Isolation valve for fluid flow regulation

An isolation valve, comprising:

• a. a housing defining a vertical axis in-between a first housing end and a second housing end through a center of the housing, the housing comprising a material created by a sintering process and configured to allow functioning of the isolation valve at a pressure range of between 300 bar to 1500 bar;
• b. a first seat and a second seat, each seat disposed at least partially within the housing proximate the second end of the housing, each seat comprising a sintered material, the first seat disposed radially opposite the second seat;
• c. a first annulus disposed within a predetermined portion of the second housing end and extending through the first seat at a first position radially offset from and substantially parallel to the vertical axis;
• d. a second annulus disposed within a predetermined portion of the second housing end through the second seat at a second position radially offset from the first annulus along the vertical axis and substantially parallel to the housing vertical axis;
• e. a first fluid port disposed through the second end of the housing and in fluid communication with the first annulus;
• f. second fluid port disposed through the second end of the housing and in fluid communication with the second annulus;
• and g. an actuator disposed at least partially within the housing and rotatable about the vertical axis of the housing, the actuator comprising a sintered material, the actuator further comprising:
• i. an actuator fluid annulus disposed through the predetermined portion of the actuator away from the first annulus and the second annulus with respect to and perpendicular to the housing vertical axis, the actuator fluid annulus in fluid communication with the first annulus through the first seat and the second annulus through the second seat in a first rotational position of the actuator and blocking fluid communication with the first annulus and the second annulus in a second rotational position of the actuator;
• and ii. a predetermined surface uniformly machined to a surface of the first seat which is exposed to the actuator fluid annulus and to a surface of the second seat which is exposed to the actuator fluid annulus, the predetermined surface defining a metal-to-metal seal at the exposed surfaces of the first seat and the second seat when the actuator is in the second rotation position;
• and a membrane disposed about an inner portion of the actuator fluid annulus, the membrane operative to minimize trapping of fluid in the membrane and actuator fluid annulus.

A method of controlling fluid flow in an isolation valve which comprises a housing defining a vertical axis in-between a first housing end and a second housing end, the housing comprising a material created by a sintering process and configured to allow functioning of the isolation valve at pressure range of between 300 bar to 1500 bar;

• a first seat and a second seat, each disposed at least partially within the housing proximate the second end of the housing, each seat comprising a sintered material, the first seat disposed radially opposite the second seat;
• a first annulus disposed within a predetermined portion of the second housing end and extending through the first seat at a first position radially offset from and substantially parallel to the vertical axis;
• a second annulus disposed within a predetermined portion of the second housing end through the second seat at a second position radially offset from the first annulus along the vertical axis and substantially parallel to the housing vertical axis;
• a first fluid port disposed through the second end of the housing and in fluid communication with the first annulus, the first fluid port further comprising a first sleeve;
• second fluid port disposed through the second end of the housing and in fluid communication with the second annulus, the second fluid port further comprising a second sleeve;
• and an actuator disposed at least partially within the housing and rotatable about the vertical axis of the housing, the actuator comprising a sintered material, the actuator further comprising an actuator fluid annulus disposed through the predetermined portion of the actuator away from the first annulus and the second annulus with respect to and perpendicular to the housing vertical axis, the actuator fluid annulus in fluid communication with the first annulus through the first seat and the second annulus through the second seat in a first rotational position of the actuator and blocking fluid communication with the first annulus and the second annulus in a second rotational position of the actuator and a predetermined surface uniformly machined to a surface of the first seat which is exposed to the actuator fluid annulus and to a surface of the second seat which is exposed to the actuator fluid annulus, the predetermined surface defining a metal-to-metal seal at the exposed surfaces of the first seat and the second seat when the actuator is in the second rotation position, the method comprising:
• a. operatively connecting the isolation valve to a fluid handling system;
• b. rotating the actuator about the vertical axis about the predetermined surface uniformly machined to the surface of the first seat which is exposed to the actuator fluid annulus and to the surface of the second seat which is exposed to the actuator fluid annulus to a first position in which the actuator fluid annulus is in fluid communication with the first fluid port and the second fluid port;
• and c. allowing fluid to flow in-between the first fluid port and the second fluid port via the actuator fluid annulus.