Valve stem seal leak protection and detection apparatus

A safety structure for detecting fluid leakage from a valve having an exposed end of a rotatable valve stem connected to a valve element located within the valve for rotating the valve element between an open and a closed position to control fluid flow throught through the valve, comprising:

• a jacket means;
• an elongated handle extension means disposed within said jacket means for rotation about its longitudinal axis, said handle extension means having an end extending outwardly from said jacket means for turning said handle extension means;
• means included with said jacket means for attaching said jacket means directly to the valve through a valve neck portion in an isolating configuration covering the exposed end of the rotatable valve stem, said isolating configuration having said handle extension means coaxial and adjacent the covered end of the rotatable valve stem, said means for attaching in said isolating configuration including flange neck portion means attached to said jacket means so as to be removable as a single unit and adapted to be removably secured to the valve, and fastening means for removably fastening said flange means to the valve neck portion, said flange means for compressing a seal means disposed within the valve neck portion to provide a seal around the valve stem when said flange portion is secured to said valve neck portion;
• rotational transfer means included with said handle extension means adjacent the covered end of the rotatable valve stem for connecting said handle extension means to the rotatable valve stem to transfer the rotation of said handle extension means to said rotatable valve stem;
• a sealed chamber in said jacket means surrounding said elongated handle extension means and extending along said handle extension means in said isolating configuration to communicate with the covered end of the rotatable valve stem for isolating the covered end of the rotatable valve stem;
• and,
• means for detecting leakage from the valve into said chamber from around the covered end of the rotatable valve stem.

A valve, comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet and an outlet;
• a rotatable valve element disposed in said valve body between said inlet and said outlet, said valve element rotatable between an open and a closed position to control fluid flow from said inlet to said outlet;
• a jacket means extending from said valve neck portion, said jacket means and said valve neck portion having coaxially aligned bores, said bore in said valve neck portion providing an interior bore;
• a rotatable valve stem extending through said coaxially aligned bores, said rotatable valve stem connecting to said rotatable valve element for rotating said valve element, said valve stem having a rotational means extending outwardly from said jacket means for turning said valve stem;
• a pair of spaced seal structures sealingly disposed in said coaxially aligned bores between said bores and said valve stem for preventing fluid leakage from said coaxially aligned bores, said seal structure in said interior bore providing a primary seal structure, said jacket means including flange means extending therefrom so as to be removable as a single unit and adapted to be directly secured to said valve neck portion over said interior bore, said flange means for compressing said primary seal structure to provide a sealing engagement within said interior bore and around said valve stem when said flange means is secured to said valve neck portion over said interior bore;
• a sealed, essentially unpressurized chamber in said jacket means between said coaxially aligned bores for isolating said interior bore;
• and,
• port means in said jacket means connecting with said chamber for passing fluid leaking into said chamber from said valve neck portion to a structure exterior said jacket means.

A method of detecting leakage from a valve having an exposed rotatable valve stem extending therefrom for opening and closing the valve, comprising the steps of:

• attaching a jacket to a valve neck portion in a configuration covering the exposed rotatable valve stem, said jacket means having flange means extended therefrom so as to be removable as a single unit and adapted to be directly secured to said valve neck portion;
• concurrently by the step of attaching, providing a primary seal structure, said flange means for compressing said primary seal structure to provide a sealing engagement within said valve neck portion and around said valve stem when said flange means is secured to said valve neck portion;
• providing a rotatable handle extension in the jacket having a first end extending from the jacket for turning the extension about its axis and a second end connecting the handle extension to the valve stem for transferring the rotation of the handle extension to the valve stem;
• providing a sealed chamber in the jacket communicating with the exposed rotatable valve stem for isolating the exposed rotatable valve stem by attaching the jacket to the valve;
• and,
• sampling the fluid of the sealed chamber for fluid leakage around the valve stem past the primary seal.