Method and apparatus for a choke valve and operation of a choke valve

A choke valve comprising:

• a valve body having an axial through hole
• passing from a first side of the valve body to a second side of the valve body,
• an outlet passageway
• coaxially aligned with the axial through hole and
• positioned at the first side of the valve body, and
• a radial inlet port
• intersecting the axial through hole between the first and second sides of the valve body;
• a valve seat
• housed in the axial through hole between the radial inlet port and the outlet passageway;
• a pressure balanced valving member
• axially reciprocal within the axial through hole between
• a first position bearing against the valve seat
• and
• a second open position spaced away from the valve seat;
• a plug drive having a drive housing,
• the drive housing being attached to the valve body,
• the drive housing having
• an axially reciprocating plug drive shank
• for reciprocal moving of the pressure balanced valving member
• between the first position and the second position;
• a driving gear threadably connected to the axially reciprocating plug drive shank;
• a plug drive reinforcing member having a reinforcing opening and a plate section and
• being detachably connected to both the drive housing and the valve body, wherein the driving gear is located between the valve body and the plug drive reinforcing member,
• the reinforcing opening
• allowing the axially reciprocating plug drive shank to at least partially extend through the plug driving reinforcing member;
• whereby
• whenever the plug drive shank
• is subjected to a force in excess of a predetermined value
• the plug drive reinforcing member will reinforce the drive housing,
• wherein the plug drive reinforcing member is detachably connected to the drive housing via both:
• (a) the reinforcing opening being detachably connected to the plug drive housing and
• (b) a plurality of spaced apart detachably connectable fasteners detachably connecting the plug drive reinforcement member and the valve body;
• wherein before failure,
• the drive housing
• will transfer a load to the plug drive reinforcing member
• via the reinforcing opening
• which transfers this load to the valve body
• via the plurality of spaced apart detachably connectable fasteners.

A choke valve comprising:

• a valve body having an axial through hole and a radial entry port;
• a valve seat coaxially housed in the axial through hole;
• a pressure balanced valving member
• axially reciprocal within the body axial through hole between
• a first sealing position bearing against the valve seat and
• a second position spaced away from the seat;
• a plug drive housing attached to the valve body,
• the plug drive housing
• being operably connected to an axial shaft,
• the axial shaft
• being operably connected to the pressure balanced valving member;
• and
• a reinforcement member
• being a reinforcement plate having a reinforcing opening,
• the reinforcement member
• being detachably connected to the plug drive housing
• via the reinforcing opening, and
• the reinforcing member
• increasing an axial load that the plug drive housing can take
• before failure of the plug drive housing;
• wherein the reinforcement member is detachably connected to the plug drive housing via both:
• (i) the reinforcing opening, and
• (ii) a plurality of spaced apart fasteners detachably connecting
• the reinforcement member and
• the valve body
• which plurality of spaced apart fasteners span between
• the reinforcement member and
• the valve body;
• wherein
• before failure from a load on the pressure balanced valving member,
• the plug drive housing
• will transfer at least a portion of the load to the reinforcement member
• causing the reinforcement member
• to transfer this load to the valve body
• through the plurality of spaced apart fasteners, and
• wherein
• the plug drive housing remains operably connected to the axial shaft and valving member when the reinforcement member is detached from the plug drive housing.