This disclosure relates to the field of rotary electric submersible pumps (ESPs). More specifically, the disclosure relates to apparatus for preventing flow-induced rotation of such ESPs when powered off to avoid inadvertent generation of electric voltage and consequent hazard to personnel and equipment associated with such pumps.
Rotary ESPs are used to lift liquid from subsurface wells to surface. Lift may be used for both adding energy to fluid having insufficient subsurface pressure to rise to surface naturally and to relieve hydrostatic fluid pressure of higher density fluid (e.g., water) in a well so that lower density fluid (e.g., gas) can rise to surface.
Rotary ESPs comprise an electric motor, a protector/drive shaft and a rotary pump such as a single or multi-stage centrifugal pump arranged in an axially elongated housing. Some ESPs use single or multi-phase induction motors having stator field windings to induce a magnetic field for the motor. The field windings are energized with electric current to induce the magnetic field whereby an armature (rotor) is induced to rotate in the magnetic field. When such motors are deenergized, there is essentially no static magnetic field in the motor. Rotating the armature therefore has no effect.
More recently, permanent magnet motors (PMMs) have been developed for use with ESPs. PMMs make possible designing ESPs to fit in smaller diameter housings than are possible with induction motors, and ESPs using such motors may be deployed within well production tubing. One maker of such PMM electric submersible pumps is ZiLift Ltd., Units 17-19 Greenrole Trading Estate, Howe Moss Drive, Dyce, Aberdeen, AB21 OGL, Scotland, the assignee of the present disclosure.
It is known in the art that the pump section, and thereby the motor in ESPs, may be caused to rotate by reason of fluid flow in a well not induced by the pump. Fluid flow may be induced, for example, by back flow of fluid after pump shutdown, by a formation unexpectedly flowing into the well (a “kick”) and by unexpected fluid loss into a rock formation adjacent the well. Rotation of the motor as a result of induced flow may cause the motor, particularly a PMM, to generate electrical voltage, which may then be impressed on the power cable that extends from the ESP to surface. Such impressed voltage is a hazard to equipment connected to the power cable and to persons working on the ESP. Fatalities are known to have occurred as a result of such impressed voltages.
There is a need for safety apparatus for use with ESPs to reduce the possibility of inadvertent generation of electrical voltages by the electric motor.
One aspect of the present disclosure is an electrical submersible pump (ESP) system. The system comprises a motor rotationally coupled to a pump. The system has at least one of (i) a rotation stop operable to stop transfer of rotation of the pump to the motor when the ESP is switched off and (ii) a flow control valve operable to stop flow through the pump in both flow directions when the ESP is switched off.
The rotation stop may comprise a clutch disposed between the pump and the motor.
The rotation stop may comprise a rotation lock.
The rotation lock may comprise a sprag rotationally coupled between a drive shaft rotated by the motor and an ESP housing.
The rotation lock may comprise a solenoid actuated lock pin movable between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein in the locked position the lock pin extends through a lock disk rotatably coupled to a shaft rotationally coupled to the pump and having at least one lock opening therethrough for receiving the lock pin.
The ESP system may further comprise a pump discharge valve fluidly disposed between an outlet of the pump and a well tube in which the ESP is disposed during operation of the ESP.
The pump discharge valve may comprise at least one ball type check valve.
The pump discharge valve may comprise a shuttle valve.
The pump discharge valve may comprise a rotary disk valve.
The ESP system may further comprise a pump inlet control valve fluidly disposed between an inlet of the pump and an inlet to the ESP below the pump inlet.
The pump inlet control valve may comprise a ball type check valve operable to block flow through the pump in a direction from a pump outlet to the pump inlet.
The pump inlet control valve may comprise a relief valve fluidly connecting an inlet to the pump to an annular space between the ESP and a well tube in which the ESP is disposed during operation, the relief valve operable to open at a predetermined pressure.
The pump inlet control valve may comprise a check valve operable to block flow through the pump in a direction from a pump outlet to the pump inlet and a check valve operable to block flow in a direction from an annular space between the ESP and a well tube in which the ESP is disposed during operation to below the check valve.
The flow control valve operable to stop flow through the pump in both flow directions may comprise a rotary disk valve.
The rotary disk valve may comprise at least one magnet disposed on a drive shaft, the drive shaft passing through a valve disk having at least one magnet thereon, the at least one magnet on the drive shaft and on the valve disk arranged to apply a torque to the valve disk corresponding to rotation of the drive shaft.
Other aspects and possible advantages will be apparent from the description and claims that follow.
The ESP 10 may be deployed by electrical cable 12 as explained above. The electrical cable 12 may be coupled to the ESP 10 using a cable connector 14 of types known in the art for connection of electrical cables, in particular cables intended to carry the weight of tool attached to the end of the cable. The cable connector 14 may be coupled to the ESP system housing. The end of the housing to which the cable is connected may contain one or more electric motors 16. The one or more electric motor(s) 16 may be permanent magnet motors. At 20, a rotation stop may be disposed in the ESP 10 axially between the electric motor(s) 16 and one or more protector/seal section(s) 36. The axial position of the rotation stop 20 is a matter of convenience in any described example according to the present disclosure, and it will be appreciated that in other examples the axial position for the rotation stop 20 may be elsewhere in the ESP. For purposes of the present disclosure, it is only necessary for the rotation stop 20 to prevent rotation of the electric motor(s) 16 in the ESP 10 as a result of flow-caused rotation of a pump, explained further below.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the one or more protector/seal section(s) 36 enclose(s) a drive shaft (40 in
A monitoring system 18 may be disposed in the ESP 10 below the electric motor(s) 16 and above the one or more seal section/protector(s) 36, and may comprise one or more sensors and controls (not shown separately) for measuring operating parameters and providing control over the ESP 10. The rotation stop 20 may comprises a rotation lock such as a solenoid operated rotation lock 22, to be explained further below. The solenoid operated rotation lock 22 may be disposed axially below the monitoring system 18 and above the pump 30. The solenoid operated rotation lock 22 will be explained in more detail below, however it will be appreciated that such rotation lock may be disposed at any axial position along the ESP 10 provided that actuation of a solenoid therein deploys a locking pin or similar device to prevent rotation of the electric motor(s) 16. When the electric motor(s) are rotationally connected at all times to all rotary components from the motor(s) 16 to the pump 30, the solenoid operated rotation lock 22 may act to stop rotation of any rotary component in the ESP 10 and will as a result stop rotation of the electric motor(s) 16 when the ESP 10 is switched off. As used in this disclosure, the term “rotation lock” means any device, whether active, such as the solenoid operated rotation lock 22, or passive devices, examples of which will be described further below. “Rotation stop” as used herein means any device which acts to prevent transmitting induced rotation in the pump 30 to the electric motor(s) 16 irrespective of whether induced pump rotation is stopped. A non-limiting example of a rotation stop is a clutch such as a magnetic clutch or centrifugal clutch, which may rotationally disconnect the electric motor(s) 16 from the pump 30 when the ESP 10 is switched off. For purposes of defining the scope of the present disclosure, a “rotation lock” is within the scope of “rotation stop” because a rotation lock performs the function of stopping transmission of induced pump rotation to the electric motor(s), albeit by preventing all rotation within the ESP.
A pump discharge valve 34 may be disposed between the protector/seal section(s) 36 and the pump 30, wherein fluid flow from the pump outlet (not shown) is directed into an annular space between the ESP 10 and a well production tube in which the ESP is disposed, for example, production tubing (not shown). Various examples of the pump discharge valve 34 will be explained in more detail below. The pump fluid discharge from the pump discharge valve 34 is shown at 32.
At 26, a pump intake control valve may be provided to control flow into, through or bypass around an inlet (not shown separately) of the pump 30. The functions of various examples of pump intake control valve 26 will be further explained below, however, in general terms, the pump intake control valve 26 may perform either or both the functions of preventing backflow through the pump 30 when the ESP is switched off, and bypassing flow around the pump 30 into the annular space (not shown) when flow from below the pump 30 exceeds the flow capacity of the pump 30 to move fluid. The latter condition may occur, for example, when hydrostatic pressure on a fluidly connected subsurface formation is relieved such the flow into the well from such formation exceeds the flow capacity of the pump 30. Such condition is known as a “kick” and may present a safety hazard, more specifically if such kick is able to pass through the pump 30 and induce overspeed pump rotation.
The ESP 10 may have proximate its lower longitudinal end a packer stinger 24B and latch 24A to sealingly engage and lock into an annular seal element (not shown), e.g., a “packer”, which provides that flow originating below the ESP 10 into the well is constrained to move within the well tube in which the ESP is disposed, e.g., production tubing (not shown).
The rotation stop at 20 in
An ESP having a pump discharge valve may have the advantage of a mechanism to reduce or eliminate settling of solids in the pump during periods in which the ESP is switched off. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, on shut down, solids such as sand may settle from the fluid column above the pump within the well, e.g., in the production tubing. By limiting flow back into the pump, the pump discharge valve may limit the introduction of solids into the pump through the pump discharge as well as prevent flow induced pump rotation.
As stated earlier, such discharge is into the annular space between the pump (30 in
It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a rotation actuated pump discharge valve as described above with reference to
In light of the principles described and illustrated herein, it will be recognized that the example embodiments can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. The foregoing discussion has focused on specific examples, but other configurations are also contemplated. In particular, even though expressions such as in “an example,” or the like are used herein, these phrases are meant to generally reference example possibilities, and are not intended to limit the disclosure to particular example configurations. As used herein, these terms may reference the same or different examples that are combinable into other examples. As a rule, any example referenced herein is freely combinable with any one or more of the other examples referenced herein, and any number of features of different examples are combinable with one another, unless indicated otherwise. Although only a few examples have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible within the scope of the described examples. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the following claims.
This application is a national stage entry under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2021/054219, filed Feb. 19, 2021, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/978,660, filed Feb. 19, 2020.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/054219 | 2/19/2021 | WO |
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WO2021/165501 | 8/26/2021 | WO | A |
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International Search Report and Written Opinion dated May 21, 2021, for International Application No. PCT/EP2021/054219. |
Substantive Exam issued in Saudi Arabia Patent Application No. 522433373 dated Sep. 16, 2023, 12 pages with English translation. |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20230076519 A1 | Mar 2023 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62978660 | Feb 2020 | US |