During initial production, the intake valve connected to the bottom of the screen is closed, allowing radial flow of fluid into the MeshRite screen and hence cleaning the fluid flow. Over time, solids in production fill the annular space between the outer surface of the PumpGuard assembly screen and the production casing. As the annular space fills with sand and the particles consolidate, sand bridges can form, restricting flow. Pressure builds up below the restriction. When the differential pressure across the PumpGuard assembly valve reaches the field-set value, the valve opens and allows flow directly through the pump intake, bypassing the screen. Only at this stage will sand begin to cause wear on the pump. The life of the pumpis extended by the total operating time during which the intake valve remained closed.

The intake valve is adjustable, providing you with control of opening differential pressure. It can be set at the end of the screen, or multiple valves can be configured between screen joints to maximize rod lift or ESP pump life. By pairing ESP pumps with a Phoenix artificial lift downhole monitoring system and a remote surveillance service, you can monitor intake pressure changes to identify valve opening events.