Electrical test splice for coiled tubing supported well pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10443317-B2
Application number	US-201715585663-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2017
Priority date	May 3, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A splice connects a lower coiled tubing segment containing a lower power cable segment to an upper coiled tubing segment containing an upper power cable segment. The splice has a lower terminal electrically connecting together upper ends of lower power conductors. An upper terminal electrically connects together lower ends of upper power conductors. An electrical intermediate connector has an upper end that stabs into engagement with the upper electrical terminal and a lower end that stabs into engagement with the lower electrical terminal. A load supporting member surrounds the intermediate connector and joins to upper and lower ends, respectively, of the lower coiled tubing segment and the upper coiled tubing segment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power cable and load supporting assembly for a submersible well pump, comprising:
a lower coiled tubing segment having a lower end for securing to the well pump;
a lower power cable segment having three insulated lower power conductors and installed within the lower coiled tubing segment;
an upper coiled tubing segment for installation on a reel at an upper end of the well;
an upper power cable segment having three insulated upper power conductors and installed within the upper coiled tubing segment;
a test splice connecting the lower coiled tubing segment and the lower power cable segment to the upper coiled tubing segment and the upper power cable segment, comprising:
an electrically conductive lower terminal electrically shorting together upper ends of the lower power conductors;
an electrically conductive upper terminal electrically shorting together lower ends of the upper power conductors;
an intermediate connector that electrically joins together the lower and upper terminals;
a load supporting member surrounding the intermediate connector and joined to upper and lower ends, respectively, of the lower coiled tubing segment and the upper coiled tubing segment; wherein
the test splice prevents power from being supplied to the motor through the upper coiled tubing segment but enables electrical insulation testing of the lower power cable segment while the submersible well pump is being lowered into the well; and
the test splice is positioned so as to be removable from the lower coiled tubing segment along with the upper coiled tubing segment after reaching total depth for the submersible well pump and before operation of the submersible well pump.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate connector comprises:
an electrically conductive rod having at least one end that stabs into mating engagement with one of the terminals.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate connector comprises:
an electrically conductive rod having a lower end that stabs into engagement with the lower terminal and an upper end that stabs into engagement with the upper terminal.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate connector comprises:
an insulated electrically conductive rod having a lower end that stabs into engagement with the lower terminal and an upper end that stabs into engagement with the upper terminal; and
wherein the rod is located on a longitudinal axis of the splice.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a receptacle formed within the upper end of the lower power cable segment;
each of the lower power conductors having an exposed portion within the receptacle; wherein the lower terminal comprises:
an electrically conductive base that fits within the receptacle in contact with the exposed portions of each of the lower power conductors; and
an electrical contact on an upper end of the base in engagement with the intermediate connector.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastomeric lower jacket in which each of the lower power conductors is embedded;
a lower receptacle formed within the lower jacket at the upper end of the lower power cable segment and concentric with a longitudinal axis of the splice;
each of the lower power conductors having an exposed portion within the lower receptacle;
threads within a side wall of the lower receptacle, the threads intersecting each of the exposed portions of the lower power conductors; wherein the lower terminal comprises:
an electrically conductive lower base that engages the threads in the lower receptacle; and
a lower electrical contact on an upper end of the lower base for engagement with a lower end of the intermediate connector.

7. The assembly according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an elastomeric upper jacket in which each of the upper power conductors is embedded;
an upper receptacle formed within the upper jacket at the lower end of the upper power cable segment and concentric with a longitudinal axis of the splice;
each of the upper power conductors having an exposed portion within the upper receptacle;
threads within a side wall of the upper receptacle and intersecting each of the exposed portions of the upper power conductors; wherein the upper terminal comprises:
an electrically conductive upper base that engages the threads in the upper receptacle; and
an upper electrical contact on a lower end of the upper base for engagement with an upper end of the intermediate connector.

8. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the splice defines an electrical continuity path for each of the upper power conductors from the upper ends of each of the upper power conductors to the upper terminal, and from the upper terminal through the intermediate connector and to the lower power conductors in parallel.

9. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the lower power conductors are embedded within an elastomeric lower jacket;
the upper ends of the lower power conductors are flush with an upper end of the lower jacket;
the upper power conductors are embedded within an elastomeric upper jacket; and
the lower ends of the upper power conductors are flush with a lower end of the lower jacket.

10. A power cable and load supporting assembly for a submersible well pump, comprising:
a lower coiled tubing segment having a lower end for securing to the well pump;
a lower power cable segment having three lower power conductors and installed within the lower coiled tubing segment, each of the lower power conductors having a separate insulation layer;
an upper coiled tubing segment for installation on a reel at an upper end of the well;
an upper power cable segment having three upper power conductors and installed within the upper coiled tubing segment, each of the upper power conductors having a separate insulation layer;
a test splice connecting the lower coiled tubing segment and the lower power cable segment to the upper coiled tubing segment and the upper power cable segment, the test splice having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an electrically conductive lower terminal electrically shorting together upper ends of the lower power conductors, the lower terminal having an upward extending lower electrical contact;
an electrically conductive upper terminal electrically shorting together lower ends of the upper power conductors, the upper terminal having a downward extending upper electrical contact;
an electrical intermediate connector having an upper end that stabs into engagement with the upper electrical contact and a lower end that stabs into engagement with the lower electrical contact;
a load supporting member surrounding the intermediate connector and joined to upper and lower ends, respectively, of the lower coiled tubing segment and the upper coiled tubing segment; wherein
the test splice does not allow power to be supplied through the upper coiled tubing segment to the motor but enables electrical insulation testing of the lower power cable segment while the submersible well pump is being lowered into the well; and
a length of the lower coiled tubing segment is selected such that the test splice and the upper coiled tubing segment may be detached from the lower coiled tubing segment after reaching total depth for the submersible well pump and before operation of the submersible well pump.

11. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the upper and lower electrical contacts and the intermediate connector are located on the axis.

12. The assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a lower receptacle formed in a

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc
• Baker Huges A Ge Company Llc

Inventors

• O'Grady Kenneth
• Reynolds Jackson
• Mack John
• Roy David R
• Strattan Scott C

Classifications

• E21B17/003

  with electrically conducting or insulating means (E21B17/028 and E21B17/023 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/523

  for use under water · CPC title

• E21B17/20

  Flexible or articulated drilling pipes {, e.g. flexible or articulated rods, pipes or cables} · CPC title

• E21B17/028 Primary

  Electrical or electro-magnetic connections · CPC title

• E21B43/128

  Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives · CPC title