High pressure reciprocating pump with two piece suction valve assembly

A valve cartridge for positioning in an opening between a manifold block and a mounting plate of a high pressure reciprocating pump with a reciprocating plunger adjacent the valve cartridge for operation of the pump in a suction stroke and a discharge stroke;

• the valve cartridge comprising:
• (a) a body having a cylindrical bore defining an inner peripheral surface and an annular valve seat adjacent an end of the bore;
• (b) a discharge valve having a cylindrical body mounted within the bore against the inner peripheral surface with one end of the valve adjacent the plunger and an opposed end of the valve being closed and having an enlarged diameter to define a seating surface for engaging the valve seat;
• the discharge valve having a circumferential wall defining a central bore, the circumferential wall having a plurality of openings adjacent the closed end;
• (c) a spring continuously urging the discharge valve into sealing relation with the valve seat;
• (d) a pump chamber defined between the plunger and the discharge valve;
• and
• (e) a two piece suction valve assembly including a spring seat held within a hard seal;
• the two piece suction valve assembly being slidably mounted about the discharge valve and permitting fluid to enter the pump chamber during the suction stroke of the plunger;
• the plunger in the discharge stroke forcing fluid through the discharge valve for unseating of the discharge valve and discharge of pressurized fluid through the openings past the seat into a discharge chamber;
• the effective area of the discharge chamber being greater than the effective area of the pump chamber for urging hydraulically the body against the mounting plate;
• wherein the spring seat comprises a first and second face surface and a cylindrical tube extending from the second face surface;
• the hard seal comprises a first and second axial face surface and a center bore extending through the first and second axial face surfaces;
• and the first and second face surfaces and the first and second axial face surfaces all define a substantially similar shape and surface area;
• where the cylindrical tube extends through the center bore of the hard seal with the second face surface of the spring seat in direct contact against the first axial surface of the hard seal to form an integrated two-piece assembly.

In a high pressure reciprocating fluid pump having a manifold block, a stuffing box fitting against the manifold block, a clamping plate removably secured to the manifold block and mounting the stuffing box onto the manifold block, and a reciprocating plunger mounted within the stuffing box;

• a valve cartridge positioned in an opening between the manifold block and the stuffing box, the valve cartridge comprising:
• a body having a central bore therethrough and a fixed valve seat adjacent an end of the central bore;
• a cylindrical discharge valve mounted within the bore, the discharge valve having a circumferential wall defining an axial bore with a closed downstream end having an enlarged diameter defining a seating surface for seating on the fixed valve seat during a suction stroke and moveable to an unseated position during a discharge stroke of plunger;
• a spring continuously urging the discharge valve into sealing relation with the valve seat;
• a pump chamber defined between the plunger and the discharge valve;
• and
• a two piece suction valve assembly permitting fluid to enter the pump chamber during a suction stroke of the plunger, the two piece suction valve assembly including a spring seat held within a ceramic seal wherein the spring seat comprises a first and second face surface and a cylindrical tube extending from the second face surface;
• the ceramic seal comprises a first and second axial face surface and defining a center bore extending through the first and second axial face surfaces;
• and the first and second face surfaces and the first and second axial face surfaces all define a substantially similar shape and surface area;
• and
• the plunger on a discharge stroke forcing fluid through the axial bore of the discharge valve for unseating of the discharge valve and discharge of fluid through the axial bore past the seat into a discharge chamber.