Patent Application
20240344614
The present application is related to gate valves and, more particularly, to seats for gate valves.
Some gate valves are designed for full differential with the gate using solid seats. These valves often use one or more seals to create contact pressure between the seat and the gate of the gate valve. Such seal designs in the current art, however, tend to fail at the relatively low pressures (i.e., when a fluid in the bore of the gate valve is at a relatively low pressure) because the contact pressure interface is limited in light of the full differential requirements. In some cases, industry standards require 10% of rated working pressure (RWP) as an acceptable low pressure limit. In real world conditions, most of the in-service time of a gate valve is under low pressure conditions, and so the design of gate valves in the current art leads to high rates of failure.
In general, in one aspect, the disclosure relates to a gate valve that includes a valve body and a bore positioned within the valve body, where the bore traverses a width of the valve body and includes an inlet and an outlet. The gate valve can also include a gate slidably disposed within the bore between the inlet and the outlet, where the gate, when in a first position within the bore, is configured to allow a fluid to flow within the bore from the inlet to the outlet, and where the gate, when in a second position within the bore, is configured to prevent a fluid from flowing therethrough from the inlet to the outlet. The gate valve can further include a seat disposed around the bore and adjacent to the gate and the valve body, where the seat includes a seat body having a spring system, an inner surface, and an outer surface, where the inner surface is adjacent to the gate, where the outer surface is adjacent to the valve body, where the spring system comprises a cavity disposed in the seat body and a spring section positioned between the cavity and the inner surface, where the spring section protrudes outward relative to the inner surface, where the spring section is configured to move inward and reduce a volume of the cavity when the gate contacts the spring section, and where the spring section is configured to revert to its default position, thereby allowing the volume of the cavity to be restored, when the gate avoids contacting the spring section.
In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a seat for a gate valve that includes a seat body having an inner surface and an outer surface, where the inner surface is configured to be adjacent to a gate of the gate valve, where the outer surface is configured to be adjacent to a valve body of the gate valve. The seat can also include a spring system, which can include a cavity disposed within the seat body and a spring section positioned between the cavity and the inner surface, where the spring section includes a protrusion that is tapered toward a bottom end of the seat body, where the protrusion protrudes outward relative to the inner surface, where the spring section is configured to move inward and reduce a volume of the cavity when the gate of the gate valve contacts the protrusion, and where the spring section is configured to revert to its default position, thereby allowing the volume of the cavity to be restored, when the gate of the gate valve no longer contacts the protrusion.
These and other aspects, objects, features, and embodiments will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope, as the example embodiments may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the example embodiments. Additionally, certain dimensions or positions may be exaggerated to help visually convey such principles. In the drawings, the same reference numerals used in different figures may designate like or corresponding but not necessarily identical elements.
The example embodiments discussed herein are directed to systems, apparatus, methods, and devices for seats for gate valves. Gate valves with example seats can be used in any of a number of industries, including but not limited to oil and gas, petrochemical, marine, power generation, petroleum refining, wastewater, automotive, pharmaceutical, and mechanical construction. Gate valves with example seats may be designed to comply with certain standards and/or requirements.
Gate valves with example seats may be used in any of a number of different environments, including but not limited to indoors, outdoors, a manufacturing plant, a warehouse, and a storage facility, any of which can be climate-controlled or non-climate-controlled. In some cases, gate valves with the example seats discussed herein can be used in any type of hazardous environment, including but not limited to an airplane hangar, a drilling rig (as for oil, gas, or water), a production rig (as for oil or gas), a refinery, a chemical plant, a power plant, a mining operation, a wastewater treatment facility, and a steel mill.
The use of the terms “about”, “approximately”, and similar terms applies to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of ordinary skill in the art would consider as a reasonable amount of deviation to the recited numeric values (i.e., having the equivalent function or result). For example, this term may be construed as including a deviation of +10 percent of the given numeric value provided such a deviation does not alter the end function or result of the value. Therefore, a value of about 1% may be construed to be a range from 0.9% to 1.1%. Furthermore, a range may be construed to include the start and the end of the range. For example, a range of 10% to 20% (i.e., range of 10%-20%) includes 10% and also includes 20%, and includes percentages in between 10% and 20%, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Similarly, a range of between 10% and 20% (i.e., range between 10%-20%) includes 10% and also includes 20%, and includes percentages in between 10% and 20%, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein.
It is understood that when combinations, subsets, groups, etc. of elements are disclosed (e.g., combinations of components in a composition, or combinations of steps in a method), that while specific reference of each of the various individual and collective combinations and permutations of these elements may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein. By way of example, if an item is described herein as including a component of type A, a component of type B, a component of type C, or any combination thereof, it is understood that this phrase describes all of the various individual and collective combinations and permutations of these components. For example, in some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include only a component of type A. In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include only a component of type B. In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include only a component of type C. In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include a component of type A and a component of type B. In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include a component of type A and a component of type C. In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include a component of type B and a component of type C. In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include a component of type A, a component of type B, and a component of type C. In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include two or more components of type A (e.g., A1 and A2). In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include two or more components of type B (e.g., B1 and B2). In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include two or more components of type C (e.g., C1 and C2). In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include two or more of a first component (e.g., two or more components of type A (A1 and A2)), optionally one or more of a second component (e.g., optionally one or more components of type B), and optionally one or more of a third component (e.g., optionally one or more components of type C). In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include two or more of a first component (e.g., two or more components of type B (B1 and B2)), optionally one or more of a second component (e.g., optionally one or more components of type A), and optionally one or more of a third component (e.g., optionally one or more components of type C). In some embodiments, the item described by this phrase could include two or more of a first component (e.g., two or more components of type C (C1 and C2)), optionally one or more of a second component (e.g., optionally one or more components of type A), and optionally one or more of a third component (e.g., optionally one or more components of type B).
A user may be any person that interacts with gate valves, regardless of the environment in which the gate valve is located and/or the industry in which the gate valve is used. Examples of a user may include, but are not limited to, an engineer, an electrician, an instrumentation and controls technician, a mechanic, an operator, an employee, a consultant, a contractor, and a manufacturer's representative.
Gate valves with example seats (including portions thereof) can be made of one or more of a number of suitable materials to allow the gate valves to meet certain standards and/or regulations while also maintaining durability in light of the one or more conditions under which the gate valves and/or other associated components of the gate valves can be exposed. Examples of such materials can include, but are not limited to, aluminum, stainless steel, fiberglass, glass, plastic, thermoplastic, ceramic, and rubber.
When used in certain systems (e.g., for certain subsea field operations), gate valves with example seats can be designed to comply with certain standards and/or requirements. Examples of entities that set such standards and/or requirements can include, but are not limited to, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Petroleum Institute (API), the International Standards Organization (ISO), the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). For example, a gate valve with example seats can comply with API 6A standards.
Example seats, or portions or components thereof, described herein can be made from a single piece (e.g., as from a mold, injection mold, casting, die cast, forging, extrusion process, or 3D printing). In addition, or in the alternative, example access seats (including portions or components thereof) can be made from multiple pieces that are mechanically coupled to each other. In such a case, the multiple pieces can be mechanically coupled to each other using one or more of a number of coupling methods, including but not limited to epoxy, welding, fastening devices, compression fittings, mating threads, snap fittings, and slotted fittings. One or more pieces that are mechanically coupled to each other can be coupled to each other in one or more of a number of ways, including but not limited to fixedly, hingedly, removeably, slidably, and threadably.
Components and/or features described herein can include elements that are described as coupling, fastening, securing, abutting against, in communication with, or other similar terms. Such terms are merely meant to distinguish various elements and/or features within a component or device and are not meant to limit the capability or function of that particular element and/or feature. For example, a feature described as a “coupling feature” can couple, secure, fasten, abut against, and/or perform other functions aside from merely coupling.
A coupling feature (including a complementary coupling feature) as described herein can allow one or more components and/or portions of an example seat to become coupled, directly or indirectly, to one or more other components of the seat and/or to some other component of a gate valve. A coupling feature can include, but is not limited to, a clamp, a portion of a hinge, an aperture, a recessed area, a protrusion, a hole, a slot, a tab, a detent, and mating threads. One portion of an example seat can be coupled to another component of the seat and/or to some other component of a gate valve the direct use of one or more coupling features.
In addition, or in the alternative, a portion of an example seat can be coupled to another component of the seat and/or to another component of a gate valve using one or more independent devices that interact with one or more coupling features disposed on a component of the example seat. Examples of such devices can include, but are not limited to, a pin, a hinge, a fastening device (e.g., a bolt, a screw, a rivet), epoxy, glue, adhesive, and a spring. One coupling feature described herein can be the same as, or different than, one or more other coupling features described herein. A complementary coupling feature as described herein can be a coupling feature that mechanically couples, directly or indirectly, with another coupling feature.
If a component of a figure is described but not expressly shown or labeled in that figure, the label used for a corresponding component in another figure may be inferred to that component. Conversely, if a component in a figure is labeled but is not described, the description for such component may be substantially the same as the description for the corresponding component in another figure. The numbering scheme for the various components in the figures herein is such that each component is a three-digit number or a four-digit number, and corresponding components in other figures have the identical last two digits. For any figure shown and described herein, one or more of the components may be omitted, added, repeated, and/or substituted. Accordingly, embodiments shown in a particular figure should not be considered limited to the specific arrangements of components shown in such figure.
Further, a statement that a particular embodiment (e.g., as shown in a figure herein) does not have a particular feature or component does not mean, unless expressly stated, that such embodiment is not capable of having such feature or component. For example, for purposes of present or future claims herein, a feature or component that is described as not being included in an example embodiment shown in one or more particular drawings is capable of being included in one or more claims that correspond to such one or more particular drawings herein.
Example embodiments of seats for gate valves will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of seats for gate valves are shown. Seats for gate valves may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of seats for gate valves to those of ordinary skill in the art. Like, but not necessarily the same, elements (also sometimes called components) in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency.
Terms such as “first”, “second”, “primary,” “secondary,” “above”, “below”, “inner”, “outer”, “distal”, “proximal”, “end”, “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, “side”, “width,”, “height”, “depth”, “length”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “rear”, and “within”, when present, are used merely to distinguish one component (or part of a component or state of a component or orientation of a component) from another. This list of terms is not exclusive. Such terms are not meant to denote a preference or a particular orientation, and they are not meant to limit embodiments of seats for gate valves. In the following detailed description of the example embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.
The proximal receiving area 113 can be configured to receive one or more components (including portions thereof) of the valve trim 110. Examples of components of the valve trim 110 that are received by the proximal receiving area 113 can include, but are not limited to, the actuator (e.g., a handle, a piston, a hydraulic assembly), the stem 112, and the gate 115. The actuator of the valve trim 110 can be operated manually, hydraulically, electrically, and/or by some other means. The proximal receiving area 113 can also be configured to receive, or be adjacent to, a portion (e.g., the top portion) of one or more of the seats 120. In this case, the top portions of seat 120-1 and seat 120-2 bound part of the bottom of the proximal receiving area 113.
The components (or portions thereof) of the valve trim 110 that are within the proximal receiving area 113 of the gate valve 100 can vary based on the position of the gate valve 100. For example, when the gate valve 100 is in the open position, less of the stem 112 and more of the gate 115 are positioned within the proximal receiving area 113. As another example, when the gate valve 100 is in the closed position, as shown in
The proximal receiving area 113 can be sealed (e.g., using gaskets, caulk, O-rings, and/or other sealing members and/or devices) so that elements (e.g., fluids, dirt) from outside the gate valve 100 are prevented from entering the proximal receiving area 113. The dimensions (e.g., the height, the width, the cross-sectional shape when viewed from above) of the proximal receiving area 113 can be configured in such a way that the full range of motion (between fully open and fully closed) of the gate 115 can freely occur without being obstructed within the proximal receiving area 113.
The distal receiving area 111 can be configured to receive one or more components (including portions thereof) of the valve trim 110. Examples of components of the valve trim 110 that are received by the distal receiving area 111 can include, but are not limited to, the gate 115. The distal receiving area 111 can also be configured to receive, or be adjacent to, a portion (e.g., the bottom portion) of one or more of the seats 120. In this case, the bottom portions of seat 120-1 and seat 120-2 bound part of the top of the distal receiving area 111.
The components (or portions thereof) of the valve trim 110 that are within the distal receiving area 111 of the gate valve 100 can vary based on the position of the gate valve 100. For example, when the gate valve 100 is in the open position, only the distal end (below the hole) of the gate 115 is positioned within the distal receiving area 111. As another example, when the gate valve 100 is in the closed position, as shown in
The distal receiving area 111 can be sealed (e.g., using gaskets, caulk, O-rings, and/or other sealing members and/or devices) so that elements (e.g., fluids, dirt) from outside the gate valve 100 are prevented from entering the distal receiving area 111. The dimensions (e.g., the height, the width, the cross-sectional shape when viewed from above) of the distal receiving area 111 can be configured in such a way that the full range of motion (between fully open and fully closed) of the gate 115 can freely occur without being obstructed within the distal receiving area 111.
The bore 108 of the gate valve 100 is positioned within the valve body 102. In this case, the bore 108 traverses a width of the valve body 102. The bore 108 of the gate valve 100 includes an inlet 104 that is part of an upstream bore potion 108-1 of the bore 108 and an outlet 106 that is part of a downstream bore portion 108-2 of the bore 108. The bore 108 can be cylindrical (have a circular cross-sectional shape) along its entire length. Alternatively, the bore 108 can have one or more of a number of other cross-sectional shapes along some or all of its length. The cross-sectional area of the bore 108 can be substantially constant along its length or differ at one or more points along its length.
Dividing the bore 108 into the upstream bore potion 108-1 and the downstream bore portion 108-2 is the gate 115. As discussed above, the gate 115 has a hole 116 that traverses the thickness of the gate 115. The hole 116 can have the same characteristics (e.g., shape, width, height, cross-sectional area) as the distal end (adjacent to the gate 115) of the upstream bore potion 108-1 and the proximal end (adjacent to the gate 115) of the downstream bore portion 108-2. When the gate valve 100 is in the open position (i.e., a fully open position), the center of the hole 116 in the gate 115 is substantially aligned with the axial centers of the upstream bore potion 108-1 and the downstream bore portion 108-2. When the gate valve 100 is in the closed position (i.e., a fully closed position), the gate 115 completely covers the upstream bore potion 108-1 and the downstream bore portion 108-2, and no part of the hole 116 in the gate 115 intersects the upstream bore potion 108-1 or the downstream bore portion 108-2 of the bore 108.
For the gate valve 100 to transition between the closed position and the open position, the gate 115 is slidably (or otherwise movably) disposed within the bore 108 between the inlet 104 (the upstream bore portion 108-1) and the outlet 106 (the downstream bore portion 108-2). When the gate valve 100 is open (when the gate 115 is in a position within the bore 108 that aligns the hole 116 with the bore 108), fluid can be allowed to flow within the bore 108 from the inlet 104 to the outlet 106. When the gate valve 100 is closed (when the gate is in a position within the bore 108 that completely blocks the bore 108 with the gate 115), fluid is prevented from flowing through to gate 115 within the bore 108 from the inlet 104 to the outlet 106.
In this case, the gate valve 100 has two seats 120 that are located on either side of the gate 115. The seat 120-1 is cylindrically shaped in this case, with
In this case, the inner surface 151-1 of the seat body 121-1 has no features. In the current art, the seat body 121-1 is made of metal. As such, the inner surface 151-1 of the seat body 121-1 forms a metal-to-metal seal with the gate 115. Both the inner surface 151-1 of the seat body 121-1 and the adjacent surface of the valve body 102 can be smooth, planar, and highly polished in order to provide a more effective metal-to-metal seal. When the gate valve 100 has multiple seats 120, the characteristics (e.g., shape, size, material, types of sealing members, location of sealing members) of one seat 120 can be the same as, or different than, the corresponding characteristics of one or more of the other seats 120.
Seat 120-2 is cylindrically shaped in this case, with
In this case, the inner surface 151-2 of the seat body 121-2 has no features. In the current art, the seat body 121-2 is made of metal. As such, the inner surface 151-2 of the seat body 121-2 forms a metal-to-metal seal with the gate 115. Both the inner surface 151-2 of the seat body 121-2 and the adjacent surface of the valve body 102 can be smooth, planar, and highly polished in order to provide a more effective metal-to-metal seal.
The sealing members 125 of the seats 120 can have any of a number of features, components, and/or configurations to allow the sealing members 125 to provide a solid seal with the valve body 102. For example, a sealing member 125 can be or include an elastomeric gasket with one or more small springs inside the gasket. For example, a sealing member 125 can be or include a pressure-energized lip seal with a spring (sometimes called a lip spring). As another example, a sealing member 125 can be or include a pressure-energized elastomer. When a seat 120 has multiple sealing members 125, the characteristics (e.g., shape, size, material, orientation, configuration) of one sealing member 125 can be the same as, or different than, one or more of the corresponding characteristics of one or more of the other sealing members 125.
The contact seal between a seat 120-2 and gate 115 as well as the seat 120 and the valve body 102 on the downstream side can be designed for full differential pressure between upstream and downstream of the gate 115. In such cases, if there is too much metal-to-metal contact area and the pressure is not high enough, the seal between the seat 120-2 and the gate 115 is not sufficient (i.e., there is not enough force to sustain the seal through the metal-to-metal contact). Also, in such cases, if there is too low of a metal-to-metal contact area between the seat 120-2 and the gate 115 and the pressure is too high, cracks and other mechanical failures can result. It is not feasible to increase the size of the spring in the sealing members 125 because the contact area between the seat 120-2 and the gate 115 is too large and it is not possible to have a spring that creates a high enough force in light of factors like the size of the pocket space and movement of the gate 115. Example embodiments incorporate a seal design into the inner surface 151-2 (also called the face) of the seat 120-2.
In this case, only the gate 215 with the hole 216 of the valve trim 210 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The proximal receiving area 213 can also be configured to receive, or be adjacent to, a portion (e.g., the top portion) of one or more of the seats 220. In this case, the top portions of the seat 220 and the seat 320 bound part of the bottom of the proximal receiving area 213. Similarly, the bottom portions of the seat 220 and the seat 320 bound part of the top of the distal receiving area 211.
When the gate 215 is in the open position, the hole 216 in the gate 215 is aligned with the bore 208, thereby allowing a fluid 288 to flow from the upstream bore portion 208-1 of the bore 208, through the hole 216 in the gate 215, and through the downstream bore portion 208-2 of the bore 208. Under this operating condition, the pressure is uniform throughout the bore 208 (absent a blockage from some external source), and so there is no pressure differential between the upstream bore portion 208-1 and the downstream bore portion 208-2. Also, since the gate 215 is not directly exposed to the fluid 288 flowing through the bore 208 when the gate valve 200 is open, the gate 215 does not apply any lateral pressure to the seat 220 or the seat 320. When the gate valve 200 is open, the gate 215 makes full contact with most, but not all, of the inner surface 251 of the seat 220 and with most, but not all, of the inner surface 351 of the seat 320.
Seat 220 and seat 320 are located on either side of the gate 215. The seat 220 and the seat 320 in this case are configured substantially identically to each other. For example, the seat 220 and the seat 320 are each cylindrically shaped in this case, with
Similarly, the seat 320 is positioned around the downstream bore portion 208-2 of the bore 208 and adjacent to (between) the gate 215 and the valve body 202. The seat 320 includes a seat body 321 having an inner surface 351 and an outer surface 352, where the inner surface 351 is adjacent to the gate 215, and where the outer surface 352 is adjacent to the valve body 202. Along the outer surface 352 of the seat 320 are two sealing members 325 that make contact with the valve body 202. Sealing member 325-1 is positioned close to the inner perimeter of the seat body 321, and sealing member 325-2 is positioned close to the outer perimeter of the seat body 321. The inner surface 351 of the seat body 321 and the surface of the adjacent wall of the valve body 202 have no features.
By completely blocking the bore 208 between the upstream bore portion 208-1 and the downstream bore portion 208-2, and by making full face-to-face contact with all of the inner surface 251 of the seat 220 and with all of the inner surface 351 of the seat 320, the gate 215 stops flow of the fluid 288 from the upstream bore portion 208-1 to the downstream bore portion 208-2. This generates a pressure differential across the gate 215 so that the pressure within the upstream bore portion 208-1 is higher than the pressure within the downstream bore portion 208-2. In addition, the force of the fluid 288 against the gate 215 within the upstream bore portion 208-1 can increase the force between the gate 215 and the inner surface 351 of the seat 320 while also decreasing the force between the gate 215 and the inner surface 251 of the seat 220.
In such cases, the sealing members 225 of the seat 220 and the sealing members 325 of the seat 320 can compensate and help to keep the fluid 288 from escaping from the upstream bore portion 208-1 within the gate valve 200. As discussed above, designs of sealing members 225 and/or sealing members 325 can incorporate a seal on the seat pocket side and a spring. The spring can either be incorporated into the seal or separate. The spring can provide some force to create contact pressure between the seat (e.g., seat 220, seat 320) and the gate 215 for low pressure performance. However, this type of design struggles at low pressure (e.g., less than 10% of RWP) as the contact pressure interface is limited based on full differential requirements.
If the contact area between the gate 215 and the inner surface 351 of the seat 320 and/or the inner surface 251 of the seat 220 is too small, the sealing members (e.g., sealing members 225, sealing members 325) yield during high pressure (e.g., above 10% of RWP). The large contact area between the gate 215 and the inner surface 351 of the seat 320 and/or the inner surface 251 of the seat 220 requires more spring to get the contact pressure to seal at low pressure. However, using such a large spring makes the torque and installation load too high. The industry standard API 6A for gate valves requires 10% of RWP as an acceptable low-pressure limit. This means a gate valve rated at 15000 psi often fails below 1500 psi. Real world conditions for field operations in many cases is low pressure (e.g., less than 10% of RWP) for the majority of the life a gate valve, with high pressure being only in contingency that occurs in relatively rare circumstances. In other words, gate valves operating at low pressure is most typical the majority of the time. As a result, the design of seats of gate valves in the current art are not optimized for actual field conditions, which leads to drawbacks that include, but are not limited to, high equipment failure, high valve change out frequency, increased cost, increased risk, and increased emissions. Example seats for gate valves reduces or eliminates these problems by providing dramatically improved performance at relatively low pressure conditions.
The plot 497 of the graph 498 shows that the relationship between contact pressure and bore pressure is substantially linear when the bore pressure is above approximately 1000 psia. As shown by the detail graph in
Referring to
When the gate contacts the outward protrusion, the gate applies an inward force against the outward protrusion. In other words, the protrusion creates an initial interference with the gate as the gate, in a closed position, has increased pressure applied to it from the upstream side of the bore. As the differential pressure increases and the gate is pushed with more force toward the downstream side of the bore, the gate comes into more and more contact with the seat. Because the cavity within the seat body is proximate to the outward protrusion, the outward protrusion acts as a type of spring and causes the size of the cavity to shrink as the gate pushes the outward protrusion toward the outer surface of the seat. This arrangement results in a significantly higher contact pressure between the inner surface of the seat and the adjacent wall of the valve body when the core pressure is at a level (e.g., 10% of RWP) commonly found during operations.
The position of each example seat within a gate valve relative to a seat currently used in the art is unchanged. Also, the footprint (e.g., shape, size) of each example seat is substantially the same as the footprint of a seat currently used in the art. As such, example seats can be used to replace existing seats to retrofit existing gate valves without having to make any other modifications to the existing gate valves.
For example, the seat 520 of
The seat 520 can have one or more spring systems 540. In this example, the seat 520 has a single spring system 540. As shown in
In some cases, a cavity 545 can be filled, in whole or in part, with a fluid (e.g., air) and/or some other material (e.g., an elastomeric material, a gel). In such cases, the fluid and/or other material that fills some or all of the cavity 545 can be configured to allow the shape of the cavity 545 to change when a force is applied to the spring section 547 in the direction of the outer surface 552 of the seat body 521. In some cases, a cavity 545 has a height 561 that is greater than the height of the spring section 547. A cavity 545 can be formed within the seat body 521 in any of a number of ways, including but not limited to drilling and casting.
A spring section 547 of a spring system 540 is positioned between a cavity 545 and the inner surface 551 of the seat body 521 toward the inner perimeter 557 of the seat body 521. A spring section 547 can include a base portion 542 of the seat body 521 that falls within an extension of the plane formed by the inner surface 551 of the seat body 521 and a protrusion 544 that extends outward from the plane formed by the inner surface 551 of the seat body 521. The base portion 542 (or portions thereof) and the protrusion 544 (or portions thereof) of the spring section 547 can be separate pieces that are coupled to each other (e.g., using epoxy, using independent coupling features). In addition, or in the alternative, the base portion 542 (or portions thereof) and the protrusion 544 (or portions thereof) of the spring section 547 can be integral with each other, formed from a continuous piece.
In certain example embodiments, the spring section 547 is configured to move inward (i.e., toward the cavity 545) and reduce the volume of the cavity 545 when an inward force is applied to the spring section 547. This situation can occur when a gate (e.g., gate 115, gate 215) contacts the spring section 547, regardless of whether the gate is stationary or moving to change the position (e.g., from open to closed) of the gate valve (e.g., gate valve 100, gate valve 200). In such cases, the cavity 545 of the spring system 540 is designed to provide some amount of interference along a range of core pressures, which translates to forces applied by the gate to the seat 520.
When the gate no longer contacts the spring section 547 of the spring system 540, the spring section 547 is configured to revert to its default position, thereby allowing the volume of the cavity 545 to be restored. Because the gate contacts at least a majority of the inner surface 551 of the seat 520 at all times during operation of the gate valve, the example spring system 540 is capable of being engaged at all times. When the core pressure is relatively low (e.g., less than 10% of the RWP of the gate valve), the example spring system 540 dramatically increases the contact pressure relative to the current art, as shown below with respect to
The protrusion 544 of the spring section 547 can have any of a number of characteristics (e.g., shape, length, width, height, material). For example, the protrusion 544 can be a single continuous piece that is placed over and epoxied to part of the inner surface 551 of the seat body 521. As another example, the cross-sectional shape (as shown in
In this case, the outer surface of the protrusion 544 is tapered relative to the inner surface 551 of the seat 520 and creates an acute angle 543 (e.g., no greater than) 15° with the inner surface 551 of the seat body 521. In alternative embodiments, rather than being tapered, the protrusion 544 can have any of a number of other shapes (e.g., a curvature) and/or features (e.g., a textured surface). The protrusion 544 can have a vertical height 563 and a maximum width 564. The vertical height 563 of the protrusion 544 can be less than the height 561 of the adjacent cavity 545-1 of the spring system 540. The protrusion 544 can include one or more sealing members 549. In this example, a sealing member 549 is disposed in a channel along the outer surface of the protrusion 544. The sealing member 549 can be substantially the same as the sealing members 125 and the sealing members 225 discussed above.
In certain example embodiments, the spring section 547 of the spring system 540 can include one or more optional keys 548 that can be used to properly align the seat 520 within the gate valve. In such cases, the key 548 can interact with a tool or other device used by a user to properly manipulate and position the seat 520 within the gate valve. In addition, or in the alternative, the key 548 can interact with a complementary feature of another component of the gate valve. The key 548 can take on any of a number of forms, including but not limited to a notch, a detent, a protrusion, an aperture, a recess, a tab, and a slot. In some cases, a key 548 can additionally or alternatively be disposed on a different part of the seat body 521 of the seat 520.
Referring to
The seat 620 also includes a spring system 640 that includes a cavity 645 and a spring section 647. The cavity 645 in this case is completely enclosed within the seat body 621. The spring section 647 includes a base portion 642 and a protrusion 644 that extends outward from the plane of the inner surface 651 in a manner similar to the configuration of the protrusion 644 of
Referring to
The seat 720 also includes a spring system 740 that includes a cavity 745 and a spring section 747. In this case, the spring system 740 is a separate component that is coupled to the seat body 721. The body 765 of the spring system 740 can be made of the same or a different material compared to the material of the seat body 721. The cavity 745 in this case is disposed in the body 765 of the spring system 740 and has an open-ended bottom. The spring section 747 includes a base portion 742 and a protrusion 744 that extends outward from the plane of the inner surface 751 of the seat body 721 in a manner similar to the configuration of the protrusion 544 of
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The six cavities (e.g., similar to the cavity 545 discussed above with respect to
The seat 1420 surrounds the bore portion 108-2 of the bore 108 and is positioned between the gate 1415 and the valve body 1402. The seat 1420 is configured similar to the seat 920 of
Also, the seat 1520 is configured similar to the seat 920 of
When the gate 1415 is in the open position, as shown in
Under this operating condition, the configuration of the example seat 1420 and the example seat 1520 result in a substantially higher contact pressure relative to the current art when the bore pressure is relatively low (e.g., less than 10% of the RWP). When the gate 1415 closes, as shown in
Piece 1729-1 of the seat 1720 of
The piece 1729-1 can include one or more coupling features 1792-1 that allow the piece 1729-1 to be movably coupled, directly or indirectly, to the piece 1729-2. For example, in this case, a coupling feature 1792-1 in the form of mating threads is disposed on part of the outer perimeter 1756-1B to allow the piece 1729-1 to be directly movably coupled to the piece 1729-2. The one or more coupling features 1792-1 of the piece 1729-1 are configured to complement one or more coupling features 1792-2 of the piece 1729-2 of the seat 1720.
There are four sealing members 1725 disposed on the piece 1729-1 of the seat 1720. Sealing member 1725-1 is positioned toward the outer perimeter 1756-1A of the seat body 1721-1 along the outer surface 1752-1. Sealing member 1725-2 is positioned toward the inner perimeter 1757-1 along the outer surface 1752-1 of the seat body 1721-1. The sealing member 1725-1 and the sealing member 1725-2 are configured to interact with a wall of the valve body (e.g., valve body 1402) and are substantially similar to the sealing members discussed above.
Sealing member 1725-3 is positioned toward the inner surface 1751-1B along the outer perimeter 1756-1B of the seat body 1721-1. The sealing member 1725-3 is configured to interact with the inner perimeter 1757-2B of the piece 1729-2 of the seat 1720 and is substantially similar to the sealing members discussed above. Sealing member 1725-4 is positioned toward the inner perimeter 1757-1 along the inner surface 1751-1A of the seat body 1721-1. The sealing member 1725-4 is configured to interact with the outer surface 1752-2A of the piece 1729-2 of the seat 1720, particularly when the seat 1720 is in the consolidated position shown in
The piece 1729-1 of the seat 1720 does not include the spring system 1740, except that when the seat 1720 is in the expanded position shown in
Piece 1729-2 of the seat 1720 of
The piece 1729-2 can include one or more coupling features 1792-2 that allow the piece 1729-2 to be movably coupled, directly or indirectly, to the piece 1729-1. For example, in this case, a coupling feature 1792-2 in the form of mating threads is disposed on part of the inner perimeter 1757-2B to allow the piece 1729-2 to be directly movably coupled to the piece 1729-1. The one or more coupling features 1792-2 of the piece 1729-2 are configured to complement one or more coupling features 1792-1 of the piece 1729-1 of the seat 1720.
The piece 1729-2 of the seat 1720 also includes a spring system 1740 that includes a spring section 1747. The cavity 1745 of the spring system 1740 in this case is located between the inner surface 1751-1A of the piece 1729-1, the inner perimeter 1757-2B of the piece 1729-2, and the outer surface 1752-2A of the piece 1729-2 when the seat 1720 is in the expanded position shown in
The spring section 1747 includes a base portion 1742 and a protrusion 1744 that extends outward from the plane of the inner surface 1751-2 of the piece 1729-2 in a manner similar to the configuration of the protrusion 544 of
In certain example embodiments, the piece 1729-2 (or portions thereof) of the seat 1720 is made of a material that has a high hardness (e.g., tungsten carbide) and/or other characteristics relative to the material (e.g., 410 stainless steel) of the piece 1729-1 (or portions thereof) of the seat 1720. In some cases, splitting the hard materials for the piece 1729-2 and the soft materials for the piece 1729-1 can be done without requiring thermal application. Using relatively softer materials for the piece 1729-1, which is larger than the piece 1729-2, can result in using less expensive material that is relatively easier to machine compared to the hard material of the piece 1729-2 and, in many cases, the single piece seats commonly used today.
When the seat 1720 is installed into a gate valve (e.g., gate valve 1400), the seat 1720 can be in a consolidated position, as shown in
When the gate valve is completely assembled, the pieces 1729 of the seat 1720 can be separated from each other using the coupling features 1792, putting the seat 1720 in the expanded position shown in
Piece 1829-1 of the seat 1820 of
There are two sealing members 1825 disposed on each of the pieces 1829 of the seat 1820. Sealing member 1825-1 is positioned toward the outer perimeter 1856-1 of the seat body 1821-1 along the outer surface 1852-1. Sealing member 1825-2 is positioned toward the inner perimeter 1857-1C along the outer surface 1852-1 of the seat body 1821-1. The sealing member 1825-1 and the sealing member 1825-2 are configured to interact with a wall of the valve body (e.g., valve body 1402) and are substantially similar to the sealing members discussed above.
Sealing member 1825-3 and sealing member 1825-4 are disposed adjacent to each other along the outer perimeter 1856-3A of the seat body 1821-3, with sealing member 1825-4 being positioned slightly closer to the inner surface 1851-3 and with sealing member 1825-3 being positioned slightly closer to the outer surface 1852-3A. The sealing member 1825-3 and the sealing member 1825-4 are configured to interact with the inner perimeter 1857-2A of the piece 1829-2 of the seat 1820 and are substantially similar to the sealing members discussed above.
Sealing member 1825-5 and sealing member 1825-6 are disposed adjacent to each other along the outer perimeter 1856-2A of the seat body 1821-2, with sealing member 1825-6 being positioned slightly closer to the inner surface 1851-2A and with sealing member 1825-5 being positioned slightly closer to the outer surface 1852-2A. The sealing member 1825-5 and the sealing member 1825-6 are configured to interact with the inner perimeter 1857-1A of the piece 1829-1 of the seat 1820 and are substantially similar to the sealing members discussed above.
The piece 1829-1 of the seat 1820 may not itself include the spring system 1840-1, but piece 1829-1 shares part of a spring system 1840-2 with the piece 1829-2 by virtue of the inner surface 1851-1B of the piece 1829-1 forms part of the cavity 1845-2 inside of which one or more resilient devices 1838-2 (e.g., a Belleville spring) are disposed. All but the bottom of the inner surface 1851-1A in this case has a large negative slope. In alternative embodiments, the inner surface 1851-1A can be vertical. In alternative embodiments, the piece 1829-1 can include a spring system 1840-1 with a spring section 1847-3 having a base portion 1842-3 and a protrusion 1844-3 that extends outward to form the inner surface 1851-1A of the piece 1829-1. In such cases, there can be one or more apertures (e.g., similar to the apertures 1445 discussed above), located proximate to the protrusion 1844-3, in the body 1821-1 of the piece 1829-1. In this case, the protrusion 1844-3 (and so also the bottom of the inner surface 1851-1A) are substantially vertical. In alternative embodiments, the bottom of the inner surface 1851-1A can have a large negative slope, as with the rest of the inner surface 1851-1A. In this case, the piece 1829-1 does not include any features (e.g., the keys 1748 discussed above) that can be used to align the piece 1829-1 and the piece 1829-2 of the seat 1820 relative to each other.
Piece 1829-2 of the seat 1820 of
The piece 1829-2 of the seat 1820 also includes a spring system 1840-2, which is partly shared with the piece 1829-1 as discussed above, and shares part of another spring system 1840-1 with the piece 1829-3. The spring system 1840-2 includes a spring section 1847-2. The cavity 1845-2 of the spring system 1840-2 in this case is located between the inner surface 1851-1B of the piece 1829-1, the inner perimeter 1857-1A of the piece 1829-1, the outer surface 1852-2B of the piece 1829-2, and the outer perimeter 1856-2B of the piece 1829-2, regardless of whether the seat 1820 is in the expanded position (as shown in
When the seat 1820 is in the expanded position, as shown in
The spring section 1847-2 includes a base portion 1842-2 and a protrusion 1844-2 that extends outward to form the inner surface 1851-2A of the piece 1829-2. In this case, the protrusion 1844-2 (and so also the inner surface 1851-2A) are substantially vertical. In alternative embodiments, the inner surface 1851-2A can have a large negative slope. In this case, the spring section 1847-2 does not have any sealing members or keys, such as what is discussed above. The piece 1829-2 (or portions thereof) of the seat 1820 can be made of or include the same or a different material relative to the one or more materials of the piece 1829-1 (or portions thereof) of the seat 1820.
The default position of the piece 1829-2 relative to the piece 1829-1 is in an expanded position, as shown in
Piece 1829-3 of the seat 1820 of
The piece 1829-3 of the seat 1820 also includes a spring system 1840-1, which is partly shared with the piece 1829-2, as discussed above. The spring system 1840-1 includes a spring section 1847-1. The cavity 1845-1 of the spring system 1840-1 in this case is located between the inner surface 1851-2B of the piece 1829-2, the inner perimeter 1857-2A of the piece 1829-2, the outer surface 1852-3B of the piece 1829-3, and the outer perimeter 1856-3B of the piece 1829-3, regardless of whether the seat 1820 is in the expanded position (as shown in
When the seat 1820 is in the expanded position, as shown in
The spring section 1847-1 includes a base portion 1842-1 and a protrusion 1844-1 that extends outward to form the inner surface 1851-3 of the piece 1829-3. In this case, the protrusion 1844-1 (and so also the inner surface 1851-3) are substantially vertical. In alternative embodiments, the inner surface 1851-3 can have a large negative slope. In this case, the spring section 1847-1 does not have any sealing members or keys, such as what is discussed above. The piece 1829-3 (or portions thereof) of the seat 1820 can be made of or include the same or a different material relative to the one or more materials of the piece 1829-1 (or portions thereof) and/or the piece 1829-2 (or portions thereof) of the seat 1820.
The default position of the piece 1829-3 relative to the piece 1829-2 is in an expanded position, as shown in
The seat 1820 has a height 1867 and a width (thickness) 1868, where the width 1868 can change as the piece 1829-2 and/or the piece 1829-3 move between an expanded (default) position and a consolidated position relative to each other and/or relative to the piece 1829-1. In this example, none of the pieces 1829 of the seat 1820 include any coupling features (such as the coupling features 1792 discussed above) that allow one piece 1829 (e.g., piece 1829-2) to be movably coupled, directly or indirectly, to another piece (e.g., piece 1829-3). The inner perimeter 1857-3 of the piece 1829-3, the inner perimeter 1857-2C of the piece 1829-2, and the inner perimeter 1857-1C of the piece 1829-1 can be substantially planar with respect to each other, regardless of the position (e.g., fully consolidated, partially consolidated, expanded) of the seat 1820.
In this example, the size of the piece 1829-2, the size of the cavity 1845-2, and the size of the resilient device 1838-2 are larger than the size of the piece 1829-1, the size of the cavity 1845-1, and the size of the resilient device 1838-1. Further, the properties (e.g., resistance, resiliency, material) of the resilient device 1838-1 can be the same as, or different than, the corresponding properties of the resilient device 1838-2. Alterations to one or more of the characteristics of one or more of the pieces 1829, the cavities 1845, and/or the resilient devices 1838 can change the contact pressure of the seat 1820 against the wall of the gate valve at relatively low core pressures (e.g., less than 10% of RWP of the gate valve, less than 25% of RWP of the gate valve).
When the seat 1820 is in a partially consolidated position, as in
Since the amount of force that is applied by the gate 1915 against the seat 1820 is relatively small, the gate 1915 in this example only abuts against, without forcing any movement of, the inner surface 1852-2A of the piece 1829-2. As a result, when the seat 1820 is in the partially consolidated position of
When the seat 1820 is in a fully consolidated position, as in
In addition, the gate 1915 pushes the piece 1829-2 of the seat 1820 inward relative to the piece 1829-1, causing the resilient device 1838-2 to compress as the width 1919-2 of the cavity 1845-2 is reduced from its original width 1819-2. Similarly, the width of the gap 1839-2 is reduced relative to its width 1869-2 when the seat 1820 is in the expanded (default) position or the partially consolidated position. Further, the gate 1915 in this example only abuts against, without forcing any movement of, the inner surface 1852-1A of the piece 1829-1. Also, the size of the resilient device 1838-2 within the cavity 1845-2, the width 1919-2 of the cavity 1845-2, and the width 1869-2 of the gap 1839-2 are reduced relative to when the seat 1820 is in the expanded position or in the partially consolidated position.
The force that the gate 1915 applies against the seat 1820 to put the seat in the partially consolidated position, as in
Example embodiments may be used to provide systems and methods for seats for gate valves. Example embodiments result in a relatively high and substantially constant contact pressure within a gate valve at core pressures that are experienced by the gate valve most of the time during operations. As a result, example embodiments greatly reduce or eliminate failures of gate valves in the current art. Example embodiments can be used with new gate valves or retrofit into existing gate valves. Example embodiments may provide a number of benefits. Such benefits may include, but are not limited to, more reliable operation of gate valves, ease of installation and use, reducing downtime, flexibility, configurability, and compliance with applicable industry standards and regulations.
Although embodiments described herein are made with reference to example embodiments, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications are well within the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the example embodiments described herein are not limited to any specifically discussed application and that the embodiments described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. From the description of the example embodiments, equivalents of the elements shown therein will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and ways of constructing other embodiments using the present disclosure will suggest themselves to practitioners of the art. Therefore, the scope of the example embodiments is not limited herein.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/458,604, titled “Seat For Gate Valve” and filed on Apr. 11, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63458604 | Apr 2023 | US |
