System and methodology to facilitate pumping of fluid
AssigneeOneSubsea IP UK Limited
InventorKnut Harald Klepsvik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique facilitates operation of a pump such as a multiphase pump. The pump may be provided with an impeller having a plurality of impeller blades. The impeller blades have blade tips which extend over an axial length. A ring is positioned along the blade tips to stiffen the impeller and to thus provide stability. However, the axial length of the ring is limited relative to the axial length of the impeller to enable flow, e.g. leakage, across the blade tips in a manner which causes active phase mixing during pumping of a fluid, e.g. a multiphase fluid.
Claims20
A system for moving fluid, comprising:
- a pump having a pump housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in the pump housing, and a plurality of impellers mounted to the shaft, each impeller comprising:
- an impeller hub rotationally fixed to the shaft;
- and
- a plurality of impeller blades extending radially outward from the impeller hub, each impeller blade having an impeller base proximate the impeller hub and in impeller tip, the impeller tips having an axial length;
- and
- a wear ring disposed along the tips of the impeller blades and having a wear ring axial length shorter than the axial length of the impeller tips.
A system, comprising:
- a multiphase pump having an impeller mounted to a rotatable shaft, the impeller comprising:
- a plurality of impeller blades, each impeller blade having an impeller base and in impeller tip, the impeller tip having an axial length;
- and
- a ring affixed to the tips of the impeller blades and having a ring axial length shorter than the axial length of the impeller tips.
A method, comprising:
- providing a multiphase pump with an impeller having a plurality of impeller blades with blade tips extending an axial length;
- securely positioning a ring along the blade tips to stiffen the impeller;
- and
- limiting a ring axial length to less than the axial length of the blade tips to enable flow across the blade tips for active phase mixing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.