Patent ID: 9334865
Filing Date: 2016-05-10
CPC Classification: F04D,F05D

Claim Text:
1. An electrical submersible pump assembly, comprising: a plurality of modules, including a centrifugal pump module, a motor module, and a seal section module located between the motor module and the pump module; a plurality of stages in the pump module, each of the stages having an impeller and a diffuser and comprising: a thrust runner coupled to a drive shaft in the pump module for rotation therewith, the thrust runner having an exterior cylindrical portion, an upward facing thrust receiving surface for receiving down thrust from the impeller and a downward facing thrust transferring surface; a bushing having a bore that receives the cylindrical portion of the sleeve in sliding, rotational engagement, the bushing having an upward facing thrust receiving surface for receiving down thrust from the thrust transferring surface of the thrust runner, the bushing having a downward facing thrust transferring surface; a receptacle in the diffuser that receives the bushing, the receptacle being of less hardness than the bushing, the receptacle having an upward facing thrust receiving surface; the bushing having a cylindrical exterior portion of smaller diameter than a portion of the receptacle, defining an annular gap; a layer of elastomeric material bonded between the cylindrical exterior portion of the bushing and the receptacle and between the thrust transferring surface of the bushing and the thrust receiving surface of the receptacle.