Radial Sealing Power Plug for Submersible Pumps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power plug systems are not suitable for deep well environments due to insufficient sealing, material degradation under high temperatures and pressures, and difficulty in assembly and modular configuration, leading to insecure and leak-prone connections.
Innovation Solution
A power plug system with a modular configuration, featuring radial sealing and durable materials, including a contact spring for enhanced conductivity and seals like o-rings or gaskets to ensure reliable connections in high temperature and pressure conditions, allowing for easy assembly and series interconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional power plug systems use axial sealing only, then the structure is simple, but the sealing performance is insufficient under high pressure and temperature conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing structure is divided into multiple independent sealing elements (first sealing member, second sealing member, third sealing member) that work together. Each sealing member is positioned at different locations and provides sealing in different directions, creating a segmented sealing system that enhances overall reliability without requiring a single complex sealing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from one-dimensional axial sealing to multi-dimensional sealing by adding radial sealing components. The second sealing member provides radial sealing perpendicular to the axial direction, creating a two-dimensional sealing approach that effectively blocks fluid leakage paths from multiple directions simultaneously.
2Reliability
If conventional power plug systems are designed for deep well environments, then sealing and durability improve, but assembly difficulty and lack of modularity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power plug system is divided into modular components (male plug end, female plug end, cable ends) that can be independently manufactured, tested, and assembled. This segmentation allows for standardized connection interfaces that simplify field assembly while maintaining robust sealing through pre-configured sealing members at each module interface.
Solution Approach 2:
Sealing members are pre-installed and pre-positioned on the plug ends during manufacturing, ensuring proper sealing geometry and material settlement before field deployment. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex sealing adjustments during assembly, allowing workers to simply connect pre-sealed modules while maintaining high reliability.
3Reliability
If power cable connections are made tightly to prevent compromise, then connection reliability improves, but cable strain and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cable connection system is segmented into distinct functional zones: a strain relief section that absorbs mechanical stress, a sealing section that provides fluid barrier, and a connection section that ensures electrical contact. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently, with the strain relief section protecting the tight connection from cable tension without requiring the connection itself to be complex.
Data Source
AI summary
A power plug system for use with a submersible pump. One embodiment comprises a male plug end, a female plug end, and a plurality of seals. The male plug end comprises a housing and a conductive sleeve. The housing receives an electrically conductive cable and conducts an electric current from the cable to the conductive sleeve. The female plug end comprises a housing, a conductive pin, and a female plug sleeve. The conductive sleeve is radially sealable within the female plug end through a plug end seal of the plurality of seals. The conductive sleeve and the conductive pin are conductively connectable. The female plug sleeve is radially sealable within a complementary plug end through a female plug sleeve seal of the plurality of seals. The conductive pin conductively connects to a conductive lead of the complementary plug end with insertion of the female plug sleeve therein.