ESPcentrifugalpump

Theelectricalsubmersiblepump(/Electrical_submersible_pumps)(ESP)isamultistagecentrifugaltype.AcrosssectionofatypicaldesignisshowninFig.1.Thepumpsfunctionis
toaddliftortransferpressuretothefluidsothatitwillflowfromthewellboreatthedesiredrate.Itaccomplishesthisbyimpartingkineticenergytothefluidbycentrifugalforce
andthenconvertingthattoapotentialenergyintheformofpressure.

(/File:Vol4_Page_630_Image_0001.png)

Fig.1ESPcentrifugalpump[afterCentrilift
Graphics,Claremore,Oklahoma(1990)].

Contents
1Sizes
2Functionalfeatures
2.1Shaft
2.2Housing
2.3Dischargehead/tubingconnection
2.4Pumpbase
2.5Flangedconnectiontosealchambersection
2.6Stages
3Performancecharacteristics
4Nomenclature
5References
6NoteworthypapersinOnePetro
7Noteworthybooks
8Externallinks
9Seealso
10Pagechampions
11Category

Sizes
Inordertooptimizetheliftandheadthatcanbeproducedfromvariouscasingsizes,pumpsareproducedinseveraldiametersforapplicationinthemostcommoncasingsizes.Table
1listssomecommonunitdiameters,flowranges,andtypicalcasingsizesinwhichtheyfit.

(/File:Vol4_Page_631_Image_0001.png)

Table1

Functionalfeatures
Shaft

Theshaftisconnectedtothesealchambersectionandmotorbyasplinecoupling.Ittransmitstherotarymotionfromthemotortotheimpellersofthepumpstage.Theshaftand
impellersarekeyed,andthekeytransmitsthetorqueloadtotheimpeller.Aswasmentionedearlier,thediameteroftheshaftisminimizedasmuchaspossiblebecauseofthe
restrictionsplacedonthepumpoutsidediameter.Therefore,thereareusuallyseveralshaftmaterialoptionsavailable,dependingonthemaximumhorsepower(HP)loadand
restrictionsplacedonthepumpoutsidediameter.Therefore,thereareusuallyseveralshaftmaterialoptionsavailable,dependingonthemaximumhorsepower(HP)loadand
corrosionprotectionrequired.

Housing

Thehousingisthepressurecontainingskinforthepump.Itholdsandalignsallthecomponentsofthepump.Thereareseveralmaterialoptionsavailablefordifferentapplication
environments.Foradditionalcorrosionprotection,thereareseveralcoatingsthatcanbeapplied.

Dischargehead/tubingconnection

Thedischargeheadprovidesafemalethreadedconnectiontotheproductiontubing.Thereareusuallyseveralthreadformsandsizestoselectfrom.

Pumpbase

Severaldifferentstylesofintakescanbeselected.Theyallowforentranceofthefluidintothebottomofthepumpanddirectitintothefirststage.Integralintakescanbethreaded
directlyintothebottomofthehousingduringthemanufacturingassemblyprocess,whileothersareseparatecomponents,whichareboltedontothebottompumpflange.

Astandardintakehasintakeportsthatallowfluidtoenterthepump.Itisusedwhenthefluidisallliquidorhasaverylowfreegascontent.TheintakeshowninFig1wouldbea
standardintakeifthereverseflowscreenwereomitted.

Areverseflowintakeisusedwhenthefreegascontentinthefluidishighenoughtocausepumpperformanceproblems.ThepumpinFig.1isshownwithareverseflowdesign.
Theproducedfluidwithfreegasflowsuptheoutsideofthereverseflowintakescreen,makesa180turntoenterthroughtheperforationsorholesatthetopofthescreen,flows
backdowntotheintakeportsandthenbackuptothefirstpumpstage.Thesereversalsindirectionallowforanaturalseparationofthelightergasesfromtheliquid.Theseparated
gastravelsupthecasingannulusandisventedatthewellhead.AnotherstyleisshownintherighthandgraphicofFig.2[1],whichhasalongerreversingpaththandoestheintake
withthescreen.

(/File:Vol4_Page_632_Image_0001.png)

Fig.2Separatorintakesforpumps(after
RP11S1).[1]

ThenextstepinhandlingfreegaswithanESPinvolvesdownholemechanicalseparationdevicessuchasseparatorintakes.Thesedevicestakethefluidthatentersitsintakeports,
impartacentrifugalforcetoit,ventthelighterdensityfluidbacktotheannulus,andtransfertheheavierdensityfluidtothefirstpumpstage.Theheavierdensityfluid,whichis
routedtothepump,hasbeeneitherfullyorpartiallydegassed.TwoofthesedevicesareshowninthelefthandandcentergraphicsofFig.2.Thefirstdeviceisthevortextype
separator.Theproducedfluid,whichhasalreadyundergonesomenaturalannularseparation,isdrawnintotheunitthroughtheintakeports.Thesecanbestraightintakeports,as
alreadymentioned,orareverseflowintakestyle.Thefluidisthenboostedtothevortexgeneratorbythepositivedisplacementinducer.Thevortexgeneratorisgenerallyanaxial
typeimpeller.Itimpartsahighvelocityrotationtothefluid.Thiscausestheheavierfluids(liquids)tobeslungtotheouterareaoftheflowpassagewayandthelighterfluids(free
gasladen)tominglearoundtheinnerareaandtheshaft.Thefluidthenentersastationaryflowcrossoverpiece.Thecrossoverhasanouterannularpassagewaythattakesthe
heavierdensityfluidsthatenteritanddirectsthemtotheentranceofthepump.Thelighterdensityfluidthatenterstheinnerannularpassagewayofthecrossoverisdirectedtothe
separatorvents,whereitexitstothecasingannulusandflowsupthewellbore.

TheseconddeviceisarotarycentrifugetypeseparatorandisshownontheleftinFig.2.Itissimilarindesigntothevortexstyle,butithasarotatingchamberinsteadofthevortex
generator.Thechamberhasseveralradialbladesthatareenclosedbyanoutershroudorshell.Thefluidthatentersthechamberiscentrifugedatveryhighgforcesoverthelengthof
thechamber.Uponexitingthechamber,thefluidenterstheflowcrossoverandfollowsthesameprocessingasalreadydescribedinthevortexstyle.

Flangedconnectiontosealchambersection

Thebottomflangeofthepumpboltstotheflangeofthesealchambersectionhead.Itmaintainsaxialalignmentoftheshaftsofthetwounits.Italsoallowsthefloatingpumpshaft
toengagetheendofthesealchambersectionshaftsothattheaxialthrustproducedbythepumpistransferredtothethrustbearinginthesealchambersection.

Stages

Thestagesofthepumparethecomponentsthatimpartapressurerisetothefluid.Thestageismadeupofarotatingimpellerandstationarydiffuser.Thestagesarestackedinseries
toincrementallyincreasethepressuretothatcalculatedforthedesiredflowrate.AgraphicofthefluidflowpathisillustratedinFig.3.Thefluidflowsintotheimpellereyeareaand
energy,intheformofvelocity,isimpartedtoitasitiscentrifugedradiallyoutwardintheimpellerpassageway.Onceitexitstheimpeller,thefluidmakesaturnandentersthe
diffuserpassageway.Asitpassesthroughthispassageway,thefluidisdiffused,orthevelocityisconvertedtoapressure.Itthenrepeatstheprocessuponenteringthenextimpeller
anddiffuserset.Thisprocesscontinuesuntilthefluidpassesthroughallstages,andthedesigndischargepressureisreached.Thispressureriseisoftenreferredtoasthetotal
developedhead(TDH)ofthepump.
 (/File:Vol4_Page_633_Image_0001.png)

Fig.3Centrifugalpumpstageflowpath[after
CentriliftGraphics,Claremore,Oklahoma
(1995)].

TherearetwostylesofstagesfortherangeofflowratesinwhichESPsoperate.Thefirstisaradialstage.TheimpellerisshowninFig.4andthediffuserinFig5.Itsgeometryhas
theflowenteringtheimpellerordiffuserparalleltotheaxisoftheshaftandexitingperpendiculartotheshaft,orina"radial"direction.Theyaresometimesreferredtoas"pancake"
or"mushroom"stages,respectively,becauseoftheimpellersflatshapeandthediffusersmushroomshapeddownthrustpedestal.Acrosssectionalschematicofaradialstageis
showninFig.6.

(/File:Vol4_Page_634_Image_0001.png) (/File:Vol4_Page_635_Image_0001.png) (/File:Vol4_Page_635_Image_0002.png)

Fig.4Radialstyleimpeller[afterCentrilift Fig.5Radialstylediffuser[afterCentrilift Fig.6Radialstagecrosssection[afterCentrilift

Graphics,Claremore,Oklahoma(2003)]. Graphics,Claremore,Oklahoma(2003)]. Graphics,Claremore,Oklahoma(1999).

ThesecondisamixedflowstageatypicalimpellerisshowninFig.7,andthediffuserisshowninFig.8.Itsgeometryhastheflowexitingtheimpelleratananglelessthan90to
theshaft.AgraphicofthisflowpathisshowninFig.9.Generally,thisanglechangesfromnearperpendiculartonearaxial,asthedesignflowrateofthestageincreasesfora
particulardiameterunit.ThisrelationshipisshowninFig.10.

 (/File:Vol4_Page_637_Image_0002.png)
(/File:Vol4_Page_636_Image_0001.png) (/File:Vol4_Page_637_Image_0001.png)

Fig.7Mixedflowstyleimpeller[afterCentrilift Fig.8Mixedflowstylediffuser[afterCentrilift Fig.9Mixedflowstagecrosssection[after

Graphics,Claremore,Oklahoma(2003)]. Graphics,Claremore,Oklahoma(2003)]. CentriliftGraphics,Claremore,Oklahoma
(1990)].

(/File:Vol4_Page_638_Image_0001.png)

Fig.10Centrifugalpumpstagedesignvs.flow
rate[afterCentriliftGraphics,Claremore,
Oklahoma(1994)].

Akeyfeatureforbothstylesofstagesisthemethodbywhichtheycarrytheirproducedaxialthrust.Usually,thepumpsthatareundera6in.diameterarebuiltas"floater"stages.
Onthese,theimpellersareallowedtomoveaxiallyonthepumpshaftbetweenthediffusers.Contrarytothenamegiventothisconfiguration,theimpellersnevertrulyfloat.They
typicallyruninadownthrustposition,andathighflowrates,theymaymoveintoupthrust.Tocarrythisthrust,eachimpellerhassyntheticpadsorwashersthataremountedtothe
loweranduppersurfaces,asshowninthepreviousfigures.Thesewasherstransferthethrustloadfromtheimpellerthroughaliquidfilmtothesmooththrustpadofthestationary
diffuser.

Threeforcesareinvolvedindeterminingwhethertheimpellerrunsindownthrustorupthrust.Thefirstisthedownwardforce,anditisaresultofaportionoftheimpellerdischarge
pressureactingontheareaofthetopimpellershroud.Twoforcesactintheupwarddirection.Oneisaresultofaportionoftheimpellerdischargepressureactingagainstthebottom
shroudoftheimpeller.Thesecondistheforceproducedbythemomentumofthefluidmakingitsturnintheimpellerpassageway.Agraphicdescriptionofthethrustforcesonan
impellerisshowninFig.11[2].Becausetheshaftisallowedtomoveaxiallyandpositionsitselfbycontactwiththesealchambersectionshaft,thefluidpressurecausesathrustload
throughtheshafttothesealthrustbearing.Thethrustistheresultoftheforceonthetopendoftheshaft(dischargepressuremultipliedbytheendareaoftheshaft)minustheforce
onthebottomendoftheshaft(intakepressuremultipliedbytheendareaoftheshaft).

(/File:Vol4_Page_638_Image_0002.png)

Fig.11Thrustforcesonimpellers(after
Centrilift).[2]

On6in.andlargerpumpsandonspeciallybuiltsmallerpumps,theimpellersareusuallyfixedorlockedtotheshaft.Thesepumpsarereferredtoas"fixedimpeller"or
"compression"pumps.Inthisconfiguration,allthethrustistransferredtotheshaftandnottothediffuser.Therefore,thesealthrustbearingcarriestheloadofalltheimpellersplus
theshaftthrust.Particularcareshouldbeexercisedinselectingthepropersealthrustbearingtomatchthefixedimpellerpumpconditionsbecausetheseloadscanbeveryhigh.

Tomaintaintheoptimumflowpathalignmentbetweentheimpelleranditsdiffuser,theimpellerisdesignedtomaintainadownthrustpositionthroughitsoperatingrange.Usually,
theimpellerdoesnottransferintoupthrustuntilitsoperatingpointistotherightofitsmaximumrecommendedpoint.Stagespecificthrustcharacteristicsshouldbeavailablefrom
themanufacturers.

Performancecharacteristics

Themanufacturersstatetheperformanceoftheirpumpstagesonthebasisonestage,1.0specificgravity(SG)waterat60or50Hzpower.Atypicalperformancecurvefora4in.
diameterradialstylepump,withanominalbestefficiencyperformanceflowof650B/D,isshowninFig.12.Amixedflowstylewithanominalflowrateof6,000B/Disshownin
Fig.13.Inthesegraphs,thehead,brakehorsepower(BHP),andefficiencyofthestageareplottedagainstflowrateonthexaxis.Head,flowrate,andBHParebasedontestdata,
andefficiencyiscalculatedonthebasisof

(/File:Vol4_page_0634_eq_001.png)....................(1)

whereQisgiveningal/min,TDHisgiveninft,andC=3,960orQisgiveninm3/d,TDH=m,andC=6,750.


(/File:Vol4_Page_639_Image_0001.png) (/File:Vol4_Page_640_Image_0001.png)

Fig.12Performancecurve650B/Dradialstage Fig.13Performancecurve6,000B/Dmixedflow
[afterCentriliftGraphics,Claremore,Oklahoma stage[afterCentriliftGraphics,Claremore,
(2003)]. Oklahoma(2003)].

Thehead/flowcurveshowstheheadorlift,measuredinfeetormeters,whichcanbeproducedbyonestage.BecauseheadisindependentofthefluidSG,thepumpproducesthe
sameheadonallfluids,exceptthosethatareviscousorhavefreegasentrained.Iftheliftispresentedintermsofpressure,therewillbeaspecificcurveforeachfluid,dependent
uponitsSG.

Thedark(highlighted)areaonthecurveisthemanufacturersrecommended"operatingrange."Itshowstherangeinwhichthepumpcanbereliablyoperated.Theleftedgeofthe
areaistheminimumoperatingpoint,andtherightedgeisthemaximumoperatingpoint.Thebestefficiencypoint(BEP)isbetweenthesetwopoints,anditiswheretheefficiency
curvepeaks.Theshapeofthehead/flowcurveandthethrustcharacteristiccurveofthatparticularstagedeterminestheminimumandmaximumpoints.Theminimumpointis
usuallylocatedwheretheheadcurveisstillrising,priortoitsflatteningordroppingoffandatanacceptabledownthrustvalueforthethrustwasherloadcarryingcapabilities.The
locationofthemaximumpointisbasedonmaintainingtheimpellerataperformancebalancebasedonconsiderationofthethrustvalue,headproduced,andacceptableefficiency.

APIRP11S2coverstheacceptancetestingofESPpumps.[3]Italsorecommendstheperformancetolerancelimitsanddescribesthetestprocedure.Oneshouldpayparticular
attentiontothemethodofcalculatingtheacceptablelimitsofthehead/flowcurve.AgoodlaymansdescriptionofthemethodisgiveninLund[4].Thelimitiscalculatedbya
combinationof5%headand5%flow.

Severalparametersareusedtorelatethecharacteristicsofstagesofdifferentsize,underdynamicallysimilarconditions.Theyshowthathead(H)isafunctionofdiameter(D)tothe
secondpowerandalsoofrotatingspeed(N)tothesecondpower.Flow(Q)isafunctionofdiametertothethirdpowerandalsoadirectfunctionofrotatingspeed.

(/File:Vol4_page_0636_eq_001.png)....................(2)

and

(/File:Vol4_page_0636_eq_002.png)....................(3)

TheBHPcurveshowsthepowerrequiredtodrivethestage.Thepowerislowestatshutofforzeroflowandincreaseswithflow.TheHPalsofollowstherelationshipthatisgivenin
Eq.4fordifferentsizedpumpsunderdynamicallysimilarconditions.

(/File:Vol4_page_0636_eq_003.png)....................(4)

Anotherperformancealteringtechniqueistoreducethediameterofanimpellerbytrimmingorcuttingbackitsoutsidediameter.Whenthisisdone,thehead,flow,andpowerare
changedbytherelationshipsshowninEqs.5through7.

(/File:Vol4_page_0636_eq_004.png)....................(5)

(/File:Vol4_page_0636_eq_005.png)....................(6)

and

(/File:Vol4_page_0636_eq_006.png)....................(7)

Foranyparticulardiameterpumpseries,thereisgenerallyanoverlapregionbetweentheradialandmixedflowstyles.Atypicalrelationshipofafamilyofsimilardiameterstagesis
showninFig.14.Noticethateachstyleincreasesinefficiencyastheflowrateincreases,untiltheefficiencypeaksandbeginsdroppingoff.
 (/File:Vol4_Page_640_Image_0002.png)

Fig.14Efficiencyrelationshipsofsimilar
diametercentrifugalpumpstages[afterCentrilift
Graphics,Claremore,Oklahoma(2003)].

Nomenclature
C = constant=3,960,whereQisingal/min,andTDHisinft[=6,750,whereQisinm3/D,andTDHisinm]
D = diameter,in.[cm]
H = head,ft[m]
Q = flowrate,B/D[m3/d]
N = rotatingspeed,rev/min
p = pumpefficiency

References
1.1.01.1APIRP11S1,RecommendedPracticeforElectricalSubmersiblePumpTeardownReport,thirdedition.1997.Washington,DC:API.
2.2.02.1ElectricalSubmersiblePumpsandEquipment,11.2001.Claremore,Oklahoma:Centrilift.
3.APIRP11S2,RecommendedPracticeforElectricalSubmersiblePumpTesting,secondedition.1997.Washington,DC:API.
4.Lund,R.1983.AcceptanceTestsforMixedFlow,AxialandCentrifugalPumps.WorldOil206:398.

NoteworthypapersinOnePetro
Camilleri,L.A.P.,Brunet,L.,&Segui,E.(2011,January1).PoseidonGasHandlingTechnology:ACaseStudyofThreeESPWellsintheCongo.SocietyofPetroleumEngineers.
doi:10.2118/141668MS

King,D.G.,Traylor,F.T.,&Stewart,R.E.(1983,January1).AbrasionTechnologyforElectricSubmergiblePumps.SocietyofPetroleumEngineers.doi:10.2118/12199MS

Pessoa,R.,&Prado,M.(2003,February1).TwoPhaseFlowPerformanceforElectricalSubmersiblePumpStages.SocietyofPetroleumEngineers.doi:10.2118/81910PA

Noteworthybooks
TakcsG.(2009):Electricalsubmersiblepumpsmanual.ISBN9781856175579(/Special:BookSources/9781856175579).GulfProfessionalPublishing,AnImprintofElsevier,
440p.

Externallinks
UsethissectiontoprovidelinkstorelevantmaterialonwebsitesotherthanPetroWikiandOnePetro

Seealso
Electricalsubmersiblepumps(/Electrical_submersible_pumps)

Centrifugalpumps(/Centrifugal_pumps)

Sealchambersection(/Seal_chamber_section)

ESPmotors(/ESP_motors)

ESPpowercable(/ESP_power_cable)

ESPsystemselectionandperformancecalculations(/ESP_system_selection_and_performance_calculations)

PEH:Electrical_Submersible_Pumps(/PEH:Electrical_Submersible_Pumps)

Pagechampions
JoseCaridad(https://www.linkedin.com/in/josecaridad49080265),BSME&MScME

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