Multiphase pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10066635-B2
Application number	US-201314650150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A product-lubricated multiphase pump for pumping a multiphase mixture containing hydrocarbon includes a separation system and a supply system. To achieve a good cooling and lubrication of pump elements without a lot of operating media and operating medium circuits, the separation system has a first separation stage for at least partly separating at least a portion of the multiphase mixture into a plurality of phase-enriched components and the supply system supplies a liquid-enriched liquid component as lubricant to a pump element to be lubricated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiphase pump for pumping a multiphase mixture containing hydrocarbon, comprising:
a separation system having a first separation stage and a second separation stage, the first separating stage configured to at least partly separate at least one portion of the multiphase mixture into a plurality of phase-enriched components, and comprising an impeller attached to a pump shaft of the multiphase pump;
a supply system configured to supply a liquid-enriched liquid component as a lubricant to a pump element to be lubricated,
the second separation stage configured to separate the liquid-enriched liquid component into a more highly enriched liquid component and a gas-enriched gas component, and having a centrifuge with a rotating centrifugal element with an inwardly disposed gas passage and an outwardly disposed liquid passage which leads through a bearing for supporting the centrifugal element; and
a central shaft supporting the centrifugal element.

2. A multiphase pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein
the second separation stage is arranged upstream of a pump unit in the supply system.

3. A multiphase pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein
the separation system includes a gas outlet configured to supply a gas to a heat producing pump element.

4. A multiphase pump in accordance with claim 3 , wherein
the gas outlet is an outlet of the second separation stage configured to separate the liquid-enriched liquid component into the more highly enriched liquid component and the gas-enriched gas component.

5. A multiphase pump in accordance with claim 1 , wherein
the separation system includes a gas outlet, and a cooling gas path extends from the gas outlet through a pump motor for the gas-enriched gas component for cooling the pump motor.

6. A multiphase pump in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising
a gas circuit for the gas-enriched gas component of the separation system and a cooling unit in the gas circuit.

7. A multiphase pump for pumping a multiphase mixture containing hydrocarbon, comprising:
a separation system having a first separation stage, a second separation stage and a cooling unit between the first and second separation stages, the first separation stage configured to at least partly separate at least one portion of the multiphase mixture into a plurality of phase-enriched components, the first separating stage comprising an impeller attached to a pump shaft of the multiphase pump; and
a supply system configured to supply a liquid-enriched liquid component as a lubricant to a pump element to be lubricated,
the second separation stage configured to separate the liquid-enriched liquid component into a more highly enriched liquid component and a gas-enriched gas component.

8. A multiphase pump in accordance with claim 7 , wherein
the second separation stage has a centrifuge with a rotating centrifugal element with an inwardly disposed gas passage and an outwardly disposed liquid passage which leads through a bearing for supporting the centrifugal element.

Assignees

• Sulzer Management Ag

Inventors

• Trottmann Benedikt

Classifications

• F04D1/00

  Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps (adapted for pumping specific fluids F04D7/00; priming or boosting F04D9/00) · CPC title

• F04D31/00

  Pumping liquids and elastic fluids at the same time · CPC title

• F04D17/08

  Centrifugal pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/061

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title

• F04D13/0606

  Canned motor pumps · CPC title