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US 2013/0092248 A1Published application
Self-sealing hydraulic control line coupling
AssigneeCameron International Corporation
InventorDavid R. June
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a hydraulic fluid control line connector including first and second couplings configured to automatically seal shut when the members are disengaged. There is further provided a method for blocking contamination or pressure transfer of hydraulic fluid control lines by securing first and second couplings to corresponding ends of a hydraulic line and automatically sealing the couplings shut when the couplings are disengaged.
Claims30
A system, comprising:
- a hydraulic connector configured to couple hydraulic lines in a mineral extraction system, the connector comprising:
- a first coupling configured to be secured to a first hydraulic line, wherein the first coupling comprises a first valve in a first fluid pathway, and the first valve is configured to selectively close a first opening in the first fluid pathway;
- and
- a second coupling configured to be secured to a second hydraulic line, wherein the second coupling comprises a second valve in a second fluid pathway, and the second valve is configured to selectively close a second opening in the second fluid pathway;
- wherein the first and second valves are automatically biased to close the first and second openings, respectively, to resist ingress of an external fluid when the first coupling is not mated to the second coupling, and the first valve is configured to automatically open the first opening when the first coupling is not mated to the second coupling and a first pressure of a first fluid within the first hydraulic line exceeds a second pressure of the external fluid by a threshold value.
2 more elements
A hydraulic fluid coupler, comprising:
- a hydraulic fluid connector configured to couple a first hydraulic fluid line to a second hydraulic fluid line, the connector comprising a first coupling configured to be secured to the first hydraulic fluid line, wherein the first coupling comprises:
- a first valve in a first fluid pathway, wherein the first valve is configured to transition between an open position that facilitates fluid flow through an opening and a closed position that blocks fluid flow through the opening;
- a first cavity positioned on a first side of the opening, wherein the first cavity is configured to communicate with an external fluid when the first coupling is not mated to a second coupling;
- and
- a second cavity positioned on a second side of the opening, opposite from the first side, wherein the second cavity is configured to communicate with a hydraulic fluid within the first hydraulic line;
- wherein the first valve is biased toward the closed position and configured to automatically transition to the closed position when the first coupling is not mated to the second coupling, and the first valve is configured to automatically transition to the open position when a first force applied to the first valve by the hydraulic fluid within the second cavity exceeds a second force applied to the first valve by a combination of the external fluid within the first cavity and the bias toward the closed position.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- automatically biasing a first valve in a first mating member closed when the first mating member is disengaged from a second mating member, wherein the first mating member comprises:
- a securing member configured to secure the first mating member to a hydraulic fluid line;
- and
- a fluid pathway, wherein the first valve is configured to block an opening in the fluid pathway when the first valve is closed;
- and
- automatically opening the first valve to facilitate fluid flow through the opening when the first mating member is disengaged from the second mating member and a first pressure of a hydraulic fluid within the hydraulic fluid line exceeds a second pressure of an external fluid by a threshold value.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.