Electrical submersible pump and pump system including additively manufactured structures and method of manufacture

Abstract

An electric submersible pump and pump system including additively manufactures structures and method of manufacture are disclosed. The pump system including the electric submersible pump and an electric motor configured to operate the electric submersible pump. The electric submersible pump including a housing, at least one impeller and at least one diffuser disposed within the housing in cooperative engagement. The housing, the at least one impeller, and the at least one diffuser defining an internal volume configured to receive a fluid. At least one of the at least one impeller and the at least one diffuser configured as a monolithic additively manufactured structure comprised of a metal matrix composite. Also provided is an electric submersible pump including an impeller and a diffuser, wherein at least one of the impeller and the diffuser is configured as a monolithic additively manufactured structure comprised of a tungsten carbide (WC) dispersed in a metal matrix.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric submersible pump comprising:
 a housing;   at least one impeller disposed in the housing; and   at least one diffuser disposed in the housing and configured in cooperative engagement with the at least one impeller,   wherein at least one of the at least one impeller and the at least one diffuser is configured as a monolithic additively manufactured structure comprised of a metal matrix composite.   
     
     
         2 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 1 , wherein the housing, the at least one impeller, and the at least one diffuser define an internal volume within the housing, said internal volume configured to receive a fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 1 , wherein the electric submersible pump is configured as a centrifugal pump comprising one or more pump stages, wherein each of the one or more pump stages comprises an additively manufactured impeller and an additively manufactured diffuser. 
     
     
         4 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 1 , wherein the metal matrix composite comprises a ceramic material dispersed within a metal matrix. 
     
     
         5 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 3 , wherein the metal matrix comprises a material selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, chromium and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 3 , wherein the ceramic material comprises a crystalline ceramic material. 
     
     
         7 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 3 , wherein the ceramic material comprises an amorphous ceramic material. 
     
     
         8 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 3 , wherein the ceramic material comprises a metal in combination with a non-metal. 
     
     
         9 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 3 , wherein the ceramic material comprises at least one of an oxide, a nitride, a boride, a carbide, a silicide, a silica, or a sulfide. 
     
     
         10 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 1 , wherein the metal matrix composite comprises tungsten carbide (WC) dispersed in a metal matrix. 
     
     
         11 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 1 , wherein the metal matrix composite comprises tungsten carbide (WC) dispersed in a substantially chromium matrix. 
     
     
         12 . An electrical submersible pump system, comprising:
 an electric submersible pump; and   an electric motor configured to operate the electric submersible pump, wherein the electric submersible pump comprises:
 a housing; 
 at least one impeller; and 
 at least one diffuser, 
 wherein the at least one impeller and the at least one diffuser are disposed within the housing and configured in cooperative engagement, 
 wherein the housing, the at least one impeller, and the at least one diffuser define an internal volume within the housing, said internal volume configured to receive a fluid, and 
 wherein at least one of the at least one impeller and the at least one diffuser is configured as a monolithic additively manufactured structure comprised of a metal matrix composite. 
   
     
     
         13 . The electric submersible pump system of  claim 12 , wherein the metal matrix composite comprises a ceramic material dispersed within a metal matrix. 
     
     
         14 . The electric submersible pump system of  claim 13 , wherein the metal matrix comprises a material selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, chromium and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The electric submersible pump system of  claim 13 , wherein the ceramic material comprises one of a crystalline ceramic material or an amorphous ceramic material. 
     
     
         16 . The electric submersible pump system of  claim 13 , wherein the ceramic material comprises at least one of an oxide, a nitride, a boride, a carbide, a silicide, a silica, or a sulfide. 
     
     
         17 . The electric submersible pump system of  claim 13 , wherein the ceramic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, aluminum silicate, zirconium oxide, mica, glass and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The electric submersible pump system of  claim 11 , wherein the metal matrix composite comprises tungsten carbide (WC) dispersed in a substantially chromium matrix. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing an electric submersible pump comprising:
 (a) forming at least one impeller disposed in a housing; and   (b) forming at least one diffuser disposed in the housing and configured in cooperative engagement with the at least one impeller,   wherein at least one of the at least one impeller and the at least one diffuser is configured as a monolithic structure comprised of a metal matrix composite, and   wherein at least one of steps (a) through (b) is carried out by direct metal laser sintering.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein direct metal laser sintering comprises defining a configuration for the at least one impeller or the at least one diffuser, depositing a powder into a chamber, applying an energy source to the deposited powder and consolidating the powder into a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the defined configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the powder comprises metal matrix composite powder. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the energy source comprises a laser or electron beam. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising programming the configuration into an additive manufacturing system.