Claims
- 1. A submersible motor and pump system for use in a wellbore, comprising:
a motor; a motor shaft rotatably driven by the motor and having at least one permanent magnet; a pump; a pump shaft having at least one permanent magnet; wherein the motor shaft and the pump shaft are positioned so that the at least one permanent magnet of the motor shaft is magnetically coupled to the at least permanent magnet of the pump shaft so that rotation of the motor shaft induces rotation of the pump shaft; and wherein the motor and the pump are disposed within the wellbore.
- 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a shell disposed between the at least one permanent magnet of the motor shaft and the at least one permanent magnet of the pump shaft.
- 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the shell prevents fluid communication therebetween.
- 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the shell seals the motor from well fluids.
- 5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a pressure and volume compensation device affixed to the motor and adapted to compensate for varying fluid pressure within the sealed motor.
- 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the pressure and volume compensation device is a flexible element housed within a pressurized chamber.
- 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the pressure and volume compensation device is a bellows.
- 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the pressure and volume compensation device is a piston.
- 9. The system of claim 5, wherein the pressure and volume compensation device comprises a bellows affixed to a flexible element, the flexible element having an exterior surface in communication with wellbore fluid.
- 10. The system of claim 2, further comprising an intermediate bearing disposed between the motor shaft and the shell.
- 11. The system of claim 2, further comprising an intermediate bearing disposed between the shell and the pump shaft.
- 12. The system of claim 2, further comprising an intermediate bearing disposed between the pump shaft and an exterior housing.
- 13. A submersible pumping system for deployment in a well, comprising:
a submersible pump; and a motor located within a housing sealed from contamination with well fluids, and adapted to magnetically drive the submersible pump.
- 14. The submersible pumping system of claim 13, further comprising a magnetic coupling adapted to transmit torque from the motor to the submersible pump.
- 15. The submersible pumping system of claim 14 further comprising a protector adapted to transmit torque from the magnetic coupling to the submersible pump.
- 16. The submersible pumping system of claim 13 further comprising a protector adapted to transmit torque to the submersible pump.
- 17. The submersible pumping system of claim 13 further comprising thrust bearings.
- 18. A sealed motor system for use in a submersible pumping system, comprising:
a motor; a motor housing adapted to seal the motor from the surrounding environment; a submersible pump; and a magnetic coupling adapted to transmit torque to the submersible pump by magnetic fields acting through the motor housing.
- 19. The sealed motor system of claim 18, wherein the motor housing comprises a thin-walled shell.
- 20. The sealed motor system of claim 19, wherein the thin-walled shell is made of a high strength non-magnetic material.
- 21. The sealed motor system of claim 19, wherein the thin-walled shell is made of a non-conducting composite material.
- 22. The sealed motor system of claim 21, wherein the non-conducting composite material is carbon-reinforced PEEK.
- 23. The sealed motor system of claim 18, wherein the magnetic coupling comprises rotors housing one or more permanent magnets.
- 24. A magnetic coupling for use in a submersible pumping system to transmit torque from a motor to a pump for pumping well fluids, comprising:
a motor-side housing affixed to the motor; a motor-side shaft rotatably driven by the motor; a motor-side rotor affixed to the motor-side shaft and having at least one permanent magnet affixed thereto; a protective shell affixed to the motor-side housing and adapted to seal the motor, motor-side shaft and the motor-side rotor from the surrounding well fluids; a pump-side housing affixed to the pump; a pump-side shaft adapted to drive the pump; a pump-side rotor affixed to the pump-side shaft and having at least one permanent magnet affixed thereto; and wherein the at least one permanent magnet affixed to the motor-side rotor interacts with the at least one permanent magnet affixed to the pump-side rotor to create a magnetic field that transmits through the protective shell to enable synchronous transmission of torque from the motor-side shaft to the pump-side shaft.
- 25. The magnetic coupling of claim 24, wherein the motor-side housing is welded to the motor.
- 26. The magnetic coupling of claim 24, wherein the at least one permanent magnet of the motor-side rotor is arranged in rings.
- 27. The magnetic coupling of claim 2, wherein the protective shell is made of a high strength, non-magnetic material.
- 28. The magnetic coupling of claim 24, wherein the protective shell is made of a non-conducting composite material.
- 29. The magnetic coupling of claim 28, wherein the composite material is carbon-reinforced PEEK.
- 30. The magnetic coupling of claim 24, wherein the at least one permanent magnet affixed to the motor-side rotor is enclosed by a non-magnetic sleeve.
- 31. The magnetic coupling of claim 24, wherein the at least one permanent magnet affixed to the pump-side rotor is enclosed by a non-magnetic sleeve.
- 32. The magnetic coupling of claim 24, wherein the sealed motor is filled with clean oil.
- 33. The magnetic coupling of claim 24, further comprising a pressure and volume compensating device affixed to the sealed motor.
- 34. A magnetic coupling for use in a submersible pumping system, comprising:
a motor sealed from well fluids by a protective housing; a motor shaft within the protective housing having a plurality of magnets affixed thereto; a pump having a pump housing; pump rotor located outside the protective housing and having a plurality of magnets affixed thereto magnetically linked to the magnets affixed to the motor shaft; and wherein rotation of the motor shaft causes the pump rotor to rotate.
- 35. The magnetic coupling of claim 34, further comprising one or more intermediate bearing supports.
- 36. The magnetic coupling of claim 35, wherein the one or more intermediate bearing supports comprise tilt-pad bearings.
- 37. The magnetic coupling of claim 35, wherein the one or more intermediate bearing supports comprise lemon bore bearings.
- 38. The magnetic coupling of claim 35, wherein the one or more intermediate bearing supports comprise offset bearings.
- 39. The magnetic coupling of claim 35, wherein the one or more intermediate bearing supports comprise elliptical bearings adapted to shape the protective housing elliptically.
- 40. The magnetic coupling of claim 35, wherein the one or more intermediate bearing supports comprise:
a first bearing located between the motor shaft and the protective housing; a second bearing coaxially aligned with the first bearing and located between the protective housing and the pump rotor; and a third bearing located between the pump rotor and the pump housing.
- 41. A method of pumping well fluids using a sealed motor, comprising:
providing a motor sealed from well fluids by a protective shell; providing a pump adapted to pump fluids and located outside of the protective shell; and providing a magnetic coupling adapted to transmit torque generated by the motor to the pump by use of magnetic fields acting through the protective shell.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/342,786 filed Dec. 21, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60342786 |
Dec 2001 |
US |