Pump Fluid End Packing Assembly for In-Place Maintenance Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Reciprocating pumps used in oil and gas operations face challenges in accessing pump fluid end components due to harsh conditions, leading to wear and maintenance issues, particularly in high-pressure environments.
Innovation Solution
A packing assembly comprising a packing screw, carrier, and packing, designed to be cylindrical with dimensions less than the minimum spacing distance between the pump fluid end and power end, allowing for easy removal and replacement of components without rolling the pump, and a reciprocating element with tool engagement features for maintenance access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the pump is designed with compact components to reduce size, then the pump footprint is reduced, but access to fluid end components for maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into distinct modular sections: the fluid end containing fluid handling components, and the power end containing drive mechanisms. This segmentation allows the fluid end to be accessed and maintained independently, improving ease of operation while maintaining a compact overall design.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid end components (packing assembly, valves, reciprocating elements) are designed to be extractable from the pump housing. This extraction capability enables maintenance personnel to remove and service these components without disassembling the entire pump, resolving the contradiction between compact size and maintenance accessibility.
2Productivity
If the pump operates continuously in harsh conditions, then productivity is maintained, but component wear increases requiring frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The packing assembly and other wear-prone components are designed for preliminary replacement before failure occurs. The modular design allows these components to be easily swapped out during scheduled maintenance intervals, ensuring the pump can resume continuous operation with renewed components, thus maintaining productivity while addressing wear issues.
Solution Approach 2:
Wear components such as the packing assembly and valves are designed as replaceable parts that can be discarded after reaching their service life and recovered for replacement. This approach allows continuous operation of the main pump body while individual worn components are periodically replaced, balancing productivity with component durability.
3Ease of repair
If maintenance procedures require rolling the pump to access components, then component access is improved, but maintenance time and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid end components are designed to be extracted from the pump housing without requiring the pump to be rolled or repositioned. This extraction capability allows maintenance personnel to access and service components in place, eliminating the time loss and safety risks associated with rolling heavy pump equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
Access ports and removal tools serve as intermediaries that enable component extraction without moving the pump itself. These intermediary elements facilitate maintenance by providing a mechanism to reach and remove components while the pump remains stationary, reducing both maintenance time and safety hazards.
Data Source
AI summary
A packing assembly for a pump fluid end comprising: a packing screw; a packing carrier; and a packing, wherein the packing screw, the packing carrier, and the packing are each cylindrical with a width measured along a central axis thereof that is less than a minimum spacing distance of a pump comprising the pump fluid end and a pump power end, wherein the pump fluid end comprises a reciprocating element bore in which a reciprocating element can be reciprocated via the pump power end via connection of the reciprocating element to a reciprocating element adapter coupled with a pushrod and crankshaft of the pump power end, wherein the minimum spacing distance is an axial distance measured along the central axis between a back of the pump fluid end and a front end of the reciprocating element adapter when the crankshaft of the pump power end is at top dead center.