Patent ID: 11933323
Assignee: ONESUBSEA IP UK LIMITED
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  E | IPC E  F

Claim 0:
1. A subsea multiphase fluid pressure-increasing machine, comprising:
an elongated member rotatable about a longitudinal axis;
a motor system mechanically engaged to the elongated member so as to rotate the elongated member about the longitudinal axis in a rotation direction; and
a plurality of impellers each impeller comprising a plurality of individual blades, each blade having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side, a high pressure side, a first side connected to the elongated member, a second side, a chord length, and a chord line defined by a line between the leading and trailing edges, each impeller being fixedly mounted to the elongated member such that a chord angle of each blade is defined by an angle between the chord line and the rotation direction is less than or equal to a stall angle at which a maximum force is exerted on a multiphase fluid in a direction primarily parallel to the longitudinal axis when the elongated member is rotated in the rotation direction;
wherein each of the plurality of impellers comprises at least one unobstructed opening extending through each individual blade at a location between the leading edge and the trailing edge, such that the chord length of each blade is configured to be reduced while a pressure gradient along a streamline through the impeller is also reduced;
wherein the at least one unobstructed opening comprises a slot on the suction side and a plurality of orifices, the slot extending from the first side to the second side and defined by a bottom surface, a top surface, and a middle surface extending from the bottom surface to the top surface, the slot disposed between a first portion of the suction side and a second portion of the suction side, the first portion of the suction side extending from the trailing edge to the bottom surface, wherein the first side is partially defined by a first end of the slot and the second side of the blade is partially defined by a second end of the slot, and wherein each orifice of the plurality of orifices extends from the high pressure side to the bottom surface;
wherein the machine is configured for subsea deployment and does not experience surge induced by boundary layer separation with any positive multiphase fluid flows.