Pressure-actuated wellhead sealing assembly
AssigneeCameron Iron Works, Inc.
InventorsDavid G. Croy, Lee M. Hollingsworth, Leonard E. Williams, Jr., Richard D. Jolly, Mark C. Tate
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved heat resistant seal assembly for sealing across an annular recess between the interior of a wellhead member and the exterior of a tubular member including a heat resistant seal ring in the recess, a pressure responsive ring for moving the seal ring into sealing position in the recess, latching means to retain the pressure responsive ring in set position and spring means between the seal ring and the pressure responsive ring to maintain a sealing force on the seal ring.
Claims13
A seal assembly for sealing across an annular recess between the interior of a wellhead member and the exterior of a tubular member comprising
- a heat resistant seal ring positioned in said recess,
- a pressure responsive ring positioned in said recess,
- means for conducting a fluid under pressure to said pressure responsive ring,
- said pressure responsive ring, when actuated by fluid pressure supplied through said conducting means, moving said seal ring to set position,
- means for latching said pressure responsive ring in set position, and
- spring means between said pressure responsive ring and said seal ring to maintain a sealing force on said seal ring after actuation and latching of said pressure responsive ring.
A seal assembly for sealing between two concentric cylindrical members wherein one of said members has an annular recess for receiving said seal assembly for sealably engaging the other member, comprising
- a heat resistant seal ring positioned in said recess,
- a pressure responsive ring positioned in said recess,
- spring means in a space between said rings and engaging the rings,
- fluid pressure means for urging said pressure responsive ring toward the seal ring, compressing the spring and setting the seal ring, and
- latch means for holding the pressure responsive ring in actuated position.
A wellhead seal assembly for high temperature sealing comprising
- an annular wellhead member,
- a tubular member positioned within said wellhead,
- an annular recess in said wellhead,
- a first seal ring positioned in said recess and having inner and outer diverging flanges extending in a direction opposite the direction in which pressure is exerted thereon,
- a spreader ring positioned between said flanges and shutting one end of said recess,
- a second seal ring being heat resistant to maintain its seal when exposed to high temperature and positioned in said recess in abutting end to end relation to said first seal ring,
- a driver ring in said recess abutting the other end of said second seal ring,
- a plurality of spring rings in said recess positioned in engaging relationship to each other and one of said spring rings abutting the end of said driver ring away from said second seal ring,
- an annular piston having an outwardly facing recess and positioned in said annular recess in abutment with the one of said spring rings away from said driver ring,
- a base ring in said annular recess having an outer flange at least partially covering said outwardly facing recess in said piston when said piston is abutting said base ring,
- a latch ring in said outwardly facing recess,
- said latch ring being biased to move to a diameter larger than said outwardly facing recess when free to move,
- a setting ring threaded to one of said wellhead and said tubular member and abutting said base ring so that said assembly may be initially loaded,
- a passage communicating with the annular recess between said piston and said base ring,
- fluid pressure supplied to said passage actuating said piston away from said base ring to complete setting of said seal rings and loading said spring ring,
- said piston during actuation moves a sufficient distance to move said latch ring out from said outer flange of said base ring whereby said latch ring expands to prevent return movement of said piston toward said base ring.
A seal assembly for sealing between two concentric cylindrical members wherein one of said members has an annular recess for receiving said seal assembly for sealably engaging said other member, comprising
- a heat resistant seal ring positioned in said recess,
- spring means in the recess urging the seal ring toward set position,
- pressure responsive means for compressing the spring and setting the seal ring, and
- means for retaining the seal ring in set position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.