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US-12624684-B2 - Fluid end

US12624684B2US 12624684 B2US12624684 B2US 12624684B2US-12624684-B2

Abstract

A fluid end made of a plurality of fluid end sections positioned in a side-by-side relationship. Each fluid end section is made of a housing having a discharge bore and an intake bore formed therein. A fluid routing plug is installed within each housing and is configured to route fluid throughout the housing and between the discharge and intake bores. The fluid routing plug carries seals that engage sealing surfaces formed within the housing. A number of features, including the location of seals within bore walls and carbide inserts within valve guides, aid in reducing or transferring wear within each housing.

Inventors

  • Micheal Cole Thomas
  • Christopher Todd Barnett
  • Kelcy Jake Foster
  • Nicholas Son
  • John Keith
  • Mark S. Nowell

Assignees

  • KERR MACHINE CO.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20250430

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A fluid end section, comprising: a housing having a bore formed therein; a fluid routing plug situated within the bore, the fluid routing plug comprising a body having opposed first and second surfaces; a first valve configured to engage the first surface of the fluid routing plug; a second valve configured to engage the second surface of the fluid routing plug; a valve guide configured to prevent axial movement of the first valve, the valve guide comprising: a body having a central passage formed therein, the central passage configured to receive a portion of the first valve; and a cylindrical component situated in the bore and having a first end that abuts the valve guide and extends towards the fluid routing plug; in which the cylindrical component is a solid cylindrical shell; and in which the cylindrical component engages the housing.
  2. 2 . The fluid end section of claim 1 , in which the valve guide is formed from a first material and the cylindrical component is formed from a second material.
  3. 3 . The fluid end section of claim 2 , in which the second material is harder than the first material.
  4. 4 . The fluid end section of claim 1 , further comprising an insert installed within the central passage and surrounding the portion of the first valve; in which the portion of the first valve is a valve stem.
  5. 5 . The fluid end section of claim 1 , further comprising: a valve spring configured to engage both the first valve and the valve guide.
  6. 6 . The fluid end section of claim 1 , in which the cylindrical component is in a spaced relationship with the fluid routing plug.
  7. 7 . The fluid end section of claim 1 , in which the cylindrical component is situated between the fluid routing plug and the valve guide.
  8. 8 . The fluid end section of claim 1 , in which the valve guide engages the housing.
  9. 9 . A fluid end section, comprising: a housing having a longitudinal axis and a bore formed therein, the bore extending along the longitudinal axis and configured to receive a plunger; a valve pair situated within the bore, the valve pair comprising: a first valve; and a second valve; and a valve guide situated within the bore and configured to prevent axial movement of the first valve, the valve guide comprising: a perforated first section; and a cylindrical section having a first end engaging the first section and extending towards the second valve, in which the cylindrical section is separable from the first section at a separation point; in which the cylindrical section is a solid cylindrical shell; and in which the cylindrical section engages the housing.
  10. 10 . The fluid end section of claim 9 , in which the cylindrical section is formed from a different material than a material used to form the first section.
  11. 11 . The fluid end section of claim 10 , in which the material used to form the cylindrical section is harder than the material used to form the first section.
  12. 12 . The fluid end section of claim 9 , further comprising a fluid routing plug installed within the bore.
  13. 13 . The fluid end section of claim 12 , in which the fluid routing plug is situated intermediate the first valve and the second valve.
  14. 14 . The fluid end section of claim 12 , in which the fluid routing plug comprises: a first surface configured to engage the first valve; and a second surface configured to engage the second valve.
  15. 15 . The fluid end section of claim 12 , in which the valve guide is in a spaced relationship with the fluid routing plug.
  16. 16 . A fluid end section, comprising: a housing having a longitudinal axis and a bore extending along the longitudinal axis; a first valve situated within the bore; a second valve situated within the bore; and a first valve guide configured to prevent axial movement of the first valve, the first valve guide comprising: a perforated first section; and a second section separable from the first section; in which the second section is a solid cylindrical shell having a first end; in which the second section engages the first section at the first end and extends towards the second valve; and in which the second section engages the housing.
  17. 17 . The fluid end section of claim 16 , in which the first section is formed from a first material and the second section is formed from a second material.
  18. 18 . The fluid end section of claim 17 , in which the second material is harder than the first material.
  19. 19 . The fluid end section of claim 16 , in which the first section abuts the second section at a separation point.
  20. 20 . The fluid end section of claim 16 , further comprising a fluid routing plug installed within the bore; in which the fluid routing plug is situated intermediate the first and second valves.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 19/077,200, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Mar. 12, 2025, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 12,338,815. Application Ser. No. 19/077,200 is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 18/736,090, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Jun. 6, 2024, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 12,276,276. Application Ser. No. 18/736,090 is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 18/313,515, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on May 8, 2023, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 12,012,955. Application Ser. No. 18/313,515 is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 17/550,552, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Dec. 14, 2021, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,644,018. Application Ser. No. 17/550,552 is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. Ser. No. 17/515,707, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Nov. 1, 2021, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,359,615. Application Ser. No. 17/515,707 is a Continuation of Ser. No. 16/951,741, authored by Thomas et al. and filed Nov. 18, 2020, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,162,479. application Ser. No. 16/951,741 claims the benefit of the following provisional patent applications: Ser. No. 62/936,789, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Nov. 18, 2019; Ser. No. 62/940,513, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Nov. 26, 2019; Ser. No. 62/953,763, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Dec. 26, 2019; Ser. No. 62/957,489, authored by Foster et al. and filed on Jan. 6, 2020; Ser. No. 62/959,570, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Jan. 10, 2020; Ser. No. 62/960,194, authored by Foster et al. and filed on Jan. 13, 2020; Ser. No. 62/960,366, authored by Foster et al. and filed on Jan. 13, 2020; Ser. No. 62/968,634, authored by Foster et al. and filed on Jan. 31, 2020; Ser. No. 62/990,817, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Mar. 17, 2020; Ser. No. 63/008,036, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Apr. 10, 2020; Ser. No. 63/018,021, authored by Thomas et al. and filed Apr. 30, 2020; Ser. No. 63/019,789, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on May 4, 2020; Ser. No. 63/027,584, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on May 20, 2020; Ser. No. 63/033,244, authored by Thomas et al. and filed Jun. 2, 2020; Ser. No. 63/040,086, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Jun. 17, 2020; Ser. No. 63/046,826, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Jul. 1, 2020; Ser. No. 63/053,797, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Jul. 20, 2020; Ser. No. 63/076,587, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Sep. 10, 2020; and Ser. No. 63/089,882, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Oct. 9, 2020. The entire contents of all of the above listed provisional and non-provisional patent applications are incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims the benefit of the following provisional patent applications: Ser. No. 63/125,459, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Dec. 15, 2020; Ser. No. 63/148,065, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Feb. 10, 2021; Ser. No. 63/150,340, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Feb. 17, 2021; Ser. No. 63/155,835, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Mar. 3, 2021; Ser. No. 63/168,364, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Mar. 31, 2021; and Ser. No. 63/283,487, authored by Thomas et al. and filed on Nov. 28, 2021. The entire contents of all of the above listed provisional patent applications are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND Various industrial applications may require the delivery of high volumes of highly pressurized fluids. For example, hydraulic fracturing (commonly referred to as “fracking”) is a well stimulation technique used in oil and gas production, in which highly pressurized fluid is injected into a cased wellbore. As shown for example in FIG. 1, the pressured fluid flows through perforations 10 in a casing 12 and creates fractures 14 in deep rock formations 16. Pressurized fluid is delivered to the casing 12 through a wellhead 18 supported on the ground surface 20. Sand or other small particles (commonly referred to as “proppants”) are normally delivered with the fluid into the rock formations 16. The proppants help hold the fractures 14 open after the fluid is withdrawn. The resulting fractures 14 facilitate the extraction of oil, gas, brine, or other fluid trapped within the rock formations 16. Fluid ends are devices used in conjunction with a power source to pressurize the fluid used during hydraulic fracturing operations. A single fracking operation may require the use of two or more fluid ends at one time. For example, six fluid ends 22 are shown operating at a wellsite 24 in FIG. 2. Each of the fluid ends 22 is attached to a power end 26 in a one-to-one relationship. The power end 26 serves as an engine or motor for the fluid end 22. Together, the fluid end 22 and power end 26 function as a hydraulic pump. Continuing with FIG. 2, a single fluid end 22 and its corresponding power end 26 are typically positioned on a truck bed 28 at the wellsite 24 so that they may be easily m