Frac pump plunger centering bearing to avoid premature carrier, packing, or plunger failure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11293227-B2
Application number	US-202016804542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2020
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

An assembly including a seal adapter having a bearing retainer and a bearing, wherein the bearing retainer is cylindrical and has a bearing retainer inside surface and a bearing retainer outside surface, and wherein the bearing retainer comprises a cavity along the bearing retainer inside surface, and wherein the bearing is cylindrical, wherein the bearing has a bearing outside surface, a bearing inside surface, a bearing front surface and a bearing back surface, and wherein, when assembled, the bearing is at least partially within the cavity, such that the bearing outside surface and the bearing back surface are in contact with the bearing retainer inside surface.

First claim

I claim:

1. A packing assembly comprising:
a packing carrier comprising a packing adapter and a seal adapter, wherein the seal adapter comprises a bearing retainer and a bearing;
a packing lube seal; and
a backup ring,
wherein the packing adapter is cylindrical and has a packing adapter inside surface, a packing adapter outside surface, and a packing adapter front surface, wherein the front surface of the packing adapter has a non-linear cross section,
wherein the bearing retainer is cylindrical and has a bearing retainer inside surface and a bearing retainer outside surface, wherein the bearing retainer comprises a hole extending from the bearing retainer outside surface to the bearing retainer inside surface, wherein the bearing retainer comprises a cavity along the bearing retainer inside surface,
wherein the bearing is cylindrical, wherein the bearing has a bearing outside surface, a bearing inside surface, a bearing front surface and a bearing back surface, and wherein, when assembled, the bearing is at least partially within the cavity, such that the bearing outside surface and the bearing back surface are in contact with the bearing retainer inside surface,
wherein the packing lube seal is in contact with the bearing retainer inside surface, wherein the bearing retainer comprises an o-ring in a groove on the bearing retainer outside surface, and
wherein the backup ring is cylindrical, wherein the backup ring has a backup ring front surface and a backup ring back surface, wherein, in the assembled configuration of the assembly, the backup ring back surface is adjacent to the packing adapter front surface.

2. The assembly of claim 1 :
wherein the packing adapter and the bearing retainer are integrated as a single, unitary piece; or
wherein the packing adapter and the bearing retainer are disparate components, wherein the bearing retainer further has a bearing retainer front surface and a bearing retainer back surface, wherein the packing adapter further comprises a packing adapter back surface, and wherein, in the assembled configuration of the assembly, the bearing front surface is axially aligned along a central axis of the assembly with the bearing retainer front surface and the packing adapter back surface abuts the bearing retainer front surface.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the packing adapter front surface has a cylindrical cross-section.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the packing adapter further comprises a hole extending from the packing adapter inside surface to the packing adapter outside surface.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bearing retainer outside surface further comprises a groove on the outside surface of the bearing retainer, wherein both the groove and the cavity are located more toward a front surface of the bearing retainer or a back surface of the bearing retainer.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the groove and the cavity are axially aligned along a central axis of the assembly.

7. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a packing, wherein the packing is cylindrical, wherein the packing has a packing front surface and a packing back surface, and wherein, in the assembled configuration of the assembly, the packing back surface is adjacent to the backup ring front surface.

8. The assembly of claim 7 further comprising a header ring, wherein the header ring is cylindrical, wherein the header ring has a header ring front surface and a header ring back surface, and wherein, in the assembled configuration of the assembly, the header ring back surface is adjacent to the packing front surface.

9. The assembly of claim 8 further comprising a header ring adapter, wherein the header ring adapter has a header ring adapter front surface and a header ring adapter back surface, and where, in the assembled configuration of the assembly, the header ring adapter back surface is adjacent to the header ring front surface.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the packing adapter and the bearing retainer are integrated as a single, unitary piece; or wherein the packing adapter and the bearing retainer are disparate components, wherein the bearing retainer further has a bearing retainer front surface and a bearing retainer back surface, wherein the packing adapter further comprises a packing adapter back surface, and wherein, in the assembled configuration of the assembly, the bearing front surface is axially aligned along a central axis of the assembly with the bearing retainer front surface and the packing adapter back surface abuts the bearing retainer front surface.

11. An assembly comprising:
a seal adapter comprising:
a bearing retainer; and
a bearing,

wherein the bearing retainer is cylindrical and has a bearing retainer inside surface and a bearing retainer outside surface, and wherein the bearing retainer comprises a cavity along the bearing retainer inside surface, and an o-ring in a groove on the bearing retainer outside surface, and
wherein the bearing is cylindrical, wherein the bearing has a bearing outside surface, a bearing inside surface, a bearing front surface and a bearing back surface, and wherein, when assembled, the bearing is at least partially within the cavity, such that the bearing outside surface and the bearing back surface are in contact with the bearing retainer inside surface.

12. A packing assembly comprising:
a packing carrier comprising a seal adapter and a packing adapter,
wherein the seal adapter comprises a bearing retainer and a bearing, wherein the bearing retainer is cylindrical, and comprises a bearing retainer inside surface and a bearing retainer outside surface, and wherein the bearing retainer comprises a cavity along the bearing retainer inside surface, and wherein the bearing is cylindrical, wherein the bearing has a bearing outside surface, a bearing inside surface, a bearing front surface and a bearing back surface, and wherein, when assembled, the bearing is at least partially within the cavity, such that the bearing outside surface and the bearing back surface are in contact with the bearing retainer inside surface; and in fluid communication with the hole extending from the bearing retainer outside surface to the bearing retainer inside surface, and
wherein the packing adapter is cylindrical, wherein the packing adapter has a packing adapter inside surface, a packing adapter outside surface, and a packing adapter front surface, and wherein the front surface of the packing adapter has a non-linear cross section,

wherein the packing adapter and the bearing retainer are integrated as a single, unitary piece; or
wherein the packing adapter and the bearing retainer are disparate components, wherein the bearing retainer further has a bearing retainer front surface and a bearing retainer back surface, wherein the packing adapter further comprises a packing adapter back surface, and wherein, in the assembled configuration of the packing assembly, the bearing front surface is axially aligned along a central axis of the packing assembly with the bearing retainer front surface, and the packing adapter back surface abuts the bearing retainer front surface.

13. A packing assembly comprising:
a packing carrier comprising a seal adapter and a packing adapter,
wherein the seal adapter comprises a bearing retainer and a bearing, wherein the bearing retainer is cylindrical, and comprises a bearing retainer inside surface and a bearing retainer outside surface, and wherein the bearing retainer comprises a cavity along the bearing retainer inside surface, and wherein the bearing is cylindrical, wherein the bearing has a bearing outside surface, a bearing inside surface,

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Brunet John Dexter

Classifications

• F16C2360/42

  Pumps with cylinders or pistons · CPC title

• F16C17/02

  for radial load only · CPC title

• F16C2352/00

  Apparatus for drilling · CPC title

• F16C33/201

  Composition of the plastic · CPC title

• F16C35/02

  in the case of sliding-contact bearings · CPC title