Choke valve device

A control valve for controlling a pressure and a flow rate of a fluid, comprising:

• an inlet;
• at least one inlet channel;
• at least one inlet port;
• a controllable flow inlet valve configured to adjust fluid flow from the inlet and the at least one inlet channel through the at least one inlet port;
• and
• a speed reduction chamber having an inlet portion, configured to receive fluid tangentially from the at least one inlet port, extending continuously to an outlet,
• wherein fluid flowing from the inlet is brought to rotate about a main flow axis by the at least one inlet channel and the at least one inlet port before flowing out of the outlet via the speed reduction chamber at a reduced pressure or flow rate, the speed reduction chamber being substantially concentric with the main flow axis and being in part divergent along the main flow axis, wherein the inlet portion of the speed reduction chamber is convergent along the main flow axis, wherein the speed reduction chamber has a hyperboloid divergent portion leading to the outlet, with the hyperboloid divergent portion having a maximum diameter greater than a maximum diameter of the inlet portion and a minimum diameter greater than a diameter of the outlet, and wherein the controllable flow inlet valve is disposed between the inlet and the inlet portion of the speed reduction chamber.

A method of reducing a flow rate of a fluid comprising droplets of a dispersed phase within a continuous phase, the method comprising:

• introducing the fluid into a control valve through an inlet, at least one inlet channel and at least one inlet port while causing the fluid to rotate around a main flow axis of a speed reduction chamber, the speed reduction chamber having an inlet portion extending from the inlet and receiving fluid tangentially from the at least one inlet port;
• increasing the tangential velocity of the rotating fluid flow by introducing the fluid through a convergent portion of the control valve, the convergent portion of the control valve causing a reduction in the rotation radius of the fluid flow;
• introducing the fluid into a hyperbolic divergent portion of the speed reduction chamber, with the hyperboloid divergent portion having a maximum diameter greater than a maximum diameter of the inlet portion and a minimum diameter greater than a diameter of an outlet of the control valve, so as to avoid a large reduction in the droplet size in the dispersed phase of the fluid;
• and
• controlling the fluid flow rate through the inlet by passing the fluid through a controllable flow inlet valve, disposed between the inlet and the inlet portion of the speed reduction chamber, to adjust fluid flow from the inlet and the at least one inlet channel through the at least one inlet port to the inlet portion and continuously to the outlet.

A method of reducing a flow rate of a fluid comprising droplets of a dispersed phase within a continuous phase, the method comprising:

• introducing the fluid into a control valve through an inlet, the inlet causing the fluid to rotate around a main flow axis of a speed reduction chamber, the speed reduction chamber having an inlet portion extending from the inlet;
• increasing the tangential velocity of the rotating fluid flow by introducing the fluid through a convergent portion of the control valve, the convergent portion of the control valve causing a reduction in the rotation radius of the fluid flow;
• introducing the fluid into a hyperbolic divergent portion of the speed reduction chamber, with the hyperboloid divergent portion having a maximum diameter greater than a maximum diameter of the inlet portion, so as to avoid a large reduction in the droplet size in the dispersed phase of the fluid;
• controlling the fluid flow rate through the inlet by passing the fluid through a controllable flow inlet valve prior to introducing the fluid through the inlet;
• and
• removing the fluid from the control valve through an outlet provided in an end plate, said end plate sealing said control valve.