:
a first shape change member attached to an outer radial surface of a diffuser of the at least one radial stage and configured to counter a horizontal acting force;
a second shape change member attached to an inner radial surface of the diffuser of the at least one radial stage and configured to counter the horizontal acting force;
a third shape change member attached to a surface of a hub of the at least one radial stage and configured to counter the horizontal acting force;
a fourth shape change member attached to a surface of the at least one radial stage adjacent a downthrust washer of the submersible pump and configured to counter a down thrust acting force;
and
a fifth shape change member attached to a surface of the at least one radial stage adjacent an upthrust washer of the submersible pump and configured to counter an upthrust acting force.

6 more elements

A method for circulating a wellbore fluid from a wellbore, comprising:

running an electrical submersible pump (ESP) into the wellbore formed from a terranean surface toward a subterranean formation, the ESP comprising:
an electric motor electrically coupled to a cable coupled to a power source at the terranean surface, and
a pump coupled to the electric motor and comprising a plurality of radial stages, with at least one radial stage comprising a plurality of shape change members attached to one or more surfaces of the pump, the plurality of shape change members comprising a first shape change member, a second shape change member, a third shape change member, a fourth shape change member, and a fifth shape change member;
circulating, with the pump, the wellbore fluid through the wellbore, the wellbore fluid defined by a characteristic;
in response to a change to the characteristic of the wellbore fluid, adjusting a shape of each of the plurality of shape change members, the adjusting comprising:
adjusting the shape of the first shape change member attached to an outer radial surface of a diffuser of the at least one radial stage to counter a horizontal acting force;
and
adjusting the shape of the second shape change member attached to an inner radial surface of the diffuser of the at least one radial stage to counter the horizontal acting force;
adjusting the shape of the third shape change member attached to a surface of a hub of the at least one radial stage to counter the horizontal acting force;
adjusting the shape of the fourth shape change member attached to a surface of the at least one radial stage adjacent a downthrust washer of the submersible pump to counter a down thrust acting force;
adjusting the shape of the fifth shape change member attached to a surface of the at least one radial stage adjacent an upthrust washer of the submersible pump to counter an upthrust acting force;
and
circulating, with the pump having the adjusted shape members, the wellbore fluid through the wellbore.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/447,796Filed 10 Aug 2023
Published: US 2025/0052138 A113 Feb 2025
Granted: 11 Mar 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

E21B 43/128
Lifting well fluids: adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives
F04D 1/06
Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps: multi-stage pumps
F04D 13/086
For submerged use: the pump and drive motor are both submerged
F04D 13/10
For submerged use: adapted for use in mining bore holes