Apparatus and method for controlling or limiting rotor orbit in moving cavity motors and pumps

• Main Authors: Pushkarev, Maxim, Jarvis, Brian P, Murray, William, Tunc, Gokturk, Askew, Warren, Alvarado, Daniel, Lee, Lawrence, Wilcox, Nigel, Underwood, Lance, Onodera, Shunetsu, Cariveau, Peter Thomas, Downton, Geoffrey, Williams, Brian, Plop, Andrei
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.04.2020
• Subjects: BLASTING; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINES DRIVEN BY LIQUIDS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENTMACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENTPUMPS; WEAPONS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS

Techniques involve a motor assembly including a rotor and a stator. The stator includes a contact surface for contacting an outer surface of the rotor. The contact surface includes a rigid material. The motor assembly also includes at least one constraint disposed along a length of the motor assembly, where the constraint constrains a radial and/or tangential movement of the rotor relative to the stator. The at least one constraint may be disposed at one or more proximate ends of the motor assembly, and/or along the length of the motor assembly. The contact surface of the stator may have a profile including peaks and valleys, and in some embodiments, the contact surface may be treated to reduce friction and/or wear.