Heat transfer through electrical submersible pump motor
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorKetankuman K. Sheth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The motor of an electrical submersible pump generates a significant amount of heat that can be removed by transferring it to the well production fluid. Grooves in the stator and motor housing facilitate more rapid heat transfer from the rotor and stator, through the motor lubricant, to the motor housing. Increased heat transfer to the motor housing facilitates increased heat transfer to the production fluid on the outside of the motor housing.
Claims20
An apparatus for pumping fluid from a well, comprising:
- a pump assembly;
- a motor operably connected to the pump, the motor comprising
- a lubricant reservoir containing a lubricant,
- a motor housing having a cylindrical interior surface and an exterior,
- a stator stationarily within the motor housing, the stator having a cylindrical outer surface and an axial passage therethrough,
- one or more grooves located on one of the cylindrical surfaces, defining a lubricant passage for flow of the lubricant between the outer surface of the stator and interior surface of the housing;
- and
- a rotor rotably mounted within the axial passage of the stator.
An apparatus for pumping fluid from a well, comprising:
- a pump assembly;
- a motor operably connected to the pump, the motor comprising
- a lubricant reservoir containing a lubricant,
- a motor housing having a cylindrical interior surface and an exterior,
- a stator stationarily within the motor housing, the stator having a cylindrical outer surface and an axial passage therethrough,
- a plurality of grooves located on one of the cylindrical surfaces, at least one of the grooves being parallel with an axis of the motor and extending at least from a first end of the stator to a second end of the stator to communicate lubricant from axially past the first end to axially past the second end of the stator;
- and
- a rotor rotably mounted within the axial passage of the stator.
A method for increasing heat transfer from a submersible well pump motor to a well fluid comprising:
- (a) operably connecting the motor to a pump, the motor having a housing and a stator located within the housing, the stator having an outer cylindrical surface closely spaced to an interior cylindrical surface of the housing;
- (b) forming a groove in one of the cylindrical surfaces;
- (c) operating the motor;
- (d) flowing a motor lubricant through the groove;
- and
- (e) transferring heat through the lubricant located in the groove between the housing and the stator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.