Flexible seat ball valve
AssigneeCameron International Corporation
InventorsEdy Gaburri, Augusto Arcelaschi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system includes a ball valve. The ball valve includes a housing, a ball, and a first valve seat assembly. The housing includes a chamber, a first fluid passage intersecting the chamber, and a second fluid passage intersecting the chamber. The ball is disposed in the chamber and is configured to control fluid flow between the first and second fluid passages. The first valve seat assembly is disposed between the ball and the housing. The first valve seat assembly includes a first seat configured to seat against the ball both above and below a pressure threshold, and a second seat configured to seat against the ball only above the pressure threshold, wherein the second seat has a coefficient of friction that is lower than the first seat.
Claims23
A system, comprising:
- a ball valve, comprising:
- a housing having a chamber, a first fluid passage intersecting the chamber, and a second fluid passage intersecting the chamber;
- a ball disposed in the chamber, wherein the ball is configured to move to control fluid flow between the first and second fluid passages;
- a first valve seat assembly disposed between the ball and the housing, wherein the first valve seat assembly comprises:
- a first seat configured to seat against the ball both above and below a pressure threshold, wherein the first seat comprises a bellows portion configured to expand and contract;
- and
- a second seat configured to seat against the ball only above the pressure threshold, wherein the second seat has a coefficient of friction that is lower than the first seat, wherein the first valve seat assembly comprises at least one of:
- the bellows portion is biased by one or more springs;
- or
- the second seat comprises a seat insert disposed in a seat ring, wherein the seat ring is configured to contact a wall in the housing formed by a recess, and the first seat is configured to contact the wall in the housing formed by the recess.
A system, comprising:
- a first valve seat assembly configured to mount between a ball and a housing of a ball valve, wherein the first valve seat assembly comprises:
- a first seat configured to seat against the ball both above and below a pressure threshold, wherein the first seat comprises a bellows portion configured to expand and contract;
- and
- a second seat configured to seat against the ball only above the pressure threshold, wherein the second seat has a coefficient of friction that is lower than the first seat, wherein the first valve seat assembly comprises at least one of:
- the bellows portion is biased by one or more springs;
- or
- the second seat comprises a seat insert disposed in a seat ring, wherein the seat ring is configured to contact a wall in the housing formed by a recess, and the first seat is configured to contact the wall in the housing formed by the recess.
A method, comprising:
- seating a first seat against a ball of a ball valve both above and below a pressure threshold of a fluid pressure, wherein the first seat comprises a bellows portion configured to expand and contract;
- and
- seating a second seat against the ball only above the pressure threshold when the bellows portion moves a distance relative to the second seat to close a gap between the second seat and the ball in response to the fluid pressure, wherein the second seat has a coefficient of friction that is lower than the first seat, wherein the method comprises at least one of:
- biasing the bellows portion with one or more springs;
- or
- contacting the first seat against a wall in a housing formed by a recess and contacting a seat ring of the second seat against the wall in the housing formed by the recess, wherein a seat insert is disposed in the seat ring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.