Swivel Seal Assembly With Nose-to-Nose Ring Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Swivel seal assemblies in high-speed drilling operations suffer from wear issues due to nose-to-flat sealing profiles, leading to groove formation and increased leakage rates, which affect the load balance ratio and seal lifespan.
Innovation Solution
Implement a nose-to-nose sealing arrangement with concentric alignment fixtures and pilot rings to ensure precise alignment and engagement of stationary and rotating seal rings, using alignment fixtures and pilot rings to maintain concentric alignment during assembly and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a nose-to-flat sealing profile is used, then the seal lifespan is improved relative to earlier designs, but the nose eventually wears a groove into the flat sealing surface, causing damage to the seal ring and increasing leakage rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional nose-to-flat sealing profile by implementing a nose-to-nose sealing arrangement where both the stationary seal ring and rotating seal ring have annular protrusions that engage with each other. This inversion eliminates the flat sealing surface that was susceptible to groove wear, thereby preventing seal ring damage and reducing leakage rate while maintaining extended seal lifespan.
2Reliability
If alignment fixtures and pilot rings are implemented to ensure precise concentric alignment, then the load balance ratio is maintained and wear characteristics improve, but the device complexity and assembly process become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements alignment fixtures with cylinders and locating fixtures, along with pilot rings, that pre-establish precise concentric alignment between the stationary and rotating seal assemblies during the assembly process. This preliminary alignment action ensures that the nose-to-nose sealing surfaces are properly positioned before operation, maintaining the load balance ratio and reducing wear without requiring complex active control systems during operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A swivel seal assembly (100) includes a first alignment fixture (230) mountable to an adapter flange (210) and having an alignment cylinder (234); a second alignment fixture (240) mountable to a rotating lower nut (204) and having an alignment cylinder (244), where in the first alignment cylinder is inserted into the second alignment cylinder in a sliding fit; the adapter flange having a locating fixture (220) to concentrically align a non-rotating upper nut (202) with the adapter flange, the adapter flange being concentrically aligned with the lower nut and a rotating seal assembly when the first alignment cylinder is inserted into the second alignment cylinder; a stationary seal assembly having a stationary seal ring with an annular projection; the rotating seal assembly having a rotating seal ring with an annular projection, wherein the annular projections are concentrically aligned with one another in a sealing relationship when the rotating seal assembly and stationary seal assembly are concentrically aligned.