Patent attributes
A high-pressure plunger pump used in the hydrocarbon industry injects pressurized lubricating fluid to the low-pressure side of a packing assembly during a suction stroke of a pump plunger in order to activate seals within the packing assembly thereby minimizing migration of working fluid along the pump plunger during the suction stroke. The system includes a pump manifold having an elongated bore in which a plunger reciprocates. A packing assembly is disposed around the plunger and includes V-shaped seals having a low-pressure end and a high-pressure end. A high-pressure lubricating fluid pump fluidly communicates with the packing assembly low-pressure end to inject pressurized lubricating fluid to the low-pressure end during a suction stroke. The pressure of the injected lubricating fluid during the suction stroke is selected to be equal to or greater than the pressure of a working fluid in the main pump housing.