Patent ID: 8591205
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: E21B,F04B,F16D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A submersible pumping system for pumping wellbore fluid, comprising: a pump motor; a pump; an equalizer or seal section connected between the pump and the pump motor; a splined shaft coupling; a motor shaft having a splined end positioned within one end of the shaft coupling, the motor shaft having a terminal end comprising a centering profile extending therein, the centering profile comprising at least portions of a recess or bore extending axially into the terminal end of the motor shaft; a driven shaft having a splined end positioned within an opposite end of the shaft coupling opposite to the motor shaft, the driven shaft having a terminal end comprising a centering profile extending therein, the centering profile comprising at least portions of a recess or bore extending axially into the terminal end of the driven shaft, the respective splined ends of the motor shaft and driven shall being substantially coaxial within the splined shaft coupling, the driven shaft being, driven by the motor shaft via the spline shaft coupling; and an alignment element coupled within the shaft coupling, the alignment element including a midsection having a midsection diameter and a pair of opposite oriented centering guides extending from a corresponding pair of opposite faces of the midsection and coaxially engaging the centering profiles extending into the respective terminal ends of the motor shaft and driven shaft positioned within the shaft coupling, a diameter of each of the pair of opposite oriented centering guides being smaller than the midsection diameter to form the corresponding pair of opposite faces of the midsection, the terminal end of the motor shaft landing upon a first of the pair of opposite faces of the midsection when receiving a first of the pair of centering guides, and the terminal end of the driven shaft landing upon a second of the pair of opposite faces of midsection when receiving a second of the pair of centering guides.