Patent ID: 9303648
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: F04D,F16C

Claim Text:
1. An electrical submersible pump assembly for a well, comprising: a rotary pump, an electric motor, and a seal section connected between the rotary pump and the electrical motor; a drive shaft extending along a longitudinal axis from the motor through the seal section and into the pump for driving the pump; at least one bearing in at least one of the pump, the seal section, and the motor, comprising: a bearing sleeve secured to the shaft for rotation therewith; a bushing having a bore that rotatably receives the bearing sleeve in sliding contact, the bushing being formed of an abrasion resistant material; a support member non rotatably mounted in said one of the pump, the seal section, and the motor, the support member having a bore into which the bushing locates, the bore of the support member having a greater inner diameter than an outer diameter of the bushing, defining an annular gap, the support member being formed of a material having less hardness than the material of the bushing; a compliant member in the annular gap in engagement with the bushing and the support member, preventing rotation of the bushing relative to the support member and allowing limited radial movement of the bushing relative to the support member; a bearing carrier having a bore and rigidly mounted in said one of the pump, the seal section, and the motor; wherein an initial outer diameter of the support member is greater than an inner diameter of the bore of the bearing carrier, defining an interference fit of the support member in the bore of the bearing carrier; the bushing and the support member have axial lengths that are the same, with upper ends that are axially aligned with each other and lower ends that are axially aligned with each other; the compliant member comprises: an upper elastomeric ring bonded to the outer diameter of the bushing and to the inner diameter of the bore of the support member at the upper ends of the bushing and the support member; a lower elastomeric ring bonded to the outer diameter of the bushing and to the inner diameter of the bore of the support member at the lowers ends of the bushing and the support member; wherein the upper elastomeric ring has an upper side axially aligned with the upper ends of the bushing and the support member; and the lower elastomeric ring has a lower side axially aligned with the lower ends of the bushing and the support member.