Patent ID: 7841395

Claim:
A downhole submersible pumping system disposable in a wellbore comprising: a lower having a discharge and an intake; a recirculation coupling connected with the discharge of the lower pump; an upper pump having a discharge and an intake in fluid communication with the discharge of the lower pump through the recirculation coupling; a pump motor assembly connected below the lower pump for driving the pumps; a pump system fluid inlet in fluid communication with the lower pump intake and the upper pump intake; a drive shall extending from the assembly through the lower pump, the recirculation coupling, and the upper pump; a recirculation line having an intake in fluid communication with the recirculation coupling and an exit configured to discharge fluid from the recirculation line across the pump motor assembly; and a bore extending through the coupling with a lower portion converging radially inward and a shaft through the bore defining an annular space between the shaft and the bore.