Gas resistant impeller having lower upthrust for use with a centrifugal pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11293445-B2
Application number	US-201916726091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2019
Priority date	Dec 23, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

An impeller for pumping fluid that comprises discharge flow paths that allow high pressure liquid to be used to flush out low pressure gas that can accumulate within the internal structure of the impeller. The impeller comprises transition regions, vanes, and at least one discharge flow path. The vanes are rotational about a central axis. The transition regions and the plurality of vanes have a high pressure flow path and a low pressure flow path. The at least one discharge flow path is in fluid communication with a section of the low pressure flow path of at least one of the transition region(s) and the vane(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An impeller used for pumping fluid, the impeller comprising:
at least one transition region for receiving fluid from an axial flow path;
a plurality of vanes rotational about a central axis and configured to radially diffuse fluid from the axial flow path;
wherein the at least one transition region and the plurality of vanes have a high pressure flow path and a low pressure flow path;
at least one discharge flow path in fluid communication with a section of the low pressure flow path of at least one of the at least one transition region and at least one vane of the plurality of vanes;
a borehole disposed within a lower shroud of the impeller and fluidically coupled to the transition region; wherein the borehole is positioned above a downthrust washer and below the plurality of vanes and is adjacent to an entrance of the low pressure path of an individual vane within the plurality.

2. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein the fluid communication path is created to reduce at least one of a gas pocket and an up thrust.

3. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein the impeller is rotational about a central axis within a stationary diffuser and the impeller and the stationary diffuser comprise an internal diameter between the plurality of vanes and an internal wall of the stationary diffuser.

4. The impeller of claim 3 , wherein fluid segregates into a liquid and gas in response to a rotational force applied to the impeller and a discharge liquid exiting the plurality of vanes is fluidly coupled with the discharge flow path.

5. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein the transition region comprises at least one of an axial region of the impeller and a radial region of the impeller.

6. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vanes extend radially along a shroud of the impeller.

7. A centrifugal pump used for pumping fluid, the centrifugal pump comprising:
a plurality of impellers, the impellers having:
at least one transition region for receiving fluid from an axial flow path;
a plurality of vanes rotational about a central axis and configured to radially diffuse fluid from the axial flow path;
wherein the at least one transition region and the plurality of vanes have a high pressure flow path and a low pressure flow path;
at least one discharge flow path in fluid communication with a section of the low pressure flow path of at least one of the at least one transition region and at least one vane of the plurality of vanes;
a borehole disposed within a lower shroud of the impeller and fluidically coupled to the transition region; wherein the borehole is positioned above a downthrust washer and below the plurality of vanes and is adjacent to an entrance of the low pressure path of an individual vane within the plurality.

8. The centrifugal pump of claim 7 , wherein the fluid communication path is created to reduce at least one of a gas pocket and an up thrust.

9. The centrifugal pump of claim 7 , wherein the impeller is rotational about a central axis within a stationary diffuser and the impeller and the stationary diffuser comprise an internal diameter between the plurality of vanes and an internal wall of the stationary diffuser.

10. The centrifugal pump of claim 9 , wherein fluid segregates into a liquid and gas in response to a rotational force applied to the impeller and a discharge liquid exiting the plurality of vanes is fluidly coupled with the discharge flow path.

11. The centrifugal pump of claim 7 , wherein the transition region comprises at least one of an axial region of the impeller and a radial region of the impeller.

12. The centrifugal pump of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of vanes extend radially along a shroud of the impeller.

13. A method for pumping fluid, the method comprising:
pumping fluid through a centrifugal pump using rotational force applied to a plurality of impellers, wherein the rotational force causes the fluid to segregate into a high pressure flow path comprising a liquid and a low pressure flow path comprising a gas; wherein the impellers comprise:
at least one transition region for receiving fluid from an axial flow path;
a plurality of vanes rotational about a central axis and configured to radially diffuse fluid from the axial flow path;
wherein the at least one transition region and the plurality of vanes have the high pressure flow path and the low pressure flow path;
at least one discharge flow path in fluid communication with a seeders of the low pressure flow path of at least one of the at least one transition region and at least one of the plurality of vanes; and
a borehole disposed within a lower shroud of the impeller and fluidically coupled to the trait si tiers region; wherein the borehole is positioned above a downthrust washer and below the plurality of varies and is adjacent to an entrance of the low pressure path of an individual vane within the plurality;

reducing at least one of a gas pocket and up thrust by discharging a portion of the liquid through the discharge flowpath between the at least one impeller and a stationary diffuser; and
fluidly coupling the liquid into the low pressure flow path.

14. The centrifugal pump of claim 13 , wherein the discharge flow path comprises wherein the fluid communication path is created to reduce at least one of a gas pocket and an up thrust.

15. The centrifugal pump of claim 14 , wherein the impeller is rotational about a central axis within a stationary diffuser and the impeller and the stationary diffuser comprise an internal diameter between the plurality of vanes and an internal wall of the stationary diffuser.

16. The centrifugal pump of claim 14 , wherein the transition region comprises at least one of an axial region of the impeller and a radial region of the impeller.

17. The centrifugal pump of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of vanes extend radially along a shroud of the impeller.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Sheth Ketankumar Kantilal
• Brown Donn J

Classifications

• F04D29/0413

  hydrostatic; hydrodynamic thrust bearings · CPC title

• F04D29/2222

  Construction and assembly (F04D29/2211 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D29/2205

  Conventional flow pattern · CPC title

• F04D9/002

  by means in the very pump (F04D9/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D1/06

  Multi-stage pumps (F04D1/02, F04D13/10 take precedence) · CPC title