ESP Rotor Assemblies Configured for Thermal Expansion Compensation
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsAndrás Bencze, Michael Rimmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed rotor assemblies can be configured to address differential thermal expansion in the rotor assembly during ESP motor use. Some rotor assembly embodiments can employ an improved stacking technique to minimize differential thermal expansion issues by removing certain components from the axial stack of supporting components of the rotor assembly. Alternatively, or in conjunction, some rotor assembly embodiments can use a biasing element which is configured to compensate for the differential axial thermal expansion, tolerance stack-up, and/or gravity.
Claims20
A rotor assembly for an ESP motor, comprising:
- a first rotor module concentrically disposed on a drive shaft;
- a second rotor module concentrically disposed on the drive shaft;
- a support sleeve concentrically disposed on the drive shaft between the first rotor module and the second rotor module;
- and
- a bearing assembly concentrically disposed on the support sleeve;
- wherein:
- each of the first rotor module and the second rotor module comprises:
- a lamination stack concentrically disposed about the drive shaft,
- a plurality of cage bars disposed axially within the lamination stack and concentrically disposed about the drive shaft, and
- a cage ring connected to the plurality of cage bars at each end of the lamination stack and concentrically disposed about the drive shaft;
- the support sleeve is configured to provide axial support to the lamination stack;
- the support sleeve has a CTE similar to that of the lamination stack;
- the CTE of the cage rings and the cage bars is dissimilar from that of the lamination stack;
- the support sleeve is configured to rotate with the drive shaft, while being operable to slide axially on the drive shaft;
- and
- the cage ring at one end of each of the first rotor module and the second rotor module are concentrically disposed around the support sleeve with radial clearance therebetween.
A rotor assembly for an ESP motor, comprising:
- a first rotor module concentrically disposed on a drive shaft;
- a second rotor module concentrically disposed on the drive shaft;
- a bearing assembly concentrically disposed on the drive shaft between the first rotor module and the second rotor module;
- and
- a biasing element configured to compensate for tolerance stack-up and differential axial thermal expansion of the rotor modules relative to the drive shaft.
A method for assembling a rotor assembly for an ESP motor, comprising:
- disposing a first rotor module concentrically on a drive shaft;
- disposing a second rotor module concentrically on the drive shaft;
- disposing a support sleeve concentrically on the drive shaft between the first and second rotor modules;
- disposing a bearing assembly concentrically on the support sleeve;
- wherein:
- each of the first rotor module and the second rotor module comprises:
- a lamination stack concentrically disposed about the drive shaft,
- a plurality of cage bars disposed axially within the lamination stack and concentrically disposed about the drive shaft, and
- a cage ring connected to the plurality of cage bars at each end of the lamination stack and concentrically disposed about the drive shaft;
- the support sleeve is configured to provide axial support to the lamination stack;
- the support sleeve has a CTE similar to that of the lamination stack;
- the CTE of the cage rings and the cage bars is dissimilar from that of the lamination stack;
- the support sleeve is configured to rotate with the drive shaft, while being operable to slide axially on the drive shaft;
- and
- the cage ring at one end of each of the first rotor module and the second rotor module are concentrically disposed around the support sleeve with radial clearance therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.