Abstract: An electrical submersible pump has a stack of diffusers within the housing, each of the diffusers having a conical upper shoulder and a conical lower shoulder. The lower shoulder of each of the diffusers is in abutment with the upper shoulder of an adjacent one of the diffusers. The upper and lower shoulders of each of the diffusers slope downward and outward relative to the axis. Impeller hubs have conical upper and lower ends. At least some of the upper ends of the hubs abut and transfer up thrust to the lower end of an adjacent one of the hubs. At least some of the lower ends of the hubs abut and transfer down thrust to the upper end of an adjacent one of the hubs.

Abstract: A submersible well pump has a rotatable drive shaft extending through pump stages. Each of the stages has a diffuser, an impeller and a bushing fixed for non-rotation in the diffuser. A thrust member has a lower side in sliding rotating engagement with the upward facing surface of the bushing. The bushing and the thrust member are of a harder material than the diffuser and the impeller. A drive member of a softer material than the thrust member is in engagement with the thrust member and has a drive member bore through which the shaft extends. A key extends through the shaft groove, the impeller groove and the drive member groove to cause the impeller and thrust member to rotate with the shaft.

Abstract: A pumping system includes a motor and a drive shaft configured for rotation by the motor. The pumping system includes an upper pump positioned above the motor, an upper pump shaft and an upper directional coupling connected between the drive shaft and the upper pump shaft. The upper directional coupling is configured to lock the upper pump shaft to the drive shaft when the drive shaft is rotated in a first direction. The pumping system further includes a lower pump positioned below the motor, a lower pump shaft, and a lower directional coupling connected between the drive shaft and the lower pump shaft. The lower directional coupling is configured to lock the lower pump shaft to the drive shaft when the drive shaft is rotated in a second direction.

Abstract: A pumping system is designed for deployment and retrieval through the production tubing in a live well intervention. The pumping system includes a pump driven by a motor, which may be an integrated motor or a separated motor in which the stator and rotor are separated by the production tubing. The pumping system can be provided power through a reinforced power cable that is capable of supporting the weight of some combination of the motor and pump, or through a standard power cable that is not designed to carry the weight of additional downhole components.

Abstract: A submersible pump assembly includes a pump, a motor, and a seal section connected between. A shaft passage in the seal section has an outboard end that is open to the pump intake and an inboard end that is in fluid communication with motor lubricant in the motor. A drive shaft extends axially within the shaft passage. An outboard bearing at the outboard end of the shaft passage receives the shaft to provide radial support. An inboard bearing at the inboard end of the shaft passage receives the shaft to provide radial support. A shaft seal in the shaft passage receives and seals around the shaft. The shaft seal is located between the outboard bearing and the inboard bearing and seals motor lubricant in the shaft passage from well fluid in the shaft passage.

Abstract: A submersible well fluid pump has diffusers non-rotatably mounted in a pump housing. A drive shaft rotates an impeller between each of the diffusers. A bearing is positioned between and in abutment with two of the diffusers. An annular recess encircles an outer wall of the bearing. A wave spring has undulations with inward protruding indentations in contact with a base of the recess and outward protruding indentations in engagement with an inner wall of the housing. The wave spring is split and radially compressed between the base of the recess and the housing inner wall.

Abstract: A well fluid centrifugal pump has a shaft passage in the shaft. The shaft passage has an open upper end above the impellers and a closed lower end below the impellers. An outlet port extends laterally from the shaft passage. A gas-lock re-priming device in the shaft passage diverts a portion of well fluid in the discharge adapter bore through the shaft passage and out the outlet port. The re-priming device may be a pressure actuated valve that is biased to a closed position and opens when the pressure in the discharge adapter bore drops below a minimum. Alternately, the re-priming device may be an orifice member with an orifice passage that continuously diverts a portion of the well fluid in the discharge adapter bore out the outlet port.

Abstract: A submersible pump assembly has a seal section between the motor and the well fluid pump, the seal section having a housing, a shaft and a thrust bearing unit. The thrust bearing unit includes a thrust runner mounted to the shaft that rotates against a thrust bearing base fixed in the housing. An annular, metal thrust runner wave spring has an inner diameter surface in contact with the shaft and an outer diameter surface in contact with the runner bore. The wave spring has a transverse width between the inner diameter surface and the outer diameter surface that is elastically deflectable, exerting an inward bias force against the shaft and an outward bias force against the runner bore.

Abstract: A submersible well pump has a rotatable drive shaft extending through pump stages. Each of the stages has a diffuser, an impeller and a bushing fixed for non-rotation in the diffuser. A thrust member has a lower side in sliding rotating engagement with the upward facing surface of the bushing. The bushing and the thrust member are of a harder material than the diffuser and the impeller. A drive member of a softer material than the thrust member is in engagement with the thrust member and has a drive member bore through which the shaft extends. A key extends through the shaft groove, the impeller groove and the drive member groove to cause the impeller and thrust member to rotate with the shaft.

Abstract: An electrical submersible pump has a stack of diffusers within the housing, each of the diffusers having a conical upper shoulder and a conical lower shoulder. The lower shoulder of each of the diffusers is in abutment with the upper shoulder of an adjacent one of the diffusers. The upper and lower shoulders of each of the diffusers slope downward and outward relative to the axis. Impeller hubs have conical upper and lower ends. At least some of the upper ends of the hubs abut and transfer up thrust to the lower end of an adjacent one of the hubs. At least some of the lower ends of the hubs abut and transfer down thrust to the upper end of an adjacent one of the hubs.

Abstract: A submersible well fluid pump has diffusers non-rotatably mounted in a pump housing. A drive shaft rotates an impeller between each of the diffusers. A bearing is positioned between and in abutment with two of the diffusers. An annular recess encircles an outer wall of the bearing. A wave spring has undulations with inward protruding indentations in contact with a base of the recess and outward protruding indentations in engagement with an inner wall of the housing. The wave spring is split and radially compressed between the base of the recess and the housing inner wall.

Abstract: A submersible pump assembly includes a pump, a motor, and a seal section connected between. A shaft passage in the seal section has an outboard end that is open to the pump intake and an inboard end that is in fluid communication with motor lubricant in the motor. A drive shaft extends axially within the shaft passage. An outboard bearing at the outboard end of the shaft passage receives the shaft to provide radial support. An inboard bearing at the inboard end of the shaft passage receives the shaft to provide radial support. A shaft seal in the shaft passage receives and seals around the shaft. The shaft seal is located between the outboard bearing and the inboard bearing and seals motor lubricant in the shaft passage from well fluid in the shaft passage.

Abstract: A submersible pump assembly has a seal section between the motor and the well fluid pump, the seal section having a housing, a shaft and a thrust bearing unit. The thrust bearing unit includes a thrust runner mounted to the shaft that rotates against a thrust bearing base fixed in the housing. An annular, metal thrust runner wave spring has an inner diameter surface in contact with the shaft and an outer diameter surface in contact with the runner bore. The wave spring has a transverse width between the inner diameter surface and the outer diameter surface that is elastically deflectable, exerting an inward bias force against the shaft and an outward bias force against the runner bore.

Abstract: A well fluid pump has a housing with a stator having a stack of discs through which windings extend. First and second stage modules in a bore of the stator have rotating impellers and non-rotating diffusers. Magnets mounted in each of the stage modules rotate the impellers in response to electromagnetic fields generated by the windings. Anti-rotation members join adjacent ones of the impellers together in each of the stage modules for rotation in unison. A bearing assembly between the first and second stage modules has a rotatable inner portion in engagement with the impellers in the first and second stage modules for causing them to rotate in unison. The bearing assembly has a non-rotating outer portion in engagement with the stator to prevent rotation.

Abstract: A submersible well pump assembly includes a pump driven by a motor. The pump has a number of stages, each stage including a diffuser having an annular diffuser inlet with an annular outer wall. Diffuser passages lead downstream and inward from the diffuser inlet. An impeller has a circumferential outer edge adjacent the outer wall of the diffuser inlet. Notches are formed in the circumferential outer edge, defining a serrated configuration.

Abstract: A well fluid centrifugal pump has a shaft passage in the shaft. The shaft passage has an open upper end above the impellers and a closed lower end below the impellers. An outlet port extends laterally from the shaft passage. A gas-lock re-priming device in the shaft passage diverts a portion of well fluid in the discharge adapter bore through the shaft passage and out the outlet port. The re-priming device may be a pressure actuated valve that is biased to a closed position and opens when the pressure in the discharge adapter bore drops below a minimum. Alternately, the re-priming device may be an orifice member with an orifice passage that continuously diverts a portion of the well fluid in the discharge adapter bore out the outlet port.

Abstract: A pumping system includes a motor and a drive shaft configured for rotation by the motor. The pumping system includes an upper pump positioned above the motor, an upper pump shaft and an upper directional coupling connected between the drive shaft and the upper pump shaft. The upper directional coupling is configured to lock the upper pump shaft to the drive shaft when the drive shaft is rotated in a first direction. The pumping system further includes a lower pump positioned below the motor, a lower pump shaft, and a lower directional coupling connected between the drive shaft and the lower pump shaft. The lower directional coupling is configured to lock the lower pump shaft to the drive shaft when the drive shaft is rotated in a second direction.

Abstract: A well pump has a shaft with at least one shaft drive flank extending a length of the shaft. Impellers are located between non-rotating diffusers. Each impeller has a hub with an impeller hub bore through which the shaft extends. The impeller hub bore has at least one impeller drive flank that is in flush contact with the shaft drive flank to impart rotation to the impeller. The shaft drive flanks may be on opposite sides of the shaft and parallel with each other. The shaft may have six of the shaft drive flanks symmetrically arranged around the shaft and joining each other. The shaft drive flanks may be three involute curved surfaces that join each other.

Abstract: A submersible well pump assembly has a motor that rotates a drive shaft within the pump. The pump has a number of pump stages, each stage having a diffuser and an impeller. A bushing is fixed for non-rotation within the diffuser. A thrust runner sleeve mounted to the drive shaft has an outer diameter surface in sliding rotating engagement with an inner diameter surface of the bushing. At least one seal ring is mounted to the sleeve in sealing engagement with the drive shaft to block the entry of well fluid particulates between the sleeve and the drive shaft.

Abstract: A well pump assembly has a submersible well fluid pump, motor, and seal section with a seal section shaft for transferring rotation of a motor drive shaft to a pump drive shaft. The seal section has a shaft passage through which the seal section shaft extends. A movable compensating element has an interior containing motor lubricant that is in fluid communication with motor lubricant in the motor and also in fluid communication with motor lubricant in the shaft passage. A shaft seal restricts well fluid from entry into the shaft passage. A lubricant pump driven by the shaft has a discharge within the shaft passage below the shaft seal. A recirculation passage extends from the shaft passage at a point between the discharge of the lubricant pump and the shaft seal to the interior of the compensating element.