Three dimensional dynamics simulation of progressive cavity pump with stator of even thickness

• We do three-dimensional finite element simulation to study dynamics of even-thickness PCP.
• We examine the laden torque due to the interference contact between the stator and rotor.
• The laden torque of even-thickness PCP is significantly reduced.
• The interference and the stator thickness are the two main factors.
• The laden torque can be well fitted as quadratic function of the magnitude of interference.

Surface-driving progressive cavity pump (PCP) has been widely used as an effective artificial lifting device in various oil field productions. However, non-uniform thermal and swelling expansion results in high laden torque of conventional PCP. New PCP with stator of even-thickness is a good alternative. To design and optimize even-thickness PCP, three-dimensional finite element simulation is employed to study the dynamics of the system of stator and rotor. Our computed laden torque for the given design parameters is in good agreement with the experimental result of laboratory test, which can verify our model and the simulation method. The relationship between the laden torque and the design parameters, such as wall thickness, magnitude of interference, rotational speed and eccentricity, is investigated. Our results show that the laden torque of even-thickness PCP is significantly reduced. The magnitude of interference and the thickness of stator are the two main factors that influence the laden torque. Our fitted quadratic function can calculate the laden torque due to interference more accurately than traditional linear function. Our work can be of great significance for guiding the design and optimization of new PCP.