TW201350714A - Devices for sealing high pressure and ultrahigh pressure fluid systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A seal assembly is provided which is operable with a pump having a plunger configured to reciprocate within a cylinder thereof along a longitudinal axis to generate pressurized fluid during operation. The seal assembly includes a seal carrier including an external surface configured to sealingly mate with the cylinder of the pump when the seal carrier is installed in a mouth of the cylinder and urged toward the cylinder by a compressive force and further includes a bearing received and circumferentially surrounded by the seal carrier. The bearing and seal carrier include features designed to enable prolonged component life, including in particular at ultrahigh high pressures.

Description

Equipment for sealing high pressure and ultra high pressure fluid systems

This invention relates to high pressure and ultra high pressure fluid systems, and in particular to components and assemblies for sealing high pressure and ultra high pressure systems, such as ultra high pressure pumps.

The high pressure pump and the ultra high pressure pump draw a volume of fluid into the pump during one of the piston's suction strokes and pressurize the volume of fluid up to and exceeding 87,000 psi and contain greater than 100,000 psi during one of the piston's pressure strokes. A desired pressure. The pressurized fluid flows through a check valve body to an outlet check valve. If the pressure of the fluid is greater than a biasing force acting on the downstream end of one of the outlet check valves by the high pressure fluid in an outlet region, the high pressure fluid overcomes the biasing force and passes through the outlet check valve to the outlet region. Typically, a pump has a plurality of cylinders and pressurized fluid from the outlet region of each pump is collected in a reservoir. The high pressure fluid collected in this manner is then selectively used to perform a desired function, such as cutting or cleaning. For example, such pumps are manufactured by Flow International Corporation of Kent, Washington, DC, the assignee of the present invention. As the piston reciprocates within one of the bores of the pump cylinder, the piston passes through a dynamic seal assembly that prevents pressurized fluid in the cylinder from flowing through the piston into the pump. Exemplary dynamic sealing assemblies are shown in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,086, 070, 6, 802, 541, 7, 247, 006, and 7, 568, 424, the disclosures of each of each of The assignee of the application, Fulu Far East Co., Ltd.

While it is known that dynamic seal assemblies provide a suitable seal configuration under a variety of operating conditions, Applicants believe that in many situations it may be desirable to further optimize the operation of the high pressure pump and the ultra high pressure pump and increase the durability of their components, particularly for For operation at high pressures up to and exceeding 87,000 psi (including pressures above 100,000 psi). Increasing the durability of the pump assembly will reduce the frequency of component replacement and will therefore reduce machine downtime and lost productivity. More robust and durable components also enhance the operational safety of the main pump.

The seal assemblies and assemblies thereof described herein are particularly well suited for use in high pressure and ultra high pressure pumps to seal around a reciprocating piston in a reliable and robust manner.

According to an embodiment, a sealing assembly for a high pressure pump can be summarized as comprising: a sealed carrier having a configuration configured to mount the sealing carrier in an inlet of the cylinder with a compressive force One of the outer surfaces sealingly engaged with one of the cylinders of the pump when driven toward the cylinder, and the seal carrier has a sealing recess for receiving an annular seal that reciprocates through the annular seal during operation; A bearing is received by the sealing carrier at a location adjacent one of the sealing recesses and circumferentially surrounded by it. The bearing includes: a first portion having an inner surface of a first diameter; and a second portion having an inner surface that is greater than a second diameter of the first diameter, the first diameter being sized to Having the inner surface of the first portion of the bearing aligned generally coextensively with an inner surface of the annular seal when the seal carrier receives the annular seal during operation, and the second diameter is sized At least a portion of the interior surface of the second portion of the bearing contacts the piston during at least a portion of the operation. The bearing may also include a tapered section that increases in wall thickness as the distance from the sealing recess increases in a direction parallel to one of the central axes of the bearing. The wall thickness of the tapered section may be continuously increased or may include a transition of the first portion of the bearing to a step of the second portion of the bearing.

According to another embodiment, a sealing assembly for a high pressure pump can be summarized as a package Including: a seal carrier having an outer surface configured to sealingly engage the cylinder of the pump when the seal carrier is mounted in an inlet of the cylinder and urged toward the cylinder by a compressive force, and The seal carrier has a seal recess for receiving an annular seal that reciprocates through the annular seal during operation; and a bearing that is received by the seal carrier at a location adjacent the seal recess and is It is surrounded by the circumference. The bearing includes a central aperture defining a central axis and having a tapered section having a wall thickness that increases as the distance from the sealing recess increases in a direction parallel to one of the central axes. The central aperture may have a constant diameter or may comprise two or more sections each having a different diameter.

10‧‧‧Ultra high pressure fluid system

11‧‧‧ pump cylinder/cylinder

12‧‧‧Piston

13‧‧‧镗孔

14‧‧‧Check valve body

15‧‧‧ first end

16‧‧‧Inlet valve

17‧‧‧ Directional arrow mark

18‧‧‧ Fluid source

19‧‧‧ Pressure Stroke

20‧‧‧Export area

21‧‧‧ Sealing assembly

22‧‧‧Seal

24‧‧‧ bearing

26‧‧‧ Sealed carrier

29‧‧‧ lever

32‧‧‧ Tangential sealing area

34‧‧‧ arrow

37‧‧‧Export check valve

38‧‧‧Cap

50‧‧‧Ultra high pressure fluid system

52‧‧‧ Known seal carrier / seal carrier

54‧‧‧Internal surface

56‧‧‧External surface

60‧‧‧Part 1

61‧‧‧ first dent

62‧‧‧Seal

64‧‧‧Part II

66‧‧‧ bearing

68‧‧‧second dent

70‧‧‧o ring

72‧‧‧ recess

100‧‧‧Dynamic sealing assembly/sealing assembly

102‧‧‧ Seal carrier

104‧‧‧ Bearing

110‧‧‧External surface

112‧‧‧ Sealing recess

114‧‧‧Refill sealing recess

116‧‧‧

118‧‧‧孔口

122‧‧‧ Terminal

124‧‧‧Part I

126‧‧‧Internal surface

128‧‧‧Part II

130‧‧‧Internal surface

132‧‧‧Part III/Intermediate Section

134‧‧‧Conical inner surface/internal surface

136‧‧‧ central part

200‧‧‧Dynamic sealing assembly/sealing assembly

202‧‧‧ Sealed carrier

204‧‧‧ bearing

210‧‧‧External surface

212‧‧‧ Sealing recess

214‧‧‧Supply sealing recess

216‧‧‧

218‧‧ ‧ orifice

222‧‧‧ Terminal

224‧‧‧ center aperture

226‧‧‧Cone section

228‧‧‧terminal section/relative section

230‧‧‧Upper section/relative section

232‧‧‧ Shoulder

234‧‧‧Corresponding shoulder

236‧‧‧

238‧‧‧ opposite end

A‧‧‧Center axis/center longitudinal axis

H‧‧‧ overall height

L‧‧‧ reference line

1 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of one of the conventional ultrahigh pressure pumps incorporated into a prior art dynamic seal assembly.

2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional plan view of one of the conventional ultrahigh pressure pumps incorporating one of the prior art dynamic seal assemblies.

3 is an isometric view of one of the dynamic seal assemblies that can be used in an ultra high pressure pump, in accordance with an embodiment.

Figure 4 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the dynamic seal assemblies of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional elevational view of the dynamic seal assembly of Figure 3.

6 is an enlarged cross-sectional isometric view of one of the dynamic sealing assemblies in accordance with another embodiment.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional elevational view of the dynamic seal assembly of Figure 6.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one of the disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details. In other examples, well-known structures associated with high pressure and ultra high pressure fluid systems may not be shown or described in detail (including high Pressure and ultra high pressure pumps and their components) to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.

Unless the context requires otherwise, the words "comprise" and variations thereof (such as "comprises" and "comprising") are intended to be open as a whole. Inclusive meaning, that is, "including but not limited to".

Reference to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" in this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrase "in an embodiment" or "in an embodiment" Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are used in the singular and . It should also be noted that the term "or" is usually employed in its meaning of "and/or" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In many cases, it would be desirable to optimize operation of one of the high pressure and ultra high pressure fluid pumps under high pressure and ultra high pressure and to improve the durability of the components. For example, an ultra high pressure booster pump (such as those of the ultra high pressure booster pump manufactured by Flowo Far East Co., Ltd.) can be used in a variety of applications, such as supplying high pressure fluid to an abrasive water jet cutting head. Although the following discussion will use an ultra high pressure intensifier as an example, it will be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention may have applications in sealing one of the axially reciprocating pistons of any pump, including pressurized fluid capable of supplying more than 100,000 psi. Their applications.

By way of further background, FIG. 1 shows an ultrahigh pressure fluid system 10, such as an intensifier pump, having a piston 12 that reciprocates within a bore 13 of one of the pump cylinders 11 during operation. The piston 12 draws a volume of fluid from a fluid source 18 into the bore 13 via an inlet valve 16 provided in the check valve body 14 during a suction stroke of one of the pistons illustrated by the directional arrow labeled 17 . At a pressure stroke 19, the piston 12 will have the body The accumulated fluid is pressurized and flows through the check valve body 14 to the outlet check valve 37 via the pressurized fluid. If the pressure of the pressurized fluid is sufficiently high to overcome the biasing force on the outlet check valve 37, the pressurized fluid passes through the outlet check valve 37 to an outlet region 20, after which the pressurized fluid is collected in a It is used in the reservoir and in any desired manner, as is well known in the art.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the piston 12 reciprocates through a sealing assembly 21. The seal assembly 21 includes a seal 22 which is preferably made of a plastic material such as, for example, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. The annular seal 22 is provided with a bore through which the piston 12 reciprocates during operation. A bearing 24 is positioned adjacent and/or adjacent to the seal 22 and also has a bore through which the piston 12 reciprocates during operation. The material of the bearing 24 is preferably selected to be one of the materials that travel along the piston 12 as the piston 12 moves under relatively minimal friction. Although the bearing 24 and piston 12 can be made of any suitable cohesive material, the bearing 24 can be made of a high strength bronze, aluminum or copper alloy, and the piston can be made of a ceramic material such as partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ).

A seal carrier 26 surrounds one of the bearings 24 and captures the seal 22. Although the seal carrier 26 can be made of various materials, it is preferably made of stainless steel. During operation, the seal carrier 26 is subjected to a compressive force that is high enough to cause the seal carrier 26 to collapse circumferentially against the bearing 24 in a radial direction. This collapse of the seal carrier 26 against the bearing 24 causes the inner surface of one of the bores of the bearing 24 to contact one of the outer surfaces of the piston 12.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the compressive force on the seal carrier 26 can be achieved by tightening the tie rod 29 of the system that loads the cylinder 11 against the first end 15 of the cylinder 11 via the end cap 38 seated on the return valve body 14. . The cylinders 11 can be seated against the seal carrier 26 in a manner that forms a static seal to the seal region 32, as described in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,802,541. The compressive force exerted on the seal carrier 26 via the tie rod 29 and the cylinder 11 can be sufficiently large and applied to collapse the seal carrier 26 and the bearing 24 onto the piston 12 in view of one of the geometry of the system. Thus, the bearing 24 can exert a compressive stress on the piston 12 as the piston 12 reciprocates through the bearing 24 during operation. As the pressure inside the cylinder 11 is large Circulating between air pressure and high pressure or ultra high pressure, cylinder 11, seal carrier 26 and other components may expand and contract at different rates and seal carrier 26 and bearing 24 may be driven to contact the piston 12 to varying degrees. Therefore, the stress caused by the interaction of the bearing 24 and the piston 12 can vary during operation. Moreover, the amount of deformation of the seal carrier 26 can be based on the angle of the surface of the cylinder 11 forming the tangential seal region 32 to the surface of the seal carrier 26, the selected material, and the amount of assembly loading (for example, such as through a tightening tie rod) 29 reached) and changed. Although the tie rod 29 is illustrated and illustrated in the present invention, it should be understood that loading of the assembly can be accomplished in any manner available.

2 illustrates a portion of an ultra-high pressure fluid system 50 that includes another known seal carrier 52 that has an inner surface 54 adjacent one of the pistons 12 and along which is substantially perpendicular to the piston 12 Reciprocating one of the longitudinal axes is a transverse axis opposite the inner surface 54 of the outer surface 56. As illustrated in FIG. 2, one of the first portions 60 of the interior surface 54 is configured to circumferentially and captureably receive a seal 62. For example, one of the first indentations 61 formed in the first portion 60 captureably receives the seal 62. The second portion 64 of one of the inner surfaces 54 is configured to circumferentially surround a bearing 66 that is positioned adjacent and/or adjacent to the seal 62. The inner surface 54 of the seal carrier 52 can also include a second indentation 68 that circumferentially and axially surrounds one of the o-rings 70. In some embodiments, a second indentation 68 is formed in the first indentation 61 that is laterally inserted into the o-ring 70 between the seal 62 and the seal carrier 52. The seal carrier 52 of the ultra high pressure fluid system 50 can substantially prevent any potential longitudinal displacement of the seal 62 and the o-ring 70.

The seal carrier 52 of the ultra-high pressure fluid system 50 can further include a recess 72 formed along one of at least a portion of the outer surface 56 of the seal carrier 52 to promote stress in at least one of the cross-sectional areas of the seal carrier 52 in a low concentration manner. One of the parts is distributed. The seal carrier 52 can further include at least one aperture to allow water that can potentially leak between the seal carrier 52 and the seal 62 to vent from this area to an ambient environment, such as, for example, where the piston 12 is operating The bore 13 during the reciprocating motion.

While it is known that dynamic seal assemblies, such as the dynamic seal assemblies just discussed above, provide a suitable seal configuration under a variety of operating conditions, Applicants believe that it would be desirable to further optimize high pressure pumps and ultra high pressure pumps in a number of situations. It operates and increases the durability of its components, especially for operation at ultra high pressures up to and exceeding 87,000 psi and containing pressures above 100,000 psi.

3 through 5 illustrate an embodiment of a dynamic seal assembly 100 that is particularly well suited for increasing the durability of its components and a piston (not shown) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The piston reciprocates through the dynamic seal assembly 100 during operation of a main pump (not shown) such as, for example, one of the types of booster pumps of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the dynamic seal assembly 100 includes a seal carrier 102 and a bearing 104. The bearing 104 can be press fit into the seal carrier 102. Accordingly, the seal carrier 102 can include receiving the bearing 104 in a manner that slightly compresses the bearing 104 and resists unintentional withdrawal of the bearing 104 from the seal carrier 102 based on the internal features of the bearing 104 via correspondingly shaped internal features. Further details of the seal carrier 102 and bearing 104 of the dynamic seal assembly 100 can be seen in the cross-sectional views of Figures 4 and 5.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the seal carrier 102 includes a shape to be fitted when the seal carrier 102 is mounted in one of the cylinder inlets and by a compressive force during installation (such as by tensioning a tie rod or other suitable device). One of the outer surfaces 110 is sealingly engaged with one of the cylinders of the main pump when driven toward the cylinder. The seal carrier 102 further includes a sealing recess 112 for receiving an annular seal (not shown), the annular seal including a central aperture through which a piston of the main pump reciprocates during operation, the annular seal being The size is to sealingly engage the piston. The sealing recess 112 can be shaped to captureably receive the annular seal to prevent the annular seal from being displaced in either direction opposite the longitudinal direction.

As further shown in Figures 4 and 5, a supplemental sealing recess 114 can be formed in the sealing recess 112 for receiving a supplemental seal, such as an o-ring or in material and properties. Unlike other similar seals that material and properties of the annular seal that engages the piston during operation. In a fully assembled state, the seal carrier 102 receives the supplemental seal in the supplemental seal recess 114 and the annular seal in the seal recess 112, the annular seal and the supplemental seal cooperate to provide a seal carrier around the piston during operation 102 (and more particularly, one of the seal carriers 102 that is shaped to at least partially extend into the cylinder of the main pump when the seal assembly 100 is installed) supports one of the seals. The seal carrier 102 can further include one or more orifices 118 in communication with the seal recesses 112, 114 to relieve pressure that would otherwise build up behind the seal during operation.

With continued reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the bearing 104 is received by the seal carrier 102 at a location adjacent the sealing recess 112 and circumferentially surrounded thereby such that one end 122 of the bearing 104 abuts the annular seal when the annular seal is installed. The bearing 104 includes a first portion 124 having an inner surface 126 of a first diameter and a second portion 128 having an inner surface 130 that is one of a second diameter greater than the first diameter. The first diameter is sized such that when the seal carrier 102 receives the annular seal during operation, the inner surface 126 of the first portion 124 of the bearing is generally coextensive with the inner surface of the annular seal, which advantageously prevents the annular seal from squeezing It may be present in other ways in the gap between the bearing 104 and one of the outer surfaces of the piston. The second diameter of the inner surface 130 of the second portion 128 is sized to be smaller than the first diameter of the inner surface 126 of the first portion 124, the first diameter being sized to ensure that during at least a portion of the operation (such as, for example, At least a portion of the interior surface 130 of the second portion 128 of the bearing 104 contacts the piston during a period characterized by high or ultra-high system pressure. In certain embodiments, the first diameter of the inner surface 126 of the first portion 124 of the bearing 104 is at least 0.001 inches, which is less than the second diameter of the inner surface 130 of the second portion 128 of the bearing 104, and in some implementations In the example, the first diameter of the inner surface 126 of the first portion 124 of the bearing 104 is between about 0.001 inches and about 0.025 inches, which is less than the second diameter of the inner surface 130 of the second portion 128 of the bearing 104. The second diameter of the inner surface 130 of the second portion 128 is also sized relative to the first diameter of the inner surface 126 of the first portion 124 to substantially The upper reduction is caused by contact of the second portion 128 of the bearing 104 with the piston during operation (and especially during periods when the system pressure can be relatively low, such as, for example, during one of the piston suction strokes) Contact stress.

The bearing can include a third or intermediate portion 132 between the first portion 124 and the second portion 128. The third or intermediate portion 132 can have a tapered interior surface 134. When so provided, the tapered inner surface 134 of the third or intermediate portion 132 can gradually transition the first diameter of the inner surface 126 of the first portion 124 to the second portion 128 over a relatively short distance or a relatively long distance. The second diameter of the inner surface 130. In some embodiments, the tapered inner surface 134 may have a slope between about ten degrees and about fifty degrees, and in other embodiments, between about fifteen degrees and about thirty degrees. . The inner surfaces 126, 130, 134 of the first portion 124, the second portion 128, and the third portion 132 of the bearing 104 may collectively form one of the inner surfaces of one of the bearings 104. However, in other embodiments, the inner surface of the bearing may include additional surfaces such as, for example, concave or convex surfaces that may be provided at the intersection of surfaces having a linear profile.

As can be appreciated from Figures 4 and 5, the inner surface 126 of the first portion 124 of the bearing 104 can extend in a longitudinal direction defined by one of the central axes A of the seal assembly 100 when compared to the overall height H of one of the bearings 104. One of the relatively short distances. For example, in some embodiments, the inner surface 126 of the first portion 124 of the bearing 104 can extend less than twenty percent of the overall height H of the bearing 104, or in other embodiments, less than the overall height of the bearing 104. Ten percent of H.

As can be appreciated from Figures 4 and 5, one of the central portions 136 of the bearing 104 can have a wall thickness that is less than one of the respective thicknesses of each of the opposite ends of the bearing 104. In some embodiments, one of the ends of the bearing 104 may have a wall thickness that is less than about one-third of the thickness of one of the opposite ends of the bearing 104 and one of the central portions may have a wall thickness that is significantly less than two of the bearings 104. end. In other embodiments, rather than a section having a stepped wall thickness or in addition to a section having a stepped wall thickness, the bearing 104 may also include an increase in parallel to the shaft. The distance from the sealing recess 112 in one of the central axes A of the bearing 104 increases one of the tapered sections in the wall thickness. The tapered section may continuously increase in wall thickness or may include a transition of the first portion 124 of the bearing 104 to one of the second portions 128 of the bearing 104.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the seal assembly 100 of Figures 3 through 5, just described above, and variations thereof, the seal assembly 100 can provide an advantageous reduction in stress and a piston and seal total of one of the main pump systems. One of the associated wear between the bearings 104 of 100 is sealed, thereby resulting in an extended component life. In particular, the seal assembly 100 includes a bearing 104 that includes an embossment within the internal bore or cavity thereof, the relief being reduced both in terms of magnitude and also in which portions of the bearing 104 are in operation Normal contact force (and therefore friction) in terms of the percentage of time the piston is in contact. The provided relief feature is particularly advantageous when the system pressure can be (such as, for example) at a relatively low pressure during the retraction stroke of the pre-compression stroke of the reciprocating piston. In fact, the relief feature ensures that the system is self-sealing the exterior of the carrier 102 at lower pressures (due to a low desired output pressure or due to the fact that the piston of the system is retracted to fill the system). The contact between the surface 110 and the cylinder of the main pump (for example, due to the required tie rod loading of the system) is directly and radially inwardly transmitted to the piston/bearing 104 interface. Reduced or even eliminated in some cases. Contact loading between the bearing 104 and the piston is still apparent, but it tends to occur more predominantly under more critical conditions of higher system pressure and at preferred regions of the bearing 104. In this manner, the seal assembly 100 can advantageously extend the life of the bearing 104 and the piston with which the bearing 104 interacts.

6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of a dynamic seal assembly 200 that is also particularly well suited for adding components thereof and a main pump (not shown) such as, for example, FIG. 1 and FIG. The durability of one of the pistons (not shown) reciprocated through the dynamic seal assembly 200 during operation of the type of booster pump partially shown in 2.

According to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, the dynamic seal assembly 200 includes a seal carrier 202 and a bearing 204. The bearing 204 can be press fit into the seal carrier 202. Therefore, dense The seal carrier 202 can include receiving the bearing 204 in a manner that slightly compresses the bearing 204 and resists unintentional withdrawal of the bearing 204 against the self-sealing carrier 202, depending on the external features of the bearing 204.

With continued reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the seal carrier 202 includes a shape that is configured to sealingly engage one of the cylinders of a main pump when the seal carrier 202 is mounted in an inlet of the cylinder and is urged toward the cylinder by a compressive force during installation. An outer surface 210. The seal carrier 202 further includes a sealing recess 212 for receiving an annular seal (not shown), the annular seal including a central aperture through which a piston of the main pump reciprocates during operation, the annular seal is set Size to sealingly engage the piston. The sealing recess 212 can be shaped to capturely receive the annular seal to prevent displacement of the annular seal in either direction opposite the longitudinal direction.

As further shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a supplemental sealing recess 214 can be formed in the sealing recess 212 for receiving a supplemental seal, such as an o-ring or material and properties that are different from engaging the piston during operation. Other similar seals of the material and nature of the annular seal. For example, the annular seal can be made of a plastic material, such as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, and the supplemental seal can be made of a synthetic rubber material. In a fully assembled state, the seal carrier 202 receives the supplemental seal in the supplemental seal recess 214 and the annular seal in the seal recess 212, wherein the annular seal and the supplemental seal cooperate to provide a seal around the piston during operation One of the support of the carrier 202 (and more particularly, supported by one end 216 of the seal carrier 202 that is shaped to extend at least partially into the cylinder of the main pump when the seal assembly 200 is installed) is suitable for the seal. The seal carrier 202 can further include one or more apertures 218 that communicate with the seal recesses 212, 114 to relieve pressure that would otherwise build up behind the seal during operation.

With continued reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the bearing 204 is received by the seal carrier 202 at a location adjacent the sealing recess 212 and circumferentially surrounded thereby such that one end 222 of the bearing 204 abuts the annular seal when the annular seal is installed. According to the example shown in Figures 6 and 7 In an embodiment, the bearing 204 includes a central aperture 224 having a constant diameter, the central aperture 224 defining a central longitudinal axis A. However, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the central aperture 224 can comprise two or more sections each having a different diameter, similar to the central aperture of the bearing 104 of the example embodiment of FIGS. 3-5. The bearing 204 further includes a tapered section 226 that increases in wall thickness as the distance from the sealing recess 212 increases in a direction parallel to the central axis A. The tapered section 226 includes a significant portion of one of the bearings 204. For example, in some embodiments, one of the tapered sections 226 has a longitudinal length that is greater than thirty percent of the overall height H of one of the bearings 204. In other embodiments, the longitudinal extent of the tapered section 226 can be between about forty percent and about sixty percent of the overall height H of the bearing 204. According to some embodiments, the tapered section 226 can have a slope angle of less than about thirty degrees, and in certain other embodiments, can have a between about five degrees and about twenty-five degrees. Inclination angle. In still other embodiments, the tapered section 226 can have a slope angle between about ten degrees and about twenty degrees, and in a particularly advantageous embodiment, the tapered section 226 can have A slope angle of about sixty degrees. When the seal carrier 202 is sealingly engaged with the cylinder during operation, the tapered section 226 can be positioned such that normal to one of the contact angles defined by the contact between the seal carrier 202 and the cylinder passes through a reference line L A tapered section 226 of the bearing 204. The tapered section 226 can begin at or adjacent to a location that is directly radially adjacent the seal carrier 202 configured to sealingly engage the cylinder.

The bearing 204 further includes a terminal section 228 having a constant wall thickness, the wall thickness of the terminal section 228 being thinner than any other portion of the bearing 204 and being positioned to abut the annular seal when the annular seal is received in the sealing recess 212 . However, in other embodiments, the tapered section 226 can continue to the terminal end 222 of the bearing 204. Bearing 204 can further include an upper section 230 having a constant wall thickness. The tapered section 226 can intersect the upper section 230 to form a shoulder 232, and the shoulder 232 of the bearing 204 is configured to mate with a corresponding shoulder 234 of the seal carrier 202.

According to some embodiments including the exemplary embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cone The shaped section 226 can be interposed between two opposing sections 228, 230 each having a uniform wall thickness. The wall thickness of one end 236 of the bearing 204 can be less than about one-third of the wall thickness of the opposite end 238 of the bearing 204 and the wall thickness of the tapered section 226 can vary between such thicknesses. In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the tapered section 226 can be between a first thickness equal to one of the thicknesses of the terminal section 228 and a second thickness less than one tenth of the thickness of the upper section 230. Change linearly.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the seal assembly 200 of Figures 6 and 7 just described above and variations thereof, the seal assembly 200 can provide a sealed configuration that advantageously resists other known bearing geometries The shape of the bearing 204 component is appreciably plastically deformed, and thus the life of the provided seal can be significantly extended. For example, the tapered section 226 of the bearing 204 provides a geometry that is more resistant to the effects of static compression, friction between the bearing 204 and the piston, or a combination thereof. It is believed that this resistance to axial compression and plastic deformation caused by this compression is beneficial to prevent excessive stress at the piston/bearing interface. Thus, the seal assembly 200 can advantageously extend the life of the bearing 204 and the piston that interacts with the bearing 204 by providing one of the bearings 204 in a friction-resistant, structurally robust form of appearance. The bearing 204 also remains around the piston seal. The system and the sealing characteristics required to provide a sufficient seal at the interface of the seal carrier 202 and the cylinder. For example, the seal assembly 200 also provides a sufficient surrounding structure in the body of the seal carrier 202, for example, without succumbing to appreciable plastic bending to withstand the overall pull rod loading required. There is also sufficient structure in the body of the seal carrier 202 to provide sufficient rigidity to ensure that sufficient contact stress builds up between the outer surface 210 of the seal carrier 202 and the cylinder to secure a suitable metal to metal seal at the location.

In view of the above, a high pressure or ultra high pressure fluid system (eg, an intensifier pump) having one of the various embodiments of the sealing assemblies 100, 200 described herein can enable the system to be capable of pressures up to and exceeding 87,000 psi (and includes Extremely reliable operation at pressures above 100,000 psi. However, although embodiments of the invention are particularly beneficial at this higher pressure, It should be understood, however, that aspects of the invention may also find application at lower pressures up to and exceeding 40,000 psi.

Furthermore, the various embodiments set forth above may also be combined to provide other embodiments. For example, as discussed above, the bearing 104 of the example embodiment of FIGS. 3 through 5 can include a tapered section having bearings similar to the example embodiments of FIGS. 6 and 7 One of the generally increased wall thicknesses, and the bearing 204 of the example embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 can include a central aperture 224 having bearings each having an exemplary embodiment similar to that of FIGS. 3-5. Two or more segments of different diameters of 104. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above detailed description. In general, the terms used in the following claims are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the claims The full scope of the equivalent of these patentable scopes.

100‧‧‧Dynamic sealing assembly/sealing assembly

102‧‧‧ Seal carrier

104‧‧‧ Bearing

110‧‧‧External surface

112‧‧‧ Sealing recess

114‧‧‧Refill sealing recess

116‧‧‧

118‧‧‧孔口

122‧‧‧ Terminal

124‧‧‧Part I

126‧‧‧Internal surface

128‧‧‧Part II

130‧‧‧Internal surface

132‧‧‧Part III/Intermediate Section

134‧‧‧Conical inner surface/internal surface

136‧‧‧ central part

A‧‧‧Center axis/center longitudinal axis

Claims (29)

A seal assembly operable with a pump configured to reciprocate along a longitudinal axis in a cylinder thereof to produce a pressurized fluid at 40,000 psi or above 40,000 psi during operation In one piston, the seal assembly includes: a seal carrier configured to seal the cylinder with the pump when the seal carrier is mounted in an inlet of the cylinder and urged toward the cylinder by a compressive force Cooperating with one of the outer surfaces, and the seal carrier includes a sealing recess for receiving an annular seal that reciprocates through the annular seal during operation; and a bearing that is adjacent to one of the sealing recesses The seal carrier is received and circumferentially surrounded by a first portion of one of the inner surfaces having a first diameter and a second portion having an inner surface that is greater than one of the first diameters and the second diameter The first diameter is sized such that the inner surface of the first portion of the bearing and one of the annular seals when the sealing carrier receives the annular seal during operation Surface aligned substantially coextensive, and the second diameter is sized so that the bearing portion of the inner surface of the second portion of the piston in contact with at least a portion at least during operation. The seal assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the first portion of the bearing extends in a longitudinal direction by less than twenty percent of the overall height of one of the bearings. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the first portion of the bearing extends in a longitudinal direction by less than ten percent of the overall height of one of the bearings. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the first diameter of the inner surface of the first portion of the bearing is at least 0.001 inch, which is less than the second diameter of the inner surface of the second portion of the bearing. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the first portion of the bearing The first diameter is between 0.001 inches and 0.025 inches, which is less than the second diameter of the inner surface of the second portion of the bearing. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing comprises a third portion between the first portion and the second portion, the third portion having a tapered inner surface. A seal assembly according to claim 1, wherein a central portion of the bearing has a wall thickness that is less than a thickness of each of the respective ones of the opposite ends of the bearing. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the second diameter of the second portion of the bearing is sized relative to the first diameter of the first portion of the bearing to at least during an operational cycle characterized by high system pressure Contact between the second portion of the bearing and the piston is maintained. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the second diameter of the second portion of the bearing is sized relative to the first diameter of the first portion of the bearing to substantially reduce the bearing during operation The contact stress caused by the contact of the second portion with the piston. The seal assembly of claim 1, further comprising: the annular seal received in the seal recess of the seal carrier. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal recess of the seal carrier is configured to captureably receive the annular seal and maintain the annular seal in abutting relationship with one of the first portions of the bearing. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing comprises a tapered section that increases in wall thickness as the distance from the seal recess is increased in a direction parallel to one of the central axes of the bearing. The seal assembly of claim 12, wherein the tapered section continuously increases in wall thickness. The seal assembly of claim 12, wherein the tapered section includes a step in which the first portion of the bearing transitions to the second portion of the bearing. A seal assembly operable with a pump having a pressurized fluid configured to reciprocate along a longitudinal axis in a cylinder thereof to produce a pressurized fluid at 40,000 psi or above 40,000 psi during operation A piston assembly comprising: a seal carrier configured to seal with a cylinder of the pump when the seal carrier is mounted in an inlet of the cylinder and urged toward the cylinder by a compressive force Cooperating with an outer surface, and the seal carrier includes a sealing recess for receiving an annular seal that reciprocates through the annular seal during operation; and a bearing that is adjacent to a location adjacent the sealing recess The seal carrier is received and circumferentially surrounded, the bearing includes a central aperture defining a central axis and the bearing has a tapered section that increases in parallel with one of the central axes The distance from the sealing recess increases the wall thickness. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the central aperture has a constant diameter. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the central aperture comprises two or more sections each having a different diameter. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the bearing further comprises a terminal section having a constant wall thickness, the wall thickness of the terminal section being thinner than any other portion of the bearing. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the bearing further comprises a terminal section defined by a constant wall thickness, the terminal section of the bearing being positioned to abut when the annular seal is received in the seal recess Ring seal. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the longitudinal length of one of the tapered sections of the bearing is greater than thirty percent of the overall height of one of the bearings. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the tapered section has a slope angle between about five degrees and about twenty five degrees. The seal assembly of claim 21, wherein the tapered section has a slope angle between about ten degrees and about twenty degrees. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the bearing includes a shoulder at one end of the tapered section to engage a corresponding shoulder of the one of the seal carriers. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the tapered sections are interposed between two opposing sections each having a uniform wall thickness. A seal assembly according to claim 24, wherein a wall thickness of one of the ends of the bearing is less than about one third of a wall thickness of one of the opposite ends of the bearing and wherein a wall thickness of the tapered section varies therebetween. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein when the seal carrier is sealingly engaged with the cylinder during operation, the reference is made by a reference line of all of the contact angles defined by the contact between the seal carrier and the cylinder Through the tapered section of the bearing. The seal assembly of claim 15 further comprising: the annular seal received in the sealing recess of the seal carrier. The seal assembly of claim 15, wherein the seal recess of the seal carrier is configured to captureably receive the annular seal and maintain the annular seal in abutting relationship with one of the ends of the bearing. A pump having a piston configured to reciprocate along a longitudinal axis in a cylinder thereof to produce a pressurized fluid at 40,000 psi or above 40,000 psi, the pump comprising any one of the foregoing claims A sealing assembly mounted in one of the inlets of the cylinder.