Kalsi Engineering, Inc.

William T Conroy

Manmohan Singh Kalsi

Lannie Laroy Dietle

John Erick Schroeder

Jeffrey D Gobeli

Lannie M Dietle

A rotary seal is provided that operates hydrodynamically in response to relative rotation even when subjected to exposure to a high fluid pressure from either side, and provides low breakout and running torque. A dynamic sealing lip having a wavy geometry provides hydrodynamic lubrication in response to relative rotation when little or no differential pressure is acting across the seal. When differential pressure exists, controlled fluid pressure-induced distortion results in a distorted dynamic sealing lip configuration that is suitable for hydrodynamic lubrication, regardless of which direction the differential pressure acts from.

Hydrodynamic rotary coupling seal

A novel hydrodynamically lubricated compression type rotary seal that is suitable for lubricant retention and environmental exclusion. Particularly, the seal geometry ensures constraint of a hydrodynamic seal in a manner preventing skew-induced wear and provides adequate room within the seal gland to accommodate thermal expansion. The seal accommodates large as-manufactured variations in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the sealing material, provides a relatively stiff integral spring effect to minimize pressure-induced shuttling of the seal within the gland, and also maintains interfacial contact pressure within the dynamic sealing interface in an optimum range for efficient hydrodynamic lubrication and environment exclusion. The seal geometry also provides for complete support about the circumference of the seal to receive environmental pressure, as compared the interrupted character of seal support set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,873,576 and 6,036,192 and provides a hydrodynamic seal which is suitable for use with non-Newtonian lubricants.

Skew resisting hydrodynamic seal

A seal cartridge particularly suitable for artificial lift pump rod sealing and for other applications where a rotating drive shaft penetrates a pressurized reservoir which is filled with abrasive-laden liquids, mixtures or slurries. The cartridge exploits a pressure responsive area of a wear sleeve to eliminate internal bearing running clearance in order to achieve a true-running rubbing surface which is conducive to the longevity of the compression-type rotary seals which are employed. A cartridge mounting mechanism is incorporated which overcomes stuffing box to rod misalignment, and is readily adaptable to pumps made by different manufacturers. The cartridge provides for leakage annunciation in the event of failure of a redundant rotary seal, and also provides for automatic pump shut down if a primary rotary seals fails. A redundant sealing arrangement between the wear sleeve and rod is incorporated which is relatively immune to installation damage, and to damage resulting from rod run out and vibration. By incorporation of a split drive clamp, the cartridge is able to exploit space within the pump yoke which is ordinarily reserved for the occasional use of rod clamps. The cartridge also incorporates an active cooling system which dissipates heat generated by the seals and bearings.

Rod seal cartridge for progressing cavity artificial lift pumps

The present invention is a hydrodynamically lubricated interference type rotary shaft seal suitable for environmental exclusion and high pressure lubricant retention which incorporates an environment-side groove to control and minimize interfacial contact pressure at the dynamic sealing interface, which permits optimum hydrodynamic film thickness, thereby significantly lowering the self-generated heat produced by the seal, as compared to the prior art. The cool-running nature of the present invention permits the use of higher modulus seal materials and higher surface speeds, compared to the prior art, and allows the seal to operate in applications with relatively poor heat dissipation. The controlled interfacial contact pressure of the present invention also permits effective hydrodynamic lubrication with lower viscosity lubricants, including water.

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Pearland, TX, United States of America

William T Conroy