PROTECTOR TERMINOLOGY

This section is intended to acquaint new employees who may not be familiar with
protector terminology. It is suggested this be a starting point for initial training and
understanding of protector assembly.

Protector Basics

The protector is a vital piece of equipment that is positioned between the motor and
intake of an assembled submergible pump unit. It serves several important functions
including 1) as a seal to prevent well fluid migration into the motor, 2) as a reservoir for
the expansion and contraction of motor oil due to temperature changes and 3) as a thrust
bearing to absorb any pump-generated axial thrust loads (upthrust or downthrust) and 4)
to couple the torque developed in the motor to the pump via the protector shaft. The
protector is fastened to and in direct contact with the motor head and has a fluid pathway
for the motor oil to flow into and out of the protector. When a submergible pumping unit
is installed in a well, it goes from atmospheric pressure (14.7 psi at sea level) to a high
bottom hole pressure in the well (such as 500 psi). When the motor is operating, the
internal heating causes the motor oil to expand which would add even more pressure if it
did not have some place to go. If the unit is stopped and allowed to cool down, the oil
will contract which would create a vacuum in a sealed system. The protector simply
keeps the pressure on the inside of the motor and protector the same as the pressure on
the outside of the unit regardless of what the external pressure is. In other words, the
motor fluid in the motor is in "communication" with the motor fluid in the protector.
Since the bottom of the protector is open to the motor, the motor oil pressure remains the
same as the well fluid in the annulus of well. By maintaining a negligible pressure
difference, there is no tendency for the well fluid to penetrate into the motor. There are
several protector designs which allow the well fluid and motor fluid to transfer pressure
to each other without mixing of the two fluids.

Types
There are three types of protectors - labyrinth, positive seal and modular. Each are
discussed and illustrated below.

• Labyrinth - This protector is designed for wells where the well fluid is denser than the
motor oil and relies on the difference between their densities and relative
immiscibility (do not mix) for its function. With this design the motor oil and well
fluid are in direct contact. When the motor oil specific gravity is less dense than the
well fluid specific gravity and immiscible, the motor oil will "float" on the well fluid
inside the protector. With well fluid generally immiscible and in direct contact with
motor oil, there is no tendency to contaminate the motor oil. The labyrinth chamber
is isolated from the shaft rotation by a shaft tube so that mixing will not occur by the
rotating shaft. The term labyrinth is used to describe the "U" shaped torturous path
that the well fluid must take. Because of the equal pressurization of the well fluid and
motor oil in the protector and the tortuous path, the well fluid only stays in the top of
the protector. The common model that describes this protector type is called the 66L.
 Typical Submergible Pump Installation

Well Head

Well Casing

Tubing

Pump

Intake/Gas
Separator

Protector

Power Cable

Motor
 Illustration of a Labyrinth Type Protector

Well Fluid
Mechanical Seal
Head

Plug
Shaft

Motor Oil
- Legend -
Yellow - Motor Oil
Blue - Well Fluid

Upper
Chamber

Housing
Shaft Tube

"U" Tube Well Fluid

Mechanical
Seal Body Seal

Thrust Bearing
Bullet

Lower Chamber
Plug
Brass Bushings

Drain & Fill

Base Valve
 Change in Fluid Level of a Labyrinth Protector

Motor Fluid

Well
Fluid

The "U" tube design keeps the heavy well fluid from going lower into the unit
keeping the thrust bearing and motor full of clean oil. The fluid level can rise and fall
as needed to equalize the pressure as shown in the illustrations above. There are
applications where this protector will not work. When the well fluid specific gravity
is less (lighter) than the motor oil specific gravity (about 0.85), the motor oil will go
to the bottom of the chamber rather than the top causing the motor fluid to be
displaced by the well fluid.

• Positive Seal - This protector utilizes a positive seal or bag to physically separate the
motor oil and well fluid. It is particularly designed for applications where the well
fluid and motor oil specific gravities are similar or where a well is highly deviated
(not perpendicular to the horizon). The bag is made of a high temperature elastomer
which can withstand the harsh downhole environments encountered in an oil well.
The bag keeps the well fluid on the outside (inside the protector) and the clean motor
oil on the inside of the bag. When the motor oil expands or contracts, the bag simply
flexes to accommodate the necessary volume change. The positive seal protector
offers a great deal of flexibility and is useful in a wide variety of applications. If the
positive seal is breached, the motor can become contaminated with well fluid. It is
therefore important to be aware of any harsh well chemicals such as those used for
well treatment that might attack the integrity of the bag.
 Illustration of Positive Seal Protector

Elastomer Bag
Elastomer Bag

Motor Oil
Well Fluid

The bag changes volume with the expansion and contraction of the motor oil and yet
keeps the motor oil and well fluid physically separated at all times.
• Modular - The modular protector offers the flexibility of both the labyrinth and
positive seal by combining their attributes into one protector. Also, many customers
were running either two 66L protectors or a combination of a 66L and a positive seal
together. The modular removes the redundancies of two thrust bearings and two
shafts and eliminates the need for two or more protectors for a unit. The modular has
the advantage of additional seals without the wasteful duplication of unnecessary
parts. Additionally, the customer now can design the protector needed for a particular
application while incorporating the best elements of the labyrinth and positive seal.
The system consists of a head, base, shaft, seal section (either labyrinth or bag type)
and a seal body which allows the protector to be configured in several ways. The
protector is named for the type(s) of seal chambers used and how those chambers are
connected, i.e. in "series" or "parallel." The "L" is for labyrinth and the "B" is for the
bag type. As for connection type, the "P" is for parallel and the "S" is for series. The
series connection is simply one chamber in- line after the other just like a series of
resisters in an electrical circuit. For well fluid to enter the lower chamber, it must
completely displace all of the oil in the upper chamber first. Two bags in series
means the lower bag is a redundant seal to the upper bag and is there in case the upper
bag fails. There is no additional expansion capacity in "series" connected systems.
Two bags in parallel on the other hand double the available expansion volume. This
is especially useful on higher horsepower (longer motors) applications where the
expansion and contraction might exceed the capacity of one bag. Examples of the
different combination of modular protectors include L, B, LSL, LSB, BSL, BSB,
BPB, LSLSL, BSBSL, BPBSL, LSPBP, etc.

Illustration of Modular Protectors

B L BSL LSB
 Illustration of Modular Protectors

Bag

Labyrinth
Bag
Bag

Bag Labyrinth Labyrinth

Labyrinth Labyrinth
Bag

BSBSL LSLSB BPBSLSL

John Crane Seal Standard Thrust Bearing
Protector Series Housing Diameter
325 3.25 inches.
375 3.75 inches.
400 4.00 inches.
540 5.40 inches.
562 5.62 inches.
738 7.38 inches.
950 9.50 inches.

Protector Glossary

Term Definition
66L A two chambered labyrinth design
B Indicates chamber utilizes a Positive Seal or elastomer bag design
DB A Positive Seal design utilizing two elastomer bags in parallel
FS A protector constructed with ferritic steel (Redalloy) components
HL A protector utilizing a High Load/High Temperature thrust bearing
HTM A protector utilizing High Temperature (300°F max.) elastomers and
bearing
L A chamber utilizing a Labyrinth design
LTM A protector utilizing Low Temperature (250°F max.) elastomers and
bearing
P Chambers are connected in parallel configuratio n (bag chambers only)
PF Protector utilizing an elastomer bag and oil is prefilled at the factory
S Chambers are connected in a series configuration (bag chambers only)
SB A Positive Seal type utilizing one elastomer bag

Modular Protector Descri ptive Code

X X X X X X
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Chamber Type Bearing Code

L= Labyrinth HL = High Load
B = Bag (Elastomer) None = Standard
None = No Chamber

Connection Type
S = Series
P = Parallel
None = Less than two chambers
Protector Component Description

Below is a list of the primary components of the protector and a brief description of their
function.

• Head - The head is machined from carbon

or ferritic steel and screws into the top of
the protector housing. It contains a bronze
bushing for the shaft, a plug used in the oil
filling process and a relief valve. 540 and
738 series heads are now available with
zirconia a bushing. With the head
fastened to the intake of the pump, the I.D.
is exposed to well fluid. The head is a
machined carbon or ferritic steel part that
screws into the top of the pump.

• Base - The base is machined from carbon

or ferritic steel and screws into the bottom
of the protector housing. It contains a
bronze bushing, a drain and fill valve, a
plug and protector valve (bullet) assembly
to allow oil flow between the motor and
protector. The base is fastened to the head
of the motor.

• Seal Body - This is a machined part made

from either carbon or ferritic steel. It is so
named for housing the John Crane
mechanical seal. The OD is threaded on
each end to assemble upper and lower
protector housings. The seal body contains
plugs to aid in the oil filling process and a
bronze bushing for bearing and shaft
support.

• John Crane Seal - The John Crane Seal

is a mechanical seal that prevents fluid
migration down the protector shaft into
the motor. It consists of a silicon
carbide sealing washer and seal seat, a
HSN bellows, a Monel spring, a stainless
steel holder, retainer and drive band and
a HSN seat ring.
• Shaft - The protector shaft runs the full
length of the protector and is a machined
Monel or Inconel part connecting the
motor to the intake of the pump. Splines
are machined on each end for a coupling
to adapt to the motor and intake shafts.
Shafts are straightened after machining.

• Bag - The elastomer bag contains clean

motor oil and serves as the positive seal
between the well fluid and motor oil. The
bag expands and contracts as the motor oil
is heated and cooled. The elastomer is
made to withstand harsh oil well
environments.

• Snap Ring - Snap rings are circular shaped

rings with tabs on the OD to open for
insertion on a shaft. They are made from
Monel, heat treated and hardened.

• O-ring - The o-ring is common to many

parts and serves as a seal between mating
parts. It is made from elastomers built to
withstand harsh oil well environments.

• Compensator Tube - This is a galvanized

steel tube found in labyrinth (66L)
protectors that forms part of the "U" tube.

• Base and Stand Tube - This is a machined

carbon steel subassembly used in 66L
protectors. The tube is soldered to the
base making up part of the "U" tube. It
also contains a brass bushing for the shaft.

• Relief Valve - A stainless steel relief valve

is used in positive seal and modular
protectors to provide pressure equalization
of motor oil.
• Plug - Plugs are machined Monel parts
similar in shape of a hex head cap screw
used in heads, bases and seal bodies to aid
in the oil filling process. They are also
used for opening and closing the protector
valve (bullet) in the protector base.

• Drain and Fill Valve - This steel or Monel

machined part is located in the base of the
protector and is used for draining and
filling motor oil in the protector.

• Protector Valve- This is a carbon steel

machined part shaped like a bullet and
used in conjunction with a spring in the
modular protector base. When seated by
the spring, it does not allow oil flow to the
motor. When a long plug is installed in
the base by a field service technician, the
protector valve (bullet) is lifted off the
seating area allowing motor oil to flow
into and out of the motor.

• Shedder - The shedder is made from

highly saturated nitrile (HSN) and diverts
well fluid away from the shaft.

• Shaft Tube - The shaft tube is a carbon

steel machined part that surrounds the
protector shaft. Its function is to prevent
the rotating shaft from contacting the well
fluid/motor oil so that mixing will not
occur.

• Bag Frame - The bag frame is a carbon

steel machined structure which the
elastomer bag is clamped to.
• Housing - Housings are made from either
carbon or ferritic steel and threaded on the
ID. The seal surface ahead of the threads
is critical for proper sealing of the o-rings.
The ID is honed.

• Clamp - A Monel clamp is used to secure

the bag to the bag to the bag frame. The
clamp is crimped by a special tool to
ensured it is secured properly.

• Thrust Bearing - The thrust bearing is used

to absorb axial force (upthrust and
downthrust) created by the pump. Both
standard babbited marine type and high
load/high temperature bearings are used.
The thrust bearing consists of a carbon
steel runner that is fixed to the protector
shaft and is sandwiched between the two
bearings. Parts are held to close tolerance
for flatness, parallelism and surface finish.

• Body and Guide Tube - This machined

carbon steel subassembly is threaded on
the OD at each end and is used in 66L
protectors to connect the upper and lower
housings. The body contains a brass
bushing for the shaft. A tube is welded to
the body which surrounds the protector
shaft.

• Bearing and Seal Body - This machined

carbon steel part is threaded at each end
and is used to connect the lower housing
to the thrust bearing housing. The thrust
bearing resides on this part.
• Shim - Shims are very thin (0.005" to
.015") stainless steel or brass donut shaped
rings used to take up space between an
adjoining assembly such as a housing,
base, head, seal body or thrust bearing.

• Shaft Runner Key - This is a small square

shaped (0.125") carbon steel part used for
locking the runner onto the shaft.

• Two Piece Ring - The two piece ring is a

Monel machined part that is cut in two
halves, attaches to the OD of the shaft and
supports a subassembly. It is common to
pumps, motors and protectors.

• Coupling Adapter - The coupling adapter

is a machined carbon steel part used for
adapting the protector shaft to the motor
shaft coupling. It has splines on the OD
and ID.