Submersible pump motor cooling through external oil circulation
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorMichael A. Forsberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical submersible pump motor has motor oil flowing through external circulation tubes for cooling the motor. A substantial portion of the exterior of each tube is submerged in and exposed to wellbore fluid. Heat is transferred from the motor to the motor oil, and then circulated through the external circulation tubes to conduct heat to the wellbore fluid. Internal or external motor oil pumps may be used to propel the motor oil through the circulation tubes. Guards or baffles may be used to protect the circulation tubes and to influence the flow of production fluid over he circulation tubes.
Claims20
An apparatus for pumping fluid from a well, the apparatus comprising:
- a pump adapted to pump production fluid from a wellbore;
- a motor assembly having an exterior surface and an interior chamber, a volume of lubricant being located in the interior chamber;
- a circulating tube located on the exterior of the motor assembly and having a first end and a second end connected to the motor assembly, each end being in fluid communication with lubricant in the interior chamber;
- and
- wherein the motor assembly is adapted to circulate lubricant from the interior chamber, through the circulating tube, and back to the interior chamber.
A method for pumping fluid from a wellbore, the method comprising:
- (a) connecting a pump to a motor assembly having an interior chamber containing a lubricant;
- (b) connecting both ends of an external circulating tube to the interior chamber;
- (c) lowering the pump and the motor assembly into a wellbore and submerging the pump and the motor assembly in production fluid;
- (d) operating the motor assembly and circulating motor lubricant through the tube.
An apparatus for pumping fluid from a well, the apparatus comprising:
- a pump adapted to pump production fluid from a wellbore;
- a motor assembly having an exterior surface and an interior chamber, a volume of lubricant being located in the interior chamber;
- a circulating tube located on the exterior of the motor assembly and having a first end and a second end, each end being connected to the motor assembly and in fluid communication with lubricant in the interior chamber;
- a guard structure connected to the exterior of the motor and adjacent to the circulating tube, the guard structure extending radially from the motor assembly greater than the tube;
- and
- a booster pump mounted to the motor assembly adapted to propel lubricant from the interior chamber, through the circulating tube, and back to the interior chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.