Patent ID: 8287235

Claim:
An electrical submersible pump, comprising; a housing having a head and a base; diffusers mounted in the housing; diffuser spacers, each of the diffuser spacers installed between a respective pair of the diffusers; a shaft installed in the housing on a journal bearing in the head and a journal bearing in the base; ceramic impellers installed on the shaft wherein each ceramic impeller comprises a slot; impeller spacers, each of the impeller spacers installed between a respective pair of the ceramic impellers, wherein each impeller spacer comprises a rounded slot that extends axially along a full length of an inner surface and a protrusion that mates with the slot of a respective one of the ceramic impellers for transmitting torque; and a compression nut mounted to the shaft to apply a compressive force to the ceramic impellers and the impeller spacers for eliminating gaps therebetween.