Pivotal Joint Segments for Deviated Well ESP Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical submersible pump assemblies face difficulties when deployed in deviated wells due to their rigid structure, which cannot flex to accommodate curved transitions in the wellbore, leading to installation challenges.
Innovation Solution
The electrical submersible pump assembly features segments connected by pivotal connectors, including a universal joint and ball-and-socket arrangements, allowing each segment to pivot relative to others, enabling the assembly to flex and adapt to curved well paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the pump assembly uses a rigid structure, then structural strength and stability are improved, but the ability to flex and adapt to curved well paths deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pump assembly is divided into multiple rigid segments connected by pivotal joints. Each segment maintains structural integrity while the connections between segments allow flexibility. This segmentation enables the assembly to navigate curved well paths while preserving the strength of individual components.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotal joints between segments enable dynamic adaptation of the pump assembly to curved well paths. The joints allow relative rotation between segments, transforming the rigid structure into a dynamically adaptable system that can flex to match the wellbore curvature during deployment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pump assembly is made flexible to navigate bends, then adaptability to deviated wells is improved, but structural stability and alignment may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the pump assembly and connecting rigid sections through pivotal joints, the design achieves flexibility where needed while maintaining structural stability within each segment. The rigid segments preserve internal alignment and stability, while the joints provide the necessary adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotal joints serve as intermediaries between rigid segments, allowing controlled movement and adaptation to curved paths while maintaining the structural integrity of the connected segments. These joints mediate between the need for flexibility and the requirement for structural stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional rigid pump assemblies are used, then manufacturing and assembly simplicity are maintained, but deployment difficulty in deviated wells increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump assembly is segmented into modular units that can be manufactured separately using conventional processes, then connected through standardized pivotal joints. This segmentation maintains manufacturing simplicity while enabling flexible deployment in deviated wells.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotal joints provide the necessary dynamic flexibility for easy deployment in deviated wells while maintaining relatively simple construction. The joints allow the assembly to adapt to wellbore curvature during installation without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
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 design allows the pump assembly to be successfully deployed in deviated wells by providing the necessary flexibility to navigate bends in the wellbore, ensuring proper installation and operation while preventing axial rotation between segments.
Implementation Method 1
The pivotal shaft connector is a universal joint mounted within the pivotal housing connector
Implementation Method 2
The pivotal housing connector may comprises a ball and socket arrangement
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical submersible pumping system (ESP) for pumping fluids from a wellbore is made of segments, which include a motor, a seal section, a pump, and a shaft assembly connected to an output of the motor drives the pump. The motor, seal section, and pump are elongate members and coupled end to end to one another by housing connectors and shaft connectors. At least one of the housing connectors and shaft connectors have portions that are pivotable with other portions, so that adjacent segments of the ESP system can pivot with respect to one another. The housing connector can be a ball and socket assembly, where the ball fits within a spherically shaped chamber in the socket assembly. Opposing ends of the housing connector can mount to respective segments by threads or bolt flanges. The pivotal shaft connector may be a universal joint.