Flowserve Management Company

Flowserve Corporation

Glenn Robert Owens, Jr

Rodney Wayne Rynearson

Mark David Volz

Daniel A Nelson

Jason Crawford Ferris

Ryan John Kremer

Michael Anthony Kraus

Jack Robert Vasko

A pressure retained gasket seal provides enhanced resistance to hydraulic unloading by including a notch formed in a rear face of the gasket groove, thereby reducing intrusion of process fluid behind the gasket and improving hydraulic retention of the gasket seal. Embodiments increase the process fluid pressure limit of the gasket seal by a factor of two or three compared to gasket seals of the prior art. In embodiments, the gasket groove has a dovetail cross-section, thereby increasing resistance to process fluid pressure by requiring compression of the gasket before it can be dislodged from the groove. Embodiments form the gasket from flexible graphite, which can be initially shaped as an annulus and then forced by an applied load into the gasket groove in conformance with the notch. Embodiments include compressing the graphite to within 50% or even 70% of its maximum density during installation thereof.

Pressure retained gasket seal with enhanced unloading resistance

A high temperature secondary seal between a rotating seal face adaptor sleeve and a rotating shaft does not consume additional axial space beyond the axial space occupied by the secondary seal. The seal includes a single ring drive collar comprising a plurality of radial directed bolts in tapped holes. As the bolts are tightened they enter a cylindrical cavity in the drive collar and impact therein a sloped surface of a crush ring. The vertical force thereby applied to the crush ring displaces the crush ring axially into a secondary graphite sealing element, thereby crushing the secondary sealing element against the adaptor sleeve and shaft, and forming a seal there between. The crush ring sloped surface can terminate in a vertical face, so that upon sufficient displacement of the crush ring the bolts abut the vertical face and impact the shaft, fixing the drive collar to the shaft.

End face mechanical seal assembly with high temperature secondary seal

A split seal ring having end faces that self-align in both the axial and radial directions is prepared by forming an opposing first pair of angled grooves extending from an inner edge partway across the seal ring inner diameter, and a second pair of angled grooves extending from the inner edge partway across the seal ring rear surface. In embodiments, corresponding grooves meet to form V-shapes. Additional grooves can extend from the outer edge partway across the inner diameter. Corresponding grooves extending from the outer and inner edges on the inner diameter can terminate at locations that are offset radially and/or angularly. By applying an outward force, the seal ring is split at the groove locations into split ring sections having mating end faces. The resulting end face geometry is sufficiently complex to cause both radial and axial realignment as the seal ring halves are mated together.

Radially and axially self-aligning split seal ring

A clamshell half of a split ring mechanical seal face assembly comprises a split seal ring half having circumferential and proximal surfaces that are seated against corresponding radial and axial support surfaces of a holder half. At least one extending member extends from a hole in the proximal surface to an arcuate slot in the axial support surface, or vice-versa, and thereby radially constrains the split seal ring half to remain unitized with the holder half during clamshell assembly, while permitting rotation of the split seal ring half about a shaft axis over a limited range, which in embodiments is between 2 degrees and 20 degrees. Embodiments further include a secondary seal between the holder half and split seal ring half that frictionally resists displacement of the split seal ring half.

Apparatus and method for unitizing split ring halves with holder halves of a clamshell split ring mechanical seal face assembly

An improved rotor or stator split ring seal assembly includes a flexible ring-advancing mechanism that advances at least one of the split ring halves radially inward, so that during assembly the split ring halves meet before adjacent elastomeric members, thereby preventing the elastomeric members from expanding between the seal ring halves and interfering with their alignment. The ring-advancing mechanism is flexed as the seal is assembled, thereby allowing the ring halves to be seated in the housing. The ring-advancing mechanism can be removable after assembly or internal to the seal. In various embodiments, the ring-advancing mechanism is a flexible bracket, a coil spring, or a vertical or horizontal leaf spring. Separate, identical ring-advancing mechanisms can be included with each of the housing halves so as to advance the split ring halves symmetrically.

Growing community of inventors

Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America

Glenn Robert Owens, Jr