Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Science & Technology: Patent Awarded for Method for Cooling Electrical Components in a Geothermal Well

Method and cooling system for electric submersible pumps/motors for use in geothermal wells (USPTO)

United States Patent #9,874,077 - Awarded January 23, 2018 to Altarock Energy Inc. 

Systems and methods for cooling electrical components of an electrical submersible pump in a subterranean well are disclosed:

  • delivering liquid nitrogen from a location proximate ground surface to a submerged electrical pump motor operating in a subterranean well;
  • converting the liquid nitrogen to nitrogen gas in an expansion volume defined at least partially by a pressure-controlled motor housing, the pressure-controlled motor housing containing the submerged electrical pump motor in the expansion volume; 
  • cooling the submerged electrical pump motor in the pressure-controlled motor housing using the nitrogen gas, venting the nitrogen gas out of the pressure-controlled motor housing; and
  • controlling a pressure of the pressure-controlled motor housing, wherein the pressure is between a vapor pressure of the liquid nitrogen and a venting pressure of the nitrogen gas. 
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