Method and apparatus for mounting pumps within a suction vessel
A pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system may include a pressure vessel and at least two motor-pump assemblies located within the pressure vessel. Each of the at least two motor-pump assemblies may include a submersible electric motor and a submersible pump in operable communication with the submersible electrical motor. The submersible pump may be configured to pump fluid from within the pressure vessel to without the pressure vessel. A method for pumping a fluid from a pressure vessel may include supplying a fluid to a pressure vessel, pumping the fluid with two or more submersible electric motor pumps located within the pressure vessel and discharging a pumped fluid from the pressure vessel.
This invention relates generally to submerged electric motor pumps, and, more particularly, this invention relates to submerged electric motor pumps having a unique pressure vessel design.
Submerged electric motor pumps mounted in their own suction or pressure vessels have found use in a variety of industries. Some uses include, but are not limited to, the pumping of cryogenic fluids such as liquid natural gas, and also corrosive and/or hazardous liquids. A typical configuration of a pressure vessel mounted submerged electric motor pump is one that has a centrifugal pump and motor assembly installed in a pressure vessel, with the pressure vessel filled with the liquid being pumped. The vessel may be any material but typically is stainless steel, and designed and fabricated in accordance with the appropriate pressure vessel code, Section VIII of the ASME Pressure Vessel Code in the USA, for instance.
It is common to install two or more pressure vessel mounted submerged electric motor pump systems in order to increase the total pumping capacity and/or to have spare capacity in case one of the pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump systems should malfunction. Such systems are usually installed in parallel with each other. The parallel systems are fed from a common suction source with individual piping (and isolation valves) to the suction nozzle of each of the pumps. Similarly each system is fitted with individual discharge 30, vent line 34, drain line 38 and electrical connections 42 and may also each have an instrumentation connection 46. Of course all of the fluid lines will have the appropriate isolation and non-return valves. Further, the individual suction, drain and vent lines may be routed to a separate suction and phase separation vessel usually mounted at a higher elevation. In addition, each of the individual pump suction vessels requires its own mounting structure. The footprint of such a parallel configuration is very large and requires much space. This space may be difficult to come by in certain applications, such as applications on board ships and/or off shore platforms, or floating storage and regasification vessels (FSRV). Additionally, the separate piping, lines, and valves coupled to each of the pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump systems increase cost and make the overall system very complex, and therefore more difficult and expensive to install and maintain.
BRIEF SUMMARYDisclosed herein are embodiments relating to a pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system including a pressure vessel, at least two motor-pump assemblies located within the pressure vessel, each of the at least two motor-pump assemblies including a submersible electric motor, and a submersible pump in operable communication with the submersible electrical motor, and the submersible pump is configured to pump fluid from within the pressure vessel to without the pressure vessel.
Also disclosed herein are embodiments relating to a system including a pressure vessel, a single suction and phase separation vessel in operable communication with the pressure vessel, at least two motor-pump assemblies located within the pressure vessel, each of the at least two motor-pump assemblies having a submersible electric motor, and a submersible pump coupled to the submersible electrical motor, wherein the submersible pump is configured to pump fluid from within the pressure vessel to without the pressure vessel.
Also disclosed herein are embodiments relating to a method for pumping a fluid from a pressure vessel, the method including supplying a fluid to a pressure vessel, pumping the fluid with two or more submersible electric motor pumps located within the pressure vessel, and discharging a pumped fluid from the pressure vessel.
Also disclosed herein are embodiments relating to a method for pumping a fluid from a pressure vessel, the method including supplying power to two or more submersible electric motors located within the pressure vessel, rotating a rotor located within each of the two or more submersible electric motors, rotating two or more pump shafts each of which are within a separate pump and each of which are in operable communication with each of the rotors. The method further includes pumping a fluid within the pressure vessel with each of the pumps and discharging a pumped fluid from the pressure vessel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSReferring now to the figures, which are exemplary embodiments and wherein like elements are numbered alike:
The disclosed pressure vessel mounted submerged electric motor pump system comprises two or more pumps within one pressure vessel. No other known pressure vessel pump system for cryogenic liquefied gas has two or more pumps within one pressure vessel. Advantages of having two or more pumps within one pressure vessel is that suction piping and vent piping are simplified, and cost and space required are reduced. Submerged electric motor pump systems with two or more pumps within one pressure vessel will have a smaller footprint than two or more pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump systems. This smaller footprint is especially advantageous where space is at a premium, such as, but not limited to, offshore platforms, and shipboard installations. Additionally, since there is only one pressure vessel, as opposed to two or more pressure vessels, there only needs to be one set of pressure vessel piping, as opposed to two or more sets of pressure vessel suction and vent piping, thus making for less complex and less costly installation.
Although only one motor-pump pair's configuration was described above with respect to
The pump 112 shown in
Referring back to
Still referring to
For the embodiments shown in
The disclosed pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system takes up a smaller footprint than a comparable number of one pump per pressure vessel systems coupled in parallel. The disclosed pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system requires fewer piping connections. Therefore the disclosed pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system should be less expensive than a comparable number of one pump per pressure vessel systems coupled in parallel, and easier to install, service and maintain.
The use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another.
While the invention has been described with reference to several embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system comprising:
- a pressure vessel;
- at least two motor-pump assemblies located within the pressure vessel, each of the at least two motor-pump assemblies comprising: a submersible electric motor; and a submersible pump in operable communication with the submersible electrical motor, and the submersible pump is configured to pump fluid from within the pressure vessel to without the pressure vessel.
2. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1, wherein the pressure vessel comprises a pressure vessel pump housing for each of the motor-pump assemblies.
3. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1, wherein each submersible pump is in operable communication with a discharge line, and the discharge line is operably communicable with discharge piping located externally of the pressure vessel.
4. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1, wherein each submersible pump is in operable communication with a vent line, and the vent line is operably communicable with vent piping located externally of the pressure vessel.
5. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1, wherein each submersible electrical motor is in operable communication with an electrical connection, and the electrical connection is operably communicable with power source.
6. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1, wherein the pressure vessel has a pressure vessel vent line, and the pressure vessel vent line is operably communicable with piping located externally of the pressure vessel.
7. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1, wherein the pressure vessel has a drain line, and the drain line is operably communicable with piping located externally of the pressure vessel.
8. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1 configured such that:
- at least one pump is in operable communication with a discharge line via a first valve;
- at least one pump is in operable communication with a suction line via a second valve;
- at least one pump is in operable communication with a vent line via a third valve; and
- the at least one motor-pump assembly may be removed from the pressure vessel by closing the first, second and third valves.
9. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 8, wherein the suction end of the at least one pump is in operable communication with a foot valve, and the foot valve is in operable communication with the pressure vessel.
10. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 8, wherein the first valve, second valve and third valve are foot valves.
11. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 8, further configured such that the system may operate with at least one motor-pump assembly removed from the pressure vessel.
12. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1, wherein a number of motor-pump assemblies located within the pressure vessel is selected between the range of three to six.
13. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least two motor-pump assemblies is removably positionable within the pressure vessel.
14. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 13 wherein the at least one of the at least two motor-pump assemblies includes a valve which is open when the at least one of the at least two motor-pump assemblies is installed in the pressure vessel and which closes when the at least one of the at least two motor-pump assemblies is removed from the pressure vessel.
15. The pressure vessel and submerged electric motor pump system of claim 1 wherein the pressure vessel includes a main tank for receiving a portion of each of the at least two motor-pump assemblies and for storing a fluid, and wherein the pressure vessel further includes a support column, extending exteriorly of the main tank, for each of the at least two motor-pump assemblies.
16. A submerged electric motor pump system comprising:
- a pressure vessel;
- a single suction and phase separation vessel in operable communication with the pressure vessel;
- at least two motor-pump assemblies located within the pressure vessel, each of the at least two motor-pump assemblies comprising: a submersible electric motor; and a submersible pump coupled to the submersible electrical motor, and the submersible pump is configured to pump fluid from within the pressure vessel to without the pressure vessel.
17. The submerged electric motor pump system of claim 16 wherein the pressure vessel is configured to be in operable communication with the single suction and phase separation vessel via a single set of suction, drain and vent lines.
18. A method for pumping a fluid from a pressure vessel, the method comprising:
- supplying a fluid to a pressure vessel;
- pumping the fluid with two or more submersible electric motor pumps located within the pressure vessel; and
- discharging a pumped fluid from the pressure vessel.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising removing one of the two or more submersible electric motor pumps from the pressure vessel.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein supplying a fluid to a pressure vessel, pumping the fluid with two or more submersible electric motor pumps located within the pressure vessel, and discharging a pumped fluid from the pressure vessel continues during removing one of the two or more submersible electric motor pumps from the pressure vessel.
21. A method for pumping a fluid from a pressure vessel, the method comprising:
- supplying power to two or more submersible electric motors located within the pressure vessel;
- rotating a rotor located within each of the two or more submersible electric motors;
- rotating two or more pump shafts each of which are within a separate pump and each of which are in operable communication with each of the rotors;
- pumping a fluid within the pressure vessel with each of the pumps; and
- discharging a pumped fluid from the pressure vessel.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 1, 2004
Publication Date: Jun 8, 2006
Inventor: William Haesloop (Las Vegas, NV)
Application Number: 11/000,851
International Classification: F04B 17/00 (20060101); F04B 35/04 (20060101);