Protector for electrical submersible pumps

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention features a system and method for protecting a motor for a submersible pumping system.
A variety of motor protectors are provided for application in variable temperature environments and multiple wellbore orientations.
For example, the motor protectors may include one or more of a positively pressurized bellows, a relatively balanced pressure bellows free of sliding seals, and a multi-orientable labyrinth.
Each of these motor protectors also may have various moisture absorbents, filters, particle shedders and various conventional motor protector components.
The positively pressurized bellows is provided to pressurize the motor fluid relative to external fluids for repelling the external fluids rather than allowing inward leakage contaminating the motor fluid.
The foregoing bellows positively pressurizes the motor fluid by placing the bellows between the motor fluid and the external fluid and by using the pressure of the external fluid and the spring force of the bellows assembly to provide a relatively higher internal pressure of the motor fluid.
The balanced pressure bellows operates without any sliding seals.
Instead, the foregoing bellows couples to the submersible pumping system at one or both ends.
For example, the balanced pressure bellows may be disposed between a pump and the motor of the submersible pumping system.
Although it is referred to as a balanced pressure bellows, it is understood that the foregoing bellows also may provide a pressure differential between fluids.
The multi-orientable labyrinth is operable in a variety of wellbore orientations, including vertical, horizontal, and angled orientations.
The multi-orientable labyrinth has one or more conduits that wind and zigzag in multiple orientations to ensure peaks and valleys in all orientations of the labyrinth.
The foregoing motor protectors may be used to protect motors and other components in any combination.
As noted above, conventional motor protectors also may be used in combination with the foregoing motor protectors