Anti-gas lock electric submersible pump

Abstract

An electric submersible pump including a housing having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough; and a plurality of stages disposed within the housing each stage having an impeller and a diffuser, the plurality of stages stackable one upon the other along the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein one or more of the plurality of stages is a standard flow stage, wherein one or more of the plurality of stages is an anti-gas lock flow stage, and wherein the anti-gas lock flow stages are modified relative the standard flow stages to have decreased incidence of trapped gas.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An electric submersible pump comprising:
 a housing having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough; and   a plurality of stages disposed within the housing each stage having an impeller and a diffuser, the plurality of stages stackable one upon the other along the longitudinal axis of the housing,   wherein one or more of the plurality of stages is a standard flow stage,   wherein one or more of the plurality of stages is an anti-gas lock flow stage, and   wherein the anti-gas lock flow stages are modified relative the standard flow stages to have decreased incidence of trapped gas.   
     
     
         2 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-gas lock flow stages have a fluid leakage point absent in the standard flow stages thereby decreasing the incidence of trapped gas. 
     
     
         3 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 2 , wherein the impeller of the one or more anti-gas lock flow stages comprises a top shroud, a bottom shroud, and one or more vanes. 
     
     
         4 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 3 , wherein the fluid leakage point comprises apertures formed in one or more of the top shroud, the bottom shroud, and the one or more vanes. 
     
     
         5 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 3 , wherein the diameter of the top shroud is less than the diameter of the bottom shroud, thereby forming the fluid leakage point. 
     
     
         6 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a head plate and a base portion. 
     
     
         7 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 6 , wherein an initial set of the plurality of stages nearest the base portion are anti-gas lock flow stages. 
     
     
         8 . The electric submersible pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of standard flow stages and a plurality of anti-gas lock flow stages. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a tubing string; and   an electric submersible pump string coupled with the tubing string, wherein the electric submersible pump string comprises:
 at least one housing having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, and 
 a plurality of stages disposed within the housing each stage having an impeller and a diffuser, the plurality of stages stackable one upon the other along the longitudinal axis of the housing, 
 wherein one or more of the plurality of stages is a standard flow stage, 
 wherein one or more of the plurality of stages is an anti-gas lock flow stage, and 
 wherein the anti-gas lock flow stages are modified relative the standard flow stages to have decreased incidence of trapped gas. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the anti-gas lock flow stages have a fluid leakage point absent in the standard flow stages thereby decreasing the incidence of trapped gas. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the impeller of the one or more anti-gas lock flow stages comprises a top shroud, a bottom shroud, and one or more vanes. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the fluid leakage point comprises apertures formed in one or more of the top shroud, the bottom shroud, and the one or more vanes. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the diameter of the top shroud is less than the diameter of the bottom shroud, thereby forming the fluid leakage point. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one housing further comprises a head plate and a base portion. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein an initial set of the plurality of stages nearest the base portion are anti-gas lock flow stages. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein a plurality of standard flow stages are stacked on top of an initial set of anti-gas lock flow stages, relative the base portion. 
     
     
         17 . A method for preventing gas lock comprising:
 providing an electronic submersible pump comprising:
 a housing having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, and 
 a plurality of stages disposed within the housing each stage having an impeller and a diffuser, the plurality of stages stackable one upon the other along the longitudinal axis of the housing, 
 wherein one or more of the plurality of stages is a standard flow stage, 
 wherein one or more of the plurality of stages is an anti-gas lock flow stage, and 
 wherein the anti-gas lock flow stages are modified relative the standard flow stages to have decreased incidence of trapped gas; 
   disposing the electronic submersible pump into a wellbore via a tubing string; and   generating a fluid flow through the housing by rotation of the impeller within the one or more standard flow stages and the one or more anti-gas lock flow stages.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the anti-gas lock flow stages have a fluid leakage point absent in the standard flow stages thereby decreasing the incidence of trapped gas. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the housing further comprises a head plate and a base portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising disposing an initial set of anti-gas lock flow stages nearest a the base portion of the housing.