Patent ID: 9200634
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: E21B,F04D

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for maintaining the operation of a geothermal production pump which comprises one or more impellers and a vertical line shaft for driving said one or more impellers, comprising: a liquid buffer for isolating a discharge column through which pumped geothermal fluid including noncondensable gases flows from a lubrication column through which oil for lubricating one or more bearings of the line shaft flows, said liquid buffer being interposed between said discharge column and an outlet of said lubrication column to prevent infiltration of the noncondensable gases into the lubrication column, wherein the liquid buffer is defined by a cup structure which comprises an upper oil receiving section facing the lubrication column outlet, and a lower securing element related to said upper oil receiving section for defining an interior of said upper oil receiving section and for securing said cup structure to the line shaft, spent oil from the lubrication column being introducible into, and overflowable from, said upper oil receiving section, wherein a lowermost bearing of the one or most bearings is a thrust bearing, further comprising a bowl in which the cup structure and the thrust bearing are housed, said bowl being in fluid communication with, and being located above, a further bowl in which is housed an uppermost impeller.