Metal-to-metal seal with travel seal bands
AssigneeVetco Gray Inc.
InventorJohn E. Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wellhead seal assembly that forms a metal-to-metal seal between inner and outer wellhead members. A metal seal ring has inner and outer walls separated by a slot. The exterior surfaces of the outer and inner walls contain a soft metal inlay. A wicker profile with a slick area is located on the outer surface of the inner wellhead member and on the inner surface of the outer wellhead member. An energizing ring is moved into the slot to force the outer and inner walls of the seal into sealing engagement with the inner and outer wellhead members. The soft metal inlays deform onto the slick area on the wellhead members. The wickers on the wellhead members embed into the walls of the seal ring.
Claims22
A wellhead assembly with an axis, comprising:
- an outer wellhead member having a bore;
- an inner wellhead member adapted to be located in the bore;
- opposing seal surfaces in the bore and on an exterior portion of the inner wellhead member;
- a set of wickers formed in at least one of the seal surfaces and a smooth cylindrical surface adjoining the set of wickers;
- a seal ring between the inner and outer wellhead members having inner and outer walls separated by a generally cylindrical slot, an inlay band of a deformable material on one of the walls;
- and
- an energizing ring generally cylindrical in shape with surfaces that slidingly engages the inner and outer walls in the slot of the seal ring during installation to push the inner and outer walls into sealing engagement with the inner and outer wellhead members;
- whereupon
- one of the walls on the seal ring embeds into the set of wickers and the inlay band deforms against the smooth cylindrical surface adjoining the set of wickers.
A wellhead assembly comprising:
- an inner wellhead member having a wicker profile and a slick area on its exterior surface;
- an outer wellhead member having a wicker profile and a slick area on its interior surface;
- and
- a metal seal ring having inner and outer walls separated by a slot, comprising:
- a soft metal inlay located on the exterior surfaces of the inner and outer walls;
- and
- a metal energizing ring generally cylindrical in shape with surfaces that slidingly engage the inner and outer walls in the slot of the seal ring as the energizing ring moves downward during installation to push the inner and outer walls into sealing engagement between the inner and outer wellhead members;
- and, while in sealing in sealing engagement, wherein
- portions of the walls embed into the wicker profiles;
- and
- the inlays deform against the slick areas.
A method for sealing an inner wellhead member to an outer wellhead member, comprising:
- landing a seal assembly between the inner and outer wellhead members;
- and
- driving an energizing ring into a slot in the seal assembly to urge inner and outer walls of the seal assembly into engagement with the inner and outer wellhead members, wherein:
- an inlay on at least one of the inner and outer walls of the seal assembly is deformed against a slick area on at least one of the inner and outer wellhead members;
- and at least one of the inner and outer walls is embedded against a wicker profile on at least one of the inner and outer wellhead members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.