Monitoring Flow Past Submersible Well Pump Motor with Sail Switch
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorLawrence H. Burleigh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric submersible well pumping system (ESP) has a sail switch to measure fluid speed within the wellbore in the areas surrounding the motor to thereby determine fluid speed adjacent the motor. A controller controls the operation of the motor based on the inputs of the sail switch to thereby avoid overheating the motor to preserve motor longevity. The sail switch has a paddle that switches from a first toggle position to a second toggle position in response to a selected fluid speed.
Claims20
An apparatus for pumping fluid from a cased well, comprising:
- an electrical submersible pump assembly (ESP) having a pump and an electrical motor positioned within casing of the cased well;
- at least one sail switch mounted to the ESP, the sail switch having an external paddle that moves in response to a change in fluid speed of well fluid flowing past the motor from a first toggle position to a second toggle position;
- a controller at a surface position of the well that is electrically linked to the sail switch for performing a motor control function in response to the change from the first toggle position to the second toggle position.
An apparatus for pumping fluid from a cased well, comprising:
- an electrical submersible pump assembly (ESP) having a pump and an electrical motor positioned within casing of the cased well;
- a housing mounted to the ESP below the motor that allows for the ingress and egress of fluids moving in the cased well;
- at least one sail switch mounted between the housing walls, the sail switch having an external paddle that moves in response to a change in fluid speed of well fluid flowing past the motor, an increase in the fluid speed of the well fluid above a selected minimum can cause the sail switch paddle to move from the first toggle position to the second toggle position and a decrease in the fluid speed below the selected minimum can cause the sail switch paddle to move from the second toggle position to the first toggle position;
- a controller at a surface of the well that is electrically linked to the sail switch for performing a motor control function in response to the change from the first toggle position to the second toggle position.
A method for pumping well fluid for a well, comprising:
- mounting at least one sail switch to an electrical submersible pumping assembly (ESP) having a pump, an electric motor, and a surface controller;
- then lowering the ESP into the well;
- supplying power to the motor to operate the pump;
- causing the well fluid flowing past the motor to move the sail switch from a first toggle position to a second toggle position if a fluid speed of well fluid reaches a selected minimum;
- and
- the surface controller performing a motor control function in response to the change from the first toggle position to the second toggle position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.