Quick closing valve system and methodology

A system, comprising:

• a valve;
• a valve actuator coupled to the valve to actuate the valve between closed and open positions;
• a hydraulic supply system coupled to the valve actuator via a hydraulic supply line to supply hydraulic fluid under pressure for shifting the valve actuator when actuating the valve from the closed position to the open position;
• and
• a dump tank coupled to the valve actuator in a manner to receive hydraulic fluid discharged from the valve actuator rather than returning the hydraulic fluid through the hydraulic supply line during rapid closure of the valve;
• wherein the dump tank comprises a discharge valve to facilitate controlled discharge of fluid from the dump tank.

A method, comprising:

• coupling a hydraulic valve actuator with a dump tank;
• providing the hydraulic valve actuator with a spring biased piston slidably mounted in a piston chamber such that introduction of hydraulic fluid into the piston chamber under pressure shifts the spring biased piston and causes the hydraulic valve actuator to shift from a first operational position to a second operational position;
• maintaining fluid communication between the piston chamber and the dump tank such that release of pressure on the hydraulic fluid enables the spring biased piston to rapidly discharge hydraulic fluid from the piston chamber into the dump tank, and
• providing the dump tank with an energizer element which energizes when the hydraulic fluid is received into the dump tank and facilitates discharge of the hydraulic fluid from the dump tank.