Abstract
In operation, the Progressing Cavity Pumps (PCP) boosting gaseous multiphase mixture faces reliability issues that can be summarized as follows: the pump pressure is developed by the stages nearest the discharge, then the high pressure gradient causes heat to build up which commonly results in premature failure of the elastomeric stator. This paper first describes our recent testing program performed with an industrial PCP in multiphase conditions, and then presents a new analytical model that describes the thermo-hydraulic-mechanic processes which occur when attempting to pump multiphase mixtures. The objectives of our program are to: (1) examine the PCP system operating at high gas volume fraction, (2) analyze the pumping performance (delivered pressure, flow rate, and gas void fraction) and, (3) describe the overheating generated when the gas is compressed. This paper also describes our PCP experimental program and presents resulting experimental datas which clearly show the correlation between the pressure distribution and the heat along the pump. We formally explain this phenomenon by proposing a new analytical model that evaluates the stator degradation and failure risk. This paper should help operators and manufacturers to design pumps with better system's Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) performance.
