Thermoelectric cooling devices on electrical submersible pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9835173-B2
Application number	US-201414477161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2013
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

An electric submersible well pump assembly includes a pump and an electrical motor filled with a dielectric lubricant. A capsule extends around a portion of the motor, defining a chamber between the capsule and the motor. A port through a side wall of the motor communicates the lubricant within the motor to the chamber. Thermoelectric devices are located within the chamber. Voltage supplied to the thermoelectric devices cools the lubricant.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric submersible well pump assembly, comprising:
a pump;
an electrical motor operatively connected to the pump for causing the pump to pump well fluid in which the pump and the motor are submersed;
at least one thermoelectric device mounted to an exterior portion of the motor, the thermoelectric device adapted to provide cooling upon receiving electrical current;
a capsule surrounding a housing of the motor, the capsule having a larger inner diameter than an outer diameter of the housing of the motor, defining a chamber in which the at least one thermoelectric device is located; and
the chamber being sealed from the well fluid in which the pump and the motor are submersed and filled with a dielectric liquid that immerses the thermoelectric device.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a dielectric liquid pump that circulates the dielectric liquid in the chamber.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the motor also contains the dielectric liquid; and
a communication passage communicates the dielectric liquid within the motor with the dielectric liquid in the chamber.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a dielectric liquid pump in the motor that circulates the dielectric liquid within the motor into and out of the chamber.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric device has an inner side in contact with the housing of the motor.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric device comprises a plurality of thermoelectric devices, spaced apart from each other around the housing of the motor.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric device comprises a plurality of thermoelectric devices mounted to the housing of the motor within a plurality of rows, each of the rows extending circumferentially around the housing of the motor.

8. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a wire extending sealingly into the capsule to the at least one thermoelectric device for supplying power to the thermoelectric device.

9. The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrical power cable extending alongside the pump to the motor, the power cable adapted to be connected to a power source at a wellhead for supplying power to the motor and to the at least one thermoelectric device.

10. An electric submersible well pump assembly, comprising:
a pump;
an electrical motor operatively connected to the pump for submersion in a well fluid along with the pump, the motor being filled with a dielectric lubricant;
a capsule surrounding a housing of the motor for submersion in the well fluid along with the pump and the motor, the capsule having a larger inner diameter than an outer diameter of the housing of the motor, defining a chamber between the capsule and the motor, the chamber being sealed from the well fluid in which the pump and motor are submersed;
a plurality of thermoelectric devices located within the chamber;
electrical wires leading to the thermoelectric devices to provide a voltage, which causes cooling of the thermoelectric devices;
an inlet port and an outlet port extending through a side wall of the housing of the motor into the chamber, communicating the lubricant within the motor to the chamber for cooling the lubricant; and wherein
the thermoelectric devices are immersed in the lubricant within the chamber.

11. The assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a lubricant pump in the motor that circulates the lubricant within the motor through the inlet port, through the chamber, and out the outlet port back into the motor.

12. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein each of the thermoelectric devices has an inner side in contact with the housing of the motor.

13. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the thermoelectric devices are spaced apart from each other and extend in a circumferential row around the housing of the motor.

14. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the thermoelectric devices are mounted to the housing of the motor within a plurality of rows, each of the rows extending circumferentially around the housing of the motor.

15. The assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a protective member mounted to the motor and having means for reducing a pressure differential between the lubricant in the motor, the lubricant in the chamber, and the well fluid in which the pump and the motor are submersed.

16. The assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising:
an electrical power cable extending alongside the pump to the motor, the power cable adapted to be connected to a power source at a wellhead for supplying power to the motor, the wires leading to the thermoelectric devices extending sealingly through the capsule and being connected to the power cable.

17. A method of pumping well fluid with an electrical submersible pump having an electrical motor, comprising:
mounting a capsule around a housing of the motor, the capsule having a larger inner diameter than an outer diameter of the housing of the motor, defining a chamber between the housing of the motor and the capsule, and sealing the chamber from well fluid in which the pump and motor are submersed;
mounting at least one thermoelectric device to housing of the motor within the chamber;
filling the chamber with a dielectric liquid;
submersing the motor, the capsule, and the pump in well fluid and supplying power to the motor to drive the pump; and
supplying a voltage to the at least one thermoelectric device, thereby causing cooling of the at least one thermoelectric device and a heat transfer of heat from the motor through the at least one thermoelectric device to the dielectric liquid in the capsule and from the dielectric liquid in the capsule to the well fluid on the exterior of the capsule.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
filling the motor with the same dielectric liquid as in the chamber; and
communicating the dielectric liquid in the motor with the dielectric liquid in the chamber.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
filling the motor with the same dielectric liquid as in the chamber; and
communicating the dielectric liquid in the motor with the dielectric liquid in the chamber; and
reducing a pressure differential between the dielectric liquid in the motor and the dielectric liquid in the chamber with the well fluid on the exterior of the chamber.

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising:
with a dielectric liquid pumping device, circulating the dielectric liquid in the motor into the chamber and back into the motor.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Sadana Anil K
• Prieto Carlos A
• Roy Sayantan

Classifications

• Y10T29/4935

  Heat exchanger or boiler making · CPC title

• F04D13/10 Primary

  adapted for use in mining bore holes · CPC title

• F04D29/5806 Primary

  Cooling the drive system · CPC title

• F25B21/02

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title

• F25B2321/0252

  by liquids or two-phase fluids · CPC title