Torque Transmitting Rings for Sleeves in Electrical Submersible Pumps

An electrical submersible pump assembly having a motor module coupled to a seal section module, which in turn is coupled to a centrifugal pump module, and a shaft assembly extending through each of the modules that is rotated by the motor module, the improvement comprising:

• at least one sleeve extending around the shaft in at least one of the modules, the at least one sleeve being formed of a harder material than the shaft assembly;
• an elastomeric ring deformed between an inner diameter of the at least one sleeve and an exterior portion of the shaft assembly;
• and
• the inner diameter of the at least one sleeve and the exterior portion of the shaft assembly being continuous cylindrical surfaces, such that friction created by the elastomeric ring provides a sole torque transmitting force to cause the at least one sleeve to rotate in unison with the shaft assembly.

A method of pumping a well fluid, comprising:

• providing a pump assembly with an internal rotatable shaft assembly;
• extending the shaft assembly through a bore of at least one sleeve;
• deforming a torque-transmitting ring between the bore of the at least one sleeve and the shaft assembly;
• and
• lowering the pump assembly into a well and rotating the shaft assembly and the at least one sleeve, causing the pump assembly to pump the well fluid, the deformation of the torque-transmitting ring creating a frictional force that provides a sole torque transmitting force to cause the at least one sleeve to rotate in unison with the shaft.