Metal bellows condition monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528368-B2
Application number	US-201414340391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Aug 20, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A system for monitoring conditions associated with a pressure-equalizing bellows element within a seal section of an electric submersible pump assembly. Pressure sensors are associated with the seal section to detect differential pressure across the bellows element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring conditions associated with a pressure-equalizing bellows element within a seal section of an electric submersible pump assembly, the system comprising:
one or more pressure sensors associated with the seal section to detect differential pressure across the bellows element, the bellows element being axially moveable between contracted and expanded positions within the seal section to accommodate a volume of a pressure-balancing fluid; and
a controller configured to receive a signal representative of the detected differential pressure and to determine axial position of the bellows element within the seal section based upon the detected differential pressure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more pressure sensors include at least one electrical pressure transducer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more pressure sensors include at least one fiber optic probe.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a gage unit housing the controller, the gage unit being incorporated into the electric submersible pump assembly.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a first fluid flow port disposed though a housing of the seal section, the first flow port permitting external wellbore fluid to be communicated to a first side of the bellows element; and
wherein at least one of the one or more pressure sensors is located to detect fluid pressure within the first fluid flow port.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a second fluid flow port disposed through a housing of the seal section, the second fluid flow port permitting pressure-balancing fluid to be communicated to a second side of the bellows element; and
wherein at least one of the one or more pressure sensors is located to detect fluid pressure within the second fluid flow port.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:
a first sensor of said one or more pressure sensors detects fluid pressure upon the first side of the bellows element;
a second sensor of said one or more pressure sensors detects fluid pressure upon the second side of the bellows element; and
wherein comparison of pressures sensed by the first and second sensors yields the differential pressure across the bellows element.

8. A pressure-equalizing seal section system for an electric submersible pump assembly comprising:
an outer housing;
a bellows element retained within the housing, the bellows element being axially expandable and contractible within the housing to accommodate a volume of pressure-balancing fluid contained within the bellows assembly; and
one or more pressure sensors to detect differential pressure across the bellows element; and
a controller configured to receive a signal representative of the detected differential pressure and to determine axial position of the bellows element within the seal section based upon the detected differential pressure.

9. The pressure-equalizing seal section system of claim 8 wherein:
a first sensor of said one or more pressure sensors detects fluid pressure upon the first side of the bellows element;
a second sensor of said one or more pressure sensors detects fluid pressure upon the second side of the bellows element; and
wherein comparison of pressures sensed by the first and second sensors yields the differential pressure across the bellows element.

10. The pressure-equalizing seal section system of claim 8 further comprising a gage unit housing the controller, the gage unit being incorporated into the electric submersible pump assembly.

11. The pressure-equalizing seal section system of claim 8 wherein the one or more pressure sensors include at least one electrical pressure transducer.

12. The pressure-equalizing seal section system of claim 8 wherein the one or more pressure sensors include at least one fiber optic probe.

13. The pressure-equalizing seal section system of claim 8 further comprising a first fluid flow port disposed though the housing, the first flow port permitting external wellbore fluid to be communicated to a first side of the bellows element; and
wherein at least one of the one or more pressure sensors is located to detect fluid pressure within the first fluid flow port.

14. The pressure-equalizing seal section system of claim 13 further comprising a second fluid flow port disposed through the housing, the second fluid flow port permitting pressure-balancing fluid to be communicated to a second side of the bellows element; and
wherein at least one of the one or more pressure sensors is located to detect fluid pressure within the second fluid flow port.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Semple Ryan P
• Tanner David

Classifications

• E21B47/008

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

• G01L13/023

  using bellows · CPC title

• G01L9/0039

  using photoelectric means · CPC title

• E21B47/06 Primary

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• E21B43/128 Primary

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