Search

US-20260126115-A1 - DUAL RING STUFFING BOX

US20260126115A1US 20260126115 A1US20260126115 A1US 20260126115A1US-20260126115-A1

Abstract

A system includes a fluid end having a fluid end face and a recess extending toward a base. The system also includes a pressure ring extending from the fluid end face, the pressure ring having a pressure ring bore diameter larger than a fluid end bore diameter. The system further includes an adjacent ring coupled to the fluid end, the pressure ring positioned between the adjacent ring and the base, wherein at least one fastener extends through an aperture of the adjacent ring to couple the adjacent ring to the fluid end. The system includes packing material positioned within at least a portion of the pressure ring bore, the packing material positioned such that axial movement toward the fluid end is blocked by the base.

Inventors

  • Kyle Matthew Ellisor
  • Chance Ray Mullins
  • Steven Zachary Newberg
  • Akhil Alex

Assignees

  • Vulcan Industrial Holdings, LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20250710

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A fluid end comprising: a fluid end body having a base; a fluid end bore positioned in the fluid end body and having a fluid end bore diameter; a pressure ring positioned to extend from the base, the pressure ring including a ring bore having a ring bore diameter greater than the fluid end bore diameter; an adjacent ring connected to the fluid end, positioned between the adjacent ring and the base, and including an aperture; one or more fasteners positioned to extend (a) through the aperture of the adjacent ring to connect the adjacent ring to the fluid end and (b) through the pressure ring and into the base; and packing material positioned in the ring bore, thereby to inhibit axial movement.
  2. 2 . The fluid end of claim 1 , further comprising a shelf positioned to support the packing material, the shelf located at a transition between the pressure ring bore diameter and the fluid end bore diameter, and wherein axial movement of the packing material further is blocked by the base.
  3. 3 . A fluid end comprising: a fluid end body having a base; a fluid end bore positioned in the fluid end body; a pressure ring positioned to extend from the base and including a pressure ring bore; an adjacent ring connected to the fluid end, the pressure ring positioned between the adjacent ring and the base; one or more fasteners extending through an aperture of the adjacent ring to connect the adjacent ring to the fluid end; packing material positioned in the pressure ring bore, so that axial movement is inhibited by the base; and a shelf positioned to support the packing material.
  4. 4 . The fluid end of claim 3 , wherein the pressure ring is integrally formed with the fluid end, and wherein the shelf includes, at least in part, a spacer ring.
  5. 5 . The fluid end of claim 3 , further comprising: a cut out region defining a recessed area positioned to surround the pressure ring, the cut out region positioned to extend axially into the fluid end face, toward the base, for a cut out depth, and wherein axial movement of the packing material further is blocked by the base.
  6. 6 . The fluid end of claim 5 , wherein the pressure ring has a pressure ring thickness, wherein the pressure ring thickness includes an internal portion and an external portion, and wherein the internal portion has a thickness approximately equal to the cut out depth.
  7. 7 . The fluid end of claim 5 , wherein the cut out region is positioned to extend for a length of the fluid end body.
  8. 8 . The fluid end of claim 3 , further comprising: an overlapping region located between the pressure ring and the adjacent ring, and wherein the pressure ring includes a recess to receive a lip of the adjacent ring.
  9. 9 . The fluid end of claim 3 , further comprising: a seal positioned between the pressure ring and the adjacent ring.
  10. 10 . A fluid end comprising: a fluid end body; a recessed area positioned in the fluid end body; a fluid end bore positioned in the fluid end body; a pressure ring positioned to extend from the recessed area, the pressure ring having a pressure ring thickness and a pressure ring bore positioned co-axially with the fluid end bore; an adjacent ring positioned against the pressure ring and connected to the fluid end body; one or more fasteners extending through the pressure ring thickness; packing material positioned in the pressure ring bore, at least a portion of the packing material also positioned external to the fluid end bore; and an injection port positioned to extend through the adjacent ring and located in a low pressure region.
  11. 11 . The fluid end of claim 10 , further comprising a seal positioned between the pressure ring and the adjacent ring, wherein the pressure ring and the adjacent ring are connected together via the one or more fasteners, and wherein the injection port further is positioned axially away from the seal.
  12. 12 . The fluid end of claim 10 , wherein the pressure ring is integrally formed with the fluid end.
  13. 13 . The fluid end of claim 10 , wherein the pressure ring and the adjacent ring are at least one of threaded together or connected together via a bayonet connection.
  14. 14 . The fluid end of claim 10 , further comprising: a shelf located at a transition between the pressure ring bore and the fluid end bore, and wherein the shelf receives and supports the packing material.
  15. 15 . The fluid end of claim 10 , wherein the recessed area comprises one or more of a polygonal profile or a curved profile.
  16. 16 . A method for fluid end assembly, the method comprising: positioning an adjacent ring against a pressure ring positioned to extend axially out of a fluid end face of a fluid end, the pressure ring including a selected pressure ring thickness and a pressure ring bore; securing the adjacent ring to the fluid end via one or more fasteners extending through the selected pressure ring thickness; and installing packing material into the pressure ring bore.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: connecting a retainer, thereby to compress the packing material against a shelf located at a transition between a fluid end bore of the fluid end and the pressure ring bore.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the pressure ring is integrally formed with the fluid end.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: positioning a seal between the pressure ring and the adjacent ring, and connecting the pressure ring and the adjacent ring together via one or more fasteners.
  20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the fluid end further includes an injection port located axially away from the seal.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 18/775,355, filed Jul. 17, 2024, titled “DUAL RING STUFFING BOX,” which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 17/864,873, filed Jul. 14, 2022, titled “DUAL RING STUFFING BOX,” now U.S. Pat. No. 12,055,221, issued Aug. 6, 2024, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/213,854, filed Mar. 26, 2021, titled “DUAL RING STUFFING BOX,” now U.S. Pat. No. 11,391,374, issued Jul. 19, 2022, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/137,501 , filed Jan. 14, 2021, titled “DUAL RING STUFFING BOX. ,” and is a continuation-in-part and claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/769,314, filed Feb. 4, 2021, titled “FLUID END FOR A PUMPING SYSTEM,” now U.S. Pat. No. D 933104, issued Oct. 12, 2021, and is a continuation-in-part and claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/769,318, filed on Feb. 4, 2021, titled “FLUID END FOR A PUMPING SYSTEM,” now U.S. Pat. No. D 933105, issued Oct. 12, 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate to pump systems, and in particular to sealing assemblies for pumping systems. BACKGROUND Pumping systems may be used in a variety of applications, such as industrial applications where pumping systems are used to elevate a working fluid pressure. One such application is hydraulic fracturing systems, where high pressure pumps are used to increase a fluid pressure of a working fluid (e.g., fracturing fluid, slurry, etc.) for injection into an underground formation. The working fluid may include particulates, which are injected into fissures of the formation. When the fluid is removed from the formation, the particulates remain and “prop” open the fissures, facilitating flow of oil and gas. In many applications, reciprocating pumps are used where a fluid is introduced into a fluid end inlet passage and out through an outlet passage. A plunger reciprocates within a bore to add energy to the fluid. A stuffing box may be positioned around the plunger to block fluid leaks. SUMMARY Applicant recognized the problems noted above herein and conceived and developed embodiments of systems and methods, according to the present disclosure, for stuffing boxes. In an embodiment, a system includes a pressure ring positioned to abut a fluid end face, the pressure ring having a pressure ring bore with a diameter larger than a fluid end bore diameter. The system also includes an adjacent ring coupled to a fluid end, the pressure ring positioned between the adjacent ring and the fluid end face. The system further includes a face seal positioned at an interface of the pressure ring and the fluid end face, the face seal containing pressurized fluid associated with the fluid end. The system also includes packing material positioned within at least a portion of the pressure ring bore. In an embodiment, a system includes a fluid end, the fluid end having a recessed area extending to a fluid end face. The system further includes a pressure ring positioned within the recessed area against the fluid face to compress the face seal, the pressure ring having a pressure ring bore positioned co-axially with a fluid end bore, and the pressure ring bore has a diameter greater than the fluid end bore. The system also includes an adjacent ring positioned against the pressure ring and coupled to the fluid end. The system includes a face seal arranged between the pressure ring and the fluid end. The system further includes packing material positioned within the pressure ring bore, at least a portion of the packing material being positioned external to the fluid end bore. In an embodiment, a method includes inserting a face seal into a face groove. The method also includes positioning a pressure ring, within a recessed portion, to compress the face seal. The method further includes positioning an adjacent ring against the pressure ring. The method also includes securing the adjacent ring to a fluid face, wherein the pressure ring is positioned between the adjacent ring and the fluid end. The method includes installing, within a pressure ring bore, packing material. In an embodiment, a system includes a fluid end having a fluid end face and a recess extending toward a base. The system also includes a pressure ring extending from the fluid end face, the pressure ring having a pressure ring bore diameter larger than a fluid end bore diameter. The system further includes an adjacent ring coupled to the fluid end, the pressure ring positioned between the adjacent ring and the base, wherein at least one fastener extends through an aperture of the adjacent ring to couple the adjacent ring to the fluid end. The system includes packing material positioned within at least a portion of the pr