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Investigation of Failed Pump Components
Investigation of Failed Pump Components
(DE85009648)
BY
Douglas K. Werner
March 15,1985
DISCLAIMER
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Codes are used for pricing all publications. The code is determined by the number
of pages in the publication. Information pertaining to the pricing codes can be
found in the current issues of the following publications, which are generally avail-
able in most libraries: Energy Research Abstracts (ERA); Government Reports
Announcements and Index (GRA and I); Scientific and Technical Abstract
Reports (STAR); and publication NTIS-PR-360 available from NTIS at the above
address.
DOE/AL/18536-T1
(DE850O9648)
Distribution Category UC66C
- - - -__
FINAL REPORT
INVESTIGATION OF COMPONENT FAILURES
IN-DOWNHOLE GEOTHERMAL
PUMPING SYSTEMS
.)1
BA RBER-NICHOL
L
I
6325 W. 55th Ave.
Arvada, CO 80002
-
ENGINEERING
F'CF FINAL REPURT
.
1 C) INTRODUCT I ON
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
I elements.
__ ~ ~ _ _ -~ ~ ~- - - - __- - - - - -- -
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\.
c.\ Investigated brine scale b u i l d u p on impeller sleeve
s -
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a relief v vented o i l f r o m t h e t o p o f the
1n c a r p a r a t e d as -the
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pumps o p e r a t i n g w i t h 35OQ-F b r i n e .
r e s e r v o i r on t h e s u r f a c e (known as t h e accumulator v e s s e l ) i s .
maintained a t constant p r e s s u r e by r e g u l a t i n g t h e gas pressure
w e l l pressure. T h i s r e g u l a t e d o i l p r e s s u r e i s t h e n connected to
downhole r e l i e f valve. A n ex
i
p r e s s u r e i n case of o i l s u p p l y system f a i l u r e .
- - ___ -.
. ._ - - A n oil--flow.meter-.-.i5 provided an t h e - s u r f a c e to monitor - -
. .
1 8
convenience.
valve wa5 believed to meet the flow requirements, but not the
constructed, were i n s t a l l e d i n t h e B a r b e r - N i c h o l s l a b o r a t o r y w e l l
wear o r d i s t r e s s .
e x p e d i e n t replacement f o r t h e l a b o r a t o r y t e s t i n g .
tightly. Samples of the black material, new ' o i i and used oil
e t e s t l o o p and t o t h e r e l i e f v a l v e s e a t where
i t accumulated, p r e v e n t i n g t h e v a l v e from c l o s i n g .
.
. - . The- m o d i f i e d p r e s s u r e r e g u l a t o r was t e s t e d f o r 3,200 total
T
i
wellhead i s c a l l e d t h e p a c k o f f .
. .
I
ucing an improved pothead and
\
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c
ef l o n - i n s u l a t e d copper conductor most met our goals. However a t
regard.
ath.This annulus m be p r e s s u r i z e d
p r e s s u r i z e t h e motor c a v i t y b y s i m p l y a d m i t t i n g o i l t o t h e motor
of t h e i n s u l a t e d c o n d u c t o r i n t h e metallic s h e a t h is known a s t h e
i n t e r f a c e s w i t h t h e motor h e a d . T h i s c o n f i g u r a t i o n p r o v i d e s good
P r e s s u r i z e d oi 1 would t h e n backup t h r o u g h
c o u l d b e made o f Monel, a1 l o y
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i m p e l l e r s , s l e e v e b e a r i n g s or t h r u s t w a t e r s , t h e pump operating
el e c t r i c a l o v e r 1 c a d s .
I
I ' ' 17
well.
i n g t h e e v o l u t i o n of carbon d i o x i d e , t h e r e f o r e t h e amount
minimal. If t h e a c i d is a d d e d to t h e w e l l . a n n + i l u s , i t may s i m p l y
f l o w down past the pump a n d clean' the well casing while not
r e m o v i n g t h e pump i n t e r n a l scale.
I
ng t h e pump t ough t h e production tube requires
i n s t a l 1a t i o n . Pumps n o r m a l 1y .
h o u l d n o t be i n s t a l l e d a t the
1s o p e r a t i n g experience
quired i n a r t e s i a n w e l l s .
1
.___Ahalternative--tcr-aridiaing.
scaled - pumps- w o u l d be t o add -
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equipment f r o m c a l c i u m c a r b o n a t e o r s i l i c a s c a l i n g .
motor t h r o u g h a p r o t e c t o r which c o n t a i n s t h e s h a f t s e a l s r e q u i r e d
inlet.
TABLE I1
'
8-1 1 9 2 79
(f0%4/793.
- ' 620 315 333 Motor burned out
Wellhead incipient
failure
8-1 2 11/16/79 5/05/80 620 4052 333 Motor contained
(11/17/79) (5/19/80) . # gallon water
leak path unknown
8-1 3 6/25/80 8/26/80 620 1481 333 Packoff failure
6/26I801 (9/22/80)
6-2 1 8/21/80 8/26/80 762 100 350 Packoff failure
(8/22/80) (9/17/80)
6-2 2 9/18/80 12/18/80 731 2184 350 Same unit as 6-2
(9/18/801 (1/15/81) Build # l e SUS-
pected incipient
cable failure
6-2 1/16/81 1/31/81 762 3 36 350 Packoff failure
I
(1/17/81) (2/03/81) *
dr leaking wellhead
6-2 2/06/81 1 2/06/81 731 si 350 Leaking wellhead
(2/06/81) (2109/81)
6-2 2/10/81 2/11/82 700 350 Pot head crack
(2/10/81) (21171811
6-2 3/17/81 6/27/81 729 2352 350 Wet cable. .Wet m o t (
I ( 3/18/81) (7/24/81) Suspected pothead
water leak
6-2 : 5 9/04/81 9/14/81 739 136 350 BIN oil pressur-
(91081811 (9/22/811 izing system.
Oil supply tube
failure. Pot
head O-ring
shaved
6-2 6 10/23/81 9/22/82 615 7900 350 BIN oil pressur-
izing system.
Sand wore out
pump elements
6-2 7 1016182 1/04/83 . 615 1152 350 B/N oil pressur-
(10/07/82) 5/25/83 izing system.
Damaged well casir,
caused pump to be- ;
come stuck
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4
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21 j
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o p e r a t i n g f o r e i g h t days. While a t t e m p t i n g t o r e s t a r t t h e pump I
me1ted.
P u i l d # 2 , Well 8-1
motor.
,
T h i s pump was. i n s t a l l e d 6/25/86 i n w e l l 8-1. On 8/26/80
n o t i n place. T h i s b a r r i e r prevents t h e n a t u r a l c i r c u l a t i o n of
6
f
i n t o t h e packof area. I t s need was i d e n t i f i e d i n the
water..-.i n . . t h e p r o t e c t o r ,
._~hr_ee,_~__There.was;.nn. but there-was some-
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23
w a s f a i l i n g b e c a u s e of a s h o r t i n t h e c a b l e .
'\\
B u i l d #3. W e l l 6-2
j o i n t a n d a new p a c k o f f w a 5 made u s i n g l u b r i c a n t t o h e l p s e a t t h e
sealing blocks,
a v o i d i n t h e pothead c a s t i n g .
. .
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thritst washers ha been overheated and were cracked and
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was concluded t h a t t h e f a i l u r e o f t h i s pump w a s caused by water
o i l p r e s s u r i z a t i o n system.'\, T h i s c o n s i s t e d of a surface-mounted
. .
The pump wa5 shut down' on 9/14/81 t o p e r f o r m maintenance on
t the electrical
were d r a i n e d f r o m t h e motor
3. T h e p e r f o r m a n c e d e c r e a s e d t o a p o i n t w h e r e t h e pump c o u l d n o t
t h r u s t b a l a n c i n g 5edlS a1
r u b a g a i n s t t h e i r s t a t o r s , t h e r e b y c a u s i n g a d d i t i o n a l wear. The
motor i n s u l a t i o n w a s i n e x c e l l e n t c o n d i t i o n a n d t h e meggar s h o w e d
z 'C
a
82
T\M€.
- 3%
- -34
32c
3
a
a * '
d
240
2-20
. .
30
-1
oil. T h i s phosphorous combined w i t h calcium i n the brine to
protectors .
believed t h a t the dry nitrogen gas used ’ for the bubble tube
. l e a v i n g b e h i n d a c a l c i u m carbonate d e p o s i t .
a t t e m p t t o p u l l t h e u n i t on 2/8/83, we d i s c o v e r e d t h e production
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1 0 0 gpm o f b r i n e f r o m t h e annulous f o r 60 hours. Sufficient k i l l
an opening p a s t t h e pump.
n o t go below 315 f e e t .
1
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5.2 'EHATING EXP ENCE O F OTHERS
f
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e n c l o s e d i s f r o m t h e d r a f t copy o f t h e EPRI r e p o r t .
d to Bartlesville, 0
I
e i t h e r d u r i n g t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n o r removal. The pothead had blown
.-
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35
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TABLE I11
GEOTHERMAL PUMPING EXPERIENCE S U W Y : ELECTRIC SWHERSIBLES
.a-