Downhole blower system with pin bearing
This disclosure describes various implementations of a downhole-blower system that can be used to boost production in a wellbore. The downhole-blower system includes a blower and an electric machine coupled to the blower that can be deployed in a wellbore, and that can, in cooperation, increase production through the wellbore.
1. A downhole-type blower system comprising:
a housing;
a stator within the housing;
a rotor carried by and supported to rotate within the housing;
a plurality of bearings supporting the rotor to rotate within the stator, the plurality of bearings comprising a thrust bearing at an end of the rotor; and
a lubrication system within the housing to lubricate the thrust bearing, the lubrication system comprising;
a lubrication reservoir configured to contain a bearing lubricant; and
a flow path fluidically connecting the lubrication reservoir and at least one of the plurality of bearings, the lubrication reservoir configured to provide the bearing lubricant to at least one of the plurality of bearings regardless of an orientation of the downhole-type blower system within a wellbore.
2. The downhole-type blower system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bearings comprise passive magnetic repulsion bearings.
3. The downhole-type blower system of claim 2 , wherein the passive magnetic repulsion bearings are biased to provide an axial pre-load on the thrust bearing.
4. The downhole-type blower system of claim 1 , wherein the thrust bearing comprises a pin bearing.
5. The downhole-type blower system of claim 1 , wherein the lubrication system further comprises:
a spring configured to apply pressure to the lubrication reservoir, the spring and the reservoir being within the housing.
6. The downhole-type blower system of claim 5 , wherein the spring comprises at least one of a metal spring, an air spring, or a bladder.
7. The downhole-type blower system of claim 5 , wherein reservoir and the spring are at a downhole-end of the housing.
8. The downhole-type blower system of claim 1 , wherein the flow path is configured to meter a rate of lubrication to at least one of the plurality of bearings.
9. The downhole-type blower system of claim 1 , further comprising a bumper configured to maintain load on the thrust bearing, the load on the thrust bearing configured to prevent damage to the downhole-type blower during transportation and installation of the downhole-type blower.
10. A method of lubricating a bearing in the downhole-type blower system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
pressurizing the lubricant reservoir of claim 1 within the blower; and
directing the lubricant to at least one of the at least one of the plurality of bearings supporting the rotor.
11. The method on claim 10 , wherein the lubricant reservoir is pressurized using a spring or a pressurized bladder in response to a thrust load in a downhole direction from rotating components of the downhole-type blower.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressurized bladder contains lubricant or gas.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the spring comprises a metal spring or an air spring.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling a flow rate of the lubricant from the lubrication reservoir to the bearing.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein controlling the flow-rate of the lubricant comprises dispensing the lubricant at a rate equal to or greater than an evaporation rate of lubricant in the bearing.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the flowrate of the lubricant further comprises flowing the lubricant through a metered flow-path.
17. A downhole-type compressor system, comprising:
a housing;
a stator within the housing;
a rotor within the housing;
a plurality of bearings supporting the rotor to rotate within the stator, the plurality of bearings comprising a thrust bearing at an end of the rotor; and
a lubrication system within the housing to lubricate at least one of the plurality of bearings, the lubrication system comprising;
a lubrication reservoir;
a flow path fluidically connecting the lubrication reservoir and the thrust bearing; and
a pressurizer to maintain pressure in the lubrication reservoir regardless of an orientation of the downhole-type compressor system within a wellbore.
18. The downhole-type compressor system of claim 17 , wherein the thrust bearing comprises a pin bearing.
19. The downhole-type compressor system of claim 18 , wherein the pin bearing comprises;
a semi-spherical rotor extension positioned axially on an end of the rotor; and
a semi-spherical recess configured to receive the semi-spherical rotor extension.