MOTOR DESCRIPTION

ESP SYSTEM – SUBSURFACE COMPONENTS 2

THREE PHASE INDUCTION MOTOR 2

BASIC THEORY 2
SLIP 4
CONSTRUCTION 5
ROTOR 5
STATOR 5
HOUSING 5
BEARINGS 6
MOTOR LUBRICATION 7
POTHEAD CONNECTION 7
BASIC OPERATION 7
TANDEM MOTORS 9
COOLING OF MOTORS 9
MOTORS OPERATING WITH VARIABLE SPEED 10
MOTOR FAILURE MODES 11

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 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

ESP SYSTEM – SUBSURFACE COMPONENTS

This chapter describes in more detail the subsurface components that make up the ESP
system, these are:

* Motors
* Seals
* Submersible Pumps
* Intakes and Separators
* Cables
* Downhole Sensors
* Connectors and Splices
* Tubing and Accessories
* Wellheads
Three Phase Induction Motor

The electric motors used in submersible pumps are of the three-phase induction or
squirrel cage type. An induction motor creates torque as the result of interaction
between an applied current and the produced magnetic field. It is one of the fundamental
physical laws of nature that wherever there is a varying electric current a resultant
magnetic field will be produced and vice-versa.

Basic Theory

The motor itself is constructed of two main parts: the stator, mounted in the housing
and the rotor, which is free to rotate within the I.D. of the stator. The stator is wound
with three coils, each separated physically by 120. Each coil is connected to one of the
phases of a three-phase alternating current supply. The timing of each of the phases is
separated by one third of a cycle or 120' from each of the others.

Three Phase Power Supply

Voltage and

Phase A
Current

Phase B
Phase C

Time

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 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

During one electrical cycle the voltage across each coil will vary sinusoidally, causing the
current through the coil to increase to a maximum in a given direction, decrease to zero,
and then increase to a maximum in the opposite direction before returning to zero and
commencing the next cycle. The number of cycles completed per second is referred to
as the frequency of the supply and is measured in Hertz (Hz). Electrical power is
normally supplied at frequencies of 50 or 60 Hz. The current through each coil will
create a magnetic field whose strength and direction at any point in time will be
proportional to the instantaneous current in the coil. The strength of the magnetic field
due to each coil will therefore oscillate at the same frequency as the applied voltage.

Time & Space flux variation within Stator A

Flux

Space
It can be seen that the sinusoidal time excitations of voltage will cause the magnetic flux
wave to pulsate up and down as a sine wave, this is distributed around the stator. By using
some well known trigonometry the pulsating phasor can be split into two vectors, negative
and positive

Phase A Flux vector -ve

+ve
In a three phase system the alternating voltages delivered by each of the phases are one
third of a cycle apart. The magnetic fields created by the three coils will therefore
reach their maxima at points in time separated by one third of the time taken for a
complete cycle. The extremely interesting result is that there is one resulting flux made
of the components of all three +ve components of the three phases, which will rotate
round (at supply frequency)the stator, the –ve components add to zero.
 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

A voltage is induced between the ends of a conductor moving through the lines of flux of a
magnetic field. The voltage is proportional to the rate at which the conductor is moving.
If the ends of the conductor are connected through an external circuit a current will flow
in the conductor. The current flowing in the conductor will itself create a magnetic field,
which will result in a force being applied to the conductor. The rotor of an induction
motor consists of a number of straight conductors connected between two conductive end
rings, forming a tubular'Squirrel Cage'. Rotation of the magnetic field of the stator
relative to the rotor will cause currents to flow in the rotor whose magnitude will depend
on the relative velocity between the stator and rotor.

At start up the relative speed between the magnetic field of the stator and the rotor will
be the synchronous speed and very large currents will flow. As the rotor accelerates the
relative speed, and therefore the induced current, will decrease. The rotor will
accelerate until the torque due to the current in the rotor is equal to the mechanical load.
The current drawn by the motor is approximately proportional to the current flowing in
the rotor, and it is normal for the start up current load of an induction motor to be four
to five times greater than the continuous current at its rated load.

Slip

The difference between the synchronous speed and the rotor speed (in rpm) is known as
the slip speed. This is normally expressed as the slip, which is the ratio of the slip speed
to the synchronous speed. The slip of a motor under normal operating conditions is
determined on the motor design and is proportional to the applied load. The performance
of a pump is dependent on the rotational speed. Published pump data assumes 2.8% slip,
giving a pump speed of 3500 rpm when operating on a 60 Hz supply and 2915 rpm on a 50
Hz supply. Dependant on the motor loading its rotational speed may vary from that on
which pump curves are based, due to slip. This must be corrected using the actual
motor/pump speed as taken from manufacturers composite motor curves.

3560
3540
S pe e d 3520
RPM 3500
3480
3460

90%
88%

Pe rce nt 86%
Efficie ncy 84%
82%
80%

90%
85%
80%
Pe rce nt
75%
Powe r 70%
Factor 65%
60%
55%
40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Percent Of base load
 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

Construction

The motors used in downhole pumping applications differ from the induction motors used
in other applications in the ratio of length to diameter. In order to achieve the required
power levels, while fitting inside the wellbore, the motors are manufactured as a series of
rotors 300-460 mm (12-18 in) in length, mounted on a common shaft. Bearings mounted
between each rotor support the shaft and prevent flexing. Single motors may be up to
10m (33 ft) in length. Three or more motors can be mounted in tandem to further
increase the power available.

Pothead
Cavity

Phase
Winding

Rotor

Rotor Bearing Stator

Hollow Shaft

Leads for connection to

other motor / sensor

Rotor

Each rotor is made up of two copper rings connected by 16 - 20 copper bars to form a
cylinder or squirrel cage. The core of the squirrel cage is made up of magnetically
permeable iron laminations, which increase the strength of the magnetic field linking the
stator and rotor. The core is laminated with insulating layers to prevent the flow of
eddy currents within the core. A slight skew of the copper bars is required to reduce
vibration and humming as the rotor turns, and to improve starting torque by eliminating
dead spots.

Stator

The stator consists of three coils spaced around the circumference of the motor 120'
apart as shown in Figure 2.1. The coils are embedded in a magnetically permeable
laminated iron core similar to that of the rotor. The insulating laminations are required
to reduce eddy currents being induced in the core by the oscillating magnetic field. Each
of the coils is connected to one of the three supply phases. The direction of rotation of
the magnetic field, and hence the rotor, can be reversed by interchanging the phase
connections of any two of the stator coils.
 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

Housing

The motor housing, head and base are normally manufactured from carbon steel. For
corrosive environments ferritic stainless steel components can be specified.
Alternatively, corrosion protection can be obtained by thin (0.0 1 ", 0.25 mm) coatings of
Monel or stainless steel which are deposited on the surface of the downhole components

Rotor

Rotor Bars

Housing

Oil filled Gap

Stator

Stator Windings
Motor Cross Section
by flame spraying, and then coated with epoxy paint. Glass Re-inforced Epoxy (GRE)
sheathing is also used but is more easily damaged, and decreases the rate of heat
transfer from a motor housing to the well fluid.

Bearings

The rotor is supported by axial thrust bearings within the motor and radial bearings
between each of the rotors. The thrust bearings are only designed to support the
weight of the rotor and should not be subjected to the shaft loads created by the pump.

The radial bearings are mounted in non-magnetic brass inserts in the laminated stator.
At surface temperatures there is a small clearance between the bearing and the brass
insert. The increase in temperature of the bearing during operation causes it to expand
and grip the brass insert. The bearing must be selected for the temperature at which it
will be used.

Rotor Bar Winding

End Ring
Steel
Lams
Thrust
Washer
Bronze
Lams

Bearing Sleeve Bearing

 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

Motor lubrication

The motors are filled with a refined, non-conductive mineral oil providing dielectric
strength, lubrication for the bearings, and good thermal conductivity. The weight of the
shaft and rotors is carried by the thrust bearings of the motor, which are lubricated by
the oil. The oil carries heat generated by the coil currents and friction within the motor
to the motor housing, from which it is dissipated to the well fluid flowing past the motor.
In the case of Schlumberger motors a hollow shaft aids the conduction of this heat by
more efficiently moving the lubricant throughout the motor internals.

Pothead Connection

The three phase power is connected into the motor via a tape-in pot head connection. Tying in
the connection to the motor ensures that the best electrical integrity is maintained, this is far
superior to any plug in design.

REDA Tape -In Design

Basic Operation

Nameplate Current

The design current of a motor is often referred to as the nameplate current. If

operated at this current (at the design voltage) the motor will operate at its peak
efficiency, and will develop its rated power output. If the current in the motor exceeds
this value, overheating of the motor may result. The maximum operating current will
depend on the bottom hole temperature and efficiency of cooling of the motor, and in
low temperature applications continuous operation above the nameplate current may be
permissible. In high temperature applications it may be necessary to operate a motor
below its nameplate current to prevent overheating. The magnetic field and torque
produced by a motor over the normal operating range is proportional to the current in
the stator. Since the maximum current is limited, the power available from a motor is
proportional to the supply frequency.

Increasing the current beyond approximately 120% of the nameplate current will
increase the torque developed up to a limit at which the core material reaches magnetic
saturation. Operation beyond this limit will cause rapid heating of the motor and a
negligible increase in torque, and should only occur at start-up.

Motor Voltage Rating

The magnetic field strength of the stator is proportional to the current flowing and the
number of turns in each of the coils. The use of a large number of turns in each coil will
reduce the current drawn by the motor, allowing the use of smaller diameter supply
cables or reducing cable power losses. The voltage required at the motor will increase in
 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

proportion to the number of turns in the stator coil. Motors are available with voltage
ratings between around 420v to around 4200v.

Nameplate Voltage

The voltage at which a motor will operate at its peak efficiency is termed the nameplate
voltage. The voltage will depend on the frequency of the AC power supplied and for ESP
equipment is normally given for operation of the equipment at 60 Hz. For other supply
frequencies the nameplate voltage must be adjusted in direct proportion to the
frequency. A motor should normally be run at a voltage which is within 5- 1 0% of the
correct operating voltage.

A higher voltage will cause the motor to run faster, and run with a lower power factor.
For a motor driving a centrifugal pump the torque loading will increase with the
rotational speed causing an increase in the current drawn by the motor.

A motor run at voltage below the nameplate voltage will run at a lower speed than the
design speed, and will draw an increased current due to the increased slip. This will
cause a reduction in the head developed by a pump, and may cause an over current trip.

Motor Rating

Most conventional ratings will give a nameplate Horsepower for a given nameplate voltage
and current based on certain assumptions. A motor will always attempt to deliver
whatever loading is applied to it to the point of destruction. Given that on a strong (or
stiff) power system the voltage supplied will not vary (or droop) very much, if additional
load is placed on the motor it will attempt to match its output requirements by
demanding more current from the supply system. There are a number of consequences
of this.

Moderate Load Heavy Load

 The motor will draw enough current to match HP requirements, creating more flux
lines until saturation point.
 The increase in power requirement may put the motor into an overload condition and
the motor may eventually fail
 The motor will slow down
 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

 Additional heat will be generated. As the motor is not 100% efficient some energy is
converted to heat which needs to be dissipated by the motor. As more power is
demanded more heat needs to dissipated in the same space hence a temperature
rise.
Start-Up Voltage

At start-up the current drawn by the motor will be up to five times greater than under
normal operating conditions. The cable voltage losses will be increased in proportion to
the current.

In addition, the supply transformer or generator output voltage will fall. The torque
available will decrease in proportion to the square of the terminal voltage, and in some
cases may be insufficient to overcome friction and to start the pump. The minimum
starting voltage will depend on the condition of the pump and motor, but should not be
less than 50% of the normal operating voltage.

Tandem Motors

Motors may be used in tandem to provide the power required by larger pumps. The
motors should be identical, with the same power ratings, and nameplate voltages and
currents. The motors are connected in series. The voltage required by a series of
tandem motors is the sum of the nameplate voltages of the individual motors, adjusted
for the operating frequency. The current drawn will be the nameplate current of a
single motor.

Spe ed - To rque of Typical REDA Mo tor

Normal
area of
operation

Torque

Starting
Torque

0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

Speed (% of No-Load Speed)

Cooling Of Motors

Electrical motors used with ESP’s rely on a flow of well fluid past the motor housing to
carry away the heat produced by bearing fiction and electrical heating. A rule of thumb
often used states that for adequate cooling the fluid velocity past the motor housing
must exceed 1 ft/sec . This figure is conservative, and adequate cooling is often possible
with lower fluid velocities, depending the on the bottom hole temperature and motor
load. If the motor is positioned below the point of fluid entry into the well or if the
fluid velocity is low, well fluid must be drawn into the pump through a shroud placed over
the motor to give the required fluid velocity at the surface of the motor housing.
 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

The rate of heat transfer to the well fluid will depend on the physical properties of the
fluid. The large differences in the heat capacities of water, oil, and gas will significantly
affect the operating temperature of the motor. The temperature within a motor under
full load operating conditions may be 50'C (90'F) higher than the wellbore. In selecting
a motor for a particular application the maximum temperature within the motor must be
estimated, and must remain below the value at which breakdown of the motor insulation
occurs.

Typical temperature profile in a Motor

Casing I.D.

Th Potential
Hot Spot
Tw

Ts
Flow
T
Motor
Housing

Stator
Winding

Th is the "hot spot" temperature and may or may not be in center of shaft

Tw is the winding temperature

Ts is the motor skin temperature
T is the bulk fluid temperature

During operation, fluid flows from the formation past the motor and provides required
cooling.

During start-up of an initial completion or a well that has been killed, this is not always
the case. If the hydrostatic head of the fluids in the annulus is higher than the
reservoir pressure then the annular fluids will provide a significant portion of the flow
until the pressure has been drawn down sufficiently to enable reservoir flow. In
extreme cases this can result in long periods without cooling past the motor and
potential overheating. If this is likely to be a concern consideration should be given to
the fitting of a shroud to force annular fluids past the motor.

Motors Operating with Variable Speed

Varying the frequency of the applied AC current can control Downhole pump speeds.
The motor torque loading is proportional to the square of the rotational speed.
Increasing the frequency of the applied current will cause the motor speed to increase,
 MOTOR DESCRIPTION

but the increasing torque load will cause an increase in slip, and the rotational speed will
therefore not be exactly proportional to the frequency.

Motor Failure Modes

* Overheating due to mechanical overload or bearing failure

* Overheating due to inadequate flow of cooling fluid

* Overheating due to deposits of scale on motor housing, reducing cooling

* Bearing failure, which may be caused by inefficient filling of the motor with oil

* Breakdown of electrical insulation due to voltage spikes and/or

overheating/mechanical damage

* Ingress of well fluid due to protector failure

* Ingress of fluid due to pothead failure

* Vibration and heating caused by an unbalanced power supply

In most of these cases the failure is induced by malfunctions of other components of

the ESP system or the power supply. Diagnosis of the mode of failure of an ESP motor
should therefore include an analysis of the protector, pump, power supply and operating
conditions, all of which may have contributed to the failure.

An indication of the failure mode can be obtained from the motor fluid. Contamination
of the motor fluid with wellbore fluid is indicative of seal or pothead failure, while black,
smelly, burned oil is indicative of an overheated motor.