Radial inflow hole geometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12442376-B2
Application number	US-202318209013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2023
Priority date	Apr 28, 2023
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

An intake section for an electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly comprising an outer housing with a plurality of inflow ports distributed across an outer surface of the intake housing in a proportional pattern. The size and shape of the plurality of inflow ports within the proportional pattern are configured to distribute the inflow flowrate of fluids across the outer surface of the intake housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An intake section of an electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly, comprising:
an intake housing generally cylindrical in shape and comprising an outer surface, an inner surface, an uphole end adjacent a pump section, and a downhole end adjacent a seal section;
an intake head generally cylindrical in shape and comprising an outer surface, an inner surface, and a first bushing surface coupled to the uphole end of the intake housing and a base of the pump section; and
an intake base generally cylindrical in shape and comprising an outer surface, an inner surface, and a second bushing surface coupled to the downhole end of the intake housing and a header of the seal section,
wherein the intake housing further comprises a proportional pattern of a plurality of inflow ports having one or more of the following features:
the proportional pattern comprising a density of inflow ports that increases as the pattern of ports moves axially away from the intake head; and
the inflow ports comprising i) a hole cross-section, ii) an outer surface shape, iii) an inner surface shape, iv) a hole tilt angle, v) or combinations thereof, and

wherein the hole tilt angle starts i) greater than or ii) about perpendicular to a central axis of the intake housing and decreases as the pattern moves axially away from the intake head toward the intake base.

2. The intake section of claim 1 , wherein the hole cross-section includes i) a cylinder shape, ii) a transition to an inner surface shape, iii) a transition to an outer surface shape, or iv) combinations thereof.

3. The intake section of claim 2 , wherein:
the inner surface shape is circular, ellipse, or frustoconical; and
wherein i) a hole circumference on the inner surface of the intake housing is a) greater than or b) equal to a hole circumference on the outer surface.

4. The intake section of claim 2 , wherein:
the outer surface shape is circular, ellipse, or frustoconical; and
wherein i) a hole circumference on the outer surface a) greater than or b) equal to a hole circumference on the inner surface.

5. The intake section of claim 4 , wherein:
the proportional pattern comprises a plurality of axial bands around a circumference of the intake housing defined by a perpendicular plane bisecting a central axis of the housing; wherein
(i) a circumferential spacing of the holes in a given band is about equal;
(ii) the spacing of the bands decreases as the proportional pattern moves axially away from the intake head toward the intake base; or
(iii) the number of bands in a uphole portion of an axial length of the housing is less than the number of bands in a corresponding downhole portion of the axial length.

6. The intake section of claim 1 , wherein the inflow ports comprise hole shapes with inner shapes on the inner surface of the housing and outer shapes on the outer surface of the housing, the inner shapes are is different than the outer shapes, wherein: (i) the inner shapes are circular and the outer shapes are elliptical, (ii) the inner shapes are elliptical and the outer shapes are circular, (iii) the inner shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical and the outer shapes are circular (iv) the inner shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical and the outer shapes is are elliptical, (v) the inner shapes is are circular and the outer shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical, (vi) the inner shape is are elliptical and the outer shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical, or (vii) the inner shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical and the outer shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical.

7. The intake section of claim 6 , wherein the inflow ports have hole draft that changes from the inner shapes to the outer shapes.

8. The intake section of claim 1 , wherein:
the cross-section changes as the pattern moves axially away from the intake head toward the intake base.

9. The intake section of claim 1 , wherein:
the intake base of the intake section further comprises one or more outflow ports configured to discharge flowback particles from an interior chamber of the intake section to an exterior of the intake section upon stopping operation of the pump.

10. The intake section of claim 1 , wherein the ESP assembly comprises a pump section, the intake section, a seal section, a motor section, a sensor package, or any combination thereof.

11. The intake section of claim 10 , wherein the intake section is fluidically coupled to the pump section.

12. The intake section of claim 11 , wherein the intake section is configured to distribute an inflow of fluids across the outer surface of the intake housing in response to a positive suction head generated by the pump section.

13. The intake section of claim 12 , wherein an electric motor within the motor section is coupled to a pumping mechanism within the pump section via a drive shaft extending from the electric motor to the pumping mechanism, wherein the electric motor drives the pumping mechanism, and wherein the pumping mechanism is configured to generate the positive suction head in response to being driven by the electric motor.

14. A method of distributing a flowrate of fluid across an outer surface of an intake section of an Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) assembly, comprising:
starting a pumping operation;
producing a positive suction head within a pump section in response to the pumping operation;
transferring a flowrate of fluids from an intake section into the pump section; and
distributing the flowrate of fluids across an outer surface of an intake housing of the intake section in response to the positive suction head, wherein the intake housing comprises a proportional pattern of inflow ports, the inflow ports having hole shapes with inner shapes on the inner surface of the housing and outer shapes on the outer surface of the housing, the inner shapes are different than the outer shapes, wherein: (i) the inner shapes are circular and the outer shapes are elliptical, (ii) the inner shapes are elliptical and the outer shapes are circular, (iii) the inner shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical and the outer shapes are circular (iv) the inner shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical and the outer shapes are elliptical, (v) the inner shapes are circular and the outer shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical, (vi) the inner shape are elliptical and the outer shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical, or (vii) the inner shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical and the outer shapes are a mix of circular and elliptical.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the flowrate of fluids are distributed across the outer surface by the proportional pattern of the inflow ports;
wherein the proportional pattern includes a density of inflow ports that increases as the pattern of ports moves axially away from the pump section; and
wherein the inflow ports comprise i) a hole cross-section, ii) an outer surface shape, iii) an inner surface shape, iv) a hole tilt angle, v) or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the ESP assembly comprises a motor section, the intake section, and the pump section;
wherein the intake section is fluidically coupled to the pump section;
wherein a pumping mechanism within the pump section is rotationally coupled to an electric motor within the motor section via a drive shaft; and
wherein the pumping mechanism is configured to generate a positive suction head in response to being driven by the electric motor.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
transporting an ESP assembly to a remot

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Newport Casey Laine
• Mcmanus David
• Bernier Andre Joseph

Classifications

• E21B43/08

  Screens or liners {(expandable screens or liners E21B43/108)} · CPC title

• E21B43/38

  in the well · CPC title

• E21B47/008

  Monitoring of down-hole pump systems, e.g. for the detection of "pumped-off" conditions · CPC title

• F04D13/086 Primary

  the pump and drive motor are both submerged · CPC title

• E21B43/128 Primary

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