Advanced electric submersible pump (esp) sensor for monitoring esp protector integrity

Abstract

An electric submersible pump (ESP) system includes an ESP and a surface panel. The ESP includes a motor connected to a sensor housing, a ported adapter connected to the motor, a protector connected to the ported adapter, an intake connected to the protector, and a pump connected to the intake. The sensor housing includes a downhole electronic reader. The ported adapter includes a fluid sensor which measures fluid contamination inside the protector from a well fluid and transmits the measured data to the downhole electronic reader. The downhole electronic reader transmits the data to the surface panel. The surface panel, based on the measured fluid contamination data, predicts remaining life expectancy of the ESP, continuously monitors in real-time the integrity of the protector, fine-tunes operation of the ESP, alerts downhole problems early on, takes corrective measures to the downhole problems, and requests a replacement of the ESP.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric submersible pump (ESP) system for monitoring an integrity of a protector of the ESP, the ESP system comprising:
 an ESP including:
 a sensor housing comprising a current-leakage sensor, a discharge-pressure sensor, an intake-pressure sensor, an intake-temperature sensor, a motor-oil or winding-temperature sensor, a motor and pump-vibration sensor, and a downhole electronic reader, 
 a submersible motor electrically connected to the sensor housing, 
 a ported adapter electrically connected to the submersible motor, 
 the protector electrically connected to the ported adapter, 
 an intake electrically connected to the protector, and 
 a submersible pump electrically connected to the intake, 
 wherein the ported adapter includes a fluid sensor configured to:
 measure fluid contamination inside the protector from a well fluid due to a cycle of start and stop of the ESP through a run-life of the ESP and 
 transmit measured fluid contamination data to the downhole electronic reader; and 
 
   a surface panel electrically connected to the sensor housing,
 wherein the downhole electronic reader transmits the measured fluid contamination data to the surface panel, 
 wherein the surface panel, based on the measured fluid contamination data, is configured to:
 predict remaining life expectancy of the ESP, 
 continuously monitor in real-time the integrity of the protector, 
 fine-tune operation of the ESP, 
 alert downhole problems early on, 
 take corrective measures to the downhole problems, and 
 request a replacement of the ESP. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The ESP system according to  claim 1 , wherein the protector comprises a lower bag protector and an upper bag protector. 
     
     
         3 . The ESP system according to  claim 2 , wherein the ported adapter is installed between the lower bag protector and the upper bag protector. 
     
     
         4 . The ESP system according to  claim 3 , wherein the ported adapter connects the lower bag protector and the upper bag protector through a shaft and a coupling. 
     
     
         5 . The ESP system according to  claim 1 , further comprises a metal encapsulated cable which:
 connects the fluid sensor to the downhole electronic reader, and   transmits the measured fluid contamination data to the downhole electronic reader.   
     
     
         6 . The ESP system according to  claim 1 , further comprises a power cable which:
 connects the downhole electronic reader to the surface panel, and   transmits the measured fluid contamination data to the surface panel.   
     
     
         7 . The ESP system according to  claim 1 , further indicates a level of dielectric oil contamination inside the protector from a well fluid due to the cycle of start and stop of the ESP through the run-life of the ESP. 
     
     
         8 . The ESP system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid sensor measures electrical conductivity of the fluid inside the protector. 
     
     
         9 . The ESP system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid sensor measures light diffraction of the fluid inside the protector. 
     
     
         10 . The ESP system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid sensor measures refractive index of the fluid inside the protector. 
     
     
         11 . A method for monitoring an integrity of a protector of an electric submersible pump (ESP) system, the method comprising:
 installing a fluid sensor in a ported adapter of the ESP, wherein the ESP comprises:
 a sensor housing including a current-leakage sensor, a discharge-pressure sensor, an intake-pressure sensor, an intake-temperature sensor, a motor-oil or winding-temperature sensor, a motor and pump-vibration sensor, and a downhole electronic reader, 
 a motor electrically connected to the sensor housing, 
 a ported adapter electrically connected to the motor, 
 the protector electrically connected to the ported adapter, 
 an intake electrically connected to the protector, and 
 a submersible pump electrically connected to the intake; 
   measuring fluid contamination inside the protector, by the fluid sensor, from a well fluid due to a cycle of start and stop of the ESP through a run-life of the ESP;   transmitting measured fluid contamination data, by the fluid sensor, to the downhole electronic reader;   electrically connecting a surface panel to the sensor housing;   transmitting the measured fluid contamination data, by the downhole electronic reader, to the surface panel;   predicting remaining life expectancy of the ESP, by the surface panel, based on the measured fluid contamination data;   continuously monitoring in real-time the integrity of the protector, by the surface panel, based on the measured fluid contamination data;   fine-tuning operation of the ESP, by the surface panel, based on the measured fluid contamination data;   alerting downhole problems early on, by the surface panel, based on the measured fluid contamination data;   taking corrective measures to the downhole problems based on the measured fluid contamination data; and   requesting a replacement of the ESP, by the surface panel, based on the measured fluid contamination data.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the protector comprises a lower bag protector and an upper bag protector. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the ported adapter is installed between the lower bag protector and the upper bag protector. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the ported adapter connects the lower bag protector and the upper bag protector through a shaft and a coupling. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprises:
 connecting the fluid sensor to the downhole electronic reader using a metal encapsulated cable; and   transmitting the measured fluid contamination data, by the metal encapsulated cable, to the downhole electronic reader.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprises:
 connecting the downhole electronic reader to the surface panel using a power cable; and   transmitting the measured fluid contamination data, by the power cable, to the surface panel.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprises indicating a level of dielectric oil contamination inside the protector from a well fluid due to the cycle of start and stop of the ESP through the run-life of the ESP. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprises measuring, by the fluid sensor, electrical conductivity of the fluid inside the protector. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprises measuring, by the fluid sensor, light diffraction of the fluid inside the protector. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprises measuring, by the fluid sensor, refractive index of the fluid inside the protector.