Lube oil recovery system for geothermal lineshaft pump

Abstract

A geothermal pump includes a lineshaft, an internal casing disposed concentrically around the lineshaft and configured to form a lubrication-space between the lineshaft and the internal casing, an external casing disposed concentrically around the internal casing and configured to form a brine-space between the internal casing and the external casing, a piping network connected to an above-ground end of the internal casing, and a seal assembly disposed on a down-hole end of the lineshaft and connected to the piping network and the lubrication-space, such that a fluid circuit is formed, the seal assembly being configured to enable a lubrication fluid to flow from the piping network to the lubrication-space in a direction toward the above-ground end of the lineshaft while restricting the lubrication fluid from flowing toward the down-hole end of the lineshaft.

1 . A geothermal pump comprising:
 a lineshaft having an above-ground end and a down-hole end;   an internal casing disposed concentrically around the lineshaft and having a first diameter configured to form a lubrication-space between the lineshaft and the internal casing;   an external casing disposed concentrically around the internal casing and having a second diameter configured to form a brine-space between the internal casing and the external casing;   a piping network connected to an above-ground end of the internal casing; and   a seal assembly disposed on the down-hole end of the lineshaft and connected to the piping network and the lubrication-space, such that a fluid circuit is formed, the seal assembly being configured to enable a lubrication fluid to flow from the piping network to the lubrication-space in a direction toward the above-ground end of the lineshaft while restricting the lubrication fluid from flowing toward the down-hole end of the lineshaft, the lubrication fluid being delivered through the lubrication-space in the direction toward the above-ground end of the lineshaft via a pressure differential within the fluid circuit.   
     
     
         2 . The geothermal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the seal assembly further comprises
 a first assembly component fixed to the lineshaft and configured to permit the lubrication fluid to flow from the piping network toward the above-ground end of the lineshaft, and   a second assembly component configured to restrict the lubrication fluid from flowing from the piping network toward the down-hole end of the lineshaft.   
     
     
         3 . The geothermal pump of  claim 2 , wherein the first assembly component is a seal housing having a plurality of grooves such that when the seal housing rotates with the lineshaft, the plurality of grooves moves the lubrication fluid in the direction toward the above-ground end of the lineshaft. 
     
     
         4 . The geothermal pump of  claim 2 , wherein the seal assembly further comprises a sleeve fixed to the lineshaft with a plurality of sleeve o-rings. 
     
     
         5 . The geothermal pump of  claim 4 , wherein the sleeve has a first surface area and a second surface area, the first surface area being in contact with the lubrication fluid and the second surface area being in contact with a geothermal brine. 
     
     
         6 . The geothermal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the piping network comprises a lubrication pump configured to create the pressure differential in the piping network, such that the lubrication fluid moves downward through the piping network, through the seal assembly, and upward through the lubrication-space. 
     
     
         7 . The geothermal pump of  claim 6 , wherein the piping network comprises at least one of a plurality of flow monitors and pressure regulators, the at least one of the plurality of flow monitors and pressure regulators being disposed along the piping network and configured to monitor the lubrication fluid. 
     
     
         8 . The geothermal pump of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of flow monitors and pressure regulators are in communication with a central monitoring station. 
     
     
         9 . The geothermal pump of  claim 8 , wherein the central monitoring station is in communication with the lubrication pump, such that the central monitoring station is capable off controlling the lubrication pump to adjust the pressure differential in the piping network, based on a plurality of data received by the central monitoring station which is sent from the plurality of flow monitors and pressure regulators. 
     
     
         10 . The geothermal pump of  claim 1 , wherein the piping network comprises a collection tank for the lubrication fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The geothermal pump of  claim 10 , wherein the collection tank is configured to be heated and cooled. 
     
     
         12 . The geothermal pump of  claim 10 , wherein the collection tank comprises a filtering and purification system for the lubrication fluid. 
     
     
         13 . A heat transfer recovery system comprising:
 a pump having a plurality of impellers configured to move a geothermal brine in a desired direction;   a lineshaft configured to drive the pump;   an internal casing disposed concentrically around the lineshaft and having a first diameter configured to form a lubrication-space between the lineshaft and the internal casing;   an external casing disposed concentrically around the internal casing and having a second diameter configured to form a brine-space between the internal casing and the external casing; and   a piping network connected to an above-ground end of the internal casing and connected to a down-hole end of the internal casing, such that a fluid circuit is formed between the piping network and the lubrication-space at the above-ground end of the internal casing and the down-hole end of the internal casing.   
     
     
         14 . The heat transfer recovery system of  claim 13 , wherein the piping network is configured to deliver a lubrication fluid to the down-hole end of the internal casing, and through the lubrication-space in a direction toward the above-ground end of the lineshaft by virtue of a pressure differential. 
     
     
         15 . The heat transfer recovery system of  claim 13 , wherein the pump is configured to use the brine-space to deliver a geothermal brine from a down-hole location to an above-ground location. 
     
     
         16 . The heat transfer recovery system of  claim 15 , wherein a heat transfer unit is configured to extract heat energy from the geothermal brine. 
     
     
         17 . The heat transfer recovery system of  claim 13 , at least one of a plurality of flow monitors and pressure regulators is configured to monitor the lubrication fluid, the at least one of the plurality of flow monitors and the pressure regulators being disposed along the piping network. 
     
     
         18 . The heat transfer recovery system of  claim 13 , wherein the piping network further comprises
 a collection tank for the lubrication fluid; and   a lubrication pump configured to create the pressure differential in the piping network such that the lubrication fluid within the piping network and the lubrication-space moves in a desired direction.   
     
     
         19 . The heat transfer recovery system of  claim 18 , wherein the collection tank is configured to be heated and cooled. 
     
     
         20 . The heat transfer recovery system of  claim 18 , wherein the collection tank comprises a filtering and purification system for the lubrication fluid.