Submersible pump impeller design for lifting gaseous fluid

摘要

A gas-handling centrifugal pump has impellers for pumping gaseous materials containing up to 50% by volume free gas. The impellers have split vanes with high exit angles up to about 90 degrees and preferably greater than 50 degrees. The split vanes define flow passages that contain large diameter balance holes that typically range between 45% to 100% of the width between each split vane. The gas-handling centrifugal pump can be used as a charge pump for a centrifugal pump in a lower tandem configuration within a well.