US 4,410,186 A · Sealing system for pressurized flanged joints

Abstract

A sealing system for pressurized flanged joints such as for use in flow line systems, wellhead assemblies, vessel joints, etc. The flanges of the pressure containing system are formed to define circular seal grooves having oppositely tapered circular side walls. Ring seal means is provided having a cross-sectional configuration that tapers from a large dimension intermediate the axially extremities to smaller dimensions at each of the axial extremities, thus defining tapered seal surfaces for sealing engagement with respective side walls of the seal grooves. The ring seals may define a passage means communicating the axial extremities and may also define yieldable resilient sealing lips thus enabling radial yielding of the sealing lips as the tapered side walls of the seal grooves are urged into sealing engagement with the seal ring. The sealing lips of flexible nature may be defined by the ring seal at the axial extremities or at either of the inner and outer peripheries of the ring seal. The flexible sealing lips are deflected radially as the ring seal is urged into the seal grooves and maintains sealing engagement with the side walls of the seal grooves in the event of slight flange separation or groove enlargement by metal coining. The joint sealing system incorporates detection means in communication with at least one of the seal grooves for detecting pressure changes that indicate seal leakage. The system also incorporates sealant injection means for injecting sealant into the seal grooves to form an auxiliary backup seal in the event leakage is detected.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system for sealing flanged joints in flow line systems and for detecting and maintaining the seal integrity thereof, said system comprising:

(a) a pair of flanges each defining annular seal groove means having tapered circular side wall means, said flanges further defining pressure detection and sealant injection passage means in communication with said seal groove means;
(b) ring seal means being positioned within said seal grooves of said flanges and having tapered inner and outer sealing surface means for sealing engagement with said tapered side wall means of said seal groove means, the axial extremities of said ring seal means cooperating with said seal groove means to define pressure detection and sealant injection chamber means being in communication with respective ones of said pressure detection and sealant injection passage means of said flanges;
and
(c) pressure detection passage means communicating said pressure detection and sealant injection chamber means and facilitating simultaneous detection of any leakage past said ring seal means and into either of said pressure detection chamber means.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sealing system for pressurized flanged joints

Life of this patent

Sealing system for pressurized flanged joints

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21