초록 ▼

A subsurface well system contains well bore fluid and a pumping system which is lowered into the well bore on a conduit. The pumping system is supplied with electrical power through a conductor. The pumping system has a chamber, a discharge valve, and an intake valve for admitting the well bore flui

A subsurface well system contains well bore fluid and a pumping system which is lowered into the well bore on a conduit. The pumping system is supplied with electrical power through a conductor. The pumping system has a chamber, a discharge valve, and an intake valve for admitting the well bore fluid into the chamber. The chamber contains a reservoir that is filled with a reactive polymer gel that undergoes a significant change in volume in response to environmental changes. The gel expands when it is electrically stimulated, thereby forcibly expelling the fluid within the chamber. The gel contracts when it is not stimulated, thereby drawing fluid into the chamber. When electrical current is oscillated through the gel, the expansions and contractions repeat so that a pumping action of well bore fluid is achieved. The gel may also be formulated to react to an electromagnetic field. The gel of this embodiment contains metallic particles which increase in temperature when exposed to the magnetic field. The temperature increase significantly increases the volume of the gel. Applying electrical current to a coil which surrounds the reservoir causes a magnetic field to pass through the gel, thereby increasing the volume of the gel. When electrical current is oscillated through the coil, the gel expands and contracts so that a pumping action of well bore fluid is achieved.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A pumping system comprising:a pump having a chamber, an intake valve for admitting a fluid into the chamber, and a discharge valve for discharging the fluid from the chamber;reactive polymer gel contained within the chamber, the gel having a first volume when exposed to an electroma

[ I claim:] [1.] A pumping system comprising:a pump having a chamber, an intake valve for admitting a fluid into the chamber, and a discharge valve for discharging the fluid from the chamber;reactive polymer gel contained within the chamber, the gel having a first volume when exposed to an electromagnetic field and a second volume when the electromagnetic field is removed, the first volume being significantly different from the second volume;an electromagnetic coil surrounding the gel, the coil being connected to a power supply which selectively and alternately exposes the gel to an electromagnetic field for causing the gel to expand and expel a portion of the fluid within the chamber through the discharge valve; anda variable volume reservoir which encloses the gel; and whereinthe coil is located within the chamber and surrounds the reservoir.