Downhole Solid State Pumps

Abstract

A pump includes a solid state pump including a solid state actuator actuatable to pressurize a hydraulic fluid, and a secondary pump in fluid communication with the solid state pump via a fluid circuit. The secondary pump is actuatable with the hydraulic fluid received from the solid state pump, and actuating the secondary pump draws in an external fluid into the secondary pump, pressurizes the external fluid within the secondary pump, and discharges a pressurized external fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump, comprising
 a solid state pump including a solid state actuator actuatable to pressurize a hydraulic fluid; and   a secondary pump in fluid communication with the solid state pump via a fluid circuit, wherein the secondary pump is actuatable with the hydraulic fluid received from the solid state pump, and   wherein actuating the secondary pump draws in an external fluid into the secondary pump, pressurizes the external fluid within the secondary pump, and discharges a pressurized external fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The pump of  claim 1 , wherein the solid state actuator is selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric actuator, an electrostrictive actuator, a magnetorestrictive actuator, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The pump of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more check valves that control flow of the hydraulic fluid and the external fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The pump of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary pump comprises one or more expansion pumps, and each expansion pump includes an expansion tank and an expandable member positioned within the expansion tank. 
     
     
         5 . The pump of  claim 4 , wherein the expandable member comprises at least one of an elastomer bladder and a metal bellows. 
     
     
         6 . The pump of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more expansion pumps comprise a first expansion pump and a second expansion pump, and wherein the pump further comprises a switching valve arranged in the fluid circuit to coordinate hydraulic fluid flow between the solid state pump and the first and second expansion pumps. 
     
     
         7 . The pump of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary pump comprises:
 a hydraulic motor in fluid communication with the solid state pump to receive the hydraulic fluid and thereby rotate a drive shaft; and   a fluid pump operatively coupled to the hydraulic motor via the drive shaft, wherein the external fluid is drawn into the fluid pump and pressurized upon rotating the drive shaft.   
     
     
         8 . The pump of  claim 7 , wherein the fluid pump is selected from the group consisting of a centrifugal pump, a rotary screw pump, a rotary lobe pump, a gerotor pump, a progressive cavity pump, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A well system, comprising:
 a pump arrangeable within production tubing extended within a wellbore, the pump including:
 a solid state pump including a solid state actuator actuatable to pressurize a hydraulic fluid; and 
 a secondary pump in fluid communication with the solid state pump via a fluid circuit, wherein the secondary pump is actuatable with the hydraulic fluid received from the solid state pump; and 
 a control system communicably coupled to the pump to control operation of the pump, 
   wherein actuating the secondary pump draws a wellbore liquid into the secondary pump, pressurizes the wellbore liquid within the secondary pump, and discharges a pressurized wellbore liquid into the production tubing for production to a surface location.   
     
     
         10 . The well system of  claim 9 , further comprising one or more sensors in communication with the control system and operable to detect one or more downhole parameters, wherein operation of the pump is based on one or more signals received from the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         11 . The well system of  claim 9 , wherein the solid state actuator is selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric actuator, an electrostrictive actuator, a magnetorestrictive actuator, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The well system of  claim 9 , wherein the secondary pump comprises one or more expansion pumps, and each expansion pump includes an expansion tank and an expandable member positioned within the expansion tank. 
     
     
         13 . The well system of  claim 12 , wherein the expandable member comprises at least one of an elastomer bladder and a metal bellows. 
     
     
         14 . The well system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more expansion pumps comprise a first expansion pump and a second expansion pump, the well system further comprising a switching valve arranged in the fluid circuit to coordinate hydraulic fluid flow between the solid state pump and the first and second expansion pumps. 
     
     
         15 . The well system of  claim 9 , wherein the secondary pump comprises:
 a hydraulic motor in fluid communication with the solid state pump to receive the hydraulic fluid and thereby rotate a drive shaft; and   a fluid pump operatively coupled to the hydraulic motor via the drive shaft, wherein the wellbore liquid is drawn into the fluid pump and pressurized upon rotation of the drive shaft.   
     
     
         16 . The well system of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid pump comprises a pump selected from the group consisting of a centrifugal pump, a rotary screw pump, a rotary lobe pump, a gerotor pump, a progressive cavity pump, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 positioning a pump within production tubing extended within a wellbore, the pump including a solid state pump having a solid state actuator, and a secondary pump in fluid communication with the solid state pump via a fluid circuit;   actuating the solid state actuator and thereby conveying a hydraulic fluid to the secondary pump via the fluid circuit;   actuating the secondary pump with the hydraulic fluid received from the solid state pump and thereby drawing a wellbore liquid into the secondary pump and pressurizing the wellbore liquid within the secondary pump;   discharging a pressurized wellbore liquid from the secondary pump and into the production tubing for production to a surface location; and   controlling operation of the pump with a control system communicably coupled to the pump.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising
 detecting one or more downhole parameters with one or more sensors in communication with the control system; and   controlling operation of the pump based at least partially on one or more signals received from the one or more sensors.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the secondary pump comprises a first expansion pump and a second expansion pump, and wherein a switching valve is arranged in the fluid circuit, the method further comprising operating the switching valve to coordinate hydraulic fluid flow between the solid state pump and the first and second expansion pumps. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the secondary pump comprises a hydraulic motor in fluid communication with the solid state pump, and a fluid pump operatively coupled to the hydraulic motor at a drive shaft extended from the hydraulic motor, the method further comprising:
 receiving the hydraulic fluid from the solid state pump at the hydraulic motor and thereby rotating the drive shaft; and   drawing the wellbore liquid into the fluid pump upon rotation of the drive shaft, and thereby pressurizing the wellbore liquid.