A porous media ventless thrust bearing seal is disclosed. The porous media thrust bearing may include a primary porous media thrust bearing also serving as a seal ring including porous media positioned over a plenum and a port connected to the plenum, and conductive passages for communicating pressurized fluid to the plenums through the ports of the primary ring. The porous media ventless thrust bearing may also include a treated process gas supplied to a port which is closest to the untreated process gas, at a pressure which is higher than the untreated process gas. An inert gas (or fluid in a liquid state) may be supplied to the remaining port, at a pressure which is the same as the untreated process gas. A certain amount of treated process gas may flow into the untreated process gas, and may prevent the untreated gas from entering the porous media seal.

An arrangement for compensating the axial thrust of a fluid-flow machine is provided. A load-relieving element is non-rotatably connected to a shaft. A flow-restrict gap is formed by the load-relieving element and a counter-element secured to a housing of the fluid-flow machine. The counter-element is provided with a device for maintaining the distance between the load-relieving element and the counter-element. The device includes at least one force-generating element that generates a force that acts in opposition to the axial thrust in order to avoid component contact.

The turbomachine comprises a stationary casing with a rotating member configured to rotate about a rotation axis in the stationary casing. The turbomachine further includes a rotating balance drum, arranged for co-rotation with the rotating member. A stationary sleeve is arranged in a fixed relationship with the stationary casing and surrounds the balance drum. The stationary sleeve comprises a plurality of consecutively arranged sleeve sections. A fluid channel is defined by an outer surface of the balance drum and an inner surface of the stationary sleeve. Between at least one pair of sequentially arranged upstream sleeve section and downstream sleeve section an annular chamber is provided, fluidly coupled to the fluid channel. Shunt holes are arranged on the upstream sleeve section, each shunt hole having a shunt hole inlet on an inner surface of the upstream sleeve section, and a shunt hole outlet in the annular chamber.

A progressive vortex pump comprises an inlet housing in contact with the pumped fluid, a pump housing connected to the inlet housing, and an outlet housing connected to the pump housing and connected to a pumping pipe. The pump housing comprises a disc-shaped rotor having a central bore and a rim with vanes. Each rotor comprises at least one through hole along the axial direction, the through hole being positioned between the central bore and the rotor rim. Advantageously, the presence of a through hole on the rotor enables, under operating conditions, fluid exchange from the posterior fluid film to the anterior fluid film, thus promoting a pressure balance between the posterior and anterior fluid films, therefore enabling the rotor to work evenly, preventing rubbing on adjacent diffusers.

The use of externally-pressurized porous media in shaft sealing for turbomachinery is provided for single seals, tandem seals, double-opposed seals, and a ventless seal. These arrangements provide for significant benefits, such as the following: (a) external pressurization allows frozen seal faces to lift open before rotation, (b) pressure is distributed uniformly across the seal face, as opposed to allowing leakage to pass over it, (c) low flow rates of injected gas are possible, (d) the seal faces are self-defending due to the uniform pressure in the gap, and (e) complete elimination of venting process gas is possible. By employing externally-pressurized porous media sealing, a drastic simplification of seal design, as well as gas treatment and seal panel design, is possible.

A turbo compressor is provided that may include an impeller housing having an impeller accommodation space, an inlet formed at a first side of the impeller accommodation space, and an outlet formed at a second side of the impeller accommodation space that communicates with the inlet; an impeller accommodated in the impeller accommodation space of the impeller housing, rotated together with a rotary shaft by being coupled to the rotary shaft, and configured to centrifugally-compress a fluid suctioned through the inlet of the impeller housing and discharge the compressed fluid outside of the impeller housing through the outlet; a back pressure space formed between a rear surface of the impeller and the impeller housing; a back pressure passage connected between the outlet of the impeller housing and the back pressure space; and a back pressure control valve installed between the back pressure passage and the back pressure space, and configured to selectively open and close a region therebetween.

A rotating machine including a rotor operable to rotate about a centerline axis and subjected to axial thrust loads along the centerline axis during operation; a balance piston engaged with the rotor; a stator positioned around the balance piston and the rotor wherein a fluid passageway extends between the internal face of the stator and the external face of the balance piston; the fluid passageway including at least one cavity. A balance piston for a rotating machine including at least two segments arranged with a shift in diameter between each other.

A horizontal pumping system for pumping fluids into downstream piping includes a motor and a pump driven by the motor. The pump includes a discharge assembly for use in connecting a pump within a horizontal pumping system to downstream piping. The discharge assembly preferably includes a discharge head and a stub end configured for sliding engagement with the discharge head. The stub end is captured within the discharge head in a hydraulically balanced condition and the discharge assembly further includes a hydraulic balance chamber and a runner plate within the hydraulic balance chamber. The runner plate is secured to the stub end.

A pump (110) is disclosed comprising: an inlet (114) being in fluid communication with an inlet cavity (115); an outlet (118) being in fluid communication with an outlet cavity (119); a motor (120) being arranged in a motor cavity (121); a pump axis (122) being rotatably drivable by the motor; impellers (124) being positioned between the inlet cavity and the outlet cavity and being actuatable by the pump axis to cause a differential pressure across the inlet cavity and the outlet cavity; and a balance arrangement (126) configured to at least partially offset an axial thrust affected upon the axis by the impellers when the pump is in operation, the balance arrangement comprising: a balance cavity (132); a balance drum (128) arranged between the outlet cavity and the balance cavity; and a balance line (134) extending between and fluidly connecting the balance cavity and the inlet cavity. The inlet is in fluid communication with the inlet cavity via the balance cavity and the balance line. A related method is also disclosed.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a thrust washer and a diffuser for use in a downhole electrical submersible pump are disclosed. The pump may include a shaft and a motor communicatively coupled to the shaft. The motor may be operable to rotate the shaft. The pump may further include an impeller coupled to the shaft. The impeller may contain a balance ring, a balance hole, and a hub. The pump may further include a diffuser disposed adjacent to the impeller. The pump may further include a thrust washer coupled to the impeller. The thrust washer may be located between the balance ring and the hub without blocking the balance hole to allow fluid flow through the impeller and the diffuser. The pump may further include a discharge operable to direct fluid flow out of the multi-stage electrical submersible pump.