Numerical Simulation Of The Flow And Its Loading On Structures In Progressive Cavity Pump

Progressive cavity pumps (PCPs) are widely used in oil field as an efficient artificial lift tool. However, the experimental research to understand the interior conditions and mechanisms of PCPs is very difficult because of its location under the deep well. Most of previous research is based on experiential explanation, which can not explain the actual mechanism of interior hydraulic action. The true trajectory of the rotor also remains unclear. Especially, the three-dimensional study is very scarce.In the present work, finite volume method (FVM) and finite element method (FEM) were employed to conduct three-dimensional numerical simulation of the specific PCPs from Daqing oil field. The pressure distributions in moving cavities and resulting effects on the rotor and stator are investigated. A new mechanism for slippage and abrasion was presented. The pressure distribution in cavities and loading of pressure on the rotor were obtained from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, which were imported to the three-dimensional finite element modeling of PCPs to simulate the contact between the stator and rotor. The results indicated that the force on rotor is the main factor of slippage, while the torque is the main factor of abrasion at top and bottom stator.Theses numerical simulations can describe the working features of PCPs, including the interaction between the fluid and the structure. The actual mechanism of interior hydraulic action is discovered. The presented modeling and simulation method will play an important role for the further research of PCPs and provide some guides to the practical design of new PCPs.