Slide valve

A pipework system comprising:

• a source of a pressurized fluid;
• and
• a selectively actuatable valve operably coupled to the source and configured to control the flow of the pressurized fluid through the pipework system, wherein the selectively actuatable valve comprises:
• a valve body comprising a valve inlet section and a valve outlet section, the valve body defining a valve chamber,
• the valve inlet section comprising a valve inlet that is coupled to the source, the valve inlet section further comprising an inlet tubular member that extends into the valve chamber and has an inlet passage that interconnects the valve inlet and the valve chamber,
• the valve outlet section comprising a valve outlet that comprises an outlet tubular member that extends into the valve chamber, the outlet tubular member comprising a selectively closable outlet passage that is configured to conduct the pressurized fluid flowing through the valve toward the valve outlet;
• and
• a shuttle located within the valve chamber and comprising a bore formed therethrough, the shuttle being slidably received over the inlet and outlet tubular members and being shiftable between a valve closed configuration in which the shuttle blocks communication between the inlet passage and the outlet passage and a valve open configuration in which the inlet passage is in fluid communication with the outlet passage;
• the shuttle bore defining a shuttle chamber having interior surfaces upon which the pressurized fluid acts to produce a first force acting upon the shuttle in a direction of the valve closed configuration and a second force acting upon the shuttle in a direction of the valve open configuration.

A method of controlling the flow of a fluid through a pipework system comprising:

• providing a source of a pressurized fluid and a selectively actuatable valve operably coupled to the source and configured to control the flow of the pressurized fluid therefrom,
• the selectively actuatable valve comprising:
• a valve body comprising a valve inlet section and a valve outlet section, the valve body defining a valve chamber,
• the valve inlet section comprising a valve inlet that is coupled to the vessel, the valve inlet section further comprising an inlet tubular member that extends into the valve chamber and has an inlet passage that interconnects the valve inlet and the valve chamber,
• the valve outlet section comprising a valve outlet that comprises an outlet tubular member that extends into the valve chamber, the outlet tubular member comprising a selectively closable outlet passage;
• and
• a shuttle located within the valve chamber and comprising a bore formed therethrough, the shuttle being slidably received over the inlet and outlet tubular members and being shiftable between a valve closed configuration in which the shuttle blocks communication between the inlet passage and the outlet passage and a valve open configuration in which the inlet passage is in fluid communication with the outlet passage,
• the shuttle bore defining a shuttle chamber having interior surfaces upon which the pressurized fluid acts to produce a first force acting upon the shuttle biasing the shuttle toward the valve closed configuration and a second force acting upon the shuttle biasing the shuttle toward the valve open configuration;
• the shuttle bore being in communication with the source of pressurized fluid with the selectively actuatable valve being in either the valve open or the valve closed configuration;
• shifting the shuttle from either the valve closed or valve open configuration to the opposite configuration to either block or permit fluid communication of the shuttle bore with the outlet passage;
• and
• delivering the pressurized fluid from the valve outlet and directing the stream of the pressurized fluid into the pipework.