Housing joints with compression loaded graphite seals for downhole ESP use
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorMichael Rimmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seal mechanism for an electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly comprising a graphite ring installed on a first component with an installation configuration and a sealing configuration. The graphite ring is installed on an external sealing surface of a first component. An internal sealing surface of a second component is aligned with the graphite ring. An activation force transitions the graphite ring from the installation configuration to a sealing configuration wherein the graphite ring forms a seal to the external sealing surface of the first component and the internal sealing surface of the second component.
Claims21
A seal mechanism for an electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly, comprising:
- a first housing;
- a second housing;
- a graphite ring;
- and
- a spacer ring,
- wherein the graphite ring is installed between an outer circumferential seal surface of the first housing and an inner circumferential seal surface of the second housing,
- wherein the graphite ring forms a seal between the outer circumferential seal surface and the inner circumferential seal surface,
- wherein an external thread of the first housing is threaded to an internal thread of the second housing,
- wherein a first axial surface of the spacer ring abuts a first axial surface of the graphite ring,
- wherein a second axial surface of the spacer ring abuts an axial surface of the second housing, and
- wherein a second axial surface of the graphite ring abuts an axial surface of the first housing.
A method of forming a seal within an Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) assembly, comprising:
- installing a graphite ring in an installation configuration onto an outer circumferential seal surface of a first housing of the ESP assembly;
- positioning a second housing to align an inner circumferential seal surface of the second housing with the graphite ring;
- and
- transforming the graphite ring from the installation configuration to a sealing configuration by applying an activation force to the graphite ring, wherein the graphite ring forms a seal to the outer circumferential seal surface and the inner circumferential seal surface in the sealing configuration,
- wherein the graphite ring is installed between the outer circumferential seal surface of the first housing and the inner circumferential seal surface of the second housing,
- wherein an external thread of the first housing is threaded to an internal thread of the second housing,
- wherein a first axial surface of a spacer ring abuts a first axial surface of the graphite ring,
- wherein a second axial surface of the spacer ring abuts and an axial surface of the second housing, and
- wherein a second axial surface of the graphite ring abuts an axial surface of the first housing.
An electrical submersible pump (ESP) assembly, comprising:
- a spacer ring;
- a first housing comprising an outer circumferential seal surface;
- a second housing comprising an inner circumferential seal surface;
- and
- a graphite seal ring installed between the outer circumferential seal surface and the inner circumferential seal surface,
- wherein the graphite seal ring is in sealing contact with the outer circumferential seal surface and the inner circumferential seal surface,
- wherein an external thread of the first housing is threaded to an internal thread of the second housing,
- wherein a first axial surface of the spacer ring abuts a first axial surface of the graphite seal ring,
- wherein a second axial surface of the spacer ring abuts and an axial surface of the second housing, and
- wherein a second axial surface of the graphite seal ring abuts an axial surface of the first housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.