Intermittent flushing plunger packing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12196199-B2
Application number	US-202117907092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2021
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

An intermittent flushing plunger packing assembly is described herein. The packing assembly includes a plurality of annular seals disposed about the plunger configured to reciprocate along a linear axis within the fluid bore of the pump, and an annular packing nut disposed circumferentially about the plunger and configured to retain the plurality of annular seals and adjust a combined height of the plurality of annular seals. A selected one of the plurality of annular seals proximate to the fluid cylinder of the pump has a flushing fluid chamber in fluid communication with a flushing fluid port coupled to a first one-way check valve allowing a pressurized flushing fluid to be introduced and retained within the flushing fluid chamber and creating a fluid barrier to prevent frac fluid in the fluid cylinder from bypassing the annular seals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packing assembly for a plunger in a fluid bore of a reciprocating pump, the packing assembly comprising:
a plurality of annular seals disposed about the plunger, which is configured to reciprocate along a linear axis within the fluid bore of the pump;
an annular device disposed circumferentially about the plunger and configured to retain the plurality of annular seals and adjust a combined height of the plurality of annular seals; and
wherein at least one selected one of the plurality of annular seals proximate to a fluid cylinder of the pump further having a flushing fluid chamber in fluid communication with a flushing fluid port coupled to a first one-way check valve allowing a pressurized flushing fluid to be introduced and retained within the flushing fluid chamber and creating a fluid barrier to prevent frac fluid in the fluid cylinder from bypassing the at least one selected one of the plurality of annular seals, and provide lubrication between the plunger and the plurality of annular seals.

2. The packing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected one of the plurality of annular seals comprises a flushing chamber ring having the flushing fluid chamber and the flushing fluid port.

3. The packing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of annular seals comprises:
a flushing chamber ring having the flushing fluid chamber and the flushing fluid port;
a scraper having a plurality of ridges disposed next to the flushing chamber ring;
a header ring encasing the scraper and disposed next to the flushing chamber ring;
a pressure ring disposed next to the header ring;
an adapter disposed next to the pressure ring;
a spacer having an annular groove and disposed next to the adapter; and
a lantern ring having a lubrication port in fluid communication with a lubrication fluid.

4. The packing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of annular seals comprises a flushing chamber ring having the flushing fluid chamber and the flushing fluid port and at least one of:
a scraper having a plurality of ridges disposed next to the flushing chamber ring;
a header ring encasing the scraper and disposed next to the flushing chamber ring;
a pressure ring;
an adapter;
a spacer; and
a lantern ring having a lubrication port in fluid communication with a lubrication fluid.

5. The packing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to measure an amount of the pressurized flushing fluid supplied to the flushing fluid chamber to assess a condition of the packing assembly.

6. A method of operating a reciprocating plunger in a pump, comprising injecting a pressurized flushing fluid into a flushing chamber defined within a selected one of a plurality of annular seals disposed about the plunger in a fluid bore of the pump during at least a retraction portion of a stroke performed by the plunger, wherein injecting the pressurized flushing fluid into the flushing chamber defined within a selected one of a plurality of annular seals comprises injecting the flushing fluid into the flushing chamber of an annular seal that is closest to a fluid cylinder of the pump.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein injecting the pressurized flushing fluid into the flushing chamber defined within a selected one of a plurality of annular seals comprises injecting the flushing fluid into the flushing chamber of a flushing cavity ring disposed adjacent to the fluid cylinder of the pump.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising monitoring an amount of the pressurized flushing fluid supplied to the flushing chamber to assess a health of the plurality of annular seals.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising monitoring an amount of the pressurized flushing fluid supplied to the flushing chamber to assess a condition of a flushing fluid subsystem supplying the flushing fluid to the flushing chamber defined within a selected one of a plurality of annular seals.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein injecting the pressurized flushing fluid into the flushing chamber comprises maintaining the pressurized flushing fluid in the flushing chamber at a nearly constant pressure.

11. A method of operating a reciprocating plunger in a pump, comprising injecting a pressurized flushing fluid into a flushing chamber defined within a selected one of a plurality of annular seals disposed about the plunger in a fluid bore of the pump so that a pressure of the flushing fluid in the flushing chamber is greater than a pressure in a fluid cylinder of the pump during a retraction portion of the stroke performed by the plunger, wherein injecting the pressurized flushing fluid into the flushing chamber defined within a selected one of a plurality of annular seals comprises injecting the flushing fluid into the flushing chamber of a flushing cavity ring disposed adjacent to the fluid cylinder of the pump.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising monitoring an amount of the pressurized flushing fluid supplied to the flushing chamber to assess a condition of the plurality of annular seals and a flushing fluid subsystem supplying the flushing fluid to the flushing chamber defined within a selected one of a plurality of annular seals.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein injecting the pressurized flushing fluid into the flushing chamber comprises maintaining the pressurized flushing fluid in the flushing chamber at a nearly constant pressure.

14. A reciprocating pump having a fluid end having at least one plunger configured to reciprocate along a linear axis within a fluid bore, the pump comprising:
a plurality of annular seals disposed about the plunger;
an annular retainer disposed circumferentially about the plunger and configured to energize and adjust a packing load of the plurality of annular seals; and
wherein a selected one of the plurality of annular seals proximate to a fluid cylinder of the pump further having a flushing chamber in fluid communication with a flushing fluid port coupled to a one-way check valve allowing a pressurized flushing fluid to be introduced and retained within the fluid chamber and creating a pressurized fluid barrier to prevent frac fluid in the fluid cylinder from bypassing the selected one of the plurality of annular seals.

15. The pump of claim 14 , wherein the selected one of the plurality of annular seals comprises a flushing chamber ring having the flushing fluid chamber and the flushing fluid port.

16. The pump of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of annular seals comprises:
a flushing chamber ring having the flushing fluid chamber and the flushing fluid port;
a scraper having a plurality of ridges disposed next to the flushing chamber ring;
a header ring encasing the scraper and disposed next to the flushing chamber ring;
a pressure ring disposed next to the header ring;
an adapter disposed next to the pressure ring;
a spacer having an annular groove and disposed next to the adapter; and
a lantern ring having a lubrication port in fluid communication with a lubrication fluid.

17. The pump of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of annular seals comprises a flushing chamber ring having the flushing fluid chamber and the flushing fluid port and at least one of:
a scraper having a plurality of ridges disposed next to the flushing chamber ring;
a header ring encasing the scraper and disposed next to the flushing chamber ring;
a pressure ring;
an adapter;
a spacer; and
a lantern ring having a lubrication port in fluid communication with a lubrication fluid.

18. The pump of claim 14 , further compr

Assignees

• Spm Oil & Gas Inc

Inventors

• Kumar Chandu
• Sutton Joe Allen
• Clark Wesley P
• Mccrady John
• Peer Richard David
• Wagner Bryan

Classifications

• F16J15/406

  by at least one pump · CPC title

• F16J15/183 Primary

  using a lantern ring · CPC title

• F04B53/02

  Packing the free space between cylinders and pistons · CPC title

• F04B1/0538

  located side-by-side · CPC title

• F04B1/0408

  Pistons · CPC title