Patent ID: 8747063
Filing Date: 2014-06-10
Classification: F04D

Abstract:
1. An electrical submersible pump assembly having an axis and comprising: a centrifugal pump; an electrical motor coupled to the pump for driving the pump; the centrifugal pump comprising: an annular diffuser having an annular diffuser outer sidewall; diffuser vanes that extend axially and radially within the diffuser from a central bore of the diffuser, defining diffuser passages; an impeller coaxial to the diffuser and having an upstream and a downstream side; a rotatable shaft connected to the impeller for rotating the impeller; an annular wear plate coaxially mounted on a downstream side of the impeller, the wear plate having a wear plate outer sidewall that has a downstream edge in non rotating abutment with an upstream edge of the diffuser outer sidewall, the wear plate having a downstream side surface and an upstream side surface circumscribed by the wear plate outer sidewall, and at least one wear plate passage extending from the upstream side surface to the downstream side surface of the wear plate adjacent to the wear plate outer sidewall; impeller vanes projecting radially through the impeller that are in fluid communication with the wear plate passage; and a fluid flow path extending through the impeller vanes to an outer circumference of the impeller, through the wear plate passage and into the diffuser passages, and through the diffuser passages to the central bore of the diffuser.