US 4,230,299 AGranted

Pressure balanced gate valve having selective actuator systems

AssigneePetroleum Designers, Inc.

InventorElwood K. Pierce, Jr.

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Abstract

A pressure balanced gate valve mechanism wherein a closed loop fluid interchange system interconnects the valve actuator stem area of the valve mechanism with the pressure balancing stem area and functions to accomodate volumetric changes to prevent the development of a hydraulic lock that might otherwise prevent or retard opening and closing movement of the valve mechanism. Internal back-face seating arrangements with combination metal-to-metal and elastomeric sealing elements establish seals between the valve stem and bonnet at one gate position and between the pressure balancing stem and valve body structure at the opposite gate position. An externally threaded portion of the valve bonnet is receivable within internally threaded receiver openings of a plurality of different actuator systems, including manual, mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic actuator systems. The actuator systems are field interchangeable with the valve in service and under pressure. The valve mechanism is capable of being hydraulically energized by portable hydraulic equipment for moving the valve mechanism to a predetermined position in the event the primary drive system should become inoperative for any reason.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A pressure balanced gate valve mechanism for controlling flow of fluid, said valve mechanism comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber and inlet and outlet flow passages intersecting said valve chamber, said valve body being formed to define seat recess means within said valve chamber about said inlet and outlet flow passages;
seat carrier means being positioned within said valve chamber and being formed to define seat retainer means, said seat carrier means defining gate guide means;
seat means being received by said seat retainer means of said seat carrier means and being at least partially received within said seat recess means;
bonnet means forming a closure for said valve chamber and containing first packing means, said bonnet means defining stop and back-face surface means;
gate means being movably positioned between said seat means and defining sealing surface means, said gate means defining port means for registry with said inlet and outlet passage means in the open position of said valve mechanism;
manual operator means for moving said gate and including actuator stem means being extended through said bonnet and being sealed with respect to said bonnet by said first packing means, stop and back-face seal means being defined by said actuator stem means and being engageable with said stop and back-face surface means at one of the open and closed positions of said gate means;
second packing means being supported by said valve body;
a pair of pressure balancing stem means being connected to said gate means and extending at least partially through said valve body, said second packing means sealing said pressure balancing stem means with respect to said valve body said pressure balancing stem means are received within a pair of balancing chambers, said chambers are in fluid communication through a fluid line which is connected to a remote pressure source, at least one pressure balancing chamber being positioned at least partially within said actuator housing and outwardly of said first packing means, said one pressure balancing chamber is also formed within said operator, whereby the volume of fluid displaced by said pressure balancing stem means is equal and a balanced condition is mainained in each chamber during movement of said gate means;
said valve body defining second stop and back-face seal surface means;
and
stop and back-face seal means being defined by said pressure balancing stem means and establishing sealing and gate positioning engagement with said second stop and back-face seal surface means in the other one of said open and closed positions of said gate means.

8 more elements

A pressure balanced gate valve mechanism for controlling flow of fluid, said valve mechanism comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber and inlet and outlet flow passages intersecting said valve chamber, said valve body being formed to define seat recess means within said valve chamber about said inlet and outlet flow passages;
seat carrier means being positioned within said valve chamber and being formed to define seat retainer means, said seat carrier means defining gate guide means;
seat means being received by said seat retainer means of said seat carrier means and being at least partially received within said seat recess means;
bonnet means forming a closure for said valve chamber and containing first packing means, said bonnet means defining stop and back-face surface means;
gate means being movably positioned between said seat means and defining sealing surface means, said gate means defining port means for registry with said inlet and outlet passage means in the open position of said valve mechanism;
manual operator means for moving said gate and including actuator stem means being extended through said bonnet and being stop and back-face seal means being defined by said actuator stem means and being engageable with said stop and back-face surface means at one of the open and closed positions of said gate means;
second packing means being supported by said valve body;
pressure balancing stem means being connected to said gate means and extending at least partially through said valve body, said second packing means sealing said pressure balancing stem with respect to said valve body;
said actuator stem means is formed to define an externally threaded portion;
internally threaded drive means is engaged with said externally threaded portion of said actuator stem;
retainer means is provided on said valve mechanism and retains said drive means in assembly therewith, said retainer means being movable to an inoperative position, allowing linear movement of said actuator stem and said drive means upon hydraulic energized movement of said gate means;
and
the threaded connection of said retainer means and said valve mechanism is of greater length than the length of normal gate travel during operation, and said retainer means is selectively positionable to allow sealing contact between said stop and backface surface means of said bonnet and said stop and back-face seal means of said actuator stem at both the open and closed positions of said actuator means.

10 more elements

A pressure balanced gate valve mechanism for controlling flow of fluid, said valve mechanism comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber and inlet and outlet flow passages intersecting said valve chamber, said valve body being formed to define seat recess means within said valve chamber about said inlet and outlet flow passages;
seat carrier means being positioned within said valve chamber and being formed to define seat retainer means, said seat carrier means defining gate guide means;
seat means being received by said seat retainer means of said seat carrier means and being at least partially received within said seat recess means;
bonnet means forming a closure for said valve chamber and containing first packing means, said bonnet means defining stop and back-face surface means;
gate means being movably positioned between said seat means and defining sealing surface means, said gate means defining port means for registry with said inlet and outlet passage means in the open position of said valve mechanism;
manual operator means for moving said gate and including actuator stem means being extended through said bonnet and being sealed with respect to said bonnet by said first packing means, stop and back-face seal means being defined by said actuator stem means and being engageable with said stop and back-face surface means at one of the open and closed positions of said gate means;
second packing means being supported by said valve body;
pressure balancing stem means being connected to said gate means and extending at least partially through said valve body, said second packing means sealing said pressure balancing stem with respect to said valve body;
a packing retainer is connected to said bonnet means and retains said first packing means within said bonnet, said packing retainer defining a passage through which said actuator stem extends;
said actuator stem defines a threaded extremity;
a stem drive element having threaded connection to said threaded extremity of said actuator stem;
and
retainer means retaining said stem drive element and providing force reaction therefor to induce linear movement to said actuator stem responsive to rotary movement of said stem drive element, said retainer means being selectively positionable to allow simultaneous linear movement of said stem drive element and said actuator stem and allowing sealing contact between said stop and back-face surface means and stop and back-face seal means.

10 more elements

A pressure balanced gate valve mechanism for controlling flow of fluid, said valve mechanism comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber and inlet and outlet flow passages intersecting said valve chamber, said valve body being formed to define seat recess means within said valve chamber about said inlet and outlet flow passages;
seat carrier means being positioned within said valve chamber and being formed to define seat retainer means, said seat carrier means defining gate guide means;
seat means being received by said seat retainer means of said seat carrier means and being at least partially received within said seat recess means;
bonnet means forming a closure for said valve chamber and containing first packing means, said bonnet means defining stop and back-face surface means;
gate means being movably positioned between said seat means and defining sealing surface means, said gate means defining port means for registry with said inlet and outlet passage means in the open position of said valve mechanism;
manual operator means for moving said gate and including actuator stem means being extended through said bonnet and being sealed with respect to said bonnet by said first packing means,
stop and back-face seal means being defined by said actuator stem means and being engageable with said stop and back-face surface means at one of the open and closed positions of said gate means;
second packing means being supported by said valve body;
pressure balancing stem means being connected to said gate means and extending at least partially through said valve body, said second packing means sealing said pressure balancing stem with respect to said valve body;
fluid interchange chambers enclosing the outer extremities of said actuator stem and said pressure balancing stem;
fluid interchange means is established between said fluid interchange chambers and establishes balanced pressure within each of said fluid interchange chambers;
a first one of said fluid interchange chambers surrounds the threaded extremity of said actuator stem;
the second one of said fluid interchange chambers surrounds the outer extremity of said pressure balancing stem;
and
fluid transfer means establishes fluid communication between said first and second fluid interchange chambers.

12 more elements

A pressure balanced gate valve mechanism for controlling the flow of fluid, said valve mechanism comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber and forming inlet and outlet flow passages intersecting said valve chamber;
bonnet means forming a closure for said valve chamber;
gate means being movably positioned within said valve chamber and defining a port for registry with said flow passages in the open condition of said valve, said gate defining connection means at each extremity thereof;
seat means establishing seals between said gate means and said valve body about each of said flow passages;
actuator stem means defining inner and outer extremities and having the inner extremity thereof connected to one extremity of said gate means and extending in sealed relation through said bonnet means, said outer extremity defining an externally threaded portion;
internally threaded drive means is engaged with said externally threaded portion of said actuator stem;
retainer means is provided on said valve mechanism and retains said drive means in assembly therewith, said retainer means being movable to an inoperative position, allowing linear movement of said actuator stem and said drive means upon hydraulic energized movement of said gate means;
the threaded connection of said retainer means and said valve mechanism is of greater length than the length of normal gate travel during operation, and said retainer means is selectively positionable to allow sealing contact between said stop and backface surface means of said bonnet and said stop and back-face seal means of said actuator stem at both the open and closed positions of said actuator means;
actuator means connected to said bonnet and being operative for imparting linear movement to said actuator stem means to cause opening and closing movement of said gate means;
pressure balancing stem means defining inner and outer extremities and having the inner extremity thereof connected to the other extremity of said gate means and extending in sealed relation at least partially through said valve body;
said bonnet means defining first closed chamber means surrounding the externally threaded portion of said outer extremity of said actuator stem;
said valve body defining second closed chamber means surrounding the outer extremity of said pressure balancing stem means;
pressure balancing fluid interchange means establishing fluid communication between said first and second closed chamber means.

10 more elements

A pressure balanced gate valve mechanism for controlling the flow of fluid, said valve mechanism comprising:

a valve body defining a valve chamber and forming inlet and outlet flow passages intersecting said valve chamber;
bonnet means forming a closure for said valve chamber;
gate means being movably positioned within said valve chamber and defining a port for registry with said flow passages in the open condition of said valve, said gate defining connection means at each extremity thereof;
seat means establishing seals between said gate means and said valve body about each of said flow passages;
actuator stem means defining inner and outer extremities and having the inner extremity thereof connected to one extremity of said gate means and extending in sealed relation through said bonnet means, said outer extremity of said actuator stem means being externally threaded;
fluid energized actuator means connected to said bonnet and being operative for imparting linear movement to said actuator stem means to cause opening and closing movement of said gate means;
internally threaded drive means is engaged with said externally threaded portion of said actuator stem;
retainer means is provided on said valve mechanism and retains said drive means in assembly therewith, said retainer means being movable to an inoperative position, allowing linear movement of said actuator stem and said drive means upon hydraulic energized movement of said gate means;
the threaded connection of said retainer means and said valve mechanism is of greater length than the length of normal gate travel during operation, and said retainer means is selectively positionable to allow sealing contact between said stop and back-face surface means of said bonnet and said stop and back-face seal means of said actuator stem at both the open and closed positions of said actuator means;
pressure balancing stem means defining inner and outer extremities and having the inner extremity thereof connected to the outer extremity of said gate means and extending in sealed relation at least partially through said valve body;
and
means for inducing linear movement to said pressure balancing stem and gate exclusive of said actuator means.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.