Submersible pumping system having stage architecture for lower flow rate pumps
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsRaju EKAMBARAM, Yuqiao ZHAO
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Abstract
A technique facilitates pumping of fluid at a desired flow rate. A submersible pump may be used in, for example, an electric submersible pumping system to pump well fluids or other types of fluids. The submersible pump comprises at least one pump stage disposed within an outer pump housing. Each pump stage has an impeller and a diffuser, the impeller being rotatable relative to the diffuser to pump fluid through the submersible pump. Additionally, the submersible pump incorporates a space out mechanism between the outer pump housing and the at least one pump stage to reduce the pumping capacity of the submersible pump without reducing the external diameter of the outer pump housing.
Claims20
A system for pumping, comprising:
- an electric submersible pumping system having a submersible pump comprising a plurality of pump stages disposed within an outer pump housing, each pump stage having an impeller and a diffuser, the impeller being rotatable relative to the diffuser to pump fluid through the submersible pump, the submersible pump incorporating a space out mechanism between the outer pump housing and the plurality of pump stages to reduce the pumping capacity of the submersible pump without reducing the outer diameter of the outer pump housing.
A method for pumping, the method comprising:
- providing a submersible pump with an outer pump housing for containing a plurality of pump stages;
- incorporating a space out mechanism within the outer pump housing to reduce the pumping capacity of the submersible pump by enabling use of a reduced diameter impeller and a corresponding reduced diameter diffuser in each pump stage without reducing the outer diameter of the outer pump housing;
- assembling each pump stage with the reduced diameter impeller and the corresponding reduced diameter diffuser, the reduced diameter impeller being rotatable relative to the corresponding reduced diameter diffuser so as to pump fluid through the submersible pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.