Seal assembly for abrasion resistant bearing of centrifugal pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10344866-B2
Application number	US-201715410382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2017
Priority date	Feb 22, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A submersible well pump assembly has a motor that rotates a drive shaft within the pump. The pump has a number of pump stages, each stage having a diffuser and an impeller. A bushing is fixed for non-rotation within the diffuser. A thrust runner sleeve mounted to the drive shaft has an outer diameter surface in sliding rotating engagement with an inner diameter surface of the bushing. At least one seal ring is mounted to the sleeve in sealing engagement with the drive shaft to block the entry of well fluid particulates between the sleeve and the drive shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A submersible well pump assembly, comprising:
a pump;
a motor;
a rotatable drive shaft driven by the motor and extending within the pump along a longitudinal axis of the pump;
a plurality of pump stages in the pump, each of the stages comprising:
a diffuser;
an impeller driven by the drive shaft;
a bushing fixed for non-rotation in the diffuser, the bushing having an inner diameter surface;
a thrust runner sleeve mounted to the drive shaft for rotation therewith, the sleeve having an outer diameter surface in sliding rotating engagement with the inner diameter surface of the bushing; and
at least one seal ring mounted to the sleeve for rotation in unison with the drive shaft and the sleeve, the seal ring being of a polymer material, in sealing engagement with the sleeve, and having an inner diameter surface in sealing engagement with the drive shaft to block the entry of well fluid particulates between the sleeve and the drive shaft.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the seal ring is mounted in an upper portion of an inner diameter surface of the sleeve.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an axially extending seal ring groove in the inner diameter surface of the seal ring;
an axially extending sleeve groove in an inner diameter surface of the sleeve;
an axially extending drive shaft groove on an outer diameter surface of the drive shaft; and
a key that locates in the drive shaft groove, the sleeve groove, and the seal ring groove to cause the sleeve and the seal ring to rotate in unison with the drive shaft.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the sleeve has an annular groove at an upper end of the sleeve; and
the seal ring is located in the annular groove.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the seal ring has a flange overlying an upper end of the sleeve that is configured to receive thrust from the impeller and transfer the thrust to the upper end of the sleeve.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the seal ring has an upper side that is flush with an upper end of the sleeve and has a perimeter spaced radially inward from an outer periphery of the upper end of the sleeve.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
said at least one seal ring comprises an upper seal ring and a lower seal ring.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an annular upper seal ring groove at an upper end of the sleeve, the upper seal ring groove having an open upper side;
the upper seal ring being located in the upper seal ring groove and having an upper side flush with the upper end of the sleeve;
an annular lower seal ring groove at a lower end of the sleeve, the annular lower seal ring groove having an open lower side; and
the lower seal ring being located in the annular lower seal ring groove and having a lower side flush with the lower end of the sleeve.

9. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a seal ring annular groove within an inner diameter surface of the sleeve, the seal ring annular groove having a curved base that faces radially inward relative to the axis; wherein
the seal ring is located in the seal ring annular groove; and
the seal ring has a D-shaped configuration when viewed in transverse cross section, with an outer side that is flat, faces outward and is radially spaced from the base.

10. A submersible well pump assembly, comprising:
a pump;
a motor;
a rotatable drive shaft driven by the motor and extending within the pump along a longitudinal axis of the pump;
a plurality of pump stages in the pump, each of the stages comprising:
a diffuser;
an impeller driven by the drive shaft;
a bushing fixed for non-rotation in the diffuser, the bushing having an inner diameter surface and an upper end;
a thrust runner sleeve having an inner diameter surface that receives an outer diameter surface of the drive shaft, the sleeve having an outer diameter surface in sliding rotating engagement with the inner diameter surface of the bushing and a thrust transferring shoulder for transferring down thrust to the upper end of the bushing;
an axially extending groove in the inner diameter surface of the sleeve;
an annular upper seal ring groove in an upper portion of the inner diameter surface of the sleeve;
an upper seal ring mounted in the annular upper seal ring groove for rotation with the sleeve, the upper seal ring being of a polymer material and having an inner diameter surface in sealing engagement with the drive shaft to block the entry of well fluid particulates between the sleeve and the drive shaft;
an axially extending groove in the outer diameter surface of the drive shaft;
an axially extending groove in the inner diameter surface of the upper seal ring that aligns with the axially extending groove in the inner diameter surface of the sleeve; and
a key in mating engagement with the axially extending grooves in the drive shaft, the upper seal ring, and the sleeve, to cause the sleeve and the upper seal ring to rotate in unison with the drive shaft.

11. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein:
the axially extending groove in the inner diameter surface of the upper seal ring has a radial depth less than a radial thickness of the upper seal ring.

12. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein:
the upper seal ring has a flange overlying an upper end of the sleeve that is configured to receive down thrust from the impeller and transfer the down thrust to the upper end of the sleeve.

13. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein:
the upper seal ring groove has an open upper side; and
the upper seal ring has an upper side flush with an upper end of the sleeve.

14. The assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising:
an annular lower seal ring groove in the inner diameter surface of the sleeve at a lower end of the sleeve, the lower seal ring groove having an open lower side; and
the lower seal ring being located in the lower seal ring groove and having a lower side flush with the lower end of the sleeve.

15. The assembly according to claim 14 , further comprising:
an axially extending groove in the inner diameter surface of the lower seal ring that aligns with the axially extending grooves in the inner diameter surface of the sleeve and in the inner diameter surface of the upper seal ring; and wherein the key is also in engagement with the axially extending groove in the inner diameter surface of the lower seal ring.

16. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein:
the annular upper seal ring groove has a curved base that faces radially inward relative to the axis; and
the upper seal ring has a D-shaped configuration when viewed in transverse cross section, with an outer side that is flat, faces outward and is radially spaced from the base.

17. A submersible well pump assembly, comprising:
a pump;
a motor;
a rotatable drive shaft driven by the motor and extending within the pump along a longitudinal axis of the pump;
a plurality of pump stages in the pump, each of the stages comprising:
a diffuser;
an impeller driven by the drive shaft;
a bushing fixed for non-rotation in the diffuser, the bushing having an inner diameter surface, an upper end for receiving down thrust from the impeller and a thrust transferring surface for transferring down thrust to the diffuser;
a thrust runner sleeve having an inner diameter surface that receives an outer diameter surface of the drive shaft, the sleeve having an outer diameter surface in sliding rotatin

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Ye Zheng
• Swatek Mike A
• Rutter Risa
• Donnell Jimmy J
• Semple Ryan P

Classifications

• F04D29/106

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/0413

  hydrostatic; hydrodynamic thrust bearings · CPC title

• F04D13/10

  adapted for use in mining bore holes · CPC title

• F04D29/628

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title

• F16J15/3284 Primary

  characterised by their structure; Selection of materials · CPC title