FLUID END PACKING LUBRICATION DELIVERY SYSTEM

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a nonprovisional application which claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 63/638,621, filed Apr. 25, 2024, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD/FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to a lubrication material delivery system for such equipment as fluid end packing for well services pumps.

BACKGROUND

Well-treatment activities, such as hydraulic fracturing, traditionally use well services pumps to introduce the well treatment fluids into a wellbore. Certain traditional well services pumps include fluid ends into which reciprocating pumps place pressurized fluids. These fluid ends further include a packing cartridge that requires lubrication, most often by a lubricating fluid. These lubricating fluids tend to have a range of viscosities, for example, greases, engine oil, or transmission oil.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides for a fluid end system. The fluid end system includes a well services pump, the well services pump including fluid ends, the fluid ends including a packing cartridge. The fluid end system also includes a lubrication delivery system, the lubrication delivery system in fluid connection with the packing cartridge. The lubrication delivery system includes a lubricant reservoir and a lubrication pump, the lubrication pump positioned below the lubricant reservoir and in fluid connection with the lubricant reservoir. The lubrication delivery system also includes an agitator blade, the agitator blade positioned above the lubrication pump within the lubricant reservoir, wherein the agitator blade has a blade section positioned horizontally above the lubrication pump.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a fluid end system consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a lubrication delivery system consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top-down cutaway view of a lubrication delivery system consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a side, cutaway view of a lubrication delivery system consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top down view of a screen that is part of a lubrication delivery system consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a top down cutaway view of a pump and cam connection consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

FIG. 1 depicts fluid end system 100 consistent with the present disclosure. Fluid end system 100 includes well services pump 110. Well services pumps 110 include fluid ends 112. In certain embodiments, fluid ends are used for pressurizing pumped proppant into a well. Fluid ends may be composed of any suitable materials, such as, for example, carbon steel or stainless steel. Fluid ends 112 may include packing cartridge 114. Packing cartridge 114 may offer a quick and, in some embodiments, tool-free method for changing well services pump packing through the use of a cartridge system. In certain embodiments, packing cartridge 114 may require lubrication, such as through the use of a lubricant. Packing cartridge 114 may be in fluid connection with lubrication delivery system 120.

A cutaway view of lubrication delivery system 120 is shown in FIG. 2. Lubrication delivery system 120 may include lubricant reservoir 130. Lubricant reservoir 130 may be made of any suitable metal or plastic. Lubricant reservoir 130 may be positioned above and in fluid connection with lubrication pump 140. In some embodiments, lubrication pump 140 may be centered below lubricant reservoir 130. In certain embodiments, lubricant reservoir 130 may be positioned atop support frame 150, as shown in FIG. 3. Support frame 150 may be made of any suitable metal or plastic to support lubricant reservoir 130, such as steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. Further as shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, lubrication pump 140 may be connected to support frame 150 to hold lubrication pump 140 in position below lubricant reservoir 130.

As further shown in FIG. 2, flange-gasket-flange assembly 160 may be placed between lubricant reservoir 130 and lubrication pump 140. Flange-gasket-flange assembly 160 may be composed of upper flange 162 positioned on top of gasket 164. Lower flange 166 may be positioned below gasket 164. In some embodiments, flange-gasket-flange assembly 160 may be held together with screws, rivets or other affixing methods.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and described further hereinbelow, agitator blade 170 may be positioned above lubrication pump 140 within lubricant reservoir 130. FIG. 4 shows agitator blade 170 without lubricant reservoir 130. Blade section 178 of agitator blade 170 may be positioned horizontally with leading edge 172 and trailing edge 174. Blade section 178 may include shaft hole 176 through which shaft 180 is positioned. Shaft 180 may be affixed to agitator blade 170. In some embodiments, shaft 180 may be affixed to eccentric cam 190, as shown for example in FIG. 6.

In certain embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 2, shaft 180 may be connected to lubrication pump 140. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in certain embodiments, agitator blade 170 may include wiper section 184. Wiper section 184 may be attached to blade section 178 or wiper section 184 and blade section 178 may be formed as a single piece. Wiper section 184 may extend vertically from blade section 178. In certain embodiments, wiper section 184 may include wiper edge 186. Wiper edge 186 may be constructed of a material suitable for wiping grease from the inside of lubricant reservoir 130. By such construction, agitator blade 170 may force grease from lubricant reservoir 130 into lubrication pump 140. Such a need may increase when the temperature of the grease is below 50 F, thereby increasing its viscosity.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 5, screen 200 may be positioned between lubricant reservoir 130 and lubrication pump 140, to mitigate ingress of debris and remote air from grease.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that a person of ordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Such features may be replaced by any one of numerous equivalent alternatives, only some of which are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.