Experimental Study of Multiphase Pump Wear

Abstract

The goal of this research is to better understand upstream Oil & Gas Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) reliability issues. The objective of this research is to determine how Liquid-Gas-Particulate (LGP) turbine pump wear differs from Liquid-Particulate (LP) turbine pump wear. This objective is novel because little is known about LGP wear, yet such wear is common in ESPs. To accomplish the research objective, an experimental study of a gas handling ESP was conducted. Tests of two Baker Hughes 1025 MVP G400 Severe Duty turbine pumps were conducted with water, air, and sand. One pump was tested with a Gas Volume Fraction (GVF) of 20% while the other was tested with a GVF of 0%. It was found that particulates migrate radially outward through the pump and cause diffuser sidewall wear to increase through the pump. It was also found that various impeller flow path areas experience more LGP wear than LP wear. In general, pump wear progress faster for LGP wear than for LP wear. It is believed that this is caused primarily by the thinning effect that gas can have on a fluid’s viscosity.