Dynamic flange seal and sealing system
First Claim
1. A delayed coking system comprising:
- a coke drum having at least one flange and respective sealing surfaces thereon;
a component member also having a flange and a sealing surface thereon that are complimentary to said flange and said sealing surface of said coke drum, said coke drum and said component member connecting together via their respective flanges within said delayed coking system; and
a high temperature, high pressure dynamic flange sealing system that seals said component member to said coke drum, said dynamic flange sealing system comprising;
a bi-material gasket supported within a recess of said sealing surface of said flange of at least one of said coke drum and said component member, said bi-material gasket comprising a flexor and a flexible sealant attached thereto, wherein upon said connection of said flange of said coke drum and said flange of said component member, said flexor and said flexible sealant contact said sealing surface of said complimentary flange, and wherein said flexor is caused to contract relative to the force exerted and applied thereon, said force resulting from the pressure generated within said flanges upon connection, said flexor resultantly forcing said flexible sealant to displace against said sealing surfaces and form a seal and a flange seal between said flanges of said coke drum and said component member.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention features a flange to flange dynamic seal and sealing system, particularly suited for use within high temperature, high pressure environments, such as a delayed coking process. The dynamic flange seal and sealing system comprises two primary elements or seals, each of which are capable of independently forming a flange seal between two flanged components or combining to create a flange seal. Specifically, these primary seals are an iconel bellows seal and a bi-material gasket, each of which surround a flange opening along a sealing surface. The flange seal created by the dynamic flange seal and sealing system is capable of being maintained in light of, or rather the sealing system adapts to, any structural or environmental changes within the connected flanges. As such, the flange seal may be a dynamic flange seal or a static flange seal or both.
35 Citations
64 Claims
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1. A delayed coking system comprising:
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a coke drum having at least one flange and respective sealing surfaces thereon;
a component member also having a flange and a sealing surface thereon that are complimentary to said flange and said sealing surface of said coke drum, said coke drum and said component member connecting together via their respective flanges within said delayed coking system; and
a high temperature, high pressure dynamic flange sealing system that seals said component member to said coke drum, said dynamic flange sealing system comprising;
a bi-material gasket supported within a recess of said sealing surface of said flange of at least one of said coke drum and said component member, said bi-material gasket comprising a flexor and a flexible sealant attached thereto, wherein upon said connection of said flange of said coke drum and said flange of said component member, said flexor and said flexible sealant contact said sealing surface of said complimentary flange, and wherein said flexor is caused to contract relative to the force exerted and applied thereon, said force resulting from the pressure generated within said flanges upon connection, said flexor resultantly forcing said flexible sealant to displace against said sealing surfaces and form a seal and a flange seal between said flanges of said coke drum and said component member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A dynamic flange sealing system comprising:
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a first component having at least one sealing surface containing and supporting at least one of an iconel bellows seal and a bi-material gasket in respective recesses therein, said iconel bellows seal is biased and comprises at least one dynamic form seal situated in a semi-sealed configuration within said recess to allow controlled fluid flow through said iconel bellows seal, said bi-material gasket comprising a flexor and a flexible sealant; and
a second component having at least one sealing surface and that is connectable to said first component, said sealing surface contacts said flexor upon connection to said sealing surface of said first component forcing said flexor to contract, thus resultantly causing said flexible sealant to displace against said sealing surfaces of said first and second components, said flexor comprising an amount of contraction relative to the force exerted and applied thereon, said iconel bellows seal and said bi-material gasket forming a flange seal between said first and second members. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A flange to flange dynamic seal for use in a high pressure, high temperature environment, said seal comprising:
an iconel bellows seal contained and supported within a recess formed in a sealing surface of a first flange and extending into a recess in a sealing surface of a second flange upon connection of said flanges, each of which said flanges are complimentary to each other, said iconel bellows seal is biased and dynamic to allow for variations in the structure of said flange connection, said iconel bellows seal providing a biased, dynamic seal and flange seal between said first and second flanges. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A flange to flange dynamic seal for use in a high pressure, high temperature environment, said seal comprising:
a bi-material gasket supported within a recess of a sealing surface of a first flange, said bi-material gasket comprising a flexor and a flexible sealant attached thereto, that, upon said connection of said first flange to a second flange, said flexor is caused to contract an amount relative to the amount of force exerted and applied thereon as generated from said flanges upon connection, said flexor resultantly forcing said flexible sealant to displace against said sealing surfaces of said first and second flanges and form a seal and flange seal therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54)
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55. A flange to flange dynamic sealing system comprising:
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an iconel bellows seal contained and supported within a recess formed in a first flange, said iconel bellows seal comprising at least one form seal and providing a biased, dynamic seal; and
a bi-material gasket supported within said first flange and positioned adjacent said iconel bellows seal, said bi-material gasket comprising a flexor and a flexible sealant attached thereto, said flexor is caused to contract as said first flange and a second flange are coupled together, thus resultantly displacing said flexible sealant against said first and second flanges and forming a seal therein, said iconel bellows seal and said bi-material gasket function together to form a flange seal between said first flange and said second flange. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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57. A flange connection and sealing system comprising:
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a first flange;
a second flange;
means for connecting said first flange to said second flange;
a dynamic flange sealing system designed to seal said first flange to said second flange, said dynamic flange sealing system comprising;
an iconel bellows seal supported within said second flange and extending to and received by said first flange upon connection of said first and second flanges, said iconel bellows seal providing a biased, dynamic seal between said first and second flanges; and
a bi-material gasket supported within said second flange, said bi-material gasket comprising a flexor that contracts as a result of said first flange being connected and secured to said second flange, and a flexible sealant partially connected to said flexor, wherein said flexible sealant displaces and seals against respective sealing surfaces of said first and second flanges relative to the amount of contraction of said flexor, said iconel bellows seal and said bi-material gasket function together to form a flange seal between said first flange and said second flange. - View Dependent Claims (58)
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59. A method for sealing flanged components within a high temperature, high pressure environment, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first component having a flange;
obtaining a second component having a flange, each of said flanges being complimentary to each other;
providing a dynamic flange sealing system within at least one of said flanges of said first and second components, said dynamic flange sealing system comprising;
an iconel bellows seal supported in one of said flanges of said first and second components and extending to and received by said complimentary flange upon their connection, said iconel bellows seal providing a dynamic seal between said first and second components;
a bi-material gasket supported within one of said flanges of said first and second components, said bi-material gasket comprising a flexor and a flexible sealant partially connected to said flexor; and
securing said first component to said second component via their respective said flanges, said step of securing causes said flexor to contract, wherein said flexible sealant displaces and seals against respective sealing surfaces on said flanges of said first and second components relative to the amount said flexor contracts, said dynamic flange sealing system providing a flange seal between said first and second components. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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61. A method for modifying an existing flange connection to enhance the seal between a first and second flange, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first component having a flange and at least one sealing surface thereon;
obtaining a second component having a flange and at least one sealing surface thereon, each of said flanges are complimentary to each other;
retro-fitting at least one of said flanges of said first and second components with a dynamic flange sealing system supported within said respective sealing surface, said dynamic flange sealing system comprising;
a bi-material gasket supported within one of said flanges of said first and second components, said bi-material gasket comprising a flexor and a flexible sealant partially connected to said flexor; and
securing said first component to said second component via their respective said flanges, thus causing said flexor to contract, wherein said flexible sealant displaces and seals against respective sealing surfaces on said flanges of said first and second components relative to the amount said flexor contracts, said dynamic flange sealing system providing a flange seal between said first and second components. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64)
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Specification