US 8,607,818 B2Granted

Pressure relief valve

AssigneeDresser, Inc.

InventorsJames Allen Monroe, Mychal Phillip Spencer

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Abstract

A pressure relief valve includes a base including a fluid inlet and outlet, a nozzle, and a disc. The nozzle includes a substantially annular seat, a substantially cylindrical seat inlet, and a substantially cylindrical bore in fluid communication with the seat inlet. A ratio between a bore diameter and a seat diameter is a constraint ratio. The disc contacts the seat to seal the fluid inlet to substantially prevent fluid communication between the fluid inlet and outlet when the valve is closed. The disc and the disc holder are adapted to be urged by fluidic pressure such that contact between the disc and the seat is removed at the fluidic pressure to allow fluid communication between the fluid inlet and the cavity. Dimensions of the disc, the disc holder, and the nozzle may be functions of the seat diameter and limited by the constraint ratio.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A pressure relief valve, comprising:

a base comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
a bonnet attached to the base, the base and the bonnet defining a cavity in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
a nozzle disposed within the fluid inlet and attached to the base, the nozzle having a first end comprising a substantially annular seat and a second end proximate the fluid inlet, the nozzle comprising a substantially cylindrical seat inlet that extends from the first end towards the second end, the substantially cylindrical seat having a seat diameter that defines the substantially cylindrical seat inlet from the substantially annular seat to a substantially cylindrical bore with a bore diameter proximate the second end, wherein the substantially cylindrical seat inlet is longer than the substantially cylindrical bore;
a disc disposed within a disc holder, the disc having a surface facing the fluid inlet to receive a first fluidic pressure, the disc adapted to contact the seat and seal the fluid inlet to substantially prevent fluid communication between the fluid inlet and the cavity when the valve is in a closed position, the disc and the disc holder adapted to be urged by an increase of the first fluidic pressure to a second fluidic pressure such that contact between the disc and the seat is removed at the second fluidic pressure to allow fluid communication between the fluid inlet and the cavity,
wherein the disc, the disc holder, and the nozzle have, respectively, a first dimension (d1), a second dimension (d2), and a third dimension (d3), with values that correspond to,
d1=x1*δ,
d2=x2*δ,
d3=x3*δ,
where δ is the seat diameter, x1 is a first constant, x2 is a second constant that is different from the second constant, and x3 is a third constant x3 that is different from the first constant x1 and the second constant x2,
wherein one of the first dimension (d1), the second dimension (d2), and the third dimension (d3) is further limited by a constraint ratio between the bore diameter and the seat diameter, and
wherein the first constant, the second constant, and the third constant have a value that permits operation of said pressure relief valve with a liquid media and a gas media.

8 more elements

A pressure relief valve, comprising:

a base comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the valve having a set pressure substantially equal to a pressure at the fluid inlet at which fluid communication is established between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the valve having a resealing pressure substantially equal to a pressure at the fluid inlet at which fluid communication is substantially ceased between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
a bonnet attached to the base, the base and the bonnet defining a cavity in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
a nozzle disposed within the fluid inlet and attached to the base, the nozzle having a first end comprising a substantially annular seat and a second end proximate the fluid inlet, the nozzle comprising a substantially cylindrical seat inlet that extends from the first end towards the second end, the substantially cylindrical seat having a seat diameter that defines the substantially cylindrical seat inlet from the substantially annular seat to a substantially cylindrical bore with a bore diameter proximate the second end, wherein the substantially cylindrical seat inlet is longer than the substantially cylindrical bore;
and
a pressure control system configured to receive a first fluid and regulate the first fluid such that a difference between the set pressure and the resealing pressure is within a predetermined percentage of the set pressure during operation of the valve with the first fluid, the first fluid comprising one of substantially all gas or substantially all liquid, the pressure control system configured to receive a second fluid and regulate the second fluid such that a difference between the set pressure and the resealing pressure is within the predetermined percentage of the set pressure during operation of the valve with the second fluid, the second fluid comprising substantially all liquid if the first fluid is substantially all gas and substantially all gas if the first fluid is substantially all liquid,
wherein the disc, the disc holder, and the nozzle have, respectively, a first dimension (d1), a second dimension (d2), and a third dimension (d3), with values that correspond to,
d1=x1*δ,
d2=x2*δ,
d3=x3*δ.
where δ is the seat diameter, x1 is a first constant, x2 is a second constant that is different from the second constant, and x3 is a third constant x3 that is different from the first constant x1 and the second constant x2,
wherein one of the first dimension (d1), the second dimension (d2), and the third dimension (d3) is further limited by a constraint ratio between the bore diameter and the seat diameter, and
wherein the first constant, the second constant, and the third constant have a value that permits operation of said pressure relief valve with the first fluid and the second fluid.

9 more elements

A method for using a pressure relief valve having a base comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the valve having a set pressure substantially equal to a pressure at the fluid inlet at which fluid communication is established between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the valve having a resealing pressure substantially equal to a pressure at the fluid inlet at which fluid communication is substantially ceased between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the method comprising:

providing a liquid to the fluid inlet such that a difference between the set pressure and the resealing pressure is within a predetermined percentage of the set pressure during operation of the valve with the liquid;
and
without modifying the valve, providing a gas to the fluid inlet such that a difference between the set pressure and the resealing pressure is within the predetermined percentage of the set pressure during operation of the valve with the gas,
wherein the pressure relief valve comprises a nozzle disposed within the fluid inlet and attached to the base, the nozzle having a first end comprising a substantially annular seat and a second end proximate the fluid inlet, the nozzle comprising a substantially cylindrical seat inlet that extends from the first end towards the second end, the substantially cylindrical seat having a seat diameter that defines the substantially cylindrical seat inlet from the substantially annular seat to a substantially cylindrical bore with a bore diameter proximate the second end, wherein the substantially cylindrical seat inlet is longer than the substantially cylindrical bore,
wherein the disc, the disc holder, and the nozzle have, respectively, a first dimension (d1), a second dimension (d2), and a third dimension (d3), with values that correspond to,
d1=x1*δ,
d2=x2*δ,
d3=x3*δ,
where δ is the seat diameter, x1 is a first constant, x2 is a second constant that is different from the second constant, and x3 is a third constant x3 that is different from the first constant x1 and the second constant x2,
wherein one of the first dimension (d1), the second dimension (d2), and the third dimension (d3) is further limited by a constraint ratio between the bore diameter and the seat diameter, and
wherein the first constant, the second constant, and the third constant have a value that permits operation of said pressure relief valve with the liquid and the gas.

8 more elements

providing a gas to the fluid inlet such that a difference between the set pressure and the resealing pressure is within a predetermined percentage of the set pressure during operation of the valve with the gas;
and
without modifying the valve, providing a liquid to the fluid inlet such that a difference between the set pressure and the resealing pressure is within the predetermined percentage of the set pressure during operation of the valve with the liquid,
wherein the pressure relief valve comprises a nozzle disposed within the fluid inlet and attached to the base, the nozzle having a first end comprising a substantially annular seat and a second end proximate the fluid inlet, the nozzle comprising a substantially cylindrical seat inlet that extends from the first end towards the second end, the substantially cylindrical seat having a seat diameter that defines the substantially cylindrical seat inlet from the substantially annular seat to a substantially cylindrical bore with a bore diameter proximate the second end, wherein the substantially cylindrical seat inlet is longer than the substantially cylindrical bore,
wherein the disc, the disc holder, and the nozzle have, respectively, a first dimension (d1), a second dimension (d2), and a third dimension (d3), with values that correspond to,
d1=x1*δ,
d2=x2*δ,
d3=x3*δ,
where δ is the seat diameter, x1 is a first constant, x2 is a second constant that is different from the second constant, and x3 is a third constant x3 that is different from the first constant x1 and the second constant x2,
wherein one of the first dimension (d1), the second dimension (d2), and the third dimension (d3) is further limited by a constraint ratio between the bore diameter and the seat diameter, and
wherein the first constant, the second constant, and the third constant have a value that permits operation of said pressure relief valve with the liquid and the gas.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.