General Electric Company
Self-cooling electric submersible pump

Abstract:

A self-cooling electric submersible pump having an integrated cooling system is provided. The cooling system is configured to cool and lubricate the electric motor section of the pump by expanding a compressed multi-component coolant fluid through flow channels within the motor. The coolant fluid contains a first fluid having a boiling point of at least 230.degree. C. and a second fluid having a boiling point of less than 150.degree. C. During pump operation the first fluid acts as a largely incompressible liquid and the second fluid behaves as a compressible gas. A compressor compresses the second fluid in the presence of the first fluid to produce a hot compressed coolant fluid from which heat is transferred to a production fluid being processed by the pump. The compressed coolant fluid is expanded through an orifice and into the motor flow channels, returning thereafter to the compressor.