Flow International Corporation

Shape Technologies Group, Inc.

Adrian Hawes

Jordan J Hopkins

Mohamed Ahmed Hashish

Steven J Craigen

Halan P Arnold

William L Old

A high-pressure waterjet cutting system includes a pump operable to produce a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid, a piston receiving the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid and reciprocating in response to a pressure differential produced by the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid, and an intensifier connected to the piston and operable to produce a high-pressure flow of water in response to reciprocation of the piston. A valve is positioned to receive the flow of hydraulic fluid and is movable between a first position in which the pressure differential is a first value and a second position in which the pressure differential is a second value less than the first value.

System and method for low pressure piercing using a waterjet cutter

A seal carrier is provided for an ultrahigh-pressure fluid system having a plunger configured to reciprocate therein along a longitudinal axis when the ultra-high pressure fluid system is in operation, the seal carrier having an inner surface provided with a first portion configured to captively receive a seal, substantially preventing displacement of the seal in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a second portion configured to circumferentially surround a bearing. The seal carrier is further provided with an outer surface having a recess formed along at least a portion of a circumference thereof, the recess at least partially positioned opposite the first portion of the inner surface along a lateral axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

Method and apparatus for sealing an ultrahigh-pressure fluid system

Seal carrier for ultrahigh-pressure fluid systems

An ultrahigh-pressure fluid system, such as an ultrahigh-pressure fluid pump, includes an improved dynamic seal assembly that can withstand pressures above 40,000 psi, and more preferably, pressures up to and beyond 87,000 psi. The dynamic sealing assembly includes a plastic seal having a bore through which the plunger reciprocates, and a bearing positioned adjacent the seal, also having a bore through which the plunger reciprocates. A seal carrier surrounds the circumference of the bearing and is subjected to a compressive force that is sufficiently high to circumferentially collapse the seal carrier in a radial direction against the bearing. This collapse of the seal carrier against the bearing causes an inner surface of the bore through the bearing to achieve substantially uniform contact with an outer surface of the plunger when the assembly is subjected to ultrahigh-pressure, thereby eliminating gaps that occur in prior art systems. By eliminating any gap between the seal carrier and the bearing, and between the bearing and the plunger, the present invention eliminates any pathway through which the seal might otherwise extrude, particularly when subjected to high pressures up to and beyond 40,000 psi, and more particularly, up to and beyond 87,000 psi.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Adrian Hawes