Electrical submersible pump with reciprocating linear motor

• US 9,145,885 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Bouldin, Brett W., Xiao, Jinjiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOBISH, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US13/089,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20120263606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 417/392, 310/11, 310/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/128 Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/02 the driving mechanisms being situated at ground level F04B47/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/06 having motor-pump units situated at great depth

Abstract

A reciprocating pump, actuated by an expandable material, can be used to pump well fluids from a wellbore toward the surface of the earth. The expandable material can include piezoelectric, electrostriction, magnetostrictive, or piezomagnetic material. By using the expandable material, the pump can be sufficiently small to fit in various types of tubing within a wellbore.

Claims

1. A linear pump apparatus for pumping wellbore fluids, the linear pump apparatus comprising:

coiled production tubing operable to extend axially into a wellbore;

a first pump body suspended from the coiled production tubing, wherein an outer diameter the first pump body is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the coiled production tubing;

a first chamber located within the first pump body, the chamber including a first port extending through a wall of the coiled production tubing and operable to place the first chamber in fluid communication with a wellbore and a second port in fluid communication with the coiled production tubing extending toward a surface of the earth;

a first piston located within the first chamber, wherein the first port and the second port are located on a downstream side of the first piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore; and

a first actuator located at an upstream side of the first piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore comprising an expandable material exhibiting at least one of piezoelectric, electrostriction, magnetostrictive, and piezomagnetism properties such that the expandable material is operable to change from a first shape to a second shape in response to an electromagnetic stimulus applied thereto, the change from the first shape to the second shape causing the piston to move axially from a first piston position to a second piston position, pushing the wellbore fluids in a downstream direction towards the surface of the earth;

a second pump body suspended from the coiled production tubing and axially spaced from the first pump body, wherein an outer diameter the second pump body is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the coiled production tubing;

a second chamber located within the second pump body, the second chamber including a third port extending through the wall of the coiled production tubing and operable to place the second chamber in fluid communication with the wellbore and a fourth port and in fluid communication with the coiled production tubing extending toward the surface of the earth;

a second piston located within the second chamber, wherein the third port and the fourth port are located on a downstream side of the second piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore; and

a second actuator located at an upstream side of the second piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore comprising an expandable material exhibiting at least one of piezoelectric, electrostriction, magnetostrictive, and piezomagnetism properties such that the expandable material is operable to change from a first shape to a second shape in response to an electromagnetic stimulus applied thereto, the change from the first shape to the second shape causing the second piston to move axially from a first piston position to a second piston position, pushing the wellbore fluids in a downstream direction towards the surface of the earth.

2. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first port is an opening through a surface of the pump body and being in communication with the first chamber, the first port being operable to allow fluid to pass through the first port;

and wherein the second port is in communication with the first chamber.

3. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first port comprises a switch.

4. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first port is controlled with a valve.

5. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stimulus generator connected to the pump apparatus, wherein the stimulus generator provides the electromagnetic stimulus.

6. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the electromagnetic stimulus is an electrical charge, and wherein the expandable material exhibits at least one of piezoelectric and electrostriction properties.

7. The linear pump according to claim 5, wherein the stimulus is a magnetic field.

8. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a power supply is located on the surface of the earth and is connected to the stimulus generator.

9. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pump body is adapted to be submerged in a wellbore fluid in a wellbore and draw the wellbore fluid into the first chamber in response to movement of the first piston.

10. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the ports have a valve that is reversible so that the linear pump apparatus is operable to inject a fluid from the surface of the earth into the wellbore.

11. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pump body is adapted to intake a wellbore fluid from one subterranean wellbore zone through the first port and discharge the wellbore fluid into a different subterranean wellbore zone, and wherein the second pump body is adapted to intake the wellbore fluid from the different subterranean wellbore zone through the third port.

26. The linear pump apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first linear pump and the second linear pump are located within an outer production tubing, the outer production tubing being spaced a distance radially inward from a inner diameter surface of the wellbore.

12. A system for pumping wellbore fluid, the system comprising:

a first linear pump, the first linear pump comprising;

a first pump body having an exterior surface;

a first chamber located within the first pump body, the first chamber in fluid communication with a wellbore through a first port, the first port being an opening through the exterior surface of the first pump, and the first chamber in fluid communication with well production tubing extending through the wellbore toward a surface of the earth through a second port, wherein an outer diameter the exterior surface of the first pump is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the production tubing;

a first piston located within the chamber, wherein the first port and the second port are located on a downstream side of the first piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore; and

a first actuator comprising an expandable material located at an upstream side of the first piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore exhibiting at least one of piezoelectric, electrostriction, magnetostrictive, and piezomagnetism properties such that the expandable material is operable to change from a first shape to a second shape in response to an electromagnetic stimulus applied thereto, the change from the first shape to the second shape causing the first piston to move axially from a first piston position to a second piston position, the first piston being adapted to move wellbore fluid in a downstream direction towards the surface of the earth when moving from the first piston position to the second piston position; and

a power supply to transmit power to the stimulus generator;

a second linear pump, the second linear pump comprising;

a second pump body having an exterior surface, wherein an outer diameter the exterior surface of the second pump is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the production tubing,

a second chamber located within the second pump body;

a third port, the third port being an opening through the exterior surface of the second pump body and being in communication with the second chamber,

a fourth port, the fourth port being in communication with the second chamber and in fluid communication with the well production tubing extending through the wellbore toward the surface of the earth,

a second piston located within the second chamber, wherein the third port and the fourth port are located on a downstream side of the second piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore, and

an expandable material located at an upstream side of the second piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore, the expandable material changing from a first shape to a second shape in response to an electrical stimulus from a stimulus generator, the change from the first shape to the second shape causing the second piston to move axially from a first piston position to a second piston position pushing the wellbore fluids in a downstream direction towards the surface of the earth; and

wherein the first linear pump and the second linear pump are spaced axially apart in the well production tubing.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein a valve located within the first port is selectively operable to allow wellbore fluid to flow through the port.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first linear pump is adapted to be submerged in the wellbore fluid in the wellbore and draw the wellbore fluid from the wellbore, through the first port, into the chamber when the piston moves from the first piston position to the second piston position.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first linear pump is located within the well production tubing and the second port adapted to communicate fluid between the chamber and the well production tubing.

16. The system according to claim 12, further comprising an annular packer forming a seal between an exterior surface of well production tubing and an outer tubing.

17. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a bypass tube coupled to the well production tubing on opposing axial sides of the second linear pump, such that the fluid pumped from the first pump bypasses the second pump.

18. The system according to claim 12, further comprising an umbilical connected to the power supply and at least the first linear pump and the second linear pump.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein each of the ports have a valve that is reversible so that the system is operable to inject fluids from the surface of the earth into the wellbore.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first port is fluidly coupled to one subterranean wellbore zone and the second port is fluidly coupled to a different subterranean wellbore zone such that the first linear pump intakes fluid from the one subterranean wellbore zone and discharges it into the different subterranean wellbore zone.

27. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first linear pump and the second linear pump are located within an outer production tubing, the outer production tubing being spaced a distance radially inward from a inner diameter surface of the wellbore.

21. A method for pumping wellbore fluid from a wellbore, the method comprising:

creating a linear pump comprising a chamber, the chamber defined by a sidewall, and a piston, the chamber having an inlet valve connected to a passage through the sidewall, an outlet valve connected to tubing extending toward a surface of the earth, the inlet valve and outlet valve being located on a downstream side of the piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore, and an expandable material located on an upstream side of the piston, relative to a flow of wellbore fluids through the wellbore and in axial alignment with the piston to define a reciprocating linear motor pump, the expandable material exhibiting at least one of piezoelectric, electrostriction, magnetostrictive, and piezomagnetism properties;

suspending the reciprocating linear motor pump from a production tubing such that the inlet valve is in fluid communication with an exterior of the production tubing and the outlet valve is in fluid communication with an interior of the production tubing, wherein an outer diameter of the production tubing is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the reciprocating linear motor pump;

suspending a second reciprocating linear motor pump from the production tubing such that the second reciprocating linear motor is operable to pump fluid between a second inlet fluidly coupled to the exterior of the production tubing and a second outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the reciprocating linear motor pump through the interior of the production tubing, the second reciprocating linear motor pump being spaced axially apart from the reciprocating linear motor pump, and wherein the outer diameter of the production tubing is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the second reciprocating linear motor pump;

submerging the reciprocating linear motor pump in a wellbore fluid in a wellbore;

axially contracting the expandable material to cause the piston to draw the wellbore fluid from outside the reciprocating linear motor pump, through the inlet valve, into the chamber, the outlet valve closing to prevent wellbore fluid from the tubing from entering the chamber and the inlet valve opening to allow wellbore fluid from outside the reciprocating linear motor pump to enter the chamber and then axially extending the expandable material to cause the piston to push wellbore fluid out of the chamber through the outlet valve and in a downstream direction towards the surface of the earth, the inlet valve closing to prevent wellbore fluid from exiting the chamber through the inlet valve and the outlet valve opening to allow wellbore fluid to exit the chamber through the outlet valve; and

applying and removing alternating electric current from a stimulus generator to cause the expandable material to extend and contract.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of placing a packer on the tubing between the reciprocating linear motor pump and the second reciprocating linear motor pump to isolate the inlet valves of the pumps from one another.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the packer isolates a first wellbore region from a second wellbore region, and further comprising the step selectively pumping from one of the wellbore regions.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein each of the valves are reversible so that when the valves are reversed, the wellbore fluid is pumped from the surface of the earth into the wellbore.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the step of suspending the second reciprocating linear motor pump from the wellbore comprises placing the second reciprocating linear motor pump in a second subterranean wellbore zone with a higher or lower pressure than a first subterranean wellbore zone in which the reciprocating linear motor pump is disposed, and wherein the method further comprises operating the second reciprocating linear motor pump independently from the reciprocating linear motor pump to pump a different volume than the reciprocating linear motor pump.

28. The method according to claim 21, wherein the step of submerging the reciprocating linear motor pump in the wellbore fluid in the wellbore includes lowering the reciprocating linear motor pump with the production tubing, through an outer production tubing that extends into the wellbore, the outer production tubing being spaced a distance radially inward from a inner diameter surface of the wellbore.