Submersible pump for operation in sandy environments, diffuser assembly, and related methods

A submersible multistage pump for pumping a fluid having a substantial sand content, each of a plurality of stages of the multistage pump comprising:

• an impeller assembly comprising an upper impeller body, a lower impeller body, and a fluid passageway formed therebetween;
• and
• a diffuser assembly comprising:
• a diffuser bowl including:
• a diffuser bowl floor having a proximal surface, a distal surface, and a bore extending therethrough, and
• a diffuser bowl outer wall extending axially from the diffuser bowl floor to house the impeller assembly,
• a diffuser lower shroud having a proximal surface, a distal surface, and a bore extending therethrough, the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and the proximal surface of the diffuser lower shroud forming at least a portion of a fluid pathway to the impeller assembly,
• a plurality of curved vanes connected to the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and positioned between the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and the proximal surface of the diffuser lower shroud to reduce kinetic energy of a primary fluid stream and to convert at least some of the kinetic energy to pressure,
• a plurality of circumferentially spaced anti-swirl ribs defining a plurality of sand dams connected to the proximal surface of the diffuser bowl floor, each of the plurality of sand dams positioned adjacent a separate portion of an inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall at an acute angle thereto to guide trapped sand particles to the inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall and into the primary fluid stream, and
• a plurality of tapered protuberances extending axially from the proximal surface of the diffuser bowl floor defining a corresponding plurality of sand jump ramps, each sand jump ramp separately positioned adjacent an outer peripheral surface of a corresponding one of the plurality of sand damns and positioned adjacent the separate portion of the inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall adjacent the respective one of the plurality of sand dams to deflect trapped sand particles into the primary fluid stream, each sand jump ramp also oriented to extend circumferentially in an anticipated approximate upstream direction of sand particles expected to impact the respective sand jump ramp.

A submersible multi stage pump for pumping a fluid having a substantial sand content, each of a plurality of stages of the multistage pump comprising:

• an impeller assembly comprising an upper impeller body, a lower impeller body, and a fluid passageway formed therebetween;
• and
• a diffuser assembly comprising:
• a diffuser bowl including:
• a diffuser bowl floor having a proximal surface, a distal surface, and a bore extending therethrough, and
• a diffuser bowl outer wall extending axially from the diffuser bowl floor to house the impeller assembly,
• a diffuser lower shroud having a proximal surface, a distal surface, and a bore extending therethrough, the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and the proximal surface of the diffuser lower shroud forming at least a portion of a fluid pathway to the impeller assembly,
• a plurality of curved vanes connected to the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and positioned between the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and the proximal surface the diffuser lower shroud to reduce kinetic energy of a primary fluid stream and to convert at least some of the kinetic energy to pressure,
• a plurality of circumferentially spaced anti-swirl ribs defining a plurality of sand dams connected to the proximal surface of the diffuser bowl floor, each of the plurality of sand dams positioned adjacent a separate portion of an inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall at an acute angle thereto to guide trapped sand particles to the inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall and into the primary fluid stream, and
• a plurality of sand hole recesses, each sand hole recess extending through the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and into a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of sand dams so that when the respective sand dam is substantially eroded the sand hole recess forms a sand pathway therethrough.

A submersible multi stage pump for pumping a fluid having a substantial sand content, each of a plurality of stages of the multistage pump comprising:

• an impeller assembly comprising an upper impeller body, a lower impeller body, and a fluid passageway formed therebetween;
• and
• a diffuser assembly comprising:
• a diffuser bowl including:
• a diffuser bowl floor having a proximal surface, a distal surface, and a bore therethrough, and
• a diffuser bowl outer wall extending axially from the diffuser bowl floor to house the impeller assembly,
• a diffuser lower shroud having a proximal surface, a distal surface, and a bore extending therethrough, the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and the proximal surface of the diffuser lower shroud forming at least a portion of a fluid pathway to the impeller assembly,
• a plurality of curved vanes connected to the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and positioned between the distal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and the proximal surface the diffuser lower shroud to reduce kinetic energy of a primary fluid stream and to convert at least some of the kinetic energy to pressure, and
• a plurality of circumferentially spaced anti-swirl ribs defining a plurality of sand dams connected to the proximal surface of the diffuser bowl floor, each of the plurality of sand dams positioned adjacent a separate portion of an inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall at an acute angle thereto to guide trapped sand particles to the inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall and into the primary fluid stream, wherein the inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall includes an annular groove extending along an inner circumference of the inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall adjacent an outer peripheral portion of each of the plurality of sand dams to enhance return of the trapped sand particles to the primary fluid stream.

A method of pumping a fluid having a substantial sand content, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a submersible pump having a plurality of diffusers each having a diffuser bowl including:
• a diffuser bowl floor having a proximal surface and a distal surface, a diffuser bowl outer wall extending axially from the diffuser bowl floor, a plurality of circumferentially anti-swirl ribs defining a plurality of spaced sand dams each connected to the proximal surface of the diffuser bowl floor and positioned adjacent a separate portion of an inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall at an acute angle thereto to guide trapped sand particles to the respective separate portion of the inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall and into a primary fluid stream, and a plurality of tapered protuberances extending axially from the proximal surface of the diffuser bowl floor defining a corresponding plurality a sand jump ramps, each sand jump ramp separately positioned adjacent an outer peripheral surface of a corresponding one of the plurality of sand dams and positioned adjacent the separate portion of the inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall adjacent the respective one of the plurality of sand dams to deflect the trapped sand particles into the primary fluid stream;
• guiding sand particles to at least one of the plurality of sand dams;
• and
• deflecting trapped sand particles trapped between an impeller shroud and the diffuser bowl to an area between an outer rim of the impeller shroud and inner surface of the diffuser bowl outer wall adjacent thereto and into the primary fluid stream.