Heating a valve body
AssigneeDresser, Inc.
InventorCyril Nicolas Vlassoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve housing is configured to maintain temperature of a valve. These configurations may incorporate paths or channels in structure of the valve that carry working fluid. Heating fluid, like steam or hot water, may flow through these paths to heat this structure. This feature can maintain or raise temperature of the working fluid to meet specifications, standards, or process parameters. In one implementation, the paths may have complex routes or geometry with curves, bends, or other feature that can maximize surface area that is available to distribute heat to the device. This geometry may require manufacturing techniques, like additive manufacturing, that can generate unitary or monolithic structures, particularly those structures that includes voids in the material to form the integral paths for the heating fluid.
Claims20
A valve, comprising:
- an actuator;
- a closure member coupled with the actuator;
- and
- a one-piece valve body enclosing the closure member, the one-piece valve body having a main flow path with a central axis and a single first wall with a secondary flow path disposed therein,
- wherein the secondary flow path has a main bore portion that forms a circuitous route in the wall with at least two, connected portions that are parallel with each other and that are parallel with the central axis so as to create continuous flow of fluid in a first direction along the central axis and in a second direction along the central axis that is opposite of the first direction.
A valve, comprising:
- an actuator;
- a closure member coupled with the actuator;
- a seat disposed proximate the closure member;
- and
- a one-piece valve body enclosing both the seat and the closure member, the one-piece valve body having a main flow path with a central axis and a single first wall with channels that can retain fluid therein,
- wherein the channels have at least two, connected portions that are parallel with each other and that are parallel with the central axis so as to create continuous flow of fluid in a first direction along the central axis and in a second direction along the central axis that is opposite of the first direction.
A valve, comprising:
- an actuator;
- a closure member coupled with the actuator;
- a one-piece valve body enclosing the closure member, the one-piece valve body having a main flow path with a central axis and having openings disposed at either end, the one-piece valve body having a single first wall forming an interior surface defining the main flow path;
- and
- a second wall disposed on and surrounding the valve body, the second wall spaced apart from the single first wall so as to form an air gap therebetween,
- wherein the single first wall and the second wall are formed integrally as a joint-less manufacture,
- wherein the single first wall includes a secondary flow path in proximity to the closure member, and
- wherein the second wall includes ports that allow fluid into the air gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.