Pumps – Motor driven – Electric or magnetic motor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-22
2002-06-18
Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Motor driven
Electric or magnetic motor
C417S244000, C415S199200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06406277
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to electrical submersible well pumps, and in particular to a centrifugal pump with an impeller and diffuser located before the first impeller of the pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
A common electrical submersible well pump of a type used for oil wells has a centrifugal pump that is driven by a downhole electrical motor. The pump has a large number of stages, each stage having an impeller and diffuser. These pumps work well for delivering large volumes of liquid, principally oil and water, of medium viscosity.
Significant amounts of gas present can present problems because a centrifugal pump does not operate efficiently with large amounts of entrained gas. A gas separator may be incorporated into the pump assembly for separating out gas prior to reaching the first pump stage. Still, in some cases, the fluid pressure is inadequate at the first stage due to the presence of gas in the well fluid.
High viscosity well fluid can also present problems for centrifugal pumps because the viscous fluid may not feed adequately into the first stage. Inadequate feed pressure at the first stage may also occur in highly deviated or horizontal wells.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a centrifugal pump for use in an electrical submersible well pump assembly is provided that includes a multi-stage submersible pump having impellers for displacing well fluid. An inducer is attached to the pump for inducing well fluid to flow into the pump. The inducer has a helical flight similar to an auger. A diffuser is provided between the inducer and the first impeller of the pump for channeling flow from the inducer into the eye of the impeller. The diffuser is a mixed flow type, having passages that incline inward from the upstream end to the downstream end.
The inducer converts rotational energy to head and flow. The diffuser converts the rotational energy from the inducer into velocity head and channels the flow into the eye of the first impeller of the pump. These attributes are useful in high gas environments and high viscosity environments.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 2378974 (1945-06-01), Bower
patent: 2854926 (1958-10-01), Haight et al.
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patent: 4481020 (1984-11-01), Lee et al.
patent: 4749034 (1988-06-01), Vandevier et al.
patent: 4838758 (1989-06-01), Sheth
patent: 5482117 (1996-01-01), Kolpak et al.
patent: 5516360 (1996-05-01), Normandeau et al.
Henry Joe V.
Shafer Terry W.
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