Downhole cleaner assembly for cleansing lubricant of downhole

Abstract

While in a well, a downhole turbo-machine of a series of turbine stages and pump stages is driven by power fluid circulated into the turbine stages from the surface. A branch stream from the power fluid passes through a centrifugal cleaner and is cleansed of solid material. The turbine stages drive the centrifugal cleaner. The cleansed stream becomes lubricant for the turbo-machine bearings. On the turbine side, the lubricant stream passes at substantially cleaner discharge pressure into longitudinal passages between turbine shrouds and an alignment tube to journal bearings and journals located between turbine stage stators and a drive shaft driven by the turbines. Annular channels between separate shrouds effect communication between the longitudinal passages between the shrouds and the alignment tube. On the pump side, the lubricant stream is first directed so that it can act on a thrust bearing runner and apply a force in opposition to an otherwise unbalanced axial force. A low pressure discharge from the thrust bearing runner supplies galleries that feed journal and journal bearings of the pump stage stators. Gallery pressure is maintained positive with respect to the pump stage bearings by a feed to the gallery in excess of bleed-out of the bearings. A check valve relieves any excess gallery pressure to that of the next to the last turbine stage fluid passage. Lubricant bleeds from the journals and journal bearings into the fluid stream passing through the turbine pumps.