Rod seal cartridge for progressing cavity artificial lift pumps

In apparatus having a rotary drive shaft penetrating into a reservoir having process fluid therein wherein the apparatus defines support means having an internal cavity through which the rotary drive shaft extends, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a seal cartridge having a bearing housing;
• (b) mounting means securing said seal cartridge to the support means;
• (c) a rotary wear sleeve being positioned for rotation within said bearing housing and defining a central passage through which said rotary drive shaft extends;
• (d) bearing means mounting said rotary wear sleeve for rotation within said bearing housing;
• (e) rotary seal means having dynamic sealing engagement with said rotary wear sleeve, said rotary seal means defining first and second lubricant filled sealed chambers located about said rotary wear sleeve, said first lubricant filled sealed chamber having said bearing means located therein;
• (f) a removable split drive coupling being secured in fixed relation about said rotary drive shaft and having rotary driving relation with said rotary wear sleeve;
• and
• (g) seal means establishing a seal between said rotary wear sleeve and the rotary drive shaft and substantially centering said rotary wear sleeve with respect to the rotary drive shaft.

In apparatus having a rotary drive shaft penetrating into a reservoir having process fluid therein wherein the apparatus defines support means having an internal cavity through which the rotary drive shaft extends, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a seal cartridge having a bearing housing;
• (b) mounting means securing said seal cartridge to the support means;
• (c) a rotary wear sleeve being positioned for rotation within said bearing housing and defining a central passage through which said rotary drive shaft extends;
• (d) bearing means mounting said rotary wear sleeve for rotation within said bearing housing;
• (e) rotary seal means having dynamic sealing engagement with said rotary wear sleeve, said rotary seal means defining first and second lubricant filled sealed chambers located about said rotary wear sleeve, said first lubricant filled sealed chamber having said bearing means located therein;
• (f) a removable split drive coupling being secured in fixed relation about said rotary drive shaft and having rotary driving relation with said rotary wear sleeve;
• and
• (g) said split drive coupling having coupling sections with each section having fan elements thereon for moving air about said bearing housing for the purpose of air cooling said housing.

In apparatus having a rotary drive shaft penetrating into a reservoir having process fluid therein wherein the apparatus defines support means having an internal cavity through which the rotary drive shaft extends, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a seal cartridge having a bearing housing;
• (b) mounting means securing said seal cartridge to the support means;
• (c) a rotary wear sleeve being positioned for rotation within said bearing housing and defining a central passage through which said rotary drive shaft extends;
• (d) bearing means mounting said rotary wear sleeve for rotation within said bearing housing;
• (e) rotary seal means having dynamic sealing engagement with said rotary wear sleeve, said rotary seal means defining first and second lubricant filled sealed chambers located about said rotary wear sleeve, said first lubricant filled sealed chamber having said bearing means located therein;
• and
• (f) a removable split drive coupling being secured in fixed relation about said rotary drive shaft and having rotary driving relation with said rotary wear sleeve.
• (g) a shroud surrounding said bearing housing and having at least a portion thereof disposed in spaced relation about said bearing housing and thus defining an air flow annulus thereabout;
• and
• (h) said split drive coupling having coupling sections with each section having fan elements thereon, said fan elements inducing air flow in said air flow annulus upon rotation of the rotary drive shaft.

In apparatus having a rotary drive shaft penetrating into a reservoir having process fluid therein wherein the apparatus defines support means having an internal cavity through which the rotary drive shaft extends, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a seal cartridge having a bearing housing;
• (b) mounting means securing said seal cartridge to the support means;
• (c) a rotary wear sleeve being positioned for rotation within said bearing housing and defining a central passage through which said rotary drive shaft extends;
• (d) bearing means mounting said rotary wear sleeve for rotating within said bearing housing;
• (e) rotary seal means having dynamic sealing engagement with said rotary wear sleeve, said rotary seal means defining first and second lubricant filled sealed chambers located about said rotary wear sleeve, said first lubricant filled sealed chamber having said bearing means located therein;
• (f) a removable split drive coupling being secured in fixed relation about said rotary drive shaft and having rotary driving relation with said rotary wear sleeve;
• (g) an annular elastomeric boot being secured about one end of said rotary wear sleeve and defining a circular sealing lip for sealing and centralizing engagement with said rotary drive shaft;
• (h) said annular elastomeric boot defining at least one tapered internal guiding surface permitting guiding of said annular elastomeric boot over the rotary drive shaft during assembly and disassembly;
• and
• (i) said annular elastomeric boot being pressure responsive to process fluid pressure externally thereof for enhancing contact force of said circular sealing lip thereof with said rotary drive shaft.

In apparatus having a rotary drive shaft penetrating into a reservoir having process fluid therein wherein the apparatus defines support means having an internal cavity through which the rotary drive shaft extends, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a seal cartridge having a generally cylindrical bearing housing defining first and second axial ends;
• (b) mounting means securing said seal cartridge to the support means;
• (c) a rotary wear sleeve being positioned for rotation within said bearing housing and defining a central passage through which the rotary drive shaft extends;
• (d) bearing means providing radial and axial mounting of said rotary wear sleeve for rotation of said rotary wear sleeve within said bearing housing;
• and
• (e) axially spaced rotary sealing elements being located within said seal cartridge and having dynamic sealing engagement with said rotary wear sleeve, said rotary sealing elements defining at least one lubricant filled sealed chamber located about said rotary wear sleeve, said lubricant filled sealed chamber having said bearing means located therein, at least one of said rotary sealing elements being a resilient hydrodynamically lubricated seal.

In apparatus having a rotary drive shaft penetrating into a reservoir having process fluid therein wherein the apparatus defines support means having an internal cavity through which the rotary drive shaft extends, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a seal cartridge having a generally cylindrical bearing housing having first and second axial ends;
• (b) mounting means securing said seal cartridge to said support means;
• (c) a rotary wear sleeve being positioned for rotation within said bearing housing and defining a central passage through which the rotary drive shaft extends;
• (d) bearing means providing radial and axial mounting of said rotary wear sleeve for rotation within said bearing housing;
• and
• (e) axially spaced rotary sealing elements being located within said bearing housing and having dynamic sealing engagement with said rotary wear sleeve, said rotary sealing elements defining at least one lubricant filled sealed chamber located about said rotary wear sleeve, said lubricant filled sealed chamber having said bearing means located therein;
• (f) a removable split drive coupling being secured in fixed relation about the rotary drive shaft and having rotary driving relation with said rotary wear sleeve for rotation of said rotary wear sleeve, said split drive coupling having fan elements thereon for moving air about said bearing housing.

In apparatus having a rotary drive shaft penetrating into a reservoir having a process fluid therein and wherein the apparatus is provided with support means defining an internal cavity through which the rotary drive shaft extends, the internal cavity during use of the apparatus having process fluid therein, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a seal cartridge having a bearing housing;
• (b) mounting means securing said seal cartridge to the support means;
• (c) a rotary wear sleeve being positioned for rotation within said bearing housing;
• (d) bearing means mounting said rotary wear sleeve for rotation within said bearing housing;
• (e) rotary seal means being located within said seal cartridge and having dynamic sealing engagement with said rotary wear sleeve, said rotary seal means defining lubricant filled seal chamber means within said bearing housing and about said rotary wear sleeve;
• (f) means for sensing the presence of leaked process fluid within said lubricant filled seal chamber means and thus annunciating leakage of process fluid from the internal cavity past said rotary seal means and into said bearing housing;
• and
• (g) said rotary wear sleeve being positioned axially and radially by said bearing means in a manner independent from axial and radial mounting of said rotary drive shaft.