Below Motor Equalizer of Electrical Submersible Pump and Method for Connecting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016017701-A1
Application number	US-201514690041-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 17, 2015
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Upper and lower pressure equalizers couple to a lower end of a motor of an electrical, submersible pump assembly. An intermediate connection having a liquid flow passage connects the pressure equalizers. A connection valve located in the liquid flow passage closes the liquid flow passage prior to connecting the pressure equalizers with each other, and opens the liquid flow passage after the connection between the pressure equalizers is made. A sensor lower equalizer wire extends from a sensor unit through the lower pressure equalizer to a lower electrical terminal at the upper end of the lower pressure equalizer. A sensor upper equalizer wire connects to the lower electrical terminal and extends through, the upper pressure equalizer to an upper electrical terminal at the upper end of the upper pressure equalizer. A sensor motor wire extends downward from the motor into engagement with the upper electrical terminal.

First claim

1 . An electrical submersible pump assembly, comprising;
a pump; a motor having a rotatable shah extending along a longitudinal axis and operatively coupled to the pump tor driving the pump; an upper pressure equalizer coupled to a lower end of the motor; a lower pressure equalizer, each of the pressure equalizers having a movable equalizing element that communicates well fluid pressure exterior of the pressure equalizers to motor lubricant in the motor; a connection between an upper end of the lower pressure equalizer and a lower end of the upper equalizer; a liquid flow passage in the connection through which a liquid in the upper pressure equalizer communicates with a liquid in the lower pressure equalizer; and at least one connection valve located in the liquid flow passage that closes the liquid flow passage prior to connecting the pressure equalizers with each other, and opens the liquid flow passage alter the connection between the lower pressure equalizer and the upper pressure equalizer is made.

2 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein, the at least one connection valve is spring-biased to a closed position and opens in response to abutment of the lower end of the upper pressure equalizer with the upper end of the lower pressure equalizer.

3 . The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a motor equalizer adapter between an upper end of the upper pressure equalizer and a lower end of the motor; a motor equalizer passage in the motor equalizer adapter for the passage of motor lubricant between the motor and the upper pressure equalizer; a motor equalizer valve in the motor equalizer passage that is movable between an open position and a closed position; and wherein an end portion of the shaft is in engagement with the motor equalizer valve while the motor equalizer valve is in a closed position; and, the motor equalizer valve is movable from the closed position to an open position in response to rotation of the shaft.

4 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one connection valve comprises:
an upper pressure equalizer lower valve; and a lower pressure equalizer upper valve.

5 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the movable equalizing element within each of the upper and lower pressure equalizers comprises a bellows; motor lubricant in fluid communication with the motor lubricant in the motor is located within an interior of the bellows of the upper pressure equalizer; a secondary liquid is located on an exterior of the bellows of fire upper pressure equalizer and an interior of the bellows of the lower pressure equalizer, the secondary liquid on the exterior of the bellows of the upper pressure equalizer being in fluid communication with the secondary liquid in the interior of the bellows of the lower pressure equalizer; and the bellows of the lower pressure equalizer is adapted to be immersed in well fluid.

6 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connection comprises:
an upper pressure equalizer lower adapter secured to a lower end of the upper pressure equalizer; a lower pressure equalizer upper adapter secured to an upper end of the lower pressure equalizer; wherein: the liquid flow passage extends through the upper pressure equalizer lower adapter and through the lower pressure equalizer upper adapter; the at least one valve comprises an upper pressure equalizer lower valve and a lower pressure equalizer upper valve; the upper pressure equalizer lower valve being mounted in the liquid flow passage in the upper pressure equalizer lower adapter and spring biased downward to a closed position protruding from a lower end of the upper pressure equalizer lower adapter; and the lower pressure equalizer upper valve being mounted in the liquid flow passage in the lower pressure equalizer upper adapter and spring biased upward to a closed position protruding front an upper of the lower pressure equalizer upper adapter.

7 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connection comprises:
an upper pressure equalizer lower adapter secured to the lower end of the upper pressure equalizer; a lower pressure equalizer upper adapter secured to the upper end of the lower pressure equalizer; wherein the liquid flow passage extends through the upper pressure equalizer lower adapter and through the lower pressure equalizer upper adapter; the at least one connection valve comprises an upper pressure equalizer lower valve and a lower pressure equalizer upper valve; the upper pressure equalizer lower valve is mounted in the liquid flow passage in the upper pressure equalizer lower adapter and spring biased downward to a closed position protruding from a lower end of the upper pressure equalizer lower adapter; the lower pressure equalizer upper valve is mounted in the liquid flow passage in the lower pressure equalizer upper adapter and spring biased upward to a closed position protruding from an upper of the lower pressure equalizer upper adapter; and wherein the upper pressure equalizer lower valve and the lower pressure equalizer upper valve are radially offset from each other relative to the axis such that they do not contact each other when the lower pressure equalizer upper adapter is secured to the upper pressure equalizer lower adapter.

8 . The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor unit mounted to a lower end of the lower pressure equalizer; a sensor lower equalizer line extending from the sensor unit through the lower pressure equalizer to a lower terminal at the upper end of the lower pressure equalizer; a sensor upper equalizer line releasably connected to the lower terminal and extending through the upper pressure equalizer to an upper terminal at an upper end of the upper pressure equalizer; and a sensor motor line extending downward from the motor and in releasable engagement with the upper terminal.

9 . The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor unit mounted to a lower end of the lower pressure equalizer; a sensor lower equalizer wire extending from the sensor unit through the lower pressure equalizer to a lower electrical terminal at the upper end of the lower pressure equalizer; a sensor upper equalizer wire releasably connected to the lower electrical terminal and extending through the upper pressure equalizer to an upper electrical terminal at the upper end of the upper pressure equalizer; a sensor motor wire extending downward from the motor and in engagement with the upper electrical terminal; wherein: the liquid flow passage includes a first portion located on the axis and a second portion radially offset from the axis; the at least one connection valve comprises a first valve mounted on the axis and a second valve radially offset from the first valve; and a portion of the sensor motor wire extends sealingly through the first valve.

10 . An electrical submersible pump assembly, comprising:
a pump; a motor having a rotatable shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and operatively coupled to the pump for driving the pump; a pressure equalizer assembly coupled to a lower end of the motor, the pressure equalizer assembly having a movable element for communicating well fluid pressure exterior of the pressure equalizer assembly to motor lubricant in the motor; an upper adapter that connects the pressure equalizer assembly to the motor, the upper adapter having an upper lubricant passage through which motor lubricant in the motor communicates with motor lubricant in pressure equalizer assembly; an upper valve located in the upper lubricant passage that selectively opens and closes the upper lubricant passage; a sensor unit mounted to

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Tanner David
• Meyer Aron M
• Poretti Arturo Luis
• Semple Ryan P

Classifications

• F04D7/02

  of centrifugal type · CPC title

• E21B43/128 Primary

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

• F04D1/00

  Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps (adapted for pumping specific fluids F04D7/00; priming or boosting F04D9/00) · CPC title

• F04D15/0005

  by using valves · CPC title

• F04D29/053

  Shafts · CPC title