Bushing seal for crude oil desalters

Abstract

A bushing assembly 110 suitable for use in a desalter. The assembly comprises an insulating rod 112, flange 116 with an aperture for receiving the insulating rod, hub nut 118, configured to engage the

Claims

1. A desalter entrance bushing assembly, comprising:an insulating rod;a hub nut, wherein the hub nut is in communication with the insulating rod and further includes a thread disposed on a surface of the hub nut;a biasing component in communication with the insulating rod and the hub nut;a flange with an aperture, wherein the aperture includes:a threaded portion configured to threadedly receive the thread on the hub nut;a sealing surface configured to create a seal with the insulating rod;wherein the biasing component applies an additional force to maintain the seal between the insulating rod and the sealing surface of the flange when the hub nut is threaded to the flange.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulating rod further includes a shoulder creating an angle with an adjacent proximal section of the insulating rod that is approximately 90 degrees.

3. The assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hub nut further includes a spring seat creating an angle with an internal surface of the hub nut that is approximately 90 degrees.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein a distance between the spring seat in the hub nut and a distal starting position of the thread on the hub nut is greater than a longitudinal extent of the biasing component when the biasing component is in a fully compressed configuration.

5. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the biasing component is configured to provide a force of at least 350 PSI onto the insulating rod when the hub nut is tightened to the flange under a predetermined toque of at least 50 ft / lb.

6. A desalter entrance bushing assembly, comprising:an insulating rod having a sealing surface residing between a proximal end and a distal end;a flange with an aperture for receiving the insulating rod, wherein the aperture includes a sealing surface complementary to the sealing surface of the insulating rod;a hub nut configured to engage the flange; anda biasing component configured to reside at least partially within the hub nut, wherein the biasing component applies a force to maintain a seal between the sealing surface of the insulating rod and the sealing surface of the flange when the hub nut engages the flange.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the insulating rod further includes a shouldercreating an angle with an adjacent proximal section of the insulating rod that is approximately 90 degrees.

8. The assembly of claim 6 or 7, wherein the hub nut is configured to threadedly engage the flange and includes a spring seat.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein an angle established by the spring seat and an internal surface of the hub nut is approximately 90 degrees.

10. The assembly of claim 8 or 9, wherein a distance between the spring seat and a distal starting position of a thread on the hub nut is greater than a longitudinal extent of the biasing component when the biasing component is in a fully compressed configuration.

11. The assembly of any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the biasing component is configured to provide a force of at least 350 PSI onto the insulating rod when the hub nut is secured to the flange.

12. A method of maintaining a seal between an insulating rod and a flange in a desalter entrance bushing assembly, comprising:acquiring the insulating rod, wherein the insulating rod includes a sealing surface residing between a proximal end and a distal end;acquiring a hub nut, wherein the hub nut is configured to engage the flange;acquiring a biasing component, wherein the biasing component is configured to apply a force to maintain a seal between the sealing surface of the insulating rod and the sealing surface of the flange when the hub nut is secured to the flange;inserting the insulating rod into an aperture in the flange until the sealing surface of the insulating rod contacts a complementary sealing surface of the flange; andsecuring the hub nut to the flange, thereby causing the biasing component to apply the force to maintain the seal between the sealing surface of the insulating rod and the sealing surface of the flange.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the insulating rod further includes a shoulder creating an angle with an adjacent proximal section of the insulating rod that is approximately 90 degrees.

14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein the hub nut further includes a spring seat creating an angle with an internal surface of the hub nut that is approximately 90 degrees.

15. The method of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the biasing component is configured to provide a force of at least 350 PSI to the shoulder of the insulating rod when the hub nut is secured to the flange.

16. The method of any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein securing the hub nut to the flange includes threading the hub nut to the flange.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the biasing component is configured to provide a force of at least 350 PSI onto the insulating rod when the hub nut is tightened to the flange under a predetermined torque of at least 50 ft / lb.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein the hub nut further includes a spring seat and a distance between the spring seat and a distal starting position of a thread on the hub nut is greater than a longitudinal extent of the biasing component when the biasing component is in a fully compressed configuration.

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