Electric Submersible Pump Guides and Reviews

The electric submersible pump (ESP) articles provides guidance and review about different types, qualities, durabilities, and prices.  This pump is a kind of pump that operates under water or submerged in water and powered by electric power. In the electric submersible pumps, the pumps and motor are clamped together, and the motor kept in an airtight chamber.

The motor chamber is sealed, so no water enters inside them. These kinds of pumps push the fluids and don’t pull the water like other. Submersible pumps are devoid of cavitation problems that rise in the pipelines between height difference between the fluid surface and pump.

The action of pushing of water by an artificial device is called the artificial lift. They are usually mounted vertically and used lift the fluids from moderate to huge volumes. Electric submersible pumps are reliable and easiest methods of artificial lift. 

Electric Submersible Pump Selection

Let us consider the factors that are to be considered while selecting a pump for our desired application.

Type of pump – We have to decide whether we require a single stage or multi-stage pump. Single stage pumps are used for sump drainage; home sewage treatment and aquarium filter applications. Multi-stage pumps are used in deep water wells and oil wells.

Power cord – Power cord is the cable that transfers power from the electric source to the motor in the sealed casing. The power cord is required to operate in wet conditions or under water so must be water resistant. Power cables must be highly reliable in the harsh environment.

Flow rate – The amount of fluid to be transferred by the pump in certain time for the desired application. The flow rate is expressed in terms of Volume per unit time. The flow rate is measured as Gallons per minute (GPM).

Lift - the distance up to which the fluid needs to be pumped. These pumps do not build pressure to pull the fluids instead push the fluids to overcome the head. It is measured in units of distance in feet or meter.

Pump curves – all the suppliers provide flow rate vs. head curves for the pump in a graph. Please check and see whether they fit in your range.

Power – amount of energy required for the pump operation. Power is rated in terms of voltage for electric power. Electric power is available in voltages of 110V, 220V, and 440V. Power is expressed in terms of Horse power (HP).

Advantages

• Ability to pump out high volumes of the fluid
• Minimum surface requirements as the pumps are submerged
• Quiet and safe in operation
•  Ability to perform in the harsh conditions.
• Priming is not required
• Auto cooled as they are submerged in the water
• Highly efficient.

Limitation

• Can tolerate only small amounts of the wastes and solids in the pumping fluid.
• The seal used in the motor casing must be checked and changed periodically. Seals must prevent water leakage in the motor casing region.
• Not easier for maintenance and repair.
• Operates efficiently only with the higher volume.

Application

Electric submersible pumps are used in a wide variety of applications for domestic home purposes to the deep oil wells from the extracting purpose. Let us look at few of the applications.

• They are used for the sump drainage pumping, sewage pumping and as aquarium filters in the homes.
• They are also used with the pond filters, water well drilling, sewage treatment plants and irrigation purposes.
• They are used in the oil wells for pumping out the crude oil, brine and other fluids for the oil production.
• They are used for mine dewatering, firefighting system, offshore drilling rigs and seawater treatment.

Brands and Prices

Let us look at the different market leaders for the submersible pumps and their capacity, voltage range, price, etc. The main manufacturers of the electric submersible pumps are GE Oil & Gas, Gorman-Rupp pumps. Keystone Pumps, Grunfos Inc., Austral-Asia pumps. The price range of pumps used for domestic trash removal and dewatering cost from 100$ for 2500$. Price varies depending upon the capacity, power & head.

GE Oil & Gas is one of the leading producers of the submersible pumps in the oil & gas industries. They mostly make pumps for the large volume applications and large scale industrial. They deal with only the industrial requirements and manufacture them according to their requirement.

Gorman-Rupp pumps are used in trash handling, dewatering, and sewage treatment applications. They provide pumps for domestic and small industrial requirements.

Keystone pumps are mainly into manufacturing of pumps for the heavy slurry applications. They are made rugged to stand against the harsh environments involving the abrasives or other solid particles.

An austral Asia pump is the main distributor of the pumps made at Grunfos Inc., and Lowara Pumps all over the world. They provide pumps for all applications from large industrial oil wells, agriculture, mining, printing, manufacturing to coffee making machines.

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