System and method for pumping and heating viscous fluids in a wellbore
AssigneeCamco International Inc.
InventorsJoseph C. Liu, Rick Bailey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for pumping and heating viscous fluids in a wellbore includes electrical power supplies, a switchboard, conductors, and a submergible pumping system having a pump and a submergible electric motor. The electrical power supplies are coupled to the submergible pumping system through a switchboard and conductors that supply electrical power to the motor. The electrical power supplies provide direct or alternating current and include protective circuitry. The submergible pumping system may be supplied with electrical power to motor stator windings to generate heat to raise the temperature and lower the viscosity of adjacent viscous fluids.
Claims21
A system for pumping and heating viscous fluids in a wellbore, comprising;
- a submergible pumping unit, the submergible pumping unit including a submergible electric motor drivingly coupled to a submergible pump;
- a plurality of conductors for transmitting electrical power to the submergible electric motor, the submergible electric motor having a plurality of phases wherein each phase is supplied power by a plurality of conductors;
- at least one electrical power supply to provide power to operate the submergible pumping unit to pump a fluid and, alternatively, to provide power to generate heat in the conductors and in the submergible electric motor due to current flow therethrough while maintaining the submergible electric motor in a stationary-rotor condition;
- and
- a switchboard for coupling the at least one electrical power supply to the submergible electric motor through the conductors, wherein the at least one electrical power supply comprises dual electric power supplies including a first power supply to supply electrical power to operate the submergible pumping unit and a second power supply to supply electrical power to generate heat from current flowing through the conductors and submergible electric motor when not pumping viscous fluids.
A system for pumping and heating viscous fluids in a wellbore, comprising;
- a submergible pumping unit including a multi-phase submergible electric motor drivingly coupled to a submergible pump;
- a first and a second electrical power supply disposed proximate a surface of the earth to provide power to the submergible pumping unit;
- a plurality of electrical conductors wherein each phase of the multi-phase submergible electric motor is coupled to a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor;
- and
- a switchboard coupling the electrical power supplies to the plurality of electrical conductors, wherein in a first switch configuration, the first power supply is coupled through the first and the second electrical conductors of each phase to the multi-phase submergible electric motor and in a second switch configuration the second power supply is coupled through the second electrical conductor to each phase of the multi-phase submergible electric motor.
A method for pumping and heating viscous fluids in a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
- submerging a submergible pumping unit into the viscous fluid, the submergible pumping unit comprising a submergible pump and a submergible electric motor drivingly coupled to the submergible pump;
- electrically connecting the submergible electric motor to one or more electric power supplies via a plurality of conductors;
- supplying electric power to the submergible pumping unit through the plurality of conductors;
- heating viscous fluids from the heat generated by electric current flowing through the conductors and through the submergible electric motor without operating the submergible electric motor;
- and
- selectively changing the current flow to operate the submergible electric motor, wherein the current flowing through the plurality of conductors and submergible electric motor can be changed by selectively changing the number of conductors comprising the plurality of conductors, wherein the plurality of conductors includes conductors of a plurality of electrical resistances and further wherein the total electrical resistance of the plurality of conductors can be changed by selectively changing the conductors comprising the plurality of conductors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.