Granted Patent B2

US 12,680,544 · App. 18/679,911 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Inventors: Michael Davies (Stockport, GB); Chris Griffiths (Northwich, GB)

Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.

F04C15/0003F04C2/10F04C15/0038F04C15/0073F04C2230/70

Abstract

Claims (58)

1 . A seal assembly for sealing a power input shaft of a progressive cavity pump, the seal assembly comprising:

a seal housing arranged around the power input shaft, the seal housing including:

a mounted portion, mounted to the progressive cavity pump;

a removable portion, removably coupled to the mounted portion, configured to apply a compression force to a seal within the seal assembly; and

a sealing element, configured to seal an interface between the mounted portion and the removable portion;

wherein:

the seal housing is configured so that a portion of the mounted portion is in direct contact with a portion of the removable portion; and

one of the mounted portion or the removable portion includes a raised lip; and

the other one of the mounted portion and the removable portion includes a channel, configured to interface with the raised lip.

2 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , comprising:

a first radial alignment feature on the mounted portion; and

a second radial alignment feature on the removable portion, wherein the first radial alignment feature corresponds to the second radial alignment feature, wherein the radial alignment features are configured to radially align the removable portion with the mounted portion.

3 . The seal assembly of claim 2 , wherein:

one of the first radial alignment feature or the second radial alignment feature includes a radially outward facing surface;

an other one of the first radial alignment feature or the second radial alignment feature includes a radially inward facing surface; and

the radially inward facing surface is configured to bear on the radially outward facing surface to radially align the removable portion with the mounted portion.

4 . The seal assembly of claim 3 , wherein:

the radially outward facing surface is included on the raised lip; and

the radially inward facing surface is included on the channel.

5 . The seal assembly of claim 4 , wherein:

the mounted portion and the removable portion are in direct contact on both sides of the channel.

6 . The seal assembly of claim 5 , comprising:

an O-ring, positioned in the channel, wherein the sealing element includes the O-ring.

7 . The seal assembly of claim 2 , comprising:

an attachment system, configured to removably couple the removable portion to the mounted portion, wherein the direct contact between the mounted portion and the removable portion controls a longitudinal position and an angular axial alignment of the removable portion to the mounted portion.

8 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the direct contact between the mounted portion and the removable portion controls the compression of the sealing element.

9 . The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mounted portion is mounted to an intake chamber of the progressive cavity pump.

10 . The seal assembly of claim 9 , wherein the seal is configured to prevent a material within the intake chamber from flowing out of the intake chamber along the power input shaft.

11 . The seal assembly of claim 9 , further comprising the seal within the seal assembly, wherein the seal within the seal assembly includes a single spring mechanical seal.

12 . The seal assembly of claim 11 , wherein the removable portion is configured to interface with a static portion of the seal, wherein the removable portion is configured to apply a compression force to the single spring mechanical seal through the static portion, wherein the direct contact between the mounted portion and the removable portion controls the compression force on the single spring mechanical seal.

13 . A method of replacing one or more components of a seal in a seal assembly for sealing a power input shaft of a progressive cavity pump, the method comprising:

decoupling the power input shaft from a prime mover shaft;

decoupling a removable portion of the seal assembly from a mounted portion of the seal assembly, wherein the mounted portion is mounted to the progressive cavity pump, wherein the removable portion is configured to apply a compression force to the seal within the seal assembly; and

removing one or more components of the seal from the power input shaft through a gap between the power input shaft and the prime mover shaft, wherein the gap between the power input shaft and the prime mover shaft exists when the progressive cavity pump is in a fully assembled condition.

14 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:

sliding the removable portion off of the power input shaft and onto the prime mover shaft.

15 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:

installing one or more components of the seal onto the power input shaft through the gap between the power input shaft and the prime mover shaft;

coupling the removable portion to the mounted portion; and

coupling the power input shaft to the prime mover shaft.

16 . The method of claim 13 , comprising;

leaving a prime mover coupled to the progressive cavity pump while removing the one or more components of the seal.

17 . A progressive cavity pump system, comprising:

a prime mover including a prime mover shaft;

a progressive cavity pump, including a power input shaft; and

a seal assembly for sealing the power input shaft of a progressive cavity pump, the seal assembly comprising:

a seal housing arranged around the power input shaft, the seal housing including:

a mounted portion, mounted to the progressive cavity pump;

a removable portion, removably coupled to the mounted portion, configured to apply a compression force to a seal within the seal assembly; and

a scaling element, configured to seal an interface between the mounted portion and the removable portion;

wherein:

the seal housing is configured so that a portion of the mounted portion is in direct contact with a portion of the removable portion;

the seal within the seal assembly includes a removable component including a sealing face; and

there is a gap between the prime mover shaft and the power input shaft that has a length in a longitudinal direction that is greater than a width of the removable component including the sealing face.

18 . The progressive cavity pump system of claim 17 , comprising:

a first radial alignment feature on the mounted portion; and

a second radial alignment feature on the removable portion, wherein the first radial alignment feature corresponds to the second radial alignment feature, wherein the radial alignment features are configured to radially align the removable portion with the mounted portion.

19 . The progressive cavity pump system of claim 17 , wherein the direct contact between the mounted portion and the removable portion controls the compression of the sealing element.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (277)