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US 2025/0020216 A1Published application
Heater optimized ball valve
AssigneeA&N Corporation
InventorAdam Scott Davis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is a heater optimized ball valve that includes one or more heat-through components. The heater optimized ball valve may be a modular ball valve that includes a plurality of end caps secured to a valve body frame with a ball disposed within the frame between at least two of the end caps, wherein the modular ball valve comprises a thermally conductive grease that includes a mixture of a vacuum grease and a metal-alloy powder disposed on a top outer-diameter surface of the ball and on an inner proximal-facing surface of a top end cap at least partially filling a top gap that separates the two surfaces, and on a bottom outer diameter surface of the ball valve and on a distal-facing surface of a bottom end cap at least partially filling a gap that separates the two surfaces.
Claims63
A modular ball valve, comprising:
- a valve body frame comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface comprising at least two side faces, a top face and a bottom face, wherein the at least two side faces comprise a first side face and a second side face;
- a first end cap comprising a first seat and secured to the first side face;
- a second end cap comprising a second seat and secured to the second side face;
- a ball disposed between the first seat and the second seat and comprising a top outer-diameter surface, a bottom outer-diameter surface, and a valve stem slot;
- a bottom end cap secured to the bottom face of the valve body frame;
- a top end cap comprising a through hole and secured to the top face of the valve body frame, wherein the through hole extends between a proximal surface of the top end cap and a distal surface of the top end cap;
- and
- a valve stem comprising a distal end, a proximal end and a stem body frame that extends between the distal and the proximal end, wherein the proximal end is engaged with the valve stem slot, and wherein the stem body frame extends through the through hole.
5 more elements
A method for making a modular ball valve, comprising:
- providing a valve body frame comprising at least two side faces, a top face and a bottom face;
- securing a first end cap comprising a first seat to a first one of the at least two side faces of the valve body frame;
- securing a second end cap comprising a second seat to a second one of the at least two side faces of the valve body frame;
- securing a ball between the first seat and the second seat;
- securing a bottom end cap to the bottom face of the valve body frame, wherein the bottom end cap comprises a bottom distal-facing heat transfer surface that extends substantially concentrically with at least a portion of bottom outer-diameter of the ball and is separated from the at least the portion of the bottom outer-diameter surface by a bottom gap;
- securing a top end cap comprising a through hole to the top face of the valve body frame, wherein the top end cap comprises a top proximal-facing heat transfer surface that substantially aligns concentrically with at least an upper outer-diameter surface of the ball and is separated from the upper outer-diameter surface by a top gap;
- inserting a valve stem through the through hole, the valve stem comprising a distal end, a proximal end and a stem body that extends between the distal and the proximal end, wherein the proximal end is engaged with the valve stem slot, and wherein the stem body extends through the through hole;
- and
- delivering a volume of thermally conductive grease to substantially occupy at least one of the bottom gap and the top gap, wherein the thermally conductive grease comprises a mixture of a vacuum grease and a metal, a metal alloy or both.
6 more elements
A thermally conductive grease composition, comprising:
- a mixture comprising a vacuum grease and a powder comprising a metal, a metal alloy or both.
A stem subassembly kit, comprising:
- a top end cap comprising a through hole, wherein the top end cap comprises a top proximal-facing heat transfer surface that, when attached to a ball valve, substantially aligns concentrically with at least an upper outer-diameter surface of the ball and is separated from the upper outer-diameter surface by a top gap, and wherein the through hole extends between a proximal surface of the top end cap and a distal surface of the top end cap;
- a valve stem comprising a distal end, a proximal end and a stem body that extends between the distal and the proximal end, wherein the stem body extends through the through hole, and wherein the valve stem is connected to the top end cap;
- and
- a volume of thermally conductive grease comprising a mixture of a vacuum grease and powder, the powder comprising a metal, a metal alloy or both.
1 more element
A method for servicing a modular valve, comprising:
- providing a ball valve comprising a stem, a ball, and a top end cap secured to a top face of a valve body frame, wherein the stem is disposed through a through hole of the top end cap and secured to the top end cap;
- removing, from the valve body frame, the top end cap with the stem still secured to it;
- providing a stem subassembly kit, wherein the stem subassembly kit comprises:
- a subassembly kit top end cap comprising a through hole, wherein the through hole extends between a proximal surface of the top end cap and a distal surface of the top end cap, and
- further comprising a stem secured to the subassembly top end cap and extending through the through hole;
- and
- securing the stem subassembly kit top end cap to the top face of the valve body frame.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.