EXCLUSION AND PULSATION SEAL FOR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING PUMP

• US 20200132195A1
• Filed: 09/27/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parker Intangibles LLC (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
• Inventors: Coombs, Evan J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,162,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 15/0015 of resilient material
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/106 homogeneous
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/3232 having two or more lips

Abstract

An annular seal, such as for use in a fracking pump, that is designed to exclude debris from entering the sealing gland, and is designed to enhance seal stability and extrusion resistance during high-pressure pulsation events. The seal includes a heel side configured to fit within an annular groove of a first component, a sealing side opposite the heel side that is configured to seal against a second component, and opposite leading and trailing sides that are radially interposed between the sealing and heel sides. The heel side may have a flat heel surface in transverse cross-section. The sealing side may have a concave portion that is configured to open toward and face the second component. The leading side is configured to face toward upstream fluid, and may have a flat leading surface in transverse cross-section that is oriented perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the seal.

Claims

1. An annular seal that at least partially encompasses a longitudinal axis, the annular seal comprising:

a heel side configured to fit within an annular groove of a first component, the heel side having an axially extending flat heel surface in transverse cross-section when the seal is in an uncompressed state, the flat heel surface being configured to face a bottom of the annular groove;

a sealing side that is opposite the heel side and is configured to seal against a second component, the sealing side having a concave portion that is configured to open toward and face the second component; and

a leading side that is interposed between the sealing side and the heel side, and is configured to face toward upstream fluid when in use, the leading side having a flat leading surface in transverse cross-section when the seal is in an uncompressed state, wherein the flat leading surface is disposed in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

2. The annular seal according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion has a radially protruding pedestal portion.

3. The annular seal according to claim 2, wherein the pedestal portion is at the middle of the concave portion.

4. The annular seal according to claim 1, wherein the pedestal portion has an axially extending flat pedestal surface in transverse cross-section when the seal is in the uncompressed state.

5. The annular seal according to claim 1, wherein the sealing side includes axially spaced apart flat sealing surfaces in transverse cross-section when the seal is in an uncompressed state, the flat sealing surfaces being disposed on opposite sides of the concave portion.

6. The annular seal according to claim 5, wherein the flat leading surface of the leading side is oriented perpendicularly with respect to the orientation of the flat sealing surfaces of the sealing side.

7. The annular seal according to claim 1, wherein the leading side has a leading shoulder portion that extends axially beyond the plane having the flat leading surface, the leading shoulder portion being disposed toward the heel side of the seal.

8. The annular seal according to claim 7, wherein the seal includes a trailing side opposite the leading side, the trailing side being interposed between the sealing side and the heel side, and being configured to face away from the upstream fluid, the trailing side having a flat trailing surface in transverse cross-section when the seal is in an uncompressed state, wherein the flat trailing surface is disposed in a second plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

9. The annular seal according to claim 8, wherein the trailing side has a trailing shoulder portion that extends axially beyond the second plane having the flat trailing surface, the trailing shoulder portion being disposed toward the heel side of the seal.

10. The annular seal according to claim 7, wherein the leading side has a leading recessed portion adjacent to the leading shoulder portion, the leading recessed portion being axially recessed relative to the plane having the flat leading surface.

11. The annular seal according to claim 9, wherein the trailing side has a trailing recessed portion adjacent to the trailing shoulder portion, the trailing recessed portion being axially recessed relative to the second plane having the flat trailing surface.

12. The annular seal according to claim 1,

wherein the heel side is on a radially outer side of the seal, and the sealing side is on a radially inner side of the seal;

or

wherein the heel side is on a radially inner side of the seal, and the sealing side is on a radially outer side of the seal.

13. The annular seal according to claim 1,

wherein the seal includes a first leading chamfered corner connecting the sealing side with the leading side, and

wherein the seal includes a second leading chamfered corner connecting the heel side with the leading shoulder portion of the leading side.

14. The annular seal according to claim 8,

wherein the seal includes a trailing chamfered corner connecting the sealing side with the trailing side, and

wherein the seal includes a second trailing chamfered corner connecting the heel side with the trailing shoulder portion of the trailing side.

15. An assembly comprising:

the annular seal according to claim 1, or any other preceding claim;

the first component; and

the second component;

wherein the annular seal is sealingly interposed between the first component and the second component.

16. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the annular seal is configured to deform into a compressed state when installed with respect to the first component and the second component and when exposed to fluid pressure, such that, in the compressed state, the concave portion radially expands to interface with the second component, and such that the flat leading surface of the leading side is at a nearly 90-degree angle relative to the flat heel surface of the heel side.

17. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the annular seal is configured to deform into a compressed state when installed with respect to the first component and the second component and when exposed to fluid pressure, such that the seal axially expands to fill an axial extent of the annular groove.

18. The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first component is a cover, and the second component is a housing that receives the cover, or vice versa.

19. The assembly according to claim 18, wherein the assembly is part of a fracking system, the fracking system further comprising:

a fracking pump for pumping fracking fluid from a source, in which the fracking pump provides a fracking fluid stream downstream of the source;

wherein the annular seal of the assembly is at least partially disposed in a gap between the first component and the second component to seal the gap against the fracking fluid stream.

20. An annular seal that at least partially encompasses a longitudinal axis, the annular seal comprising:

a heel side configured to fit within an annular groove of a first component;

a sealing side that is opposite the heel side and is configured to fluidly seal against a second component, the sealing side having a concave portion that is configured to open toward and face the second component; and

a radially protruding pedestal portion within the concave portion.