Artificial lift

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914149-B2
Application number	US-201816235356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2018
Priority date	Aug 29, 2018
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A stator assembly for a downhole-type well tool includes a stator housing including an internal chamber, an electric stator, a flow channel in the stator housing, and a heat exchanger. The electrical stator is disposed within the stator housing and in contact with the heat exchanger, the electrical stator to drive a rotor. The flow channel in the stator housing includes an inlet and an outlet, and the heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger portion in contact with the electric stator in the internal chamber and a second heat exchanger portion at least partially disposed in the flow channel. The flow channel flows coolant fluid along the second heat exchanger portion to transmit heat across the heat exchanger from the electric stator to the coolant fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cooling a stator element, the method comprising:
contacting a dielectric fluid in an internal chamber of a stator housing of a device with:
an electrical stator housed in the stator housing of the device, and
a first heat exchanger portion of a heat exchanger of the stator housing, the device to be positioned downhole in a wellbore;

guiding, with a flow channel in the stator housing, a coolant fluid through the flow channel, the flow channel comprising an inlet and an outlet that are fluidly connected to a flow bore of the device, wherein guiding the coolant fluid through the flow channel comprises guiding coolant fluid from the flow bore to the inlet proximate a longitudinally downhole end of the stator housing and through the flow channel;
directing, with the flow channel, the coolant fluid across a second heat exchanger portion of the heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger portion at least partially disposed in the flow channel; and
after directing the coolant fluid across the second heat exchanger portion, further directing, with the flow channel, the coolant fluid to the outlet of the flow channel proximate a longitudinally uphole end of the stator housing and further into the flow bore.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow bore extends from a first, downhole longitudinal end of the device to a second, uphole longitudinal end of the device opposite the first, downhole longitudinal end.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein further directing the coolant fluid to the outlet of the flow channel comprises flowing the coolant fluid through the flow channel in a first direction toward the outlet with a control valve disposed within the flow channel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the coolant fluid across the second heat exchanger portion of the heat exchanger comprises flowing coolant fluid, with a circulation pump disposed at least partially within the flow channel, through the flow channel from the inlet to the outlet.

5. A well tool configured to operate downhole in a wellbore, the well tool comprising:
an electrical stator, and
a stator housing carrying dielectric fluid in contact with the stator, the stator housing comprising:
an internal chamber, the dielectric fluid disposed in the internal chamber,
a heat exchanger comprising:
a first heat exchanger portion in contact with the dielectric fluid, and
a second heat exchanger portion, and

a flow channel having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and the outlet being fluidly connected to a flow bore of the well tool, the flow bore extending from a first, downhole longitudinal end of the well tool to a second, uphole longitudinal end of the well tool opposite the first, downhole longitudinal end, where the inlet of the flow channel is disposed at a longitudinally downhole end of the stator housing and the outlet of the flow channel is disposed at a longitudinally uphole end of the stator housing, and the second heat exchanger portion at least partially disposed in the flow channel, the flow channel configured to flow coolant fluid along the second heat exchanger portion to transmit heat across the heat exchanger from the dielectric fluid to the coolant fluid.

6. The well tool of claim 5 , comprising a communication line connected to the inlet of the flow channel and extending from an uphole end of the wellbore to the inlet, the communication line configured to flow the coolant fluid from the uphole end to the inlet.

7. The well tool of claim 5 , wherein the flow bore extends from a first, downhole longitudinal end of the well tool to a second, uphole longitudinal end of the well tool opposite the first, downhole longitudinal end.

8. The well tool of claim 7 , wherein the flow channel comprises a control valve proximate to the outlet of the flow channel, the control valve configured to selectively control flow direction of the coolant fluid between the outlet and the flow bore of the well tool.

9. The well tool of claim 5 , further comprising a circulation pump disposed at least partially within the flow channel between the inlet and the outlet, the circulation pump configured to provide flow of the coolant fluid from the inlet toward the outlet.

10. The well tool of claim 5 , wherein the internal chamber of the stator housing is hermetically sealed from the flow channel.

11. The well tool of claim 5 , wherein the coolant fluid comprises a brine solution.

12. A stator assembly for a downhole-type well tool, the stator assembly comprising:
a stator housing comprising an internal chamber;
an electrical stator disposed within the stator housing and in contact with a heat exchanger, the electrical stator configured to drive a rotor;
a flow channel in the stator housing comprising an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and the outlet being fluidly connected to a flow bore of the well tool, the flow bore extending from a first, downhole longitudinal end of the well tool to a second, uphole longitudinal end of the well tool opposite the first, downhole longitudinal end, where the inlet of the flow channel is disposed at a longitudinally downhole end of the stator housing and the outlet of the flow channel is disposed at a longitudinally uphole end of the stator housing; and
a heat exchanger having a first heat exchanger portion in contact with the electric stator in the internal chamber and a second heat exchanger portion at least partially disposed in the flow channel, the flow channel configured to flow coolant fluid along the second heat exchanger portion to transmit heat across the heat exchanger from the electric stator to the coolant fluid.

Assignees

• Upwing Energy Llc

Inventors

• Chen Kuo-Chiang
• Biddick David
• Mcmullen Patrick

Classifications

• F04D29/5806

  Cooling the drive system · CPC title

• F04D13/086

  the pump and drive motor are both submerged · CPC title

• F05D2260/213

  by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit · CPC title

• E21B47/017

  Protecting measuring instruments · CPC title

• H02K5/132

  Submersible electric motors (H02K5/128 takes precedence) · CPC title