Elastic Mounted Ceramic Wear Rings for ESP Pump Seals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electric submersible pumps (ESPs) face issues with abrasive wear in running seals due to sand and other particles, leading to increased leakage recirculation and efficiency losses, as conventional metal wear rings are not effective in the harsh ESP environment.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating high-hardness wear rings made of materials like ceramics and carbides into the running clearance seals of ESPs, along with an elastic mounting system and low-stress drive mechanisms to protect them from stress, breakage, and thermal expansion differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional metal wear rings are used in running seals, then the pump can operate with standard materials, but the wear rings are subject to abrasive wear from sand and particles leading to increased leakage and efficiency losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional metal to high-hardness material (hardness greater than metals, such as ceramics or carbides) to significantly improve wear resistance against abrasive particles in the running seal environment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by combining the high-hardness wear ring material with a softer mounting material, creating a composite structure that provides both wear resistance and mechanical flexibility to handle thermal expansion and stress
2Reliability
If high-hardness wear rings are used to improve wear resistance, then leakage recirculation is reduced, but the wear rings are susceptible to stress and breakage in the harsh ESP environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mechanical property parameters by selecting high-hardness materials that inherently resist wear while incorporating design features that manage the brittleness issue through elastic mounting
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an elastic mounting system as an intermediary between the high-hardness wear ring and the pump structure, which absorbs thermal expansion stresses and mechanical shocks to prevent breakage of the brittle high-hardness material
3Reliability
If high-hardness wear rings are installed in the running seal, then wear resistance is enhanced, but thermal expansion differences cause stress and potential breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent accounts for thermal expansion parameter differences by selecting materials with compatible thermal properties and designing the elastic mounting to accommodate expansion/contraction cycles without inducing stress concentrations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates elastic mounting elements beforehand to cushion and absorb the stresses that arise from thermal expansion differences between the high-hardness wear ring and surrounding metal components, preventing stress-induced breakage
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The high-hardness wear rings provide enhanced wear resistance and prevent breakage, maintaining pump efficiency and reducing leakage recirculation, while the elastic mounting and low-stress drive systems ensure the wear rings remain functional in the harsh ESP environment.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic mounting system for preventing stress or breakage of the high-hardness wear ring
Implementation Method 2
possessing a hardness greater than the hardness of metals... provide enhanced wear resistance
Data Source
AI summary
Wear rings for electric submersible pump (ESP) stages are provided. An example ESP has one or more running clearance seals reinforced with high-hardness wear rings. Ceramics and carbides may provide the high hardness for the wear rings, but such substances are more brittle than metals and have different coefficients of thermal expansion than metals. For protection, each high-hardness wear ring may be mounted with an elastic cushioning scheme. The elastic mounting preserves each wear ring from shock, stress, and breakage from thermal expansion and contraction of an adjacent pump part. Each high-hardness wear ring may also have a low-stress driving mechanism that cushions the rotational force imparted to the wear ring when the ESP pump is being powered. In some implementations, the elastic mounting scheme may also serve as the low-stress driving mechanism for the high-hardness wear ring.