Inter-stage performance and energy characteristics analysis of electric submersible pump based on entropy production theory

The electric submersible pump(ESP) is a crucial apparatus utilized for lifting in the oil extraction process.Its lifting capacity is enhanced by the multi-stage tandem structure, but variations in energy characteristics and internal flow across stages are also introduced. In this study, the inter-stage variability of energy characteristics in ESP hydraulic systems is investigated through entropy production(EP) analysis,which incorporates numerical simulations and experimental validation. The EP theory facilitates the quantification of energy loss in each computational subdomain at all ESP stages, establishing a correlation between microscopic flow structure and energy dissipation within the system. Furthermore, the underlying causes of inter-stage variability in ESP hydraulic systems are examined, and the advantages and disadvantages of applying the EP theory in this context are evaluated. Consistent energy characteristics within the ESP, aligned with the distribution of internal flow structure, are provided by the EP theory, as demonstrated by our results. The EP theory also enables the quantitative analysis of internal flow losses and complements existing performance analysis methods to map the internal flow structure to hydraulic losses. Nonetheless, an inconsistency between the energy characterization based on EP theory and the traditional efficiency index when reflecting inter-stage differences is identified. This inconsistency arises from the exclusive focus of the EP theory on flow losses within the flow field, disregarding the quantification of external energy input to the flow field. This study provides a reference for the optimization of EP theory in rotating machinery while deeply investigating the energy dissipation characteristics of multistage hydraulic system, which has certain theoretical and practical significance.

Energy Consumption Analysis and Optimization of Electric Submersible Pump System

Electric submersible pumps account for a considerable proportion in the development of the Bohai Oilfield. Improving the system efficiency of the electric submersible pump wells, ensuring that the units operate in the high-efficiency zone, is essential. Analysis shows that the efficiency of the electric submersible pump system depends on the wear and tear of each component of the submersible pump equipment, the setting of operational parameters, and more importantly, the production status and daily management level of the oil well. Therefore, improving the structural performance of the submersible pump product, optimizing the parameters setting of the oil well, strengthening daily management, establishing a scientific management system, and improving the production management process and system can effectively improve the production efficiency and economic benefits of the oil well, and further achieve the goal of energy saving and emission reduction. In addition, it is necessary to actively promote the concept and technology of energy saving and emission reduction, encourage oilfield enterprises to explore effective measures to reduce the energy consumption of the electric submersible pump system by strengthening the scientific management system, and achieve a green, low-carbon, and high-quality development of oilfield production to achieve the unity of economic benefits, social benefits, and environmental benefits. This article applies the above measures in the P oilfield to achieve energy optimization of submersible electric pump systems, reducing the daily power consumption of single well submersible electric pump systems by 371 kWh per day, increasing the submersible electric pump's lifespan by 200 days, generating considerable project benefits.

Research on Water-Exit and Take-off Process for Morphing Unmanned Submersible Aerial Vehicle

This paper presents a theoretic implementation method of Morphing Unmanned Submersible Aerial Vehicle （MUSAV）, which can both submerge in the water and fly in the air. Two different shapes are put forward so that the vehicle can suit both submergence and flight, considering the tremendous differences between hydrodynamic configuration and aerodynamic configuration of a vehicle. The transition of the two shapes can be achieved by using morphing technology. The water-to-air process, including water-exit, morphing, take-off and steady flight, is analyzed. The hydrodynamic and aerodynamic model of the vehicle exiting the water surface obliquely and then taking off into the air has been founded. The control strategy after morphing is analyzed and the control method is given. Numerical method is used to validate the motion model of the water-exit process. Results of simulations show the validity of the proposed model and the feasibility of MUSAV in theory.

Design and research on a variable ballast system for deep-sea manned submersibles

Variable ballast systems are necessary for manned submersibles to adjust their buoyancy.In this paper,the design of a variable ballast system for a manned submersible is described.The variable ballast system uses a super high pressure hydraulic seawater system.A super high pressure seawater pump and a deep-sea brushless DC motor are used to pump seawater into or from the variable ballast tank,increasing or decreasing the weight of the manned submersible.A magnetostrictive linear displacement transducer can detect the seawater level in the variable ballast tank.Some seawater valves are used to control pumping direction and control on-off states.The design and testing procedure for the valves is described.Finally,the future development of variable ballast systems and seawater hydraulic systems is projected.

Path Following Control of A Deep-Sea Manned Submersible Based upon NTSM

In this paper, a robust path following control law is proposed for a deep-sea manned submersible maneuvering along a predeterminated path. Developed in China, the submersible is underactuated in the horizontal plane in that it is actuated by two perpendicular thrusts in this plane. The advanced non-singular terminal sliding mode （NTSM） is implemented for the design of the path following controller, which can ensure the convergence of the motion system in finite time and improve its robustness against parametric uncertainties and environmental disturbances. In the process of controller design, the close-loop stability is considered and proved by Lyapunov＇ s stability theory. With the experimental data, numerical simulations are provided to verify the control law for path following of the deep-sea manned submersible.

An Overview of Submersible Research and Development in China

Given the recent success in the development of several submersibles in China, people's interest in the history of submersible development is increasing. This paper presents the history of submersible development in China, which can be briefly divided into three periods. The first one is the early period of hardship(1971–2000). Many prototype submersibles of HOVs, ROVs, and AUVs were developed at this time, but the main achievement was the establishment of special research organizations and the training of research and development personnel. The second period can be regarded as the quick development period(2001–2015). All currently used submersibles were developed during this period. The most remarkable achievement was the successful development of 7000 m-deep manned submersible "Jiaolong." The third period aims to develop 11 000 m submersibles for challenging the full ocean depth(2016–2020). In this period, two unmanned submersibles and two manned submersibles will be the significant indicators of achievement. If this 5-year plan can be successfully completed, China can play a significant role in the investigation of the deepest part of the oceans, namely, the hadal trenches(6500–11 000 m).

Analysis of the Impact of the Space Guide Vane Wrap Angle on the Performance of a Submersible Well Pump

In order to study the influence of the wrap angle relating to the space guide vane of a submersible well pump(250QJ125)on the flow field and pump performance,seven possible configurations have been considered(obtained by changing the blade wrap angle while keeping unchanged all the other parameters).Such configurations have been numerically simulated in the framework of a computational model based on the Reynolds time-averaged N-S equations,the RNG k-εturbulence approach and the SIMPLE algorithm.The impact exerted by different wrap angles of the guide vane on the performance of the pump,the internal losses of the guide vane and the flow field distribution in the bladeless area at the guide vane outlet has been assessed via cross-comparison of all these cases.The results show that the wrap angle has a significant influence:the wrap angle with the highest head is different from that with the highest efficiency,and changes in this angle have a more significant effect on the head than efficiency.A moderate raise of the wrap angle can improve the properties of the flow,reduce turbulence losses and enhance the energy conversion rate inside the guide vane.Different wrap angles can also lead to different fluid circulation modes in the bladeless area from guide vane outlet to impeller inlet,while they have a weak influence on the absolute value of the velocity of the fluid entering the impeller.

A new diagnostic method for identifying working conditions of submersible reciprocating pumping systems

The submersible pumping unit is a new type of pumping system for lifting formation fluids from onshore oil wells, and the identification of its working condition has an important influence on oil production. In this paper we proposed a diagnostic method for identifying the working condition of the submersible pumping system. Based on analyzing the working principle of the pumping unit and the pump structure, different characteristics in loading and unloading processes of the submersible linear motor were obtained at different working conditions. The characteristic quantities were extracted from operation data of the submersible linear motor. A diagnostic model based on the support vector machine （SVM） method was proposed for identifying the working condition of the submersible pumping unit, where the inputs of the SVM classifier were the characteristic quantities. The performance and the misjudgment rate of this method were analyzed and validated by the data acquired from an experimental simulation platform. The model proposed had an excellent performance in failure diagnosis of the submersible pumping system. The SVM classifier had higher diagnostic accuracy than the learning vector quantization （LVQ） classifier.

Target Deployment and Retrieval Using JIAOLONG Manned Submersible in the Depth of 6600 m in Mariana Trench

China＇s 7000 m manned submersible JIAOLONG carried out an exploration cruise at the Mariana Trench from June to July 2016. The submersible completed nine manned dives on the north and south area of the Mariana Trench from the depth of 5500 to 6700 m, to investigate the geological, biological and chemical characteristics in the hadal area. During the cruise, JIAOLONG deployed a gas-tight serial sampler to collect the water near the sea bottom regularly. Five days later, the sub located the sampler in another dive and retrieved it successfully from the same location, which is the first time that scientists and engineers finished the high accuracy in-situ deployment and retrieval using a manned submersible with Ultra-Short Base Line （USBL） positioning system at the depth more than 6600 m. In this task, we used not only the USBL system of the manned submersible but also a compound strategy, including five position marks, the sea floor terrain, the depth contour, and the heading of the sub. This paper introduces the compound strategy of the target deployment and retrieval with the practical diving experience of JIAOLONG, and provides a promising technique for other underwater vehicles such as manned submersible or Remote Operated Vehicle （ROV） under similar conditions.

Experimental Study on the Hydrodynamic Characteristics of a Submersible Fish Cage at Various Depths in Waves

Submersible fish cages can be submerged under the water to mitigate the negative effects that arise from severe sea conditions and improve the growing environment for the farmed fish. Thus they are increasingly applied in offshore aquaculture. To ensure both safety and economic efficiency of submersible fish cages, it is important to determine the optimum submergence depth. In this study, a series of physical model experiments were conducted to investigate the hydrodynamic performance of a submersible fish cage at various submergence depths(1/6, 1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 of the water depth as well as the floating condition for reference) with a model scale of 1:20. The results of the physical model experiment for the different depths were compared to analyze the effects of submergence depths on the mooring line tension and the movement of the floating collar. The results showed that the mooring line tension and the floating collar movement significantly attenuated with increasing submergence depth. However, the attenuation tendency became stable when the fish cage reached a certain depth. According to the results, 1/3 of water depth was determined as the optimal submergence depth of the fish cages. Deeper submergence depths showed no significant advantage from a perspective of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the fish cage. The determination of the optimum submergence depth is beneficial for the structural design and operation safety of submersible net cages.

Water characteristics of abyssal and hadal zones in the southern Yap Trench observed with the submersible Jiaolong

Using observations in an applied cruise of the submersible Jiaolong,water characteristics,geostrophic transport,and turbulent mixing in abyssal and hadal zones of the southern Yap Trench were studied.The spatial structures of deep water show that the abyssal water is cold,saline,and oxygen rich.The hadal water has very small changes in potential temperature and potential density,and a little decrease in salinity and obvious decrease in oxygen.The isotherm,isopycnal,and isohaline are depressed in abyss over the central trench.The turbulent mixing is enhanced in the near-bottom zone and the hadal water on the trench slope,especially at the steep slope,the dissipation rate and diffusivity is strong,which weakens the stratification.The geostrophic flows move southward in the western region of the trench and northward in the eastern region,indicating cyclonic circulation.In the central region of the trench,the water transport is^1.74 Sv southward.In the hadal zone,the northward and southward transports are balanced.Our analysis suggests that the abyssal water in the southern Yap Trench is from Lower Circumpolar Water(LCPW)and the hadal water seems to be of the isolated local water rather than LCPW.

Multi‑Crack Interaction and Influence on the Spherical Pressure Hull for a Deep‑Sea Manned Submersible

This study investigates the interaction and influence of surface cracks on the spherical pressure hull of a deep-sea manned submersible.The finite element model of the spherical hull is established,and a semi-elliptical surface crack is inserted in the welding toe of the spherical hull as the main crack.Considering the combined effect of external uniform pressure and welding residual stress at the weld toe,the stress intensity factor(SIF)is obtained based on the M-integral method.Inserting disturbing cracks at different positions on the spherical hull surface,the interaction and influence between multi-cracks are revealed by numerical calculation.The results show that the existence of the disturbing crack has a great influence on the stress intensity factor of the main crack,and the influence is different with the different location of disturbing crack.The study of the interaction of multiple cracks under different interference factors and the influence of disturbing cracks on the main crack can provide some reference for future engineering applications.

Adaptive Neural Network Control with Control Allocation for A Manned Submersible in Deep Sea

This paper thoroughly studies a control system with control allocation for a manned submersible in deep sea being developed in China. The proposed control system consists of a neural-network-based direct adaptive controller and a dynamic control allocation module. A control energy cost function is used as the optimization criteria of the control allocation module, and weighted pseudo-inverse is used to find the solution of the control allocation problem. In the presence of bounded unknown disturbance and neural networks approximation error, stability of the closed-loop control system of manned submersible is proved with Lyaponov theory. The feasibility and validity of the proposed control system is further verified through experiments conducted on a semi-physical simulation platform for the manned submersible in deep sea.

Submersible direct-drive progressing cavity pump rodless lifting technology

Submersible electrical motor direct-drive progressing cavity pump (PCP) rodless lifting was studied to solve the traditional rod-drive pump problems, such as rod-tubing wearing, low efficiency and short running time. The theoretical researches and laboratory experiments of key tools such as submersible motor and the construction technology of lifting system were introduced. The field application and economic benefit were analyzed and compared with the traditional rod pumping unit. A new low speed and large torque permanent magnet synchronous motor was developed. This motor was used to drive PCP without gear reducer, which improved the reliability and feasibility. It can run at the speed from 50 to 500 r/min with stepless speed regulation, and it can perform high efficiency and large torque. Besides, other key supporting tools, such as motor protector and flex shaft, were developed. The submersible electrical motor direct- drive PCP technology can be used in a 139.7 mm (5.5 in) casing well, with daily output ranging from 5 to 50 m3. Until now, the technology has been deployed more than 100 wells. The field application results show that it eliminates the rod-tubing wearing and saves electric energy by more than 30% compared with the traditional rod pumping unit. And it also makes the oil produced in a safe and environmental friendly way.

Dynamics of Anchor Last Deployment of Submersible Buoy System

Submersible buoy systems are widely used for oceanographic research,ocean engineering and coastal defense.Severe sea environment has obvious effects on the dynamics of submersible buoy systems.Huge tension can occur and may cause the snap of cables,especially during the deployment period.This paper studies the deployment dynamics of submersible buoy systems with numerical and experimental methods.By applying the lumped mass approach,a three-dimensional multi-body model of submersible buoy system is developed considering the hydrodynamic force,tension force and impact force between components of submersible buoy system and seabed.Numerical integration method is used to solve the differential equations.The simulation output includes tension force,trajectory,profile and dropping location and impact force of submersible buoys.In addition,the deployment experiment of a simplified submersible buoy model was carried out.The profile and different nodes' velocities of the submersible buoy are obtained.By comparing the results of the two methods,it is found that the numerical model well simulates the actual process and conditions of the experiment.The simulation results agree well with the results of the experiment such as gravity anchor's location and velocities of different nodes of the submersible buoy.The study results will help to understand the conditions of submersible buoy's deployment,operation and recovery,and can be used to guide the design and optimization of the system.

Pressure pulsation in stages of electric submersible pump at shut-off under various speeds

Electric submersible pumps were widely used in agricultural fields,petroleum and various other industries. The pressure pulsation caused fatigue failure due to vibration in electric submersible pump and affects the life and performance of its system. The objective of this study was to experimentally investigate the characteristics of pressure pulsation which were generated at various stages of a multistage electric submersible pump during closed valve operation at different speeds. An electric submersible pump with five stages was selected for conducting experiments. A variable frequency drive( VFD)was used to operate the electric submersible pump at five different speed settings from 40 to 60 Hz. Piezoresistive pressure transducers were mounted at each stage of the electric submersible pump to capture the unsteady pressure signals. At each speed setting,the electric submersible pump was operated at the shut-off condition and the signals of unsteady pressure from all the five stages were captured. A fast fourier transformation( FFT) was carried out on the pressure signals to convert into frequency domain.From the spectra of pressure pulsation signals,the characteristics of pressure pulsation are obtained for each stage and for various speed settings which were then used to understand its variation with speed and stages.

Hydrodynamic Performance Analysis of a Submersible Surface Ship and Resistance Forecasting Based on BP Neural Networks

This paper investigated the resistance performance of a submersible surface ship(SSS)in different working cases and scales to analyze the hydrodynamic performance characteristics of an SSS at different speeds and diving depths for engineering applications.First,a hydrostatic resistance performance test of the SSS was carried out in a towing tank.Second,the scale effect of the hydrodynamic pressure coefficient and wave-making resistance was analyzed.The differences between the three-dimensional real-scale ship resistance prediction and numerical methods were explained.Finally,the advantages of genetic algorithm(GA)and neural network were combined to predict the resistance of SSS.Back propagation neural network(BPNN)and GA-BPNN were utilized to predict the SSS resistance.We also studied neural network parameter optimization,including connection weights and thresholds,using K-fold cross-validation.The results showed that when a SSS sails at low and medium speeds,the influence of various underwater cases on resistance is not obvious,while at high speeds,the resistance of water surface cases increases sharply with an increase in speed.After improving the weights and thresholds through K-fold cross-validation and GA,the prediction results of BPNN have high consistency with the actual values.The research results can provide a theoretical reference for the optimal design of the resistance of SSS in practical applications.

A Design Method of the Rotor Auxiliary Slot for the Water-filled Submersible Induction Motors

Aiming at the problem of electromagnetic vibration of the water-filled submersible induction motor(WSIM),a method of opening auxiliary slots on the rotor side is proposed to weaken the air-gap field harmonics caused by the rotor slot permeance harmonics.By analyzing the research status of electromagnetic vibration of the WSIM and the composition of the air-gap magnetic field of the motor,the idea that the auxiliary slots mainly affect the air-gap field harmonics by changing the air-gap permeance of the motor is put forward.The mathematical model of air-gap permeance of WSIM is established to simulate the influence of auxiliary slots on the air-gap permeance.Through the parametric analysis of the mathematical model,the change of auxiliary slot size is simulated.The air-gap permeance waveform is decomposed by the two-dimensional Fourier transform,and then the variation of the air-gap permeance harmonics with the size of the auxiliary slot is analyzed.Finally,the finite element simulation model of the WSIM with the auxiliary slots is established,and the waveform of the air-gap flux density of the motor is analyzed to verify the effectiveness of the mathematical model.Meanwhile,the results show that after opening the auxiliary slot,the radial electromagnetic force of the motor was reduced by 28.4%.

Development and Application of a Surface High-pressure Injection Device Using a Submersible Electric Pump

Injection recovery is an important measure for increasing the oil recovery rate of an oil field. One way is that centrifugal pumps or plunger pumps are used in an injection station to responsible for injection over a large area under the same pressure. This method is ineffective for low-permeability layers. For the oilfields in dispersed distribution in the marginal areas of Daqing, the low water-absorbing section needs an injection with a high delivery pressure and a low discharge capacity; another way is to install the submersible electric pump upside down, but because the submersible electric pump and the motor are underground, it is difficult for installation and maintenance. Introduced in this paper is the development and application of a surface high-pressure injection device with a submersible electric pump. Bysuccessful resolving some problems, such as the axial force of the submersible electric pump, sealing, level regulation of the pump, coaxiality and vibration, the device has the good points of running smoothly, moving easily, installation and maintains quickly and long period of running. This device can effectively solve the injection of the low water-absorbing section and of oilfields in dispersed locations. The recovery rate of oilfields is also enhanced.

A Study on the Maneuvering Motion of a Low Speed Submersible

In this paper, the maneuvering characteristics of a low speed submersible are investigated. First, the captive model tests are carried out to obtain the hydrodynamic forces acting on the submersible using a Planar Motion Mechanism (PMM). For the hydrodynamic forces within a wide range of attack angles, the hydrodynamic coefficients which are usually used in the conventional maneuvering motion are quite difficult to be applied. In this case, a Fourier series is adopted to represent the hydrodynamic forces and it fits the experimental data well. Then, based on the experimental results the simulation calculations are made to predict some of the maneuvering performance of the low speed submersible.