System and method of multiple-phase pumping
AssigneePetroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras
InventorsDivonsir Lopes, Elisio Caetano Filho
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Abstract
A pump system for multi-phase fluids that includes a drive-shaft (11), mechanical differential units (12, 22, 23, 23′, D1 . . . Dn) and pumps (14, 14′, 25, 25′, 25″, 25′″, B1 . . . Bn) where the differential units allow for the changing of pump rotation speeds between pumps(14, 14′, 25, 25′, 25″, 25′″, B1 . . . Bn) so as to adjust the compressibility of fluids in order to reduce or eliminate circulatory flow. There is also a description of the method of operating the system according to the invention.
Claims14
A multi-phase pumping system with two or more pump stages that operate with zero or low circulatory-flow (CF) of fluids between stages, with mixed binary symmetrical and asymmetrical arrangements, for pumping liquid, gas, or liquid and gas simultaneously, comprising:
- mechanical differentials capable of varying rotation between respective pump stages;
- a drive-shaft to activated one said mechanical differential;
- shafts activated by said one mechanical differential for transmission of the rotating movement of said one mechanical differential to remaining mechanical differentials and to pumps at several stages of compression with variable rotation,
- the pumps being fitted with an input for suction of the multi-phase fluid to be pumped, and an output to discharge the fluid;
- and
- fluid flow conduits connecting the respective next pump input with the output of the respective preceding pump to discharge said fluid:
- said pumps being activated respectively by the shafts;
- whereby the multi-phase fluid fed into the preceding pump, is passed onto the next pump whence it is discharged under pressure, which is increased in relation to the pump discharge pressure of the preceding pump;
- so that each pump presents a volumetric flow controlled by the compressibility of the pumped fluid, wherein that the circulatory-flow of said fluid in said stages is reduced or eliminated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.