US 12,410,809 B2
Breather tube for labyrinth seal chamber
Christopher Wrighton, Aberdeenshire (GB); and Sakethraman Mahalingam, Aberdeenshire (GB)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on May 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/203,391.
Prior Publication US 2024/0401602 A1, Dec. 5, 2024
Int. Cl. F04D 29/10 (2006.01); E21B 43/12 (2006.01); F04B 7/02 (2006.01); F04B 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC F04D 29/106 (2013.01) [E21B 43/128 (2013.01); F04B 7/02 (2013.01); F04B 7/06 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrical submersible pumping system (“ESP”) that is selectively disposed in a wellbore, the ESP comprising:
a motor;
a shaft having an end attached to the motor;
a pump attached to an end of the shaft distal from the motor; and
a seal section disposed between the motor and the pump comprising,
a breather tube having,
an uphole end that is in pressure communication to ambient hydrostatic pressure,
a downhole end distal from the uphole end and that is in pressure communication with the motor, and
a mid-portion having an undulating contour that comprises a recycle loop mounted to the breather tube, the recycle loop having a curved mid-section and upper and lower ends that intersect the breather tube at spaced apart locations along a length of the breather tube to define a valvular conduit.