Application Case Studies

NEW ULTRA-HIGH PRESSURE GLAND SEALS AT 65,000 PSI OPERATING PRESSURE

Industry: Petrochemical
Application: Oil Field Pump

Customer Requirement:
This customer manufactures fluid ends (pump suction and discharge components) for high-pressure oil field pump service applications. The customer work hardens the internal bores of the fluid ends using a process call "autofrettage". This is a technique in which residual stresses are created at the interior of a thick-walled component by the application and release of high internal pressure. This causes yielding of the metal and thereby work hardens the material. Strain gages are used within the fluid end bores during the cyclical high fluid pressure autofrettage manufacturing procedure. The customer required a sealing gland that could seal the strain gauge leads exiting the fluid ends and hold up under pressures in the 65,000 psi range.

Conax Design Solution:
Conax is one of the few companies with the capability to seal wires at ultra-high pressure and provide a gland that can be rebuilt with new wires. For this particular application, Conax accelerated an engineering program to develop a new high pressure PL gland (HPPL). The HPPL gland incorporates a body manufactured from high strength stainless steel, Autoclave-style mounting thread and a Grafoil® sealant to seal six Kapton® - insulated 26 AWG solid copper conductors. When officially released after pressure testing is completed on all model variations, it is anticipated that HPPL glands will carry a room temperature pressure rating of approximately 45,000 psi, however for this special customer application, it was necessary to test the product to its extremes.

Glands are supplied complete with leadwire, torqued and ready for installation.