Patent Application
20210048020
The disclosed design relates to a valve assembly for use in reciprocating, positive displacement pumps, such as mud pumps, well service pumps, and other industrial applications. More particularly, the disclosed design is especially suitable for use in a fracking pump for subterranean production services. More specifically, the presently disclosed design relates to a multi-part valve assembly of various materials constructed in a novel manner that replaces conventional two- and three-part welded valves.
Valves have been the subject of engineering design efforts for many years, and millions of them have been used. The engineering development of valves has stagnated in this crowded and mature field of technology. Improvements have been elusive in recent years, even as the cost of materials and manufacturing continued to climb.
The basic valve structure is present in several U.S. patent publications. Some of these describe conventional methods of building a valve, and others describe methods that have been rejected by industry. Fewer disclosures teach multiple component valves, as valves having multiple components have heretofore been disfavored for a number of reasons. Primarily, they are viewed as more costly to manufacture. Multiple components require multiple manufacturing steps, assembly steps, and fit-tolerances requirements that valves having fewer parts do not have. Secondly, each assembly and connection are deemed a potential failure point, so these valves are, again, disfavored.
Fracking valves are a particular valve used to pump hard material into a production wellbore for the purpose of fracturing the reservoir containing formations to increase fluid flow into the wellbore. Such pumps are reciprocating, positive displacement pumps in which the valves are held closed by springs and open and close by differential pressure. The pumps deliver clear fluids or slurries through simple poppet valves that are activated (opened and closed) by the fluid pressure differential generated when the mechanical energy of the pump is converted into fluid pressure.
In oil and gas exploration, there are two common reciprocating, positive displacement applications; mud pumps and well service pumps. The disclosed design is also appropriate in both of these categories as well as other, general industrial reciprocating, positive displacement applications. Pump valves in these applications must be guided as they move back and forth about an axis parallel to the fluid flow. The guides may be “stems” or “wings” and these may be on either side or both sides of the valve. They must remain an inseparable part of the pump valve during its useful life.
Due to the hardness of the material being pumped, valves include a soft seating material, such as a urethane insert, such that a seal can be obtained. The softer insert component necessitates at least some assembly in frack valves. Other than the inclusion of the insert, conventional manufacturing practice has been to minimize the number of components in a valve assembly.
Conventional pump valves are thus made from a pair of near net shape pieces of low carbon alloy steel that are welded together and then carburized to produce a hard, wear resistant surface. The process of manufacturing such near net shapes is expensive. Alternatively, pump valves are made from high carbon, low alloy steels of one expensive piece that requires detailed finishing, as these alloys are generally not welded.
One form of convention valve manufacturing includes making the components of the valve of high alloy steel such as 8620 or 4130. These are expensive grades of steel for manufacturing a limited life product. Additionally, conventional manufacturing techniques generate material waste.
Conventional valve guides are manufactured by investment casting. It is common practice to forge a one-piece valve and top stem of low carbon alloy steel. The two pieces are welded together and carburized as a single piece.
An alternative known method of making valves is to make a single investment casting of the entire valve for assembly with only the insert. As with the other method, the entire part is then carburized to harden it.
An alternative known method of making valves is to make a single piece forging from a high carbon alloy steel. Areas that require hardened surfaces are induction or flame hardened. However, the only areas of the valve that require hardened surfaces are relatively small and include the face of the valve and the outer edges of the guides.
Related U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,470,226, and 10,760,568 disclose multipart valves whose components may be assembled by welding or orbit forming. These designs are very economical, allowing selective materials and treatment of those materials based on the function of individual components. These designs further benefit from allowing potential improvements to critical components, such as the wear face of the valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,470,226 discloses securing a multipart valve together by inertia welding a retaining cap to a retaining pin. U.S. Pat. No. 10,760,568 discloses providing a retaining pin having an expanded end face formed on its lower end to secure the valve assembly together. Exhaustive testing of these methods has demonstrated the need for further improvements. In particular, these designs are susceptible to bending under the extreme forces imparted on the product during operations. Additionally, accurate centering of the assemblies is challenging. Further, it has proven to be difficult to achieve a consistent and sufficient compression of the assembly that will reliably remain assembled during operations.
Thus, there remains a need for a valve design that has the economic and design advantages of a multipart valve, but that also has the strength and reliability of a solid casting design. The disclosed embodiments overcome the shortcomings of prior multipart valve designs and retain all of the advantages of those constructions.
The disclosed design provides a pump valve and a method of manufacturing and assembling the pump valve that allows the use of materials usually considered unsuitable for multiple components welded together to be constructed as a weldment.
This disclosed design provides for the use of high carbon or high carbon alloy steel that can be induction or flame hardened and a collection of inexpensive pieces to be assembled and captured as a finished unit at the time of welding. The weld can be a solid state inertia or friction weld or any appropriate melt fusion technique. The assembly includes a retaining pin, a guide, a valve, an insert, a retainer, and a retainer cap. The retainer cap is welded to an end of the retaining pin to compress the other elements into an assembly.
One embodiment of the disclosed design provides for the assembly of several components of simpler geometry that would not generally be considered candidates for welding because of their composition.
In another embodiment, a valve assembly is provided comprising a retaining pin, a wing guide located on the retaining pin, and a valve located on the retaining pin above the guide. An insert is located on the valve. An insert retainer is located on the retaining pin above the insert. A retainer cap is welded to the retaining pin to hold the collective assembly together.
In another embodiment, the top stem, retainer, wing guide stem, and wing guide are comprised of a low carbon, or low alloy steel material, and the valve is comprised of steel higher in carbon content than that of the retaining pin, guide, and retainer.
In another embodiment, the weld between the retainer cap and the retaining pin is an inertia weld.
In another embodiment, the retainer cap has a nonagon configuration.
In another embodiment, the guide has a top portion and three legs extending downward from the top portion. A footer extends outward from each leg. Three stabilizers extend downward from the top portion, one each between the downwardly extending legs.
In another embodiment, a plurality of tabs extends outward from the top portion. The tabs engage the internal circumference of a circular recess in the valve to center the guide concentrically with the valve.
In another embodiment, the retaining pin has a generally triangular head for fitted engagement with the underside of the guide.
An advantage of the above summarized invention is that many of the parts may be made of material that is easy to machine, such that these components can be made less expensively.
Another advantage is that many of the components need not be heat treated, eliminating a costly process step that is applied to the entirety of conventional valve assemblies.
Another advantage is that it is unnecessary to selectively and manually apply and remove expensive compounds needed to prevent carburization of several surfaces to which hardening is undesirable.
In another embodiment, the assembly includes a retaining pin having a retaining cap on its upper end. Located on the retaining pin are an insert retainer, an insert beneath the insert retainer, a valve beneath the insert, and a guide beneath the valve. The guide has a generally truncated pyramid shape, and a central portion on its upper end. The central portion is centered on the retaining pin. The retaining pin has an expanded lower end to secure the valve assembly together.
In another embodiment, the guide is bell-shaped. In the guide, four legs are interconnected by a generally square base. In another embodiment, the guide has a window opening on each of the four sides.
In another embodiment, the guide has a substantially circular top, and has a conical upper portion extending downward from the top. There is a continuous base, with four legs connecting the upper portion to the base. In this embodiment and others, the guide has eight perimeter extents along the base.
In another embodiment, a washer is located between the retaining pin and the central portion of the guide. The retainer pin end may be formed by hot pressing the pin.
More recently, an improvement to the above disclosed designs has been developed, for which this summary continues. In a new embodiment featured in this disclosure, a valve assembly is disclosed comprising a unitary insert retainer having a circular retainer head and a retainer pin extending downward from the retainer head. The retainer pin has a cylindrical upper section extending below the retainer head, and a grooved center section extending below the upper section.
A valve is centered on the upper section, adjacent to the retainer head. A polymer insert is located on an exterior perimeter of the valve and beneath the retainer head. A guide having a central portion on its upper end and four legs extending downward from the central portion is centered on the retainer pin beneath the valve.
A collar has a flange portion and a collar body extending below the flange, and an interior bore extending through the flange and the body. The collar is located below the guide central portion. The bore within the body of the collar is swaged against the center section of the retainer pin.
In another embodiment, the grooves on the center section form a helical thread. In another embodiment, the retainer pin is in tension. In another embodiment, a recess is formed on a bottom side of the valve and the central portion of the guide is located in the recess to position the guide closer to the valve.
In another embodiment, the insert retainer has a grooved end section extending below the central portion of the retainer pin portion that is connectable to a swaging tool for swaging the collar to the insert retainer. In another embodiment, the grooves on the end section form a helical thread.
In another embodiment, the flange acts as a spacer between the guide central portion and the swaged body of the collar and uses its larger diameter to distribute the compressive force to the central portion of the guide that is generated from the swaging of the collar body to the end section of the retainer pin.
In another embodiment, the guide central portion has a bore for receiving the retainer pin portion of the insert retainer. A shoulder extends between the central portion and each leg. The shoulder is a substantially flat polygon shape and permits forming a larger central portion on the guide to accommodate swag tooling and a larger surface for force distribution.
In another embodiment, the collar is made of a first steel having a carbon content of less than 0.2 percent. The insert retainer is made of a second material that has a carbon content higher than the first material. The valve is made of a third material that has a carbon content higher than the second material. The guide is made of a fourth material that is at least as high in carbon content as the third material, and that is harder than the third material.
Advantages and features of the embodiments presently disclosed will become more readily understood from the following detailed description and appended claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the disclosed design, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the disclosed design may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the disclosed design.
The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed design, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed design. Thus, the disclosed design is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
A pin shaft 24 extends upwards from the center of base 22. An end face 26 is formed on the end of pin shaft 24 opposite to base 22. In the disclosed assembly, retaining pin 20 may be made of low carbon steel, such as 1018 or other suitable material. In this embodiment, heat treatment of retaining pin 20 is advantageously not required.
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment illustrated in
As best seen in
As described, the unique configuration and process for manufacturing guide 30 may be advantageously made of an inexpensive low carbon, or low carbon alloy sheet steel, or other affordable material. Guide 30 may also be made of high carbon steel. It may only be necessary to heat treat or otherwise surface treat legs 36 of guide 30. Legs 36 and/or guide 30 may be readily heat treated by various means, including, but not limited to, induction or laser heat treating, spot welding, or conventional hardfacing.
Valve face 56 is commonly angled between 30 and 45 degrees relative to recessed bottom surface 54. Valve 50 may be made of suitable steel such as 4150 or other relatively hard steel. In one embodiment, valve 50 may be hardened by induction hardening or other appropriate heat-treating method. Advantageously, valve 50 may be heat treated without the requirement to heat treat the entire valve assembly 10.
Insert face 66 is commonly angled between 30 and 45 degrees relative to insert top surface 68, such that when insert 60 is located onto valve 50, insert face 66 and valve face 56 form a semi-continuous surface for engaging the valve seat portion of valve port 100, as best seen in
Insert 60 may be made of urethane or other suitable material that is used to manufacture inserts for conventional valve designs. Insert 60 operates to provide a seal with the valve seat of valve port 100 when debris common to operations such as fracking prevents a metal-to-metal seal. In a preferred embodiment, insert 60 is compressively fit over valve 50, thereby enhancing the wear performance of the elastomeric insert 60.
In the embodiment illustrated, a first circular recess 78 is located in top surface 76. In an optional embodiment, a second circular recess 79 is located on top surface 76.
In the embodiment illustrated, as best seen in
In the assembly of valve assembly 10, guide 30, valve 50, insert 60, and retainer 70 are stacked on pin shaft 24 of retaining pin 20. Force is applied between head 22 and retainer cap 80 to compress the assembly. Base 86 of retainer cap 80 is welded to end face 26 of retaining pin 20. This weld can be a solid state inertia or friction weld or any appropriate meld fusion technique. In another embodiment illustrated, cap 80 may optionally be welded directly to retainer 70 on top surface 76 between first recess 78 and second recess 79.
Insert face 156 is commonly angled between 30 and 45 degrees relative to insert top surface 154, such that when insert 150 is located onto valve 160, insert face 156 and valve face 166 form a semi-continuous surface for engaging the valve seat portion of valve port 100 (not shown for this embodiment, however, see
Insert 150 may be made of urethane or other suitable material that is used to manufacture inserts for conventional valve designs. Insert 150 operates to provide a seal with the valve seat portion of valve port 100 when debris common to operations such as fracking prevents a metal-to-metal seal. In this embodiment, insert 150 is compressively fit over valve 160, thereby enhancing the wear performance of the elastomeric insert 150.
Valve 160 has a valve face 166. Valve 160 has a tongue and groove 168 provided between top surface 164 and valve face 166. Tongue and groove 168 is configured for complementary engagement with a tongue and groove 158 of insert 150, as best seen in
Valve 160 has a bottom surface 169 on its side opposite to top surface 164. Valve face 166 is commonly angled between 30 and 45 degrees relative to bottom surface 169. Valve 160 may be made of suitable steel such as 4150 or other relatively hard steel. In one embodiment, valve 160 may be hardened by induction hardening or other appropriate heat treating method. Quenching and tempering may provide desirable wear hardness to valve face 166. Advantageously, valve 160 may be heat treated without the requirement to heat treat the entire valve assembly 110.
Alternating between facets 182 and beams 184, base 180 is a continuous structure connecting from which legs 178 extend.
In the embodiment illustrated, base 180 is comprised of two pairs of opposing parallel beams 184, oriented perpendicular to each other, to form a substantially square base 180. Facets 182 may be chamfered edges between beams 184, or radii. Facets 182 position guide 170 thus and valve assembly 110 in a centered position inside a pump valve port 100 (represented by circle 102 in
As seen in
In the embodiment illustrated, an edge 183 may be formed between each facet 182 and beam 184. Edges 183 (
In this manner, a more accurate concentric alignment of valve assembly 110 can be achieved as to the centerline of a pump cylinder in which valve assembly 110 is disposed. It is understood that such concentricity is essential to the life and performance of valve assembly 110. It is further understood that direct eight-point guide 170 alignment between valve assembly 110 and the cylinder in which it is disposed is superior to two, three, or four point contact with regard to the life of valve assembly 110.
As described, the unique configuration and process for manufacturing guide 170 may be advantageously made of an inexpensive low carbon, or low carbon alloy sheet steel, or other affordable material. Guide 170 may also be made of high carbon steel. It may only be necessary to heat treat or otherwise surface treat guide 170. Guide 170 may be readily heat treated by various means, including, but not limited to, induction or laser heat treating, spot welding, or conventional hardfacing.
In the assembly of valve assembly 110, retainer 140, insert 150, valve 160, guide 170, and spacer 190 are stacked on shaft 124 of retaining pin 120. Force is applied between cap 122 and the heated end of shaft 124 to compress the assembly and form expanded portion 126 on the bottom of shaft 124 of retaining pin 120 to hold valve assembly 110 together, and in compression.
Expanded end 126 can be advantageously formed by hot pressing technology. This process has been demonstrated in test pieces as being a highly economical and reliable means for assembly of valve assembly 110.
In a new embodiment featured in this disclosure, valve assembly 200 is disclosed comprising a unitary insert retainer 210. Insert retainer 210 has a retainer head 212 and a retainer pin portion 214 extending below retainer head 212. (See
A polymer insert 230 is located beneath insert retainer 210. A valve 250 is located beneath insert 230. A guide 270 is located beneath valve 250. A collar 290 is located on retainer pin portion 214 of insert retainer 210 beneath guide 270. Collar 290 is swaged onto retainer pin portion 214 to secure valve assembly 200 together.
A grooved center section 218 extends below upper section 216. A grooved lower section 220 has a smaller diameter than upper section 216. As used herein and in particular with reference to this embodiment, a grooved surface is understood to mean any type of grooves, including, but not limited to, concentric grooves or helical grooves such as a threaded surface.
Insert 230 is provided below insert retainer 210 for engagement with retainer head 212. Valve 250 is centered on upper section 216, adjacent to retainer head 212. Insert 230 is located on an exterior perimeter of valve 250, and also beneath retainer head 212. Guide 270 has a central portion 272 on its upper end and four legs 276 extending downward from central portion 272. Guide 270 has an aperture 274 for positioning guide 270 on retainer pin 214 beneath valve 250.
Collar 290 has a flange 292 and a collar body 294 extending below flange 292. An interior bore 296 extends through flange 292 and collar body 294. Collar 290 is located below guide central portion 272. Bore 296 within collar body 294 of collar 290 is swaged against center section 218 of retainer pin 214.
Retainer head 212 has a bottom surface 224 that engages a top surface 236 of insert 230 and also engages valve 250. Retainer head 212 has an extension 226, which extends downward from bottom surface 224. Extension 226 fits into a complementary upper recess 252 on valve 250. This feature adds thickness to retainer 210 to add resistance to bending during operation of valve assembly 200, which has been experienced in previous embodiments of thinner designs.
Retainer pin 214 extends downward from extension 226 of retainer head 212. Retainer pin 214 has a cylindrical upper section 216 extending downward from extension 226 of retainer head 212. A grooved center section 218 extends below upper section 216. As seen in
As used herein and in particular with reference to this embodiment, a grooved surface is understood to mean any type of grooves, including, but not limited to, concentric grooves or helical grooves such as a threaded surface.
Retainer 210 may be advantageously made with heat treated 8620 steel or other suitable material. In the embodiment illustrated, heat treatment is optional, but is recommended. This provides strength to resist bending under the forces endured in operation of the valve, as well as sufficient strength to receive the swaged collar 290 onto center section 218.
Beneficial to this embodiment is that there is no need for a separate retainer and stem or any welding thereto or placement of these parts within insert retainer 210. There is also no need to machine recesses on the top of a separate retainer to accommodate a cap. As disclosed, the present design is more economical to manufacture than the plurality of parts disclosed in earlier embodiments and has proven to be more reliable in testing.
Insert 230 has a first aperture 232 and a second aperture 234. Insert 230 has a top surface 236 and a face 238. A tongue and groove 240 is provided between first aperture 232 and second aperture 234. Tongue and groove 240 is configured for complementary engagement with a tongue and groove 260 of valve 250 (see
Insert face 238 is commonly angled between 30 and 45 degrees relative to insert top surface 236, such that when insert 230 is located onto valve 250, insert face 238 and a valve face 258 form a semi-continuous surface for engaging the valve seat portion of valve port 100. (See example in
Insert 230 may be made of urethane or other suitable material that is used to manufacture inserts for conventional valve designs. Insert 230 operates to provide a seal with the valve seat of valve port 100 when debris common to operations such as fracking prevents a metal-to-metal seal. In a preferred embodiment, insert 230 is compressively fit over valve 250, thereby enhancing the wear performance of the elastomeric insert 230. Specific and unique to this embodiment, insert 230 is compressed between bottom surface 224 of retainer head 212 and tongue and groove connections 240 and 260, which compress insert 230 in the desired amount when collar 290 is swaged to center section 218 of retainer 212.
Valve 250 has a valve face 258. A tongue and groove 260 is provided for engaging tongue and groove 240 on insert 230. Lower recess 256 engages a central portion 272 of guide 270 when assembled on retaining pin 214 to position guide 270 higher in valve assembly 200.
Valve face 258 is commonly angled between 30 and 45 degrees. Valve 250 may be made of suitable steel such as 4150 or other relatively high carbon hard steel. In one embodiment, valve face 258 may be selectively hardened by induction hardening. Advantageously, valve 250 may be heat treated without the requirement to heat treat the entire valve assembly 200.
As seen in
Guide 270 may be advantageously and economically created by stamping and cold forming, but guide 270 also requires wear resistance on the exterior surface of legs 276. One material that has proven to be suitable for this component's unique manufacturing and performance requirements is 1050 steel. It has sufficiently high carbon to provide wear resistance and can be formed to the geometry disclosed in this embodiment without detrimental cracking. It may also be selectively induction hardened on legs 276 surfaces to provide the required wear resistance.
As noted above and shown in
The swaging procedure will place retainer pin 214 in tension as between lower surface 224 of insert retainer 210 and flange 292 of collar 290. This tension will hold valve assembly 200 securely together to a degree both necessary and heretofore unobtainable in a multipart valve assembly. In addition, the swaging process will apply the appropriate pressure to insert 230. After swaging, lower section 220 may be removed, as illustrated in
It will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the special performance, assembly requirements, and related constraints placed on each individual component of this assembly demands a critical selection and treatment of materials that is unique to this design. In one embodiment, collar 290 is made of a first steel having a carbon content of less than 0.2 percent. Insert retainer 210 is made of a second material that has a carbon content higher than the first material. Valve 250 is made of a third material that has a carbon content higher than the second material. Guide 270 is made of a fourth material that is at least as high in carbon content as the third material, and that is harder than the third material.
In another embodiment, collar 290 is made of 1005 steel, insert retainer 210 is made of 8620 steel, guide 270 is made of 1050 steel, and valve 250 is made of 4150 steel. In another embodiment, exterior surfaces of guide legs 276 are induction heat treated. In another embodiment, valve face 258 is induction heat treated.
In another embodiment, the ratio of the diameter of flange 292 to a diameter of clearance on central portion 272 is between 0.770 and 0.775. This provides sufficient spacing for a swaging tool, and sufficient flange 292 contact area with central portion 272.
Having thus described the disclosed design by reference to certain of its embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the disclosed design may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Many such variations and modifications may be considered desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly, and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosed design.
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 15/676,624 filed Aug. 14, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,760,568 issued Sep. 1, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 15/296,993 filed Oct. 18, 2016, abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/213,696 filed Mar. 14, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,470,226 issued Oct. 18, 2016, which claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/785,246 filed Mar. 14, 2013, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61785246 | Mar 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14213696 | Mar 2014 | US |
| Child | 15296933 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15676624 | Aug 2017 | US |
| Child | 17009571 | US | |
| Parent | 15296933 | Oct 2016 | US |
| Child | 15676624 | US |
