Stationary plunger packing

A method of operating a reciprocating pump comprising:

• reciprocating plungers in bores of a fluid end;
• dynamically sealing the plungers with dynamic packings in the bores against pressure on a pressure side of the dynamic packings while the plungers are reciprocating and while static packings are deenergized;
• selectively decoupling an identified plunger from the push rod corresponding to that plunger such that the identified plunger is stationary;
• and
• energizing the respective static packing for the identified plunger into static sealing engagement with the stationary plunger.

A fluid end for a reciprocating pump system comprising:

• a body;
• a plurality of plungers, each plunger reciprocable within a corresponding bore in the body;
• for each plunger, a dynamic packing disposed in the bore around the plunger and configured to be energized into dynamic sealing engagement around the plunger against pressure from a pressure side;
• for each plunger, a dynamic packing nut engageable an atmospheric side of the dynamic packing opposite the pressure side to energize the dynamic packing;
• and
• a static packing in each dynamic packing nut configured to be energized by mechanical force into static sealing engagement around the plunger against pressure from a pressure side,
• wherein when one of the plungers is being reciprocated, the dynamic packing corresponding to that plunger is energized by the dynamic packing nut and the static packing corresponding to that plunger is deenergized, and
• wherein when one of the plungers is no longer being reciprocated, the static packing corresponding to that plunger is energized into static sealing engagement with the plunger.