High-Pressure Fluid End Sealing With Replaceable Wear Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-pressure flow devices in the oil and gas industry, such as valves and fluid ends, face erosion issues due to corrosive and abrasive fluids, leading to leakage and cumbersome repairs, which increase downtime and operational costs.
Innovation Solution
The design involves a fluid end assembly with a housing having conduits and recesses that transfer erosion wear from the body to less complex and less expensive components, such as inserts and retaining nuts, using seals mounted in recesses that extend beyond the conduits to seal against these components, reducing the complexity and cost of repairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If seals are mounted in recesses that extend beyond conduits to seal against components, then erosion wear is transferred from the body to replaceable components, but the device complexity increases due to additional recesses and seal mounting structures
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into multiple components: the body with recesses, seals mounted in those recesses, and mating components. This segmentation allows the erosion-prone sealing function to be separated from the main body, transferring wear to replaceable seals and components while preserving the body structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Seals serve as intermediary elements between the body and mating components. These seals are mounted in recesses that extend beyond the conduits, creating an intermediate sealing surface that transfers erosion wear from the body to the seals, which are easier to replace.
2Device complexity
If conventional sealing methods are used with seals mounting directly on the body, then the structure remains simple, but erosion of the body occurs leading to costly and disruptive repairs
Solution Approach 1:
Seals are designed as sacrificial, replaceable components that absorb erosion wear. Instead of protecting the expensive body from erosion, the seals are intentionally made as consumable parts that can be easily replaced when worn, transferring the erosion problem from the permanent body structure to temporary sealing elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is designed so that seals and certain components are intended to be discarded when eroded and replaced. This approach accepts that erosion will occur but makes the system maintainable by allowing easy replacement of worn parts rather than requiring complex repair of the body itself.
3Reliability
If the valve body is repaired through weld build-up and machining, then sealing integrity is restored, but downtime increases and operational disruption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system transitions from a static, permanent body structure to a dynamic system where seals and components can be easily replaced. This dynamic approach allows quick maintenance interventions without requiring extensive repair operations on the body, reducing downtime while maintaining sealing integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method contemplating a high pressure fluid end assembly having a body defining a body bore and defining a recess in the body intersecting the body bore. A closure is joined to the body and forms a sealing surface. A seal is mounted to the body in the recess and configured to extend from the recess beyond the body bore to seal against the sealing surface formed by the closure.