Well pump

Claim 1

TURBO-LIFT APPARATUS FOR INSTALLATION IN WELLS, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED, HOLLOW, CYLINDRICAL HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE LOWERED INTO A WELL CASING; A FIRST INLET AT THE TOP END OF SAID HOUSING FOR INTRODUCTION OF POWER FLUID THEREINTO; A SECOND INLET ADJACENT THE BOTTOM END OF SAID HOUSING FOR INTAKE OF PRODUCTION FLUID THEREINTO; AN ELONGATED SHAFT COAXIALLY ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING; A TURBINE IMPELLER COAXIALLY SECURED TO AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT; A PUMP IMPELLER COAXIALLY SECURED TO A LOWER PORTION OF SHAFT; MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING DEFINING PASSAGES FOR FLOW OF PRESSURE FLUID DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST INLET DRIVINGLY THROUGH SAID TURBINE IMPELLER TO AN INTERMEDIATE INTERIOR PORTION OF SAID HOUSING BELOW SAID TURBINE IMPELLER; MEANS WITHIN SAID CASING DEFINING PASSAGES FOR FLOW OF PRODUCTION FLUID UPWARDLY FROM SAID SECOND INLET THROUGH SAID PUMP IMPELLER TO SAID INTERMEDIATE INTERIOR PORTION OF SAID HOUSING ABOVE SAID PUMP IMPELLER; A DISCHARGE PORT EXTENDING LATERALLY DIRECTLY THROUGH SAID HOUSING FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE INTERIOR PORTION OF SAID HOUSING TO THE EXTERIOR THEREOF; AND MEANS FOR BALANCING AXIAL THRUST TENDING TO DISPLACE SAID SHAFT AND SAID IMPELLER THEREIN AXIALLY OF SAID HOUSING, INCLUDING: A CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER COAXIALLY POSITIONED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A LOWER, COAXIAL ENTRANCE BORE IN COMMUNICATION AT ITS LOWER END WITH SAID FIRST INLET, SAID ENTRANCE BORE BEING OF REDUCED INSIDE DIAMETER RELATIVE TO THE UPPER ADJOINING PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER, THEREBY FORMING AN UPWARDLY FACING, ANNULAR CHAMBER SHOULDER IN SAID CHAMBER SURROUNDING SAID ENTRANCE BORE, A BALANCING MEMBER FIXED COAXIALLY ON THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, SAID BALANCING MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER DISK PORTION OF AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID ENTRANCE BORE, AND A DEPENDING CYLINDRICAL HUB PORTION OF REDUCED OUTSIDE DIAMETER RELATIVE TO SAID DISK PORTION, THEREBY FORMING A DOWNWARDLY FACING ANNULAR DISK SHOULDER AT THE JUNCTURE OF SAID DISK AND HUB PORTIONS, SAID DISK PORTION BEING POSITIONED COAXIALLY IN SAID CHAMBER WITH SAID HUB PORTION EXTENDING THEREFROM COAXIALLY THROUGH SAID ENTRANCE BORE, WHEREBY THE SAID DOWNWARDLY FACING ANNULAR SHOULDER OF SAID DISK IS POSITIONED OVER SAID UPWARDLY FACING ANNULAR CHAMBER SHOULDER, THE AXIAL SEPARATION THEREBETWEEN BEING VARIABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID BALANCE MEANS AND SAID SHAFT RELATIVE TO SAID CHAMBER, AND DUCT MEANS CONNECTING THE SAID CHAMBER TO THE ADJACENT EXTERIOR PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, WHEREBY POWER FLUID MAY FLOW FROM SAID FIRST INLET, BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND SAID BORE AND THROUGH SAID AXIAL SEPARATION INTO SAID CHAMBER AND THENCE OUT THROUGH SAID DUCT MEANS, WHEREBY THE SAID DISK PORTION MAY BE SUBJECTED TO FLUID PRESSURE FROM SAID FIRST INLET WITH A RESULTING AXIAL FORCE THEREON WHICH VARIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAID AXIAL SEPARATION OF SAID DISK SHOULDER AND SAID CHAMBER SHOULDER AS DETERMINED BY AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID SHAFT FROM A PREDETERMINED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING.