Frack pump fluid end with integrated hydraulic valve seat release

Abstract

A hydraulic valve seat release system for a fluid end of a high pressure pump, comprised of method and apparatus for releasing a valve seat having a tapered outer diameter for sealingly mating when installed in the tapered interior of a fluid end suction or discharge bore via interference fit. The fluid end module of the invention includes internal high pressure porting between an exterior surface of the fluid end module and the interior surface of the bore, whereby high pressure fluid may be applied to the tapered surface of the bore and into a fluid channel around the circumference of the tapered outer diameter of the valve seat. The high pressure fluid compresses the outer diameter of the valve seat and expands the interior diameter of the bore in order to disrupt the interference fit between the valve seat and the bore thereby releasing the valve seat.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A hydraulic valve seat release system for a fluid end of a high pressure pump, comprising:
 a fluid end block defining, at least one of a suction bore and a discharge bore;   a pressure port fluidly communicating between an exterior surface of the block and the at least one bore, the bore having a tapered interior surface; and   a valve seat having a tapered outer diameter that, in use, sealably mates with the inter or surface of the bore;   wherein the valve seat and the bore when mated define an annular conduit being in pressure communication with the pressure port and fluidly sealed from the bore.   
     
     
         2 . The hydraulic valve seat release system of claim I wherein the annular conduit is defined at least in part by the interior surface of the bore. 
     
     
         3 . The hydraulic valve seat release system of  claim 2 , wherein the annular conduit is further defined at least in part by the outer diameter of the valve seat. 
     
     
         4 . The hydraulic, valve seat release system of  claim 12 , wherein the annular conduit is defined at least in part by the outer diameter of the valve seat. 
     
     
         5 . The hydraulic valve seat release system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sealing element sealing the annular conduit from the bore. 
     
     
         6 . The hydraulic valve seat release system of  claim 5 , wherein the sealing element comprises means for sealing the fluid conduit from the bore. 
     
     
         7 . The hydraulic valve seat release system of  claim 6 , wherein the means for sealing comprises an elastomeric O-ring. 
     
     
         8 . The hydraulic valve seat release system of  claim 5 , wherein the sealing element comprising an elastomeric O-ring. 
     
     
         9 . A method for releasing a valve seat in the fluid end block of a high pressure pump, comprising:
 sealably mating the valve seat within at least one of a suction bore and a discharge bore;   applying a high pressure fluid through a pressure port extending from the external surface of the fluid end block to an annular conduit defined by at least one of the interior surface of the bore and the valve seat when the interior surface and the valves seat are mated; and   releasing the valve seat by constricting the valve seat or expanding the bore by means of the fluid.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the annular conduit is defined by the interior surface of the bore. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the annular conduit is further defined by the valve seat. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the annular conduit is defined by the valve seat. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein sealably mating the valve seat with at least one of the suction bore and the discharge bore includes disposing at least one sealing element to fluidly seal the annular conduit from the bore. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sealing element comprises an elastomeric O-ring. 
     
     
         15 . A method for the manufacture of a hydraulic valve release system for a fluid end of a high pressure pump, comprising:
 forging a fluid end block;   machining at least one of a suction bore and a discharge bore within the block, the at least one bore having a tapered interior surface;   machining a high pressure port communicating between an exterior surface of the block and the bore;   forging or casting a valve seat having a tapered outer diameter for sealably mating with the bore; and   forming a circumferential annular conduit within at least one of the bore interior surface and the valve seat outer diameter wherein the valve seat and the bore when mated define an annular conduit being in pressure communication with the pressure port.   
     
     
         16 . A hydraulic valve seat for a fluid end block of a high pressure pump, comprising;
 the valve seat having a tapered outer diameter and a circumferential annular conduit within the outer diameter, the valve seat structured so that in use the valve seat sealably mates with a tapered interior surface of at least one of a suction bore and a discharge bore, the at least one bore defined within a fluid end block; and   wherein the valve seat and the bore when mated define an annular conduit being in pressure communication with a pressure port communicating between an exterior surface of the block and the interior surface of the bore.   
     
     
         17 . The hydraulic valve seat of  claim 16 , wherein the valve seat defines the annular conduit in conjunction with the interior surface of the bore. 
     
     
         18 . The hydraulic valve seat of  claim 16 , wherein the valve seat defines the annular conduit to the exclusion of the interior surface of the bore. 
     
     
         19 . The hydraulic valve seat of  claim 16 , wherein the valve seat includes at least one channel in which a sealing element may be disposed. 
     
     
         20 . A method for the manufacture of a hydraulic valve seat for a fluid end of a high pressure pump, comprising:
 forming the valve seat having a tapered outer diameter for sealably mating with a tapered interior surface of at least one of a suction bore and a discharge bore, the at least one bore defined within a fluid end block; and   forming a circumferential annular conduit within the valve seat outer diameter wherein the valve seat and the bore when mated define an annular conduit being in pressure communication with a pressure port communicating between an exterior surface of the block and the interior surface of the bore.