Reactive material reciprocating submersible pump

• US 6,015,266 A
• Filed: 08/27/1997
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Swatek, Mike Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TYLER, CHERYL JACKSON
• Application Number:
  US08/918,978
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 417/53, 417/375, 417/392, 417/412
• US Class Current: 417/53
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/128 Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/09 Pumps having electric drive

Abstract

A subsurface well system contains well bore fluid and a pumping system which is lowered into the well bore on a conduit. The pumping system is supplied with electrical power through a conductor. The pumping system has a chamber, a discharge valve, and an intake valve for admitting the well bore fluid into the chamber. The chamber contains a reservoir that is filled with a reactive polymer gel that undergoes a significant change in volume in response to environmental changes. The gel expands when it is electrically stimulated, thereby forcibly expelling the fluid within the chamber. The gel contracts when it is not stimulated, thereby drawing fluid into the chamber. When electrical current is oscillated through the gel, the expansions and contractions repeat so that a pumping action of well bore fluid is achieved. The gel may also be formulated to react to an electromagnetic field. The gel of this embodiment contains metallic particles which increase in temperature when exposed to the magnetic field. The temperature increase significantly increases the volume of the gel. Applying electrical current to a coil which surrounds the reservoir causes a magnetic field to pass through the gel, thereby increasing the volume of the gel. When electrical current is oscillated through the coil, the gel expands and contracts so that a pumping action of well bore fluid is achieved.

Claims

1. A pumping system comprising:

a pump having a chamber, an intake valve for admitting a fluid into the chamber, and a discharge valve for discharging the fluid from the chamber;

reactive polymer gel contained within the chamber, the gel having a first volume when exposed to an electromagnetic field and a second volume when the electromagnetic field is removed, the first volume being significantly different from the second volume;

an electromagnetic coil surrounding the gel, the coil being connected to a power supply which selectively and alternately exposes the gel to an electromagnetic field for causing the gel to expand and expel a portion of the fluid within the chamber through the discharge valve; and

a variable volume reservoir which encloses the gel; and

wherein

the coil is located within the chamber and surrounds the reservoir.

2. A pumping system comprising:

a pump having a chamber, an intake valve for admitting a fluid into the chamber, and a discharge valve for discharging the fluid from the chamber;

reactive polymer gel contained within the chamber, the gel having a first volume when exposed to an electromagnetic field and a second volume when the electromagnetic field is removed, the first volume being significantly different from the second volume;

an electromagnetic coil surrounding the gel, the coil being connected to a power supply which selectively and alternately exposes the gel to an electromagnetic field for causing the gel to expand and expel a portion of the fluid within the chamber through the discharge valve; and

a flexible bladder which encloses the gel.

3. A method for pumping well bore fluid in a well bore, comprising:

(a) lowering a pump on a conduit into the well bore, the pump having a chamber which has an intake valve for admitting well fluid into the chamber, a discharge valve for discharging well fluid into the conduit, and an environmentally reactive, expansible polymer gel;

(b) exposing the gel to an environmental change, thereby causing the gel to expand, expelling a portion of the well fluid within the chamber through the discharge valve into the conduit; and

then

(c) removing the environmental change from the gel, thereby causing the gel to contract and well bore fluid to be drawn into the chamber through the intake valve.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein exposing the gel to the environmental change comprises passing electricity through the gel.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein exposing the gel to the environmental change comprises exposing the gel to a magnetic field.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the intake valve is in a closed position and the discharge valve is in an open position while the gel is expanding.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the intake valve is in an open position and the discharge valve is in a closed position while the gel is contracting.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the gel is a mixture of N-isopropylacrylamide, water, an appropriate polymerization initiator and an accelerator.

9. A method for pumping well bore fluid in a well bore, comprising:

(a) providing a pump having a chamber with a discharge valve for discharging well fluid, an intake valve for admitting well fluid into the chamber from the well bore, and containing a reactive polymer gel which increases in volume when exposed to an electrical field;

(b) lowering the pump on a conduit into the well;

(c) exposing the gel to an electrical field, thereby causing the gel to expand and well fluid within the chamber to escape through the discharge valve; and

then

(d) removing the electrical field, thereby causing the gel to contract and well fluid to be drawn into the chamber through the intake valve.

10. A method for pumping well bore fluid in a well bore, comprising:

(a) lowering a pump on a conduit into the well bore, the pump having a chamber which has an intake valve for admitting well fluid into the chamber, a discharge valve for discharging well fluid, and an environmentally reactive, expansible polymer gel;

(b) exposing the gel to an environmental change, thereby causing the gel to expand, expelling a portion of the well fluid within the chamber through the discharge valve; and

then

(c) removing the environmental change from the gel, thereby causing the gel to contract and well bore fluid to be drawn into the chamber through the intake valve.