Abstract: A cable for a submersible pump has three insulated power conductors assembled in a flat configuration. The power conductors are wrapped with an inner armor such as a metal strip. An auxiliary line is placed alongside the inner armor and wrapped in an outer armor. The outer armor is also a metal strip.

Abstract: A clamp attaches an electric submersible pump cable to a sucker rod to deploy and support the cable in an oil well. The clamp includes a core portion having a bore extending axially through the core portion for receiving the sucker rod. A pair of arms extends radially outwardly from the core portion. The arms grip the cable on the facing surfaces of the arms for engaging the cable in a space between the arms.

Abstract: An electrical cable assembly (10) comprising a cable core (12) and filler layer (16) encased in longitudinally welded reeled tubing (23) so as to restrict relative axial and longitudinal motion between the cable core (12) and reeled tubing (23). Small-diameter tubing (24) is optionally provided as part of the cable core (12) to facilitate the delivery of fluids such as lubricants and corrosion inhibitors to downhole equipment. A method is disclosed for deploying electrical cables in deep wells through use of the subject apparatus.

Abstract: An electrical coupling assembly for conducting electricity between two areas of different pressures including a hollow housing extending between the areas of different pressures, an upper electrical cable connector slidably coupled within the upper end of the housing, an upper penetrator assembly located in the housing for sealing the upper end of the housing, three electrical conductors located in the housing for conducting electricity between the upper and lower ends of the housing, a lower penetrator assembly located in the housing for sealing the lower end of the housing, and a lower electrical cable connector slidably coupled within the lower end of the housing. The longitudinal axes of the upper connector, upper penetrator assembly, and upper connecting ends of the conductors are offset from the longitudinal axes of the lower connector, lower penetrator assembly, and the lower connecting ends of the conductors.

Abstract: An electrical cable connector for conducting electricity across the interface of two areas containing two different fluids having substantially the same pressure and that are subjected to rapid increases in pressure. The electrical cable connector includes a hollow housing positioned between the two areas of fluid, an electrical cable extending into the housing, and a sealing assembly for sealing the space between the electrical cable and the inner surface of the housing to prevent fluids from passing between the two areas. The sealing assembly includes an annular sealing element or elements, optional O-rings, a bushing, a compression spring for axially compressing and thereby radially biasing the sealing element or elements, a conductor connector end, and a locking ring. The sealing elements are pressure energized and are generally U-shaped in longitudinal cross section, having first and second concentric leg portions.

Abstract: An electrical cable connector for connecting an electrical cable to an electric motor, especially in an oil well. The electrical cable connector includes a hollow cylindrical housing receiving a portion of the electrical cable therein and a sealing assembly for sealing the space between the cable and the housing to prevent the corrosive material in the oil well from eroding the electrical connection. The sealing assembly includes a disk rigidly coupled to the housing and a movable disk axially biased towards the other disk. A sealing plug is positioned between the two disks and comprises a substantially uncured flowable, incompressible seal material sandwiched between a pair of cured rubber sealing disks. The movable disk asserts pressure on the sealing plug so that the flowable material will flow into any otherwise empty spaces between the sealing disks and the cable and between the sealing disks and the housing.

Abstract: An electrical coupling for conducting electricity between areas of different pressures including a hollow housing extending between the areas of different pressures, an electrical cable extending through the housing, a seal located in the housing, a compression assembly for compressing the seal, a first pressure-equalizing assembly at one end of the housing for maintaining the pressure inside the housing at least equal to the pressure outside the housing at that end, and a second pressure-equalizing assembly at the other end of the housing for maintaining the pressure inside the housing at least equal to the pressure outside the housing at that other end. Each of the pressure-equalizing assemblies comprises a dielectric flowable grease filling the otherwise empty spaces inside the housing and a movable wall, that is exposed to the exterior pressure, pressurizing the grease.

Abstract: A self-supporting power cable which is especially useful in seismic testing. The cable includes an outer armor layer, a pair of tensile elements located inside the armor layer, a power conveying assembly located inside the armor layer and between the tensile elements, and filler material filling the otherwise empty spaces within the armor layer. The tensile elements are advantageously formed of several concentric layers of spirally-wrapped wire strands with at least the outer layer having less than a full contingent of strands. This improves the cable's strength-to-weight ratio while providing self support. To provide transverse force resistance against the cleats of a feeding device, the outer layer of the wire ropes contact the walls of the outer armor layer.

Abstract: A lead sheathed power cable especially useful for powering electric submersible pumps in brine wells. The cable is easy to grip and support and resists damage during flexing and chemical attack. The cable comprises at least one power conduit, vulcanized filler material enclosing the power conduit, a lead tube enclosing the filler material, a spacer assembly enclosing the tube, and an outer armor sheath. The armor sheath has a helically grooved inner surface which is interfitted with a conforming helically grooved outer surface on the malleable tube. The outer surface on the tube is helically grooved during initial heating of the cable, which vulcanizes and thermally outwardly expands the filler material and outwardly expands the tube so that the groove on the armor sheath is impressed into the tube.

Abstract: An elongated cable structure of rigid and flat transverse cross-section for protecting conduits of various types includes interior axial lines of high tensile strength which may be used to suspend equipment from one cable end and to force the equipment axially past obstructions in a well hole. The structure may be raised and lowered in the well hole by means of exterior teeth which are firmly secured to the underlying tensile lines project from the surface of the structure to mesh with traction drives.

Abstract: A splice joins two pushing and pulling cables. Each cable has a plurality of gripping members defining a longitudinal cavity, a bendable power line housed in the cavity and elongated tensile elements enclosed and compressed by the gripping members. The adjacent ends of the tensile elements are connected by tensile element splices. Adjacent ends of the power lines are connected by a power line splice. A plurality of splice blocks are located end to end along the longitudinal axis, and enclose and compress the tensile element splices and the tensile element. The splice blocks define a longitudinally extending chamber housing the power line and the power line splice in a relatively stress free state.

Abstract: An armored cable structure which converts a plurality of stranded flexible wire ropes for suspending and retrieving the cable structure in a bore hole into members which are also rigid in longitudinal compression and constrained against birdcaging. The converted ropes serve as positively drivable members for forcing the cable structure and any equipment attached to the down-hole end thereof down-hole.

Abstract: An elongated, reinforced power cable for use in adverse environments. The cable is provided with internal structural members to resist crushing and other mechanical forces. The cable includes at least two power conductor assemblies which extend along the longitudinal axis of the cable. A protective metallic layer is provided for each conductor assembly and completely encases each conductor assembly. The conductor assemblies and protective metallic layers are aligned in a row within the cable, the row having a left end, a right end, a top plane and a bottom plane. A rigid support member is positioned at each end of the row of conductor assemblies. The support members have a height at least equal to the height of the protective layers to prevent compression of the protective layers and conductor assemblies. An armored covering is provided which fully encloses the support members, the protective layers and the conductor assemblies.

Abstract: A reinforced electrical cable having a plurality of conductor assemblies in an armor covering, and filler material filling the interstices between the conductor assemblies and the armor covering, and the method of forming the cable. Each conductor assembly includes a core of conducting material, a layer of insulation which surrounds the core, a second layer of chemical barrier material which surrounds the first layer and a layer of reinforcing material surrounding the insulation layer. The plurality of conductor assemblies are then arranged as desired and the filler material (in the unvulcanized state) is placed around and between the conductor assemblies. The quantity of filler material placed between and around the conductor assemblies is sufficient to fill the interior of the armor covering in its unvulcanized state. The armor covering is next placed around the conductor assemblies and the filler material. The unvulcanized filler material conforms to the interior of the armor covering.

Abstract: An armored electrical cable which is especially useful in oil wells and provides resistance to corrosion, explosive decompression and transverse compressive forces. The cable comprises an insulated conductor, a barrier layer enclosing the insulation, a filler layer enclosing the barrier layer, and a square compression-resistant layer enclosing the filler layer. The barrier layer is a lead sheath having a closed cross section with an exterior including four right angle corners oriented in a square and four convex areas, each interconnecting a pair of adjacent right angle corners. The filler layer comprises a thermosetting tape, an open-mesh fabric tape, and a polymeric tape of low frictional coefficient.

Abstract: A reinforced insulated electrical cable and a method of forming the cable, which is especially useful in oil wells. The reinforcement comprises a thin tape of thermosetting material imbedded with an open-mesh fabric, the tape being spirally wrapped directly around the cable's insulation. The tape is wrapped in unvulcanized form and is then vulcanized in place over the insulation. The layer of open-mesh fabric is spaced from the outer surface of the insulation so that, during vulcanization, the insulation can radially outwardly expand without contacting and thus deforming the fabric, and at the same time the insulation can push part of the thermosetting material through the spaces in the fabric.

Abstract: An electrical cable especially useful in oil wells having a gas conducting channel beneath the outer sheath and a valved vent through the sheath to prevent explosive decompression. Gases entrained in the cable's insulation can exit from the insulation into the channel, move longitudinally of the cable along the channel and exit from the sheath via the vent. The cable comprises an insulated conductor, a low gas-permeable sheath surrounding the insulation, the gas conducting channel located between the insulation and the sheath, and the vent in the sheath and communicating with the channel. The channel can be formed of a plurality of filaments or fibers located closely adjacent one another to form a bundle. A plurality of bundles can be used, which can extend linearly or spirally along the insulation or in interwoven form.

Abstract: An armored cable having a plurality of individually insulated conductors and force-resisting members formed with an arcuate cross-sectional shape which substantially conforms to the curvature of the surface on which it is mounted. Opposite surfaces of each force-resisting member in the cable have different widths in cross-section to provide the desired enclosure of the underlying insulation on a conductor after the formation of the arcuate bend in the cable.

Abstract: An armored electrical cable structure for resisting destruction and degradation of the conductor insulation, particularly on the outer conductors. The structure also provides the additional benefits of resisting decompression expansion of the conductor insulation, attack by corrosive agents as well as the conduction of heat from the interior parts of the cable structure to the cable exterior for dissipation.

Abstract: A cable structure includes a plurality of insulated conductors, an exterior jacket and at least one support member within the jacket and between the insulated conductors. Each support member is made of a material which has good thermal conductivity and which is rigid to resist crushing of the cable and damage to the conductors or their insulation. Variously shaped support members are disclosed.