Included are electric submersible pump assemblies, methods of use, and systems incorporating said electric submersible pump assemblies. An example electric submersible pump assembly comprises an electric submersible pump comprising a pump intake, a storage chamber in fluid communication with the discharge side of the electric submersible pump, and a tubing configured to allow for fluid communication between the pump intake and the storage chamber such that fluid may flow from the storage chamber into the pump intake.

A vapor pump for an automotive application includes a housing group with a pump housing having a pump chamber, an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and a motor housing having a motor chamber; a rotor shaft made from an electrically conductive material; a pumping wheel made of an electrically conductive plastic material arranged in the pump chamber and mounted on the rotor shaft to rotate therewith to pump the fuel vapor from the inlet opening to the outlet opening; a drive motor arranged in the motor chamber which includes a motor stator, a motor rotor and a motor control unit; a contact plug which electrically connects the motor control unit; and an electrically conductive bearing arrangement which is connected with the contact plug via a conductor. The motor rotor is connected with the rotor shaft to rotate therewith. The electrically conductive bearing arrangement rotatably supports the rotor shaft.

Included are electric submersible pump assemblies, methods of use, and systems incorporating said electric submersible pump assemblies. An example electric submersible pump assembly comprises an electric submersible pump comprising a pump intake, a storage chamber in fluid communication with the discharge side of the electric submersible pump, and a tubing configured to allow for fluid communication between the pump intake and the storage chamber such that fluid may flow from the storage chamber into the pump intake.

An appliance for making a beverage comprising: a conduit defining a liquid flow path for the liquid; a pump to move the liquid under pressure along the flow path and configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode, different to the first mode, a sensor assembly configured to determine a first flow rate of the liquid in the flow path when the pump operates in the first mode and determine a second flow rate when the pump operates in the second mode; and a controller operatively coupled with the pump and the sensor assembly and configured to cause the pump to switch from the first mode to the second mode if the first flow rate is below a first threshold and to cause the pump to switch from the second mode to the first mode if the second flow rate is above a second threshold. In the second mode, the pump causes the liquid to move under increased pressure than in the first mode to at least aid in resolving cavitation. A method of controlling the appliance to make a beverage is also disclosed.

Systems and apparatuses for regulating a multi-phase fluid stream flowing from a subterranean geological formation, and related methods are described herein. The system and apparatus generally include a conduit defining a flow path for the fluid stream, the conduit further defining a first restriction having a throat portion, and the conduit further defining a first return path including an inlet positioned downstream of the first restriction and an outlet positioned upstream of the inlet of the first return path. Related methods include placing the apparatus or system within a wellbore conduit defined by a wellbore.

A vapor pump for an automotive application includes a housing group with a pump housing having a pump chamber, an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and a motor housing having a motor chamber; a rotor shaft made from an electrically conductive material; a pumping wheel made of an electrically conductive plastic material arranged in the pump chamber and mounted on the rotor shaft to rotate therewith to pump the fuel vapor from the inlet opening to the outlet opening; a drive motor arranged in the motor chamber which includes a motor stator, a motor rotor and a motor control unit; a contact plug which electrically connects the motor control unit; and an electrically conductive bearing arrangement which is connected with the contact plug via a conductor. The motor rotor is connected with the rotor shaft to rotate therewith. The electrically conductive bearing arrangement rotatably supports the rotor shaft.

The invention relates to a pumping device for pumping liquids, comprising a centrifugal pump with a radially pumping pump wheel with a hollow center. A pumping device 101 is proposed to provide a device for pumping liquids with a centrifugal pump with a radially pumping pump wheel with a hollow center, said pump being equipped to remove accumulations of gas from the interior of the pump, with a centrifugal pump 110 with a radially pumping pump wheel 201 with a hollow center, a detecting device 120 for detecting the first operating parameter 510, a sensor 130 for measuring a second operating parameter 520 and a control unit 180 for controlling the centrifugal pump 110 which is connected to the pump 110, the detecting device 120 for detecting the first operating parameter 510 and to the sensor 130, During operation, the pump 110 may be assigned a value of the first operating parameter 510 at any point in time. The control unit 180 is also equipped so that it controls the operation of the pump 110 and can remove accumulations of gas from the hollow center of the pump 110 during liquid pumping operation of the pump 110 by operating the pump 110 in a first step for removal of gas such that at least the first operating parameter 510 of the pump 110 is varied over time t, so that the first operating parameter 510 assumes a series of different predetermined values, one after another, and meanwhile values of the second operating parameter 520 associated with the values of the first operating parameter 510 are recorded, local and/or global extreme values E of the previously recorded values of the second operating parameter 520 are determined in a second step for removal of gas; those values 510E of the first operating parameter 510 are determined in a third step for gas removal, these values being associated with the extreme values E of the second operating parameter 520 previously determined; in a fourth step for removal of gas, the pump 110 is operated so that it assumes one of the values of the first operating parameter 510 associated with the extreme values E of the second operating parameter 520 for a predetermined period of time T.

There is provided a centrifugal pump comprising a pumping chamber (106). The pumping chamber (106) has an inner surface (108) defining a pump cavity (110); a pump inlet (112) defined in a first side of the pumping chamber (106); a shaft opening (116) defined substantially centrally in a second side of the pumping chamber (106), the second side substantially opposing the first side and arranged to be above the first side, in use; and a pump outlet (114). The centrifugal pump further comprises an impeller (120) retained within the pump cavity (110); and a shaft member (140) mechanically connected to the impeller (120) through the shaft opening (116), whereby rotation of the shaft member (140) causes rotation of the impeller (120) about a shaft axis (157) passing through the shaft opening (116) and movement of a pumping liquid from the pump inlet (112) towards the pump outlet (114). The centrifugal pump further comprises a flow modifier (150) provided adjacent to an outer surface (107) of the pumping chamber (106) at the shaft opening (116) to substantially prevent ingress of air into the pump cavity (110) through the shaft opening (116) during operation of the pump even when a water level in a liquid tank (104) surrounding the pumping chamber (106) drops below a level of the shaft opening (116). The flow modifier (150) comprises an annular portion (152) having defined therein a further shaft opening (156) spaced from the shaft opening (116) and having the shaft member (140) passing therethrough. The centrifugal pump comprises a spacing member (154) spacing the annular portion (152) from the outer surface (107). The flow modifier (150) defines a liquid overflow outlet (164) for liquid flow from the shaft opening (116) in a direction substantially transverse to the shaft axis (157). In one example, the liquid overflow outlet (164) is sized to substantially prevent the ingress of air into the pump cavity (110) through the shaft opening (116) during operation of the pump, even when the water level in the liquid tank (104) surrounding the pumping chamber (106) drops below the level of the shaft opening (116). In the same or an alternative example, the annular portion (152) comprises a first portion (158) having defined therein the further shaft opening (156) and a second portion (160) extending towards the outer

A method of operating a submersible pumping system includes the steps of placing the pumping system in a normal mode of operation and then detecting the possible presence of a gas slug in proximity to the pumping system by measuring a decrease in the load on the motor. Once the possibility of a gas slug has been detected, the method continues by placing the pumping system in a reduced speed cycle. The pumping system is kept in the reduced speed cycle until the absence of a gas slug in proximity to the pumping system is detected by evaluating two independent conditions within the pumping system.

A fluid moving system and apparatus for an electric submersible pump (ESP) is described. A fluid moving system includes a gas separator between an electric submersible pump and an ESP motor, the gas separator including a separation chamber including an impeller and a diffuser, the impeller including a plurality of regressively pitched main vanes interspersed between a plurality of mixer vanes, each of the plurality of main and mixer vanes extending along the hub with a positive slope and a concave top face, and a diffuser, the diffuser including blades extending along a diffuser body in a sloped direction substantially opposite the slope of the impeller main vanes, the blades having a concave top face and a regressive pitch that mirrors the pitch of the impeller main vanes, wherein the impeller vanes and diffuser blades serve to homogenize the well fluid while facilitating downstream movement.