Subsea valve with non-circular sliding metal seals
AssigneeNational Coupling Company, Inc.
InventorsRobert E. Smith, III, Thomas Rogala
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sliding metal seal valve comprises one or more non-circular (oblate) metal seals. Use of non-circular (oblate) sliding metal seals, permits the rotor of a rotary sliding metal seal valve to have a smaller diameter which permits a smaller overall valve size. Reduced rotor diameter also reduces the torque required to turn the rotor, permitting smaller actuator motors to be used. Axially sliding valves such as bar valves may also employ such non-circular sliding metal seals to permit a reduction in the width of such valve.
Claims21
A rotary sliding metal seal valve comprising:
- a first face of the valve having a plane and defining at least one pair of first openings;
- at least one pair of non-circular sliding metal seals disposed in the at least one pair of first openings in the first face of the valve, each of the sliding metal seals having a non-circular, oblate cross section relative to the plane of the first face, the oblate cross section having a major dimension being longer than a minor dimension;
- and
- a rotor having a second face in sealing engagement with the at least one pair of non-circular sliding metal seals, the second face of the rotor having a pair of second openings therein,
- wherein the major dimension of the oblate cross section is elongated in an arc about a center of the plane traversed by the pair of second openings in the second face of the rotor when the rotor is rotated.
A subsea assembly for use with a control pod, the assembly comprising:
- a valve disposed on the control pod and having a first face with first openings in communication with the control pod;
- a rotor rotatably disposed in the valve and having a second face disposed adjacent the first face, the rotor having second openings disposed at the second face;
- and
- at least one pair of non-circular sliding metal seals disposed in the first openings of the first face of the valve, each of the sliding metal seals having a first non-circular, oblate cross section relative to a plane of the first face and configured to engage the second face of the rotor, the oblate cross section being elongated in an arc traversed by the second openings in the second face of the rotor when the rotor is rotated.
A rotary sliding metal seal valve comprising:
- a first face of the valve having a plane and defining at least one pair of first openings, each of the first openings defining a counterbore with a shoulder, the counterbore having a non-circular cross section in the plane of the first face;
- and
- at least one pair of non-circular sliding metal seals disposed in the counterbores of the at least one pair of first openings in the first face of the valve, each of the sliding metal seals having an oblate cross section relative to the plane of the first face, the oblate cross section being elongated in an arc about a center of the plane, each of the metal seals comprising:
- a body having a contact surface and a bottom surface and defining a through-bore from the contact surface to the bottom surface, the body defining an exterior groove thereabout;
- a seal member disposed in the exterior groove and configured to seal with the counterbore;
- and
- a spring member disposed in the counterbore between the shoulder and the bottom surface of the body and biasing the contact surface relative to the first face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.