Sealing assembly with repositionable seal
AssigneeGd Energy Products, LLC
InventorsAdam Bradley Avey, Konner Casey Kay, Christopher Douglas Degginger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sealing assembly for a fluid end of a reciprocating pump is installable within a segment of a casing of the fluid end and is arranged to form a seal with the segment. The sealing assembly includes a closure element and a seal element. The closure element has a sealing portion with a lateral surface that faces an interior wall of the segment of the fluid end. The seal element is sized to be installed around the closure element and includes a repositionable seal. The repositionable seal is movable axially with respect to the closure element so that the repositionable seal can be positioned in multiple sealing positions.
Claims20
A sealing assembly for a fluid end of a reciprocating pump, the sealing assembly being installable within a segment of a casing of the fluid end and being arranged to form a seal with the segment, the sealing assembly comprising:
- a closure element with a sealing portion, the sealing portion having a lateral surface that faces an interior wall of the segment;
- a seal element sized to be installed around the lateral surface of the closure element, the seal element including a repositionable seal;
- and
- one or more seal carriers configured to position the repositionable seal with respect to the closure element, wherein the one or more seal carriers form a pocket for the repositionable seal, the pocket being axially repositionable to move the repositionable seal axially with respect to the closure element so that the repositionable seal can be positioned in multiple sealing positions.
A seal kit for a sealing assembly that is configured to seal a segment of a casing of a fluid end of a reciprocating pump, the sealing assembly including a closure element with a lateral surface that faces an interior wall of the segment, and the seal kit comprising:
- a first seal element configured to be installed around the lateral surface of the closure element, the first seal element including a first seal positioned to seal against a first portion of the casing forming the segment;
- and
- a second seal element configured to be installed around the lateral surface of the closure element, the second seal element including a second seal positioned to seal against a second portion of the casing forming the segment, the second portion being axially offset from the first portion, wherein the first seal element includes one or more seal carriers and the second seal element is formed by rearranging the one or more seal carriers from a first configuration in which one or more first axially extending surfaces of the one or more seal carriers abut the lateral surface of the closure element to a second configuration in which one or more second axially extending surfaces of the one or more seal carriers abut the lateral surface of the closure element, the one or more second axially extending surfaces being opposite the one or more first axially extending surfaces.
A method of sealing an externally open segment of a fluid end of a reciprocating pump with a sealing assembly, the fluid end being driven by a power end and the method comprising:
- positioning a first seal element around a lateral surface of a closure element to form a first sealing assembly;
- installing the first sealing assembly in the externally open segment so that the lateral surface of the closure element faces an interior wall of the externally open segment, the first seal element including one or more seal carriers and a first seal positioned to seal against a first portion of the interior wall of the externally open segment;
- activating the power end to cause fluid to flow through the fluid end;
- deactivating the power end;
- removing the first seal element from the closure element;
- positioning a second seal element around the lateral surface of the closure element to form a second sealing assembly by rearranging the one or more seal carriers of the first seal element to create a second seal position for a second seal, the rearranging comprising moving the one or more seal carriers from a first configuration in which one or more first axially extending surfaces of the one or more seal carriers abut the lateral surface of the closure element to a second configuration in which one or more second axially extending surfaces of the one or more seal carriers abut the lateral surface of the closure element, the one or more second axially extending surfaces being opposite the one or more first axially extending surfaces;
- installing the second sealing assembly in the externally open segment so that the lateral surface of the closure element faces the interior wall of the externally open segment with the second seal positioned to seal against a second portion of the interior wall of the externally open segment that is axially offset from the first portion of the interior wall;
- and
- reactivating the power end to cause the fluid to flow through the fluid end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.