Abrasion resistance in well fluid wetted assemblies

Abstract

Abrasion resistance in well fluid wetted assemblies is described. A method of enhancing an abrasion resistance of submersible assemblies includes polishing a first running surface of a sleeve and a second running surface of a bushing until the first running surface and the second running surface have a roughness average of four micro-inches roughness average (Ra) or less, coating the polished first running surface and the polished second running surface with one of titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride or a combination thereof, and placing the sleeve and the bushing in an electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly component such that the first running surface faces the second running surface and the first running surface rotates with respect to the second running surface, and pumping a fluid from an underground formation to a surface location using the ESP assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A submersible pump bearing set comprising:
 a rotatable sleeve comprising a first polished running surface;   a bushing surrounding the rotatable sleeve, the bushing secured to a diffuser wall and comprising a second polished running surface;   wherein the second polished running surface of the bushing faces the first running surface of the rotatable sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The submersible pump bearing set of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable sleeve is a flanged sleeve comprising a tubular portion and a flange extending radially from the tubular portion, and wherein the flange comprises the first polished running surface. 
     
     
         3 . The submersible pump bearing set of  claim 1 , wherein the first polished running surface and the second polished running surface are made of a cemented carbide composite selected from the group consisting of titanium carbide, tungsten carbide and tantalum carbide. 
     
     
         4 . The submersible pump bearing set of  claim 3 , wherein the first polished running surface and the second polished running surface comprise a coating of one of titanium nitride or titanium aluminum nitride over each of the polished running surfaces. 
     
     
         5 . The submersible pump bearing set of  claim 3 , wherein the first polished running surface and the second polished running surface comprise a layer of infused diamond-like carbon over each of the polished running surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The submersible pump bearing set of  claim 3 , wherein the first polished running surface and the second polished running surface comprise a layer of one of polycrystalline diamond (PCD), thermally stable PCD (TSP) or amorphous diamond over each of the polished running surfaces. 
     
     
         7 . The submersible pump bearing set of  claim 1 , wherein the first polished running surface and the second polished running surface have a roughness average of four micro-inches roughness average (Ra) or less. 
     
     
         8 . The submersible pump bearing set of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable sleeve is keyed to an electric submersible pump (ESP) shaft. 
     
     
         9 . The submersible pump bearing set of  claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is in a stage of one of an ESP pump, ESP charge pump or ESP gas separator. 
     
     
         10 . A system for pumping a hydrocarbon from a downhole well, the system comprising:
 a submersible pump that pumps a fluid hydrocarbon from a well, the submersible pump further comprising:
 a bearing set comprising a bushing and a flanged sleeve; 
 each of the bushing and the flanged sleeve comprising a polished running surface; and 
 the polished running surface of each of the bushing and the flanged sleeve having a mirror finish. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein an inner diameter of the bushing comprises the polished running surface of the bushing, and an outer diameter of the flanged sleeve comprises the polished running surface of the flanged sleeve. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein a bottom of a flange of the flanged sleeve comprises the polished running surface of the flanged sleeve, and a top of the bushing comprises the polished running surface of the bushing. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a layer of diamond-like carbon on the polished running surface of each of the bushing and the flanged sleeve and the layer comprises a diamond-like carbon film. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a coating of one of titanium nitride or titanium aluminum nitride over each of the polished running surfaces. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein a load bearing surface of each of the polished running surfaces is at least 85% of a total surface area of each of the polished running surfaces. 
     
     
         16 . The system  claim 10 , wherein each of the polished running surfaces has a roughness average of four micro-inches roughness average (Ra) or less. 
     
     
         17 . A method of enhancing an abrasion resistance of submersible assemblies, the method comprising:
 polishing one of a first running surface of a sleeve, a second running surface of a bushing, or a combination thereof until the one of the first running surface, the second running surface or the combination thereof has a roughness average of four micro-inches roughness average (Ra) or less;   coating the one of the first polished running surface, the second polished running surface or the combination thereof with one of titanium nitride or titanium aluminum nitride;   placing the sleeve and the bushing in an electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly component such that the first running surface faces the second running surface and the first running surface rotates with respect to the second running surface; and   pumping a fluid from an underground formation to a surface location using the ESP assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising lapping the second running surface of the bushing. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second running surface is a top of the bushing. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the polishing comprises wetting the one of the first running surface of the sleeve, the second running surface of the bushing or the combination thereof with a water slurry. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the one of the first polished running surface, the second polished running surface, or the combination thereof comprises silicon carbide. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the one of the first polished running surface, the second polished running surface, or the combination thereof comprises Ni-resist austenitic cast iron.