RO125784A2 - Gas-lift mechanisms - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a mechanism for the actuation of a reciprocating pump to lift fluids from a well or bore hole. According to the invention, the mechanism comprises a disc (2) wherefrom a polished rod (1) hangs by means of a flexible coupling (3), said rod (1) passing through some upper and lower tubes (7 and 5) which are sealed to each other by a sealing joint (8) and being lifted and lowered by a cylinder (6) to which the disc (2) is fixed and which passes through a bearing (9) and a sealing joint mounted between the cylinder (6) and an external casing (4), beneath said bearing (9), between said casing (4) and said lower tube (5), there being placed some blades (12) and some polar pieces (11), while an internal volume (10) contains gas whose pressure adiabatically varies with the position of the cylinder (6) during the pumping cycle, so that the blades (12) and the polar pieces (11) produce the energy to be stored in and extracted from the gas spring.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

STATE OFFICE FOR INVENTIONS AND TRADEMARKS Patent Application ^!

KT _r IjU

Deposit date .....

The present invention relates to the form of a mechanism for actuating an reciprocating pump for lifting liquids from a well or deep well.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the mechanism of a "pumping unit", the piston and check valve assembly at the base of the well or borehole (which may be several thousand meters deep) is generally coupled to the surface actuator with with the help of a long steel rod, which, being assembled in segments by screwing, is known as a set of pumping rods. The upper segment of this gasket is the segment that comes out of the well through a pressure sealing device - it necessarily has a higher surface finish and is known as polished (or polished) rod. The polished rod is connected directly to the reciprocating mechanism, which forms the invention described herein.

It has long been known to build these mechanisms in the form of a horizontal oscillating cross member, which has a hammer-shaped end, over which is wound a chain or a cable from which the pumping gasket is suspended. There are other more complex mechanisms, in which, for example, the polished rod is suspended by a pulley or belt and in which the pulley or belt is raised and lowered by the rotation and counter-rotation of a winch mechanism. However, the swingarm or "rocker" remained the most popular device for moving a rod set. Oscillating sleepers have been used since the eighteenth century to pump water from the mine.

The mechanically actuated end of the swingarm assembly was operated either by a linear actuator, similar to an older steam engine concept (Atmospheric or Newcomen engine), or by a connecting rod-crank mechanism, which in turn was operated by a rotary engine, such as an electric, gasoline, gas or diesel engine. These engines have a low output torque, and a high-speed gearbox must be interposed to reduce the rotational speed and increase the torque of the crank moving the crossmember.

It will also be understood that the long steel gasket, which connects the drive mechanism at the top of the well with the pump itself at the base of the well, has a weight of several tons, which must also be supported by the crossbar. To increase the efficiency of the mechanism, the weight must be

GV 2 O 1 0 - OO 2 8 7 - 2 4 -Π ^: ~ _ counterbalanced. Although some recent mechanisms have used a gas spring (in the form of a pneumatic cylinder as a "support pillar" below the load-bearing end of the sleeper), it is much more common for this counterbalance to be in the form of eccentric weights attached to the shaft of the mechanism. crank that operates the oscillating cross member.

From time immemorial, the pumping stroke has traditionally been about ten feet (two or three meters), and the pumping frequency has been about 5 (between 1 and 10) strokes per minute. It will be understood that the traditional selections were determined by the large masses involved and the asymmetrical action of the device, which places high demands on the parts and causes significant wear on the bearings of the "rocker" mechanism.

The traditional machine has many moving parts and must operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for many years, so it will be understood that it requires regular inspections, lubrication, maintenance and repairs.

It will be further understood that, in the past, pumping mechanisms were designed only with regard to their mechanical function. Their design process focused entirely on ensuring a safe method of raising and lowering a long rod liner inside a column through which the liquid itself is lifted at the pump's ascending stroke. When designing this mechanism, little attention has been paid to the means of detecting the efficiency of the pumping operation or to the reaction to special conditions which may severely affect the loads on the pumping device. For example, prior art mechanisms do not include the ability to detect and react to certain conditions, such as a dry well, a broken rod gasket, or a clogged valve. These conditions could have been discovered or diagnosed only as a result of routine inspection and maintenance, and prior to that discovery, the untreated condition would not only have led to a decrease in yield, but could have caused considerable damage to the mechanism. pumping.

In recent years, a large number of alternative systems have been designed, some of which use directly applied hydraulic energy to raise and lower the polished rod. Other alternatives have proposed the use of linear, direct-drive electric motors, although none of them have been commercially successful.

Ck-2 0 1 0 - 0 0 2 8 7 - * 7 τ πX LvVi

Of these proposals, one is the one described in U.S. Pat. 5,960,875, published October 5, 1999, holder of Elf Exploration Production. The document describes a mechanism by which the piston of an oil pump (located deep inside the borehole and close to the base of the well) is so constructed as to be combined with the cylindrical armature of a linear, induction electric motor. It is understood that in order to be lowered into the well borehole, the outer diameter of that armature must be limited to only a few inches. Patent no. No. 5,960,875 to the United States proposes that the combined piston and armature be actuated vertically, up and down, by the forces induced in the armature by said set of cylindrical coils and, as such, must also be lowered into the borehole. , said electrically driven cylindrical coils must also have an outside diameter which is not significantly larger than that of the piston.

Unfortunately, the proposed linear motor design surpasses any known technology. The weight of the crude oil to be lifted by each ascending stroke of the pump is a few tons, so the force to be produced by the small diameter electromagnetic piston must be several tens of thousands of newtons. However, at this time, no such small-diameter engine with reasonable length, efficiency and cost can be built to meet the requirements of an artificial eruption mechanism and to meet the safety requirements of oil activities. Therefore, the invention is impossible to implement for commercial realization.

Patent no. U.S. Patent No. 5,196,770, issued March 23, 1993, to Marine Petroleum Equipment, also describes a cylindrical linear electric actuator. in this case, it is located at the top of the well and actuates the heavy rod gasket to start the submersible pump. The proposed linear electric motor is much larger, heavier, more complex and more expensive than the one proposed in patent no. 5,960,875 from the United States. It is described as having an inductance-based design or, alternatively, a design based on synchronous, asynchronous or variable reluctance. Unfortunately, all of these are known to be inefficient at the speeds and number of oscillations that are characteristic of pump system pumping operations. It is also expensive to make these engines

linear power to a standard that has enabled them to comply with the safety regulations for power-based devices located in a flammable gas environment.

Another disadvantage is that both the moving part or the armature and the fixed part or stator must be continuously supplied with many kilowatts of electricity. Therefore, there are cooling difficulties (resulting from engine inefficiency and the need to direct heat out of a moving body) and other problems related to the permanent bending of the power cord on the moving part. No safe linear electric actuator may be constructed to meet the requirements of the invention and at the same time have a reasonable price, size and weight.

In particular, it should be noted that the proposed machine has a fixed (predetermined) counterbalance in the form of a high mechanical weight at the extreme end of a cable that rotates 180 degrees around a pulley wheel so that both the cable and pulley wheel bearings are in high demand and will require frequent replacement. Alternatively, fittings are described by which the reinforcement is effectively hung by a pneumatic cylinder (or a pair of such cylinders) forming part of a gas spring, which is under pressure, to ensure a counterbalancing force (predetermined ).

Canadian Patent No. 2,250,739, issued on May 30, 2006, owned by Raos, provides a machine in which the main motor is a simple linear motor, which is designed to have a short rectangular armature that runs between two rectangular stators. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to design such an engine that is capable of producing the large forces required to operate the machine, and which, at the same time, remain efficient at the low speeds required by the application, and meets the regulated requirements for the safety of an oil field.

It is stated that the preferred form of counterbalancing is that of a very large steel spring, compressed between the base of the machine and the electrical reinforcement, to support the reinforcement against the own weight of the rod gasket. (It will be understood that the weight of the rod set can reach ten tons). As is well known, the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to its compression or extension. A common requirement for this counterbalance is that the force will remain within the range of ten

010-00287-percent of its set value, while the armature moves a distance of plus or minus 1.25 meters (total displacement of 2.5 meters or 100 inches). This means that the length of the bow, when compressed to support the rod assembly, should be about 12.5 meters or 40 feet - and that its length, when uncompressed, should be about 50 feet. . Such a massive arch would probably have an outer diameter of a few meters. Although alternative counterbalancing systems using pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders are mentioned, they are not described and no associated invention is claimed. Another alternative counterbalancing system is mentioned, which is a mechanical counterweight, connected via a cable and a pulley wheel, which would have the same disadvantages described, associated with the patent no. 5,196,770, supra, from the United States.

Although Canadian Patent No. 2,250,739 suggests the critical importance of the value of the counterbalancing force, the invention, as described, has a counterbalancing force that is not only predetermined but also unadjustable, so that it cannot be modified in response to changing conditions. The type of linear motor, described in Canadian Pat. 2,250,739, would turn out to be a machine with variable reluctance, switched, with the individual parts of the stator that are switched under the control of a microprocessor. The design of such an engine would be very complex and no such engine would be known to be able to meet the exact requirements of this application.

further, although Canadian Pat. 2,250,739 makes it possible to understand the advantages of a linear electric motor in relation to its ability to change its stroke and speed under remote control and in automatic response to local emergency conditions, it does not describe any method by which those conditions could be detected - and therefore the ability of the machine to detect and respond to emergencies is not claimed.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The invention has applicability in all forms of recovery of liquids from wells and deep boreholes.

The prior art inventions in which it is proposed that a linear electric motor be used to actuate the actuation of a pumping system by connecting ^C 2 Ο 1 Ο - Ο Ο 2 8 7 - directly to its rod set, have limitations in four critical areas:

1. No proposed type of linear electric motor has been able to produce the required mechanical forces while having an acceptable size, weight, efficiency and cost;

2. No proposed counterbalancing system has been able to continuously adapt to changes in pumping conditions in order to minimize dynamic loads on the linear electric motor;

3. No gas spring counterbalancing has been continuously optimized for energy storage and recycling in the oscillating mechanism; and

4. No proposed type of linear electric motor was naturally capable of detecting loads, so that its load signals could be used to control the mechanism as a whole.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION »

An object of the present invention is to construct a pumping mechanism (or "artificial eruption") with reciprocating motion, entirely practical, which uses a very powerful and highly efficient type of linear electric motor, in combination with an adaptive counterbalancing with arc with an inert gas, the device being especially suitable for use in connection with oil wells and those for extracting water from underground gas fields.

Another object of this invention is the new artificial eruption mechanism, in combination with an electronic control unit, with a conventional design and standard specifications, which will be able to detect a variety of pumping conditions, to report them to a center. to respond to remote controls and / or to react immediately and automatically, in a predetermined manner, to several emergency conditions.

Another object of this invention is the new artificial eruption mechanism, it will be compact, completely closed, relatively light in weight and at a lower cost than the prior art mechanisms, at the same time being in accordance with all legal regulations for such of equipment, in the conditions of an oil field.

Another object of this invention is that the machine be constructed in such a way as to allow energy to be stored during part of the pump cycle in such a manner.

C l ij <C 0 ”3 7 - -

so that it can be recovered during the last part of the cycle, in order to improve the efficiency of the oscillating mechanism.

Another object of this invention is that the machine be so constructed that each standardized make or model can be adjusted to suit a wide range of wells, thus reducing the number of different models required to meet the requirements. the market, minimizing the stock of materials, the cost of manufacturing and training for field work.

The main advantages of the invention include:

i. The state-of-the-art mechanisms used many moving parts, required for effort, the continuous and satisfactory operation of which depended on the safety of the assembly. in this current technology, the only moving part is the extending element, so the mechanism is naturally safe and requires brief maintenance;

ii. Because the machine is generally located vertically above the column from which the polished rod protrudes from the wellbore, the mechanical stress is perpendicular to the bearing surfaces and bearing wear is minimized;

iii. Energy consumption is also kept to a minimum because the gas counterbalancing mechanism is continuously adjusted to that parameter;

iv. The inert gas, which is used for the counterbalancing function, is under pressure inside the housing of the electrical system, so that it also acts to prevent any flammable gases or any liquid aerosols from coming into contact with the electrical appliance, eliminating the risk of fire or explosion;

v. The use of the machine, together with an electronic control unit, which has the control current output signals and, in the alternative, computing facilities, allows the device to be with automatic control, self-adjusting, with automatic protection, to increase the maximum productivity and minimizing repair time;

you. The machine consumes little inert gas in normal operation, as it is equipped with a saving chamber through which daytime temperature variations (which would normally lead to significant inert gas consumption) are adjusted without loss;

Κ-? Dι O ~ Ο Ο 2 3 7 -

are you coming. The machine is completely closed and safe against accidental contact by humans or animals, so that the protective arrangements surrounding the probe head are simplified;

viii. The car is completely quiet and can be used in environmentally sensitive areas;

ix. The parameters of the oscillating motion (stroke length, cycle frequency, waveform, etc.) can be controlled automatically, according to predetermined strategies, thus preserving the life of the machine, while increasing productivity to the maximum; and

x. Because the parameters of the counterbalancing system are automatically adjusted to an individual load and because the stroke, stroke frequency and oscillation cycle waveform vary independently, separately and automatically over a wide range, physically identical ("standard") machines may be applied to many different technical specifications of pumping. Thus, the range of products required is reduced to a minimum, manufacturing costs are reduced, the storage of materials is simplified, and the time for production preparation and field work is shortened.

In this invention, the machine consists of at least one linear, cylindrical, electromagnetic actuator located above and near the probe head, the electromagnetic linear actuator being completely closed and having a sliding gas sealing device, whereby an element The pump seal is connected to the extendable element by means of a polished rod or equivalent component, the weight of the pump set being supported by the pressure of an inert gas from the sealed electromagnetic actuator housing, the oscillating motion of the pump set being actuated by the electromagnetic forces on the expandable element, the inert gas pressure being automatically adjusted to minimize energy consumption, there is an intermediate pressure chamber and valves arranged to reduce gas consumption which would otherwise be was determined by the cycles during the day, the actuator being controlled by an electronic control unit and having means incorporated therein or capable of communicating therewith for the measurement of the instantaneous current required for the actuation of said actuator, said current measurements being analyzed according to predetermined algorithms, the inert gas counterbalancing pressure and the actuating modes of the pumping mechanism being adapted to respond automatically according to the mentioned algorithms, the relevant data also being transmitted to a remote monitoring station.

It will be understood that, until very recently, it was neither practical nor efficient to use a linear electromagnetic actuator to set in motion an artificial eruption pump for an oil or gas well. This is primarily because no linear electromagnetic actuator with sufficient thrust and power was available at an acceptable cost. The recent invention of wireless motors has transformed the situation and what was previously impossible can now be put into practice. In general, the linear motor components used in the present invention will be constructed in accordance with one of the patents for wireless motors, for example, British Pat. 06179989.9 could be very relevant in this case. However, it is to be understood that, in principle and subject to the requirements of the application, which are consistent with the improvements made to these machines, the electromagnetic actuator or actuators may be constructed in any practical and convenient form without changing the fundamental nature of the invention. .

In general, the position of the extensible element will be measured by means of a suitable transducer, and the electromagnetic actuator, which is part of that extensible element, will be supplied with electricity by a standard type of electronic control unit, originally designed for use. with rotary motors and generally available for industrial automation. Such a standard control unit has a number of very useful features by which both the current supplied to the motor and the voltage of a control signal through the motor terminals are compared at frequent intervals. (Current is a direct measure of the force produced by the motor, and voltage is a measure of the speed with which it moves.) In addition, an electronic control unit will generally have power outlets and a capacity backup calculators, sometimes available on separate connection modules.

The extensible element is controlled to follow a sine wave shape, with a predetermined amplitude and frequency, the control current, required by the motor, being compared, for example, 100 times per cycle. Current measurements are divided

0 1 0 - 0 0 287-in two groups — those in which the motion is upward and those in which the motion is downward — and the square root of the arithmetic mean of the motor control current values is calculated for each group. The rms values are repeated, for example, for ten complete cycles, and the values are added. If, for example, the difference between the two values exceeds a tolerance value in such a way that the energy required to lift the extensible element is significantly greater than that required to lower it, then the gas mass in the spring is increased by opening a control valves for a total time in proportion to the surplus. Conversely, if more energy is required to compress the gas spring on the downward stroke than it is required to lift it on the upward stroke, then the opposite action is taken and the gas mass in the spring is reduced. It can be shown that this system power consumption is minimized by the above algorithm.

If the pumping action has to stop abruptly (probably due to a rupture of the gasket, for example), the same algorithm will immediately detect the difference in force required to move the gasket and cause the pressure in the gas spring to be reduced rapidly, to protect the car. Then the pumping action may be stopped completely or the movement may be reduced to only a small amplitude. The difference in gas pressure before and after the failure will ensure an immediate estimate of the rupture position, so that the assessment could be calculated automatically and transmitted to a central monitoring device.

It is understood that a shutdown or failure of a valve will also have an immediate effect on the pattern of current values recorded during each pumping cycle. Thus, regardless of the algorithm used to regulate the pressures in the gas arc, a number of completely separate calculation algorithms could be prepared to process the same cyclic data in order to detect other anomalies.

The current value model (ie the measurements of the instantaneous energy taken by the motor) contains detailed information about the amount of fluid in the column that rises and the speed at which it is pumped. Other automated analyzes of that data could thus be used to prepare current telemetry surveillance reports at a central monitoring station.

In general, the actuator will be cylindrical, with an extensible element with dC 2 Π 1 Ο - Ο Ο 2 8 7 - cylindrical cross section, and it will incorporate the gas spring inside the crankcase of the actuator. It is understood that, alternatively, the gas spring or springs may conveniently be constructed and arranged separately from the electromagnetic actuators.

In general, the polished rod of the pump set will pass through an open cylindrical channel, located on the central axis of a single actuator, the cylindrical channel being arranged to separate the polished rod from the pressure crankcase of the machine, leaving the polished rod "in out ”of the actuator itself. It is understood that, alternatively, the machine may be constructed of a large number of actuators arranged symmetrically, perpendicular to the polished rod, and connected to it by means of a cross head.

In the conventional form of this apparatus, the electrical system is the stator and the series of magnets is the armature, but in an alternative arrangement of this invention the electrical system may be the armature and the series of magnets may be the stator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-section of a basic cylindrical mechanism;

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of an alternative assembly to that shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of another alternative assembly to that shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of a gas-conservable assembly that would otherwise have been lost due to daytime temperature changes.

Similar numbers indicate similar items.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to 1, a schematic vertical cross-section of a basic cylindrical mechanism is shown, in which the polished rod in the pump gasket 1 is suspended from the disc 2 by means of a coupling ring or a flexible coupling 3. The flexible coupling is necessary for adjust the small tolerances in the alignment which may exist or which may, for the time being, occur between the axis of the machine and the direction of the force applied. Rod 1 passes through a cylindrical channel or cavity in the housing ^ 2010-00287'Ί 'Γ'> £ '·. 1 " ;

the mechanism, the channel or the cavity being delimited by the upper tube 7 and the lower tube 5. The interior of the mechanism is made hermetically sealed with gas by means of the gasket and the support unit 8 between the coaxial tubes 5 and 7.

The rod gasket 1 is raised or lowered by means of the extensible cylinder 6 to which the disc 2 is fixed, at its upper outer surface. Cylinder 6 extends variably from machine housing 4 through a second unit with bearing and gasket 9. The position of cylinder 9 is controlled by the force produced by the interaction of electric currents in the blades 12 of the guide column with the magnetic fields produced by the permanent magnet and the system. polar parts 11. The actual weight of the pump shaft seal 1 is counterbalanced by the force on the effective surface of the expandable cylinder 6, produced by the inert gas pressure in the inner volume of the machine 10.

It will be understood that the gas pressure in volume 10 will vary adiabatically, depending on the position of the extensible element 6 during the pumping cycle. Therefore, the electromagnetic actuator 12, 11 will produce the energy that will be stored in and extracted from the gas arc in a way that will reduce the consumption of electricity to a minimum, and the peak electricity demand will be much reduced.

The actuator 11, 12 is also equipped with a cover or a ventilated top cover 13 (the vents are not shown in this Figure) the purpose of which is to protect the surface of the extendable member 6 and that of the upper sealing device 9 of the effects of weather, salt, gravel and other aspects of the environment, which could be detrimental to the life of the machine. Another function of the cover 13 is to complete the closing of the mechanism so that no animal or person can be harmed by accidental contact with it.

Referring to Figure 2, an alternative assembly is shown in which a large number of electromagnetic linear actuators can be connected to the polished rod by means of a cross-head piece. In this Figure, for clarity, two such electromagnetic linear actuators are shown, which are arranged symmetrically, perpendicular to the polished rod, and which are constructed to contain the extensible, pressurized elements that form the gas springs, thus ensuring both the force counterbalance, as well as an energy storage device, together with the masses of the rod gasket and the liquid column. Similar numbers describe the same elements as those used in Figure 1.

C ^ -2010-00297Figure 3 shows another alternative schematic assembly, in which at least one unit has a pure pneumatic function and does not contain an electromagnetic actuator, so that it acts only as a gas spring. Two such gas spring units 14 are shown, having the piston rods or the axial tubes 15, arranged symmetrically, perpendicular to the probe head, and two electromagnetic actuators, in the form shown in Figure 2, arranged identically. It is understood that, in practice, the cross head, which joins the gas spring units 14, may be perpendicular to the cross head coupling the linear electric motors. It is to be understood that any arrangement of a large number of gas spring components and a large number of linear electric motor components, whether or not the functions of these components are combined, will perform the necessary function without changing the nature of the invention.

Figure 4 shows a schematic arrangement of the intermediate or saving pressure chamber 16 and the electrically operated valves 17, 18 and 19. It will be understood that, in fact, the valves can be mounted in the sealed chamber 16 and thus can be immersed. in the middle of an inert gas. First of all, it must be admitted that the gas pressure in the counterbalancing mechanism 10 is not constant but varies during the pumping cycle, reaching a minimum value when the extensible element 6 is raised to its upper point, and being at a maximum value. when the pump set is at its lowest point. First, the gas pressure in the economizing chamber 16 is considered to be approximately identical to the average gas pressure in the gas arc chamber 10. If it is necessary to increase the mass of the gas inside the counterbalance mechanism, the valve 17 will be open only for a short time, while the pressure in chamber 10 of the gas spring will be at or near its minimum point. . Then the gas will pass from the saving chamber to the volume of the gas spring. On the contrary, if it is necessary to reduce the mass of the gas in the spring 10, the valve 17 will be open only for a short period of time, while the spring pressure will be at its maximum value.

The main use of the saving room is related to the temperature cycle during the day. It will be understood that, for example, during the hot period of the day, both the gas in the spring and the gas in the economizing chamber will have an increase in pressure, but that it will still be possible, by the procedure described above, to reduce the mass of gas in the spring, when necessary - and thus to optimize energy consumption

CG-2 Ο 1 Ο - Ο Ο 2 8 7 - * · - - _ electric of the artificial eruption mechanism - by moving the excess gas in the saving chamber, in fact, without removing it. In the evening of the same day, the temperature of the mechanism will drop and it will be necessary to move the gas back into the spring 10 of the economizing chamber 16, in order to maintain its pressure at that temperature, in order to produce the correct counterbalancing force. Reverse flow is achieved by synchronizing the operation of valve 17 as described above - but in this case, the valve is open for a short time when the extensible element is at the top of its stroke and the pressure in the gas spring chamber is at the minimum value.

Valve 19 connects the saving chamber to the main gas supply 20; valve 18 allows this saving chamber to be vented into the atmosphere, if necessary. The pressure transducer 21 always measures the pressure difference between the gas spring and the saving chamber. If, during a short period of time, when the valve 17 is open to allow the gas from the saving chamber 16 to flow into the chamber 10 of the gas spring, the pressure difference between them is, for example, less than 0.5 valve 19 is also open over a predetermined period of time to increase the pressure in the saving chamber 16. On the contrary, if, during the short time interval, circulates through the gas spring in the economizer chamber, the inverse pressure difference is, for example, less than 0.5 bar, valve 18 is also open for a predetermined time to reduce the pressure in the economizer chamber . It is to be understood that this feature of the invention corrects the adjustments of the gas spring for gradual changes in temperature and for any small gas leakage that may occur.

It is to be understood that the principles of this invention are not limited to permanent magnet motors, but may be extended to include electrical actuators of any other type, including those using electromagnets or electric machines using the principle of induction, such as would be those described in various pending patent applications, which refer to wireless motors, in which the series of permanent magnets is replaced by a passive mounting of calibrated conductive sheets. When a mobile magnetic field is produced by currents c ^ - 2 Ο 1 Ο - Ο Ο 2 8 7 - Γ. · 'R 4 X * ·,

4- '' 'λ ÎL ..- 1 phase alternators in electrically driven conductors, eddy currents are deliberately distributed to flow in the series of passive conductors, and the interaction of induced currents and controlled alternating currents creates an axial force. Although the resulting axial force is less than that produced by a machine using permanent magnetic fields or by a machine using fields produced by electromagnets, this form of construction even has lower costs and a lower weight. The cost and weight advantage can, in some cases, offset the lower efficiency of the induction motor.

Claims (14)

C ^ - 2 Ο 1 Ο - Ο Ο 2 8 7 demand 1. Mechanism for actuating an oscillating piston pump or an artificial eruption device having a linear electric motor and at least one gas spring, characterized in that the gas mass in the spring, at least one, is continuously controlled in in accordance with the current requirements of the said linear motor, integrated over a large number of complete operating cycles of the said oscillating piston pump or of the said blast mechanism. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the own weight of the rod or rod seal, which connects said linear motor to said oscillating piston pump, is supported by the controlled gas spring. A device according to claim 2, wherein the controlled gas spring is mounted to store energy during part of its movement so that the latter release of said energy helps the movement of the oscillating mechanism to reduce the demand for electricity. . A mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gas in the gas spring, at least one, is an inert gas. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one linear electric motor is arranged to raise and lower an extensible element, said extensible element being adapted to pass through a sliding gas gasket at the top of a chamber, said chamber containing or forming part of the structure of said linear electric motor, said chamber being filled with an inert gas under pressure to form a combined linear electric motor and a gas spring. A mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the upper part of the combined structure is provided with a protective coating for protecting the surface of said extensible element where it exits the pressure chamber containing said linear electric motor. A mechanism according to claims 5 or 6, which includes an intermediate chamber, which cooperates with said gas spring and which is connected to it by an electrically operated valve. A device according to claim 5 or 6, which further includes a transducer located to measure the pressure difference through said valve, said chamber being connected, via an electrically operated valve, to a source of inert gas under pressure, and, through a second valve, at external pressure. A mechanism according to claim 8, said chamber valves being operated according to algorithms related to said current requirements of the linear motor, said oscillating tube movement and pressure differences measured by said transducer for the use and preservation of inert gas supply . A device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the measured values of the instantaneous current requirements of said linear electric motor are mathematically processed to calculate at least the key parameters of the pumping operation, to detect faults. and anomalies, to initiate appropriate automatic responses, to prepare information for transmission to a remote location, and combinations thereof. 11. Apparatus for pumping a liquid from a deep well or well, characterized in that said apparatus comprises in combination: a linear electric motor; and a gas spring counterbalance for working with the linear electric motor, said spring acting to remove all forces of its own weight from the electric motor and to store and recycle energy in order to minimize dynamic energy consumption. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the mass of the gas in the spring is varied according to the integrated power consumption of the engine. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that said apparatus is adapted to be both fully autonomous and remotely controllable. Method for pumping a liquid from a well or deep borehole, characterized in that said method comprises the steps of: securing the apparatus according to claim 11; connecting the said apparatus, by means of a rod gasket, to a pump positioned inside said probe shaft; controlled supply of electricity to the appliance; and recovery of said liquid.