ESP Intake System with Sliding Sleeve for Abrasive Fluid Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric submersible pump (ESP) intake systems are ineffective in handling high concentrations of abrasive solids, leading to clogging, reduced flow rates, and premature pump failure, especially in hydraulically fractured wells, resulting in increased costs and production delays.
Innovation Solution
An ESP intake system featuring a filtered intake section and an actuating sliding sleeve intake section that can switch between closed and open positions, allowing the filtered intake to serve as the primary intake initially and the sliding sleeve to take over when the filtered intake becomes clogged, maintaining flow rates and protecting the pump from abrasive damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional intake screen is used to block solids, then pump protection from abrasives is improved, but the intake screen quickly becomes clogged and scaled, reducing fluid flow
Solution Approach 1:
The intake system is divided into multiple independent intake sections (first intake section with filter, second intake section without filter) that can operate separately. This segmentation allows the system to switch between filtered and unfiltered intake paths, preventing complete flow blockage when one section becomes clogged.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the filtration parameter dynamically by switching between different intake sections. The first intake section provides filtered flow when solids concentration is manageable, while the second intake section provides unfiltered flow when the first becomes clogged, adapting to changing well conditions.
2Reliability
If backwashing systems are implemented to clean the intake screen, then clogging is reduced, but the system becomes more complex and requires complicated operating procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of the intake screen (clogging) is extracted and isolated to a specific section (first intake section). When this section becomes clogged, the system switches to the second intake section, effectively removing the clogged screen from the flow path without requiring complex cleaning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The first intake section with its filter acts as a sacrificial element that can become clogged and be switched out, allowing the use of a simple, inexpensive filter rather than a complex, expensive backwashing system. The system accepts that this section will eventually fail and plans for its replacement.
3Reliability
If a sacrificial clean out pump assembly is used in fractured wells, then pump damage from proppant is prevented, but production costs increase significantly due to frequent pump replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary filtration of abrasives and solids before the fluid reaches the pump, using the first intake section with its filter. This preliminary action protects the pump from proppant and abrasives, eliminating the need for sacrificial pump assemblies and reducing replacement costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter in the first intake section acts as an intermediary element between the abrasive-laden well fluid and the pump. It intercepts and removes harmful solids before they can reach and damage the pump, protecting the expensive equipment without requiring frequent replacements.
4Reliability
If the filtered intake section is used initially, then pump protection is maximized, but flow rate decreases due to filtration resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between filtered and unfiltered intake modes based on operational conditions. It starts with filtered intake for pump protection, then transitions to unfiltered intake when the filter becomes clogged, optimizing the balance between protection and flow rate throughout the system's operation.
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
This solution extends the operational life of ESPs in abrasive environments by preventing clogging and maintaining flow rates, eliminating the need for backwash systems and sacrificial pumps, thereby reducing intervention costs and minimizing production disruptions.
Implementation Method 1
a first intake section including a filter and a first fluid entrance, wherein fluid entering the ESP intake system through the first fluid entrance passes through the filter before flowing into the ESP pump
Implementation Method 2
The ESP assembly includes a pressurizing pump hydraulically coupled to the sleeve by a hydraulic hose, the pressurizing pump adjusting a pressure of a space above the sliding sleeve to actuate the second fluid entrance between the closed position and the open position
Implementation Method 3
Centrifugal pumps impart energy to a fluid by accelerating the fluid through a rotating impeller paired with a stationary diffuser, together referred to as a 'stage.'
Data Source
AI summary
An electric submersible pump (ESP) intake system, apparatus and method is described. An ESP intake system includes a filtered intake section coupled adjacently to a sliding sleeve intake section, wherein the sliding sleeve intake section has a closed initial state and is selectively actuatable to an open position when the filtered intake section becomes at least partially clogged. An ESP intake method includes operating an ESP pump downhole in a well including abrasive-laden fluid, the ESP pump including a filtered intake section and an actuatable intake section, employing the filtered intake section as a first fluid entrance into the ESP pump, monitoring information from ESP sensors during employment of the first fluid entrance to identify clogging of the filtered intake section, and opening the actuatable intake section upon the clogging so identified such that the actuatable intake section serves as a second fluid entrance into the ESP pump.