Deep Borehole Pump System with Movable Drive Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor systems for deep boreholes require significant effort and downtime for maintenance and part replacement due to the need to remove and reassemble massive components, and are prone to contamination and vibration issues.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system with a movable drive shaft and conveyor device that can be locked and pretensioned within the riser pipe, allowing independent removal and replacement without disassembling the riser, along with a storage device for precise positioning and a gear device to control speed and reduce vibrations, enhancing operational reliability and reducing maintenance downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drive shaft and conveyor device are firmly connected to the riser pipe segments, then the system structure is simple and robust, but the maintenance effort and downtime increase significantly due to the need to remove and reassemble massive components
Solution Approach 1:
The drive shaft is divided into multiple modular shaft segments that can be independently removed and replaced. Each shaft segment can be detached from the riser pipe segments without removing the entire riser assembly, enabling targeted maintenance of specific components while leaving the rest of the system in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive shaft and conveyor device are extracted as separate removable components from the riser pipe segments. This allows the drive shaft to be taken out for maintenance or replacement without disturbing the riser pipe structure, significantly reducing maintenance downtime and effort.
2Reliability
If the riser pipe segments are removed to replace the pump or bearing, then complete replacement is ensured, but drilling operations must be stopped for long periods and special vehicles are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into independently replaceable components (drive shaft segments, conveyor device, riser pipe segments). This allows replacement of only the faulty component rather than the entire assembly, reducing downtime from potentially days to hours or minutes.
Solution Approach 2:
The faulty drive shaft segment or conveyor device can be extracted and replaced without removing the riser pipe from the borehole. This eliminates the need for special vehicles and allows maintenance to be performed using standard equipment available at the drilling site.
3Reliability
If lubricants are used in slide bearings to reduce vibrations, then the drive shaft running safety is improved, but the pumped medium becomes contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The lubrication system is extracted from the conventional slide bearing design. Instead of using lubricants that contaminate the pumped medium, the invention employs a dry friction bearing design where the drive shaft rotates within the riser pipe segments without requiring lubrication, thereby preventing contamination of the water or geothermal fluid.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing surfaces are designed with self-lubricating properties or sacrificial layers that can wear down over time without requiring external lubricants. This eliminates the need for lubricant application and prevents contamination of the pumped medium while maintaining acceptable running safety.
4Reliability
If the drive shaft is rigidly fixed to prevent lateral deflection, then vibration resistance is improved, but the system cannot accommodate thermal expansion or contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The drive shaft is designed with controlled flexibility rather than complete rigidity. The shaft segments can rotate slightly and accommodate thermal expansion/contraction through controlled movement within the riser pipe segments, while still maintaining sufficient stability to resist harmful vibrations during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the drive shaft have different stiffness characteristics. The shaft is designed with varying local rigidity to provide vibration resistance in critical areas while allowing thermal movement in other sections. This is achieved through variations in shaft diameter, wall thickness, or material properties at different locations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a system (20) for pumping water from wells and deep boreholes for water supply and geothermal use of hot water or other liquids and comprises a conveying device (8) for pumping a conveying medium, a drive device (1) that drives the conveying device (8), a drive shaft (6) that connects the drive device (1) and the conveying device (8) to each other for driving the conveying device (8), a riser pipe (2) in which at least the drive shaft (6) and the conveying device (8) are arranged, and a fastening device (10) that fixes the conveying device (8) in the end position at least in the circumferential direction, wherein the drive shaft (6) and the conveying device (8) are mounted in the riser pipe (2) such that they are freely movable in the axial direction relative to the riser pipe (2), at least when removing the conveying device (8).