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US 7,841,395 B2Granted
Electric submersible pump (ESP) with recirculation capability
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsFarral D. Gay, Kevin R. Bierig
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A submersible pumping system for use downhole, wherein the system includes a first pump, a second pump, a recirculation coupling between the first and second pumps, and a recirculation line for directing cooling flow across the pump motor. The pumps and coupling are independent modular items connected together. Optionally, a multi-stage pump may be retrofitted with the coupling for creating a cooling flow.
Claims14
A downhole submersible pumping system disposable in a wellbore comprising:
- a lower having a discharge and an intake;
- a recirculation coupling connected with the discharge of the lower pump;
- an upper pump having a discharge and an intake in fluid communication with the discharge of the lower pump through the recirculation coupling;
- a pump motor assembly connected below the lower pump for driving the pumps;
- a pump system fluid inlet in fluid communication with the lower pump intake and the upper pump intake;
- a drive shall extending from the assembly through the lower pump, the recirculation coupling, and the upper pump;
- a recirculation line having an intake in fluid communication with the recirculation coupling and an exit configured to discharge fluid from the recirculation line across the pump motor assembly;
- and
- a bore extending through the coupling with a lower portion converging radially inward and a shaft through the bore defining an annular space between the shaft and the bore.
6 more elements
A downhole submersible pumping system disposable in a cased wellbore comprising:
- a lower pump;
- an upper pump, wherein the upper and lower pumps are centrifugal pumps;
- a pump assembly having a housing and a pump motor, wherein the pump motor is coupled to the pumps by a drive shaft;
- a recirculation coupling having an end affixed to the lower pump exit and an end affixed to the upper pump suction;
- mating threads correspondingly formed on the upper and lower pumps and recirculation coupling;
- a pump system fluid inlet formed in the pump system housing configured to provide wellbore production fluid from the wellbore to the intake of both the upper and lower pumps;
- a recirculation line formed to receive fluid from the recirculation coupling and discharge fluid proximate to the pump assembly, wherein the discharge fluid flows across the pump housing, wherein a portion of the wellbore production fluid flowing through the pump system fluid inlet is directed to the recirculation line, and the remaining portion is directed through the recirculation coupling to the upper pump inlet for delivery further up the wellbore;
- and
- a bore extending through the coupling, the bore having a converging lower portion.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.