Multiphase Rotodynarnic Pumps Extend their Operating Capabilities

The paper describes the main features of the P302 multiphase pump and presents some results of bench tests carried out to check its hydraulic performances. The P302 is a rotodynamic helico-axial pump based on the Poseidon pumping technology. It is equipped with water lubricated bearings and driven by a high speed electrical motor. The pump was designed to work with a suction pressure much lower than the P300 prototype and to deliver a higher compression ratio. It has fifteen stages of compression cells, in three different series. Before installing the pump on an onshore production site for endurance tests with actual field fluids, the steady-state behavior and the transient responses of the pump were characterized on the IFP multiphase loop at Solaize (France). The pump was tested both with single phase fluids (liquid or gas) and a diphasic mixture (fuel-oil and nitrogen) at various GVF and suction pressures. In the paper, theoretical predictions are compared to measured data. The good results of these tests confirmed the soundness and versatility of the Poseidon hydraulics and also the calculation model ability to predict accurately the performances of rotodynamic pump over a wide range of operating conditions.