Abstract:
A seal assembly for an electrical submersible pumping system that communicates downhole pressure to a pump motor and seals wellbore fluids from the motor. The seal assembly includes a chamber circumscribing a pump shaft and a bladder in the chamber. The outer surface of the bladder is in fluid communication with the wellbore fluid. The inside of the bladder contains dielectric fluid that is ported to the pump motor in an annulus between the pump shaft and a sleeve. A water absorbing elastomer is disposed inside of the bladder for absorbing water that may migrate into the bladder from the wellbore.