Recirculating pump for electrical submersible pump system
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsJohn J. Mack, Brown Lyle Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical submersible pump (ESP) having tubing for recirculating fluid below the motor of the ESP for cooling purposes. By recirculating fluid below the motor, an ESP can then be placed below the perforations in a well casing, thereby taking advantage of gas separation from the fluid before the fluid enters the pump intake. Three embodiments are disclosed: a fluid tap in the production pump housing to which tubing is connected to recirculate the fluid; a recirculation pump that shares an intake with the production pump wherein the recirculation pump is used to recirculate the fluid; and a recirculation pump and a production pump that each have a separate intake wherein the recirculation pump is used to recirculate the fluid.
Claims18
A well comprising:
- a centrifugal pump having a top, a bottom and a housing;
- an electric motor operatively connected with said pump and located below said pump, said motor having a housing;
- a casing positioned in said well, said casing having perforations for ingress of gas and liquid from an earth formation, said pump and motor being positioned below said perforations to take advantage of natural annular separation of gas from liquid;
- a fluid tap through said pump housing of said pump;
- and
- a tube for transporting fluid from said fluid tap downwardly to a location contiguous to or below said motor and exiting the fluid from a terminal end of said tube for facilitating a fluid flow proximate said motor, said fluid flow having a velocity sufficient to adequately cool said motor wherein said fluid flow passes over said motor and flows upwardly at least to said pump.
A well comprising:
- a production pump having a top, a bottom, and a cylindrical housing, said production pump positioned at a first end of a submersible pumping unit;
- an electric motor having a housing, said motor operatively connected with said pump and positioned at a second end of said submersible pumping unit;
- a casing positioned in said well, said casing having perforations for ingress of gas and liquid from an earth formation, said pump and motor being positioned below said perforations to take advantage of natural annular separation of gas from liquid;
- a recirculation pump located between said pump and said motor;
- and
- a tube for transporting fluid from said recirculation pump to a location contiguous to or below said electric motor for facilitating a fluid flow proximate said motor, said fluid flow having a velocity sufficient to adequately cool said motor wherein said fluid flow passes over said motor and flows upwardly at least to said pump wherein said tube has a reinforcing member positioned along a length of said tube.
A method of producing fluid from a subsurface well, which has a casing and perforations for ingress of liquid and gas from a formation, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning an electrical centrifugal submersible pump below said perforations for avoiding gas locking of said electrical submersible pump, said electrical submersible pump having a submersible motor;
- providing a re-circulating system on said electrical submersible pump;
- and
- pumping a portion of fluid produced by said re-circulating system to a point contiguous to or below said motor to cool said motor.
A well comprising:
- a centrifugal pump having a top, a bottom and a housing;
- an electric motor operatively connected with said pump and located below said pump, said motor having a housing;
- a casing positioned in said well, said casing having perforations for ingress of gas and liquid from an earth formation, said pump and motor being positioned below said perforations to take advantage of natural annular separation of gas from liquid;
- a fluid tap through said pump housing of said pump;
- and
- a substantially vertical tube on one side of said motor for transporting fluid from said fluid tap downwardly to a location contiguous to or below said motor and exiting the fluid from a terminal end of said tube for facilitating a fluid flow proximate said motor, said fluid flow having a velocity sufficient to adequately cool said motor wherein said fluid flow passes over said motor and flows upwardly at least to said pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.