Baker Hughes Corporation

Hughes Tool Company LLC

Mark Christopher James

Joseph E Vandevier

Terry Wayne Shafer

Farral D Gay

Gary W Speer

A pump end assembly has a centrifugal pump and a motor separated by a chamber. The chamber contains a thrust bearing as well as an intake for the pump. Fluid flowing into the intake flows through the thrust chamber and to the inlet of the pump. Some of the fluid also flows through the thrust bearing for lubricating the thrust bearing.

Thrust and intake chamber for pump

A centrifugal pump has impellers for pumping low flow, high viscous materials. The impellers have high exit angles greater than 30 degrees and preferably greater than 50 degrees. The impellers and diffusers have specific geometry that varies with viscosity. The pump has zones of impellers and diffusers with the exit angles and geometry in the zones differing from the other zones. The exit angles decrease and geometry varies in a downstream direction to account for a lower viscosity occurring due to heat being generated in the pump. One design employs small diameter impellers and high rotational speeds.

Electric submersible pump with specialized geometry for pumping viscous crude oil

In a downhole centrifugal pump, diffusers are stacked one on top of each other inside of tubular pump housing without contacting the pump drive shaft or impellers. A first compressive device applies a pre-compressive force to a stack of diffusers to prevent the diffusers from rotating inside the tubular housing of the pump with the drive shaft. A second compressive device located between the first compressive device and the stack of diffusers applies another compressive load on the stack of diffusers in the event the first compressive device ceases to apply the compressive load.

Pump diffuser anti-spin device

A centrifugal submersible pump has wear resistant features to resist erosion due to sand laden fluid from a well. The pump has a plurality of stages, each having a diffuser and an impeller located within a housing. The diffuser has a sleeve in its inner portion that has a flange on its upper end. The sleeve is a separate component from the remaining portions of the diffuser and harder. The impeller has a vane section and a hub. The hub is carried inside the sleeve. The hub has a flange that bears against the flange of the diffuser sleeve. The impeller hub is a separate component from the vane section of the impeller and is of a harder material.

Centrifugal pump stage with abrasion resistant elements

A pressure compensator for a submersible pump has features to prevent damage while lowering the pump into the well. The pressure compensator includes a bellows located below the pump. A retainer will mechanically retain the bellows in a position other than its maximum lubricant volume position while lowering the pump assembly into the well. Once the motor begins operation, the retainer will release the bellows for normal movement. The retainer includes a linkage member that is connected to the top of the bellows and extends upwardly to the drive shaft. A latching device latches the linkage member to the drive shaft. A reverse threaded portion in the latching device unscrews the latching device from the linkage member once the motor begins to rotate.

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Claremore, OK, United States of America

Mark Christopher James