Submersible Pump Hydrostatic Thrust Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Submersible multistage labyrinth-screw pumps face significant axial loads during operation, leading to intense wear and reduced lifespan due to high contact friction and mechanical stress on bearing elements.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves creating a chamber to transmit high pressure from the exit of each stage through additional rotor channels, generating an opposite axial force that reduces contact pressure on the thrust bearing, thereby decreasing axial forces in thrust tribo-couplings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If traditional thrust bearings are used to support axial loads in submersible multistage labyrinth-screw pumps, then the pump can operate and generate required head, but the bearing elements experience intense wear and mechanical stress leading to reduced lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hydraulic principles by introducing a hydrostatic support system that uses pressurized fluid (from the pump's discharge) to generate an upward force on the thrust disk, counteracting the downward axial thrust from the impellers. This hydraulic support reduces the load on traditional bearing elements, decreasing wear and extending lifespan while maintaining pump operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust disk acts as a counterweight element, with its lower surface exposed to high-pressure fluid that generates an upward force equal and opposite to the downward axial thrust from the impellers. This balance of forces reduces the net load on bearing elements, addressing the contradiction between operational power and bearing reliability.
2Device complexity
If axial forces are not reduced in thrust tribo-couplings, then the pump structure remains simple, but contact pressure on friction surfaces remains high causing rapid wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the pump's own discharge pressure to feed fluid into the hydrostatic support chamber beneath the thrust disk. This hydraulic arrangement creates a simple yet effective force balance that reduces contact pressure on thrust bearing friction surfaces without requiring complex external systems, maintaining structural simplicity while improving durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the pump's own operational output (discharge pressure) to power the hydrostatic support mechanism. The high-pressure fluid from the pump's normal operation is redirected to support the thrust load, creating a self-sustaining system that reduces wear without adding external complexity.
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 approach effectively increases the lifespan of the labyrinth screw pump by reducing axial forces and contact pressure, leading to prolonged effective operation and increased reliability of the pump.
Implementation Method 1
a delivery channel configured to supply part of the well fluid under high pressure into the injection chamber
Implementation Method 2
a hydrostatic support including a thrust disk rigidly fixed to the input module housing, and an axial support disk rigidly fixed to the shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus to increase the labyrinth screw pump life, achieved by a decrease in axial forces in thrust tribo-couplings by creating a chamber into which high pressure at the exit from the stage is transmitted through the additional holes of the rotor, thereby creating an opposite axial force, which reduces the contact pressure on the friction surface of the thrust bearing.