SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MULTIPHASE HYDROCARBON PUMP HAVING AN AUGER COUPLING

• US 20180003022A1
• Filed: 03/12/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bcrt Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Bcrt Technology LLC
• Inventors: Grande, III, Salvatore F, Draper, David R, Suheil, Sami
• Granted Patent: US 10,458,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/2461 Positive-displacement pumps; Screw feeders; Trough conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/262 by using a centrifuge
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/265 by using a vortex inducer or vortex guide, e.g. coil B01D21/0054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2221/04 Separation devices for treating liquids from earth drilling, mining separation of well effluents E21B43/34, flotation in general B03D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/14 generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums or brushes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/128 Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/35 specially adapted for separating solids down-hole drilling fluid separation systems E21B21/002; separating solids from drilling fluids E21B21/065
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/38 in the well
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 1/34 characterised by non-bladed rotor, e.g. with drilled holes F01D1/32 takes precedence; sirens G10K7/00 ; impact turbines with buckets F01D1/026; hand-held tools with a non-bladed rotor F01D15/067
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 13/00 Combinations of two or more machines or engines F01D15/00 takes precedence; combinations of two or more pumps F04; fluid gearing F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/02 Adaptations for driving vehicles, e.g. locomotives
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/14 responsive to other specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2210/13 mixed, e.g. two-phase fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/323 for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/25 helical

Abstract

A bladeless conical radial rotary machine method and system are disclosed. Turbo-machinery and methods are disclosed for a bladeless conical radial rotary machine wherein fluid is directed axially within the pump body to produce an axial output. The rotor comprises a plurality of spaced apart conical elements. The fluid is smoothly directed to any number of subsequent boundary layer pumping stages which are axially positioned with respect to each other. The fluid is smoothly directed to any number of subsequent boundary layer pumping stages which are axially positioned with respect to each other. A coupling between pumping stages is disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first rotary machine operable for transformation of energy between rotary mechanical energy and fluid kinetic energy, the rotary machine comprising;

a drive shaft;

a tubular housing defining a fluid input and a fluid output and a rotor operating region;

a rotor mounted within the rotor operating region for rotation about a rotor axis of rotation through the drive shaft, the rotor comprising a first rotor end and a second rotor end, the axis of rotation extending between the first rotor end and the second rotor end, the rotor operating region being positioned between the fluid input and the fluid output; and

a plurality of rotor elements for the rotor, the plurality of rotor elements being axially spaced from each other along the rotor, the plurality of rotor elements comprising a plurality of surfaces oriented on the rotor so as to be concentric to the rotor axis of rotation, the plurality of rotor elements axially spaced a distance RD between the rotor elements, defining therebetween a plurality of radial flow paths each having a path width PW defined by the distance RD between the rotor elements, the plurality of rotor elements defining a plurality of centrally positioned apertures that collectively define an unrestricted interior opening that surrounds the drive shaft and connects to the plurality of radial flow paths to permit radially outwardly fluid flow through the plurality of radial flow paths, the unrestricted interior opening receiving fluid flow from the fluid input to provide the radially outwardly fluid flow through the plurality of radial flow paths; and

a solids port through which the solids are removed from the fluid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the solids port through which the solids are transferred from the tubular housing, the rotary machine further comprising:

a fluid port though which the fluid is transferred from the tubular housing, wherein the solids port and the fluid port are two separate ports.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary machine is a centrifugal fluid separator that separates a gas from the fluid, the rotary machine further comprising:

a gas port though which the gas is transferred from the tubular housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the rotary machine further comprising:

a motor attached to the drive shaft.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary machine comprises a plurality of stacked rotary machines used as an inline pump in pipelines to boost fluid flow.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary machine comprises a plurality of stacked rotary machines used to compress the fluid when the fluid is a gas.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary machine is used as a jet engine.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary machine is used to propel a ship.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of stacked rotary machines is used to pump provide more head than a single rotary machine and have a smaller diameter housing than a single rotary machine housing diameter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tubular housing has a housing diameter HD, wherein the housing diameter is selected based on the density of the fluid FD, wherein the selected housing diameter HD is proportional to the density of the fluid FD.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, the rotary machine further comprising:

a motor attached to the drive shaft;

a processor in data communication with a computer readable medium and the motor; and

a computer program stored in the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executed by the processor, the computer program further comprising instructions to adjust a speed value for the motor wherein the speed value is adjusted inversely proportional to a density FD of the fluid.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the motor is an electric motor and density FD of the fluid is estimated by current flowing to the electric motor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive shaft further comprises a variable distance element, the computer program further comprising:

instructions to adjust the variable distance element from a first distance value RD1 for the space between the rotor elements to a distance value RD2 for the space between the rotor elements based on a density FD of the fluid wherein the space is inversely proportional to the FD.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary machine further comprises a multi-staged rotary machine that has a smaller housing diameter HD than a single stage rotary machine, wherein the plurality of radial flow paths are oriented parallel or substantially parallel with respect to each other and are angled between zero and ninety degrees with respect to the rotor axis of rotation.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tubular housing further defines a peripheral fluid flow path along a periphery of the rotor, the peripheral fluid flow path being in communication with the fluid input and the fluid output, the tubular housing constraining fluid to move with an axial direction vector component through the fluid input into the tubular housing, through the peripheral flow path, out of the tubular housing through the fluid output.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of tubular housing sections each containing a plurality of rotary machines defining a fluid input and a fluid output and a rotor operating region, the plurality of tubular housing sections being axially oriented with respect to each other such that a respective output of each tubular section is connected to a respective input of another tubular section; and

a respective rotor for each of the plurality of tubular housing sections mounted within the rotor operating region for rotation about a rotor axis of rotation, and a respective plurality of spaced rotor elements for each respective rotor, and each respective plurality of spaced rotor elements defining a plurality of radial flow paths therebetween.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

a coupling comprising a center shaft with a helical auger that provides fluid flow when rotated, wherein the auger coupling connects the respective output of each tubular section to the respective input of another tubular section.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second rotary machine;

a coupling that connects the first rotary machine to the second rotary machine, the coupling comprising a center shaft with a helical auger that provides fluid flow when rotated, wherein the auger coupling connects the first rotary machine to the second rotary machine and pumps fluid when rotated by the connection to the first rotary machine and the second rotary machine.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a first pump;

a second pump connected to the second pump through a coupling that connects the first rotary machine to the second rotary machine, the coupling comprising a center shaft with a helical auger that provides fluid flow when rotated, wherein the auger coupling connects the first rotary machine to the second rotary machine and pumps fluid when rotated by the connection to the first rotary machine and the second rotary machine.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a plurality of tubular housing sections each containing a plurality of pumps defining a fluid input and a fluid output and a rotor operating region, the plurality of tubular housing sections being axially oriented with respect to each other such that a respective output of each tubular section is connected to a respective input of another tubular section; and

a respective rotor for each of the plurality of tubular housing sections mounted within the rotor operating region for rotation about a rotor axis of rotation, and a respective plurality of spaced rotor elements for each respective rotor, and each respective plurality of spaced rotor elements defining a plurality of radial flow paths therebetween; and

a coupling comprising a center shaft with a helical auger that provides fluid flow when rotated, wherein the auger coupling connects the respective output of each tubular section to the respective input of another tubular section.