US-12618409-B2 - Submersible pump

Abstract

A submersible pump comprises a rotational assembly and a rotational assembly housing. The rotational assembly has a plurality of in-line flow inducing sections. A centerline longitudinal axis of each of the flow inducing sections extends colinearly with a rotational axis of the rotational assembly. A downstream end portion of a flow pressurizing section is engaged with an upstream end portion of a rotational flow amplification section. A downstream end portion of the rotational flow amplification section is engaged with an upstream end portion of a flow outlet section. The rotational assembly housing has an interior space extending along a centerline axis of the rotational assembly housing. The rotational assembly is disposed within the interior space of the rotational assembly housing. The rotational assembly and the rotational assembly are jointly configured for causing the rotational axis to extend colinearly with the centerline longitudinal axis of the rotational assembly housing.

Inventors

• Paul Wayne Schmidt
• Avijit Ghosh

Assignees

• Vortex Pipe Systems LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20241218

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A pump, comprising: a rotor comprising an impeller and a flow amplification body, wherein an inlet of the flow amplification body is in fluid communication with an outlet of the impeller, wherein a central passage of the flow amplification body includes at least one flow amplifying vane therein, wherein the impeller includes a sidewall at least partially defining an interior space of the impeller, wherein the sidewall includes at least one flow-inducing protrusion extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion has a fluid flow passage extending therethrough, wherein the inlet of the flow amplification body is at an upstream end portion of the flow amplification body, wherein the outlet of the impeller is at a downstream end portion of the impeller, and wherein the flow amplification body is directly attached to the impeller.
2. 2 . The pump of claim 1 wherein at least one of: the at least one flow amplifying vane has a cupped surface on a downstream facing side thereof, and the at least one flow-inducing protrusion extends outwardly away from the interior space of the impeller and extends from adjacent a first end portion of the impeller.
3. 3 . A pump, comprising: a rotor comprising an impeller and a flow amplification body, wherein an inlet of the flow amplification body is in fluid communication with an outlet of the impeller, wherein a central passage of the flow amplification body includes at least one flow amplifying vane therein, wherein the impeller includes a sidewall at least partially defining an interior space of the impeller, wherein the sidewall includes at least one flow-inducing protrusion extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion has a fluid flow passage extending therethrough, wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion has a leading edge and a trailing edge, and wherein the fluid flow passage of the at least one flow-inducing protrusion extends therethrough at the leading edge thereof.
4. 4 . The pump of claim 3 wherein a length of the fluid flow passage is less than a length of the leading edge.
5. 5 . The pump of claim 3 wherein at least one of: the at least one flow amplifying vane has a cupped surface on a downstream facing side thereof; and the at least one flow-inducing protrusion extends outwardly away from the interior space of the impeller and extends from adjacent a first end portion of the impeller.
6. 6 . The pump of claim 3 wherein: a closed end portion of the interior space of the impeller opposite the downstream end portion thereof has a maximum inside diameter less than a maximum inside diameter of the interior space of the impeller at the downstream end portion thereof, and the interior space of the impeller at the downstream end portion thereof has a maximum inside diameter the same as a maximum inside diameter of the central passage of the flow amplification body.
7. 7 . The pump of claim 6 wherein the at least one flow amplifying vane has a cupped surface on a downstream facing side thereof.
8. 8 . A pump, comprising: a rotor comprising an impeller and a flow amplification body, wherein an inlet of the flow amplification body is in fluid communication with an outlet of the impeller, wherein a central passage of the flow amplification body includes at least one flow amplifying vane therein, wherein the impeller includes a sidewall at least partially defining an interior space of the impeller, wherein the sidewall includes at least one flow-inducing protrusion extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion has a fluid flow passage extending therethrough, and wherein the interior space of the impeller is exposed to the central passage of the flow amplification body at the inlet of the flow amplification body.
9. 9 . The pump of claim 8 wherein at least one of: the at least one flow amplifying vane has a cupped surface on a downstream facing side thereof; and the at least one flow-inducing protrusion extends outwardly away from the interior space of the impeller and extends from adjacent a first end portion of the impeller.
10. 10 . The pump of claim 8 wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion extends from adjacent a first end portion of the impeller to adjacent a second end portion of the impeller.
11. 11 . The pump of claim 8 wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion extends outwardly away from the interior space of the impeller and extends from adjacent a first end portion of the impeller.
12. 12 . The pump of claim 8 wherein: the fluid flow passage of the at least one flow-inducing protrusion extends along only a central portion thereof to thereby define a plurality of fluid flow stages of the impeller; a first one of the fluid flow stages is located between the first end portion of the impeller and a first end portion of the fluid flow passage to impart a siphoning force onto fluid surrounding the impeller relative to the interior space of the impeller; a second one of the fluid flow stages is located between the first end portion of the fluid flow passage and a second end portion thereof to draw at least a portion of the fluid surrounding the impeller into the interior space of the impeller at the second fluid flow stage; and a third one of the fluid flow stages is located between the second end portion of the fluid flow passage and the second end portion of the impeller to impart a flow profile onto the fluid within the interior space of the impeller.
13. 13 . The pump of claim 8 wherein each flow-inducing protrusion defines a cavity within an interior surface of the sidewall.
14. 14 . The pump of claim 13 wherein: the at least one flow amplifying vane is a plurality of flow amplifying vanes; and each of the flow amplifying vanes has a cupped surface on a downstream facing side thereof.
15. 15 . The pump of claim 8 wherein: the inlet of the flow amplification body is at an upstream end portion of the flow amplification body; the outlet of the impeller is at a downstream end portion of the impeller; and the flow amplification body is directly attached to the impeller.
16. 16 . A pump, comprising: a rotor comprising an impeller and a flow amplification body, wherein an inlet of the flow amplification body is in fluid communication with an outlet of the impeller, wherein a central passage of the flow amplification body includes at least one flow amplifying vane therein, wherein the impeller includes a sidewall at least partially defining an interior space of the impeller, wherein the sidewall includes at least one flow-inducing protrusion extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion has a fluid flow passage extending therethrough, wherein a closed end portion of the interior space of the impeller opposite the downstream end portion thereof has a maximum inside diameter less than a maximum inside diameter of the interior space of the impeller at the downstream end portion thereof, and wherein the interior space of the impeller at the downstream end portion thereof has a maximum inside diameter the same as a maximum inside diameter of the central passage of the flow amplification body.
17. 17 . A pump, comprising: a rotor comprising an impeller and a flow amplification body, wherein an inlet of the flow amplification body is in fluid communication with an outlet of the impeller, wherein a central passage of the flow amplification body includes at least one flow amplifying vane therein, wherein the impeller includes a sidewall at least partially defining an interior space of the impeller, wherein the sidewall includes at least one flow-inducing protrusion extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion has a fluid flow passage extending therethrough, wherein the at least one flow amplifying vane is a plurality of flow amplifying vanes; wherein each of the flow amplifying vanes has a cupped surface on a downstream facing side thereof, wherein a closed end portion of the interior space of the impeller opposite the downstream end portion thereof has a maximum inside diameter less than a maximum inside diameter of the interior space of the impeller at the downstream end portion thereof, and wherein the interior space of the impeller at the downstream end portion thereof has a maximum inside diameter the same as a maximum inside diameter of the central passage of the flow amplification body.
18. 18 . The pump of claim 17 wherein: the inlet of the flow amplification body is at an upstream end portion of the flow amplification body; the outlet of the impeller is at a downstream end portion of the impeller; the flow amplification body is directly attached to the impeller; the at least one flow-inducing protrusion has a leading edge and a trailing edge; and the fluid flow passage of the at least one flow-inducing protrusion extends therethrough at the leading edge thereof.
19. 19 . A pump, comprising: a rotor comprising an impeller and a flow amplification body, wherein an inlet of the flow amplification body is in fluid communication with an outlet of the impeller, wherein a central passage of the flow amplification body includes at least one flow amplifying vane therein, wherein the impeller includes a sidewall at least partially defining an interior space of the impeller, wherein the sidewall includes at least one flow-inducing protrusion extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the at least one flow-inducing protrusion has a fluid flow passage extending therethrough, wherein the at least one flow amplifying vane is a plurality of flow amplifying vanes, wherein the interior space of the impeller is exposed to the central passage of the flow amplification body, wherein a closed end portion of the interior space of the impeller opposite the downstream end portion thereof has a maximum inside diameter less than a maximum inside diameter of the interior space of the impeller at the downstream end portion thereof, and wherein the interior space of the impeller at the downstream end portion thereof has a maximum inside diameter the same as a maximum inside diameter of the central passage of the flow amplification body.
20. 20 . The pump of claim 19 wherein each of the flow amplifying vanes extends contiguously along an entire length of the interior surface of the flow amplification body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims the benefit of priority as a continuation from co-pending United States Non-provisional patent application having Ser. No. 18/431,591, filed 2 Feb. 2024, which claims the benefit of priority as a continuation from co-pending United States Non-provisional patent application having Ser. No. 18/332,173, filed 9 Jun. 2023, entitled “SUBMERSIBLE PUMP,” now issued U.S. Pat. No. 11,953,026, which claims the benefit of priority as a continuation from co-pending United States Non-provisional patent application having Ser. No. 18/149,463, filed 3 Jan. 2023, entitled “SUBMERSIBLE PUMP,” now issued U.S. Pat. No. 11,713,764, which claims the benefit of priority from co-pending United States Provisional patent application having Ser. No. 63/388,308, filed 12 Jul. 2022, entitled “SUBMERSIBLE PUMP”, all of which having a common applicant herewith and being incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosures made in this Specification relate generally to flowable material pumps and, more particularly, to submersible pumps for flowable fluid material such as liquid. BACKGROUND Electric submersible pumps (ESPs) are flowable material pumps well known in the art. ESPs are typically disposed at the end of a length of a fluid flow conduit (e.g., tubing or pipe) within a well bore that extends generally vertically through a geological formation. Fluid pumping is achieved via a plurality of sequential fluid pressurization stages that are driven (i.e., powered) in a rotary manner by an electric motor. Depending on the specific design of an ESP, the plurality of fluid pressurization stages may include one or more centrifugal disc plates, one or more impellers or the like. The underlying function of the fluid pressurization stages is to pressurize the fluid for causing fluid flow along the axial length of the fluid flow conduit (e.g., which may be vertically extending). Conventional ESPs are known to exhibit various shortcomings. One such shortcoming is pumping loss resulting from directional changes in the fluid flow as the fluid flows through the various fluid pressurization stages. For example, each change of direction of the fluid flow causes a loss in momentum at an inlet area of the ESP. This loss in momentum results in the need for additional energy to mitigate associated volumetric flow loss. The load generated by this additional energy (i.e., additional operational power for mitigating the associated volumetric flow loss power) can have the effect of accelerating internal pump wear, thereby reducing the overall life of the ESP. Another such shortcoming is the fluid pressurization stages generating turbulent fluid flow that decays into laminar straight line flow, which results in pumping losses arising from increased side wall drag within the fluid flow conduit. Therefore, an ESP that overcomes shortcomings associated with conventional ESP's would be advantageous, desirable and useful. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the disclosures made herein are directed to submersible pumps (electric or otherwise) that overcome shortcomings associated with conventional ESP's. To this end, relative to conventional ESPs, submersible pumps in accordance with embodiments of the disclosures made herein beneficially reduce pumping pressure loses, reduce pumping energy, provide enhanced volumetric flow efficiency arising from increased flow velocities and exhibit enhanced longevity of operation. Unlike conventional ESP's that exhibit considerable energy inefficiencies arising from pumping loss caused by directional changes in the fluid flow as the fluid flows through the various fluid pressurization stages (as discussed above), ESP's in accordance with embodiments of the disclosures made herein exhibit a marked reduction in relative energy consumption and increase in flow capacity as a result of the in-line flow to reduce, if not eliminate, detrimental directional changes in the fluid flow and associated frictional flow losses. Additionally, submersible pumps in accordance with embodiments of the disclosures made herein beneficially mitigate, if not eliminate, common cavitation issues exhibited in many centrifugal ESPs and other types of pump designs. These enhanced functionalities result in enhanced performance, reliability and durability. In one or more embodiments, a submersible pump comprises a rotational assembly and a rotational assembly housing. The rotational assembly has a plurality of in-line flow inducing sections. A centerline longitudinal axis of each of the flow inducing sections extends colinearly with a rotational axis of the rotational assembly. A downstream end portion of a flow pressurizing section is engaged with an upstream end portion of a rotational flow amplification section. A downstream end portion of the rotational flow amplification section is engaged with an upstream end portion of a flow outlet sect