US 10,330,203 B2 · High pressure dynamic sealing device

Abstract

A sealing assembly includes a first machine component having a seal groove defined by radially oriented jacket support and energizer positioning walls and an energizer compressing wall that faces axially toward a second machine component. A seal located within the seal groove has an energizer element and a telescoping jacket. The jacket has a first leg portion having a jacket sealing surface facing toward the second machine component and an energizer contacting wall facing toward the energizer element. The energizer element is compressed between the energizer contacting and energizer compressing walls and loads the jacket sealing surface against the second machine component. A jacket second leg portion extends generally axially and has an energizer supporting wall facing toward the energizer element and a supported wall facing radially and adjoining the jacket support wall. The second leg portion is interposed between the energizer element and the jacket support wall.

A sealing assembly comprising:

a bulkhead housing having inner and outer locating shoulders facing in a generally axial direction;
a first fluid having a first fluid pressure and a second fluid having a second fluid pressure;
a shaft element defining an externally-oriented sealing surface of generally cylindrical form, at least part of said shaft element being located at least partially within and encircled by said bulkhead housing, and being relatively movable with respect to said bulkhead housing;
a ring retainer located radially outward of and surrounding at least a portion of said sealing surface of said shaft element and defining a retaining shoulder facing in a generally axial direction toward said outer locating shoulder of said bulkhead housing, an axial distance separating said inner locating shoulder from said retaining shoulder and an axial distance separating said outer locating shoulder from said retaining shoulder, the axial distance separating said inner locating shoulder from said retaining shoulder being greater than the axial distance separating said outer locating shoulder from said retaining shoulder;
a backup ring of generally circular form positioned axially by said retaining shoulder of said ring retainer and at least one of said inner and outer locating shoulders of said bulkhead housing, said backup ring comprised of a steel ring portion and a bearing liner, said backup ring having an outer first ring end with at least a portion thereof facing in a generally axial direction toward and adjoining said retaining shoulder, and having inner and outer second ring ends with at least a portion of said inner second ring end facing in a generally axial direction toward and adjoining said inner locating shoulder and at least a portion of said outer second ring end facing in a generally axial direction toward and adjoining said outer locating shoulder, said outer first ring end and said outer second ring end facing in generally opposite directions, and said retaining shoulder facing in a generally axial direction toward said outer first ring end;
an annular extension protruding generally axially from said backup ring at a location radially inward of said outer first ring end, a surface of said annular extension forming at least part of a gland bore facing generally radially inward toward, encircling, and separated radially from said sealing surface, at least a portion of said annular extension located within and encircled by said ring retainer and at least part of said annular extension being located within and encircled by said retaining shoulder;
an inner first ring end of said backup ring located in radially intermediate relation to said annular extension and said sealing surface of said shaft element and located radially outward of and encircling a portion of said sealing surface, said inner first ring end located in axially intermediate location to said outer first ring end and said inner second ring end, said inner first ring end facing in a generally axial direction away from said inner second ring end, said inner first ring end facing away from said inner locating shoulder and said outer first ring end facing away from said outer locating shoulder;
a ring inner surface of said backup ring facing generally radially inward toward and establishing a region of clearance and a journal bearing relationship with said sealing surface, and said sealing surface locating said backup ring laterally;
a ring outer surface of said backup ring facing generally radially outward and located in axially intermediate relation to said outer first ring end and said outer second ring end and located radially outward of and encircling at least a portion of said ring inner surface, said ring inner surface and said ring outer surface being exposed to said second fluid pressure;
an intersection between said inner first ring end and said ring inner surface of said backup ring forming an extrusion gap corner, said extrusion gap corner being an external corner, said outer first ring end being separated from said outer second ring end by an axial distance, and said outer first ring end being separated from said inner second ring end by an axial distance, said axial distance separating said outer first ring end from said outer second ring end being less than said axial distance separating said outer first ring end from said inner second ring end;
a pressure-retaining seal located at least partially within said gland bore of said backup ring, said pressure-retaining seal being in sealing contact with said gland bore and with said sealing surface of said shaft element and partitioning said first fluid pressure from said second fluid pressure;
a ring first end seal contacting and providing sealing between said ring retainer and said backup ring, partitioning said first fluid and said first fluid pressure from said second fluid and said second fluid pressure, and preventing said first fluid from escaping between said retaining shoulder and said outer first ring end and into said second fluid, said ring first end seal located radially farther than said pressure-retaining seal from said sealing surface and encircling said sealing surface;
said pressure-retaining seal and said ring first end seal defining a first hydraulic area exposed to said first fluid pressure, said first fluid pressure acting over said first hydraulic area and producing an axially oriented first hydraulic force acting on said backup ring in a first hydraulic force direction generally toward said inner and outer locating shoulders of said bulkhead housing;
inner and outer balancing seals exposed to and located between said first and second fluids and contacting and providing sealing between said backup ring and said bulkhead housing, partitioning said first fluid and said first fluid pressure from said second fluid and said second fluid pressure, said inner balancing seal preventing the escape of said first fluid between said inner second ring end and said inner locating shoulder and into said second fluid, and said outer balancing seal preventing the escape of said first fluid between said outer second ring end and said outer locating shoulder and into said second fluid;
a portion of said bulkhead housing radially inward of said inner balancing seal exposed to said second fluid and said second fluid pressure, a portion of said bulkhead housing radially outward of said inner balancing seal and radially inward of said outer balancing seal exposed to said first fluid and said first fluid pressure;
said inner and outer balancing seals defining a second hydraulic area exposed to said first fluid pressure, said first fluid pressure acting over said second hydraulic area and producing an axially oriented second hydraulic force acting on said backup ring in a second hydraulic force direction generally toward said retaining shoulder of said ring retainer;
at least one of said inner and outer balancing seals comprising a telescoping jacket composed of plastic and an energizer element composed of elastomer, said telescoping jacket having a second leg portion joined to a first leg portion, said first leg portion extending in a generally radial direction and said second leg portion extending in a generally axial direction;
at least one of said inner and outer balancing seals located within an annular seal groove having a jacket support wall, an energizer positioning wall, an energizer compressing wall, and a reinforcing wall, said jacket support wall facing generally radially toward said energizer positioning wall and said energizer positioning wall facing generally radially toward said jacket support wall, said reinforcing wall located between said jacket support wall and said energizer compressing wall, said reinforcing wall oriented at an angle with respect to said jacket support wall and said angle being obtuse, said energizer element contacting and compressed in a generally axial direction between said energizer compressing wall and said first leg portion of said telescoping jacket facing and adjoining said jacket support wall;
said bulkhead housing having a first leg relief surface facing in a generally axial direction toward said backup ring and radially spaced from said jacket support wall, said first leg relief surface axially offset from said backup ring by an offset axial distance creating a first leg relief space between said backup ring and said bulkhead housing, said first leg portion of said telescoping jacket having an axial thickness, and said axial thickness of said first leg portion being no more than said offset axial distance;
and
said steel ring portion of said backup ring having a liner recess bore, a liner recess shoulder, and a relief bore, said liner recess bore and said relief bore facing generally radially inward toward said shaft element and said liner recess shoulder facing in a generally axial direction toward said inner first ring end, said bearing liner having a liner peripheral surface facing generally radially outward toward and contacting said liner recess bore, and having a second liner end facing in a generally axial direction toward said liner recess shoulder and away from said inner first ring end, said relief bore located in axially intermediate location to said second liner end and said inner second ring end and having radial clearance with said shaft element, said bearing liner forming said extrusion gap corner and forming at least part of said ring inner surface, said bearing liner forming at least part of said inner first ring end and contacting and supporting at least part of said pressure-retaining seal.

18 more elements

High pressure dynamic sealing device

Life of this patent

High pressure dynamic sealing device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36