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US 8,974,201 B2Granted
Rotating compressor valve
AssigneeGE Oil & Gas Compression Systems, LLC
InventorsSpencer T. Oulman, Kyle W. Sembera, Omar M. Kabir, Thomas C. Riggs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
As described in detail below, the disclosed embodiments include a rotating compressor valve having stationary front and rear plates (e.g., guards) and a rotating plate configured to rotate relative to the stationary front and rear plates. The stationary front and rear plates and the rotating plate all include a plurality of slots which, when aligned, allow a process fluid (e.g., natural gas) to flow through the rotating compressor valve. In certain embodiments, the slots of the rotating plate include an arc radius that is smaller than an arc radius of the slots of the stationary front and rear plates.
Claims24
A system, comprising:
- a rotating compressor valve, comprising:
- a first circular plate having a first plurality of slots extending axially through the first circular plate;
- a second circular plate having a second plurality of slots extending axially through the second circular plate, wherein the first circular plate is fixed relative to the second circular plate, and the first plurality of slots are aligned circumferentially with respect to the second plurality of slots;
- and
- a third circular plate disposed axially between the first and second circular plates, wherein the third circular plate comprises a third plurality of slots extending axially through the third circular plate, and the third circular plate is configured to rotate relative to the first and second circular plates, wherein the rotating compressor valve comprises at least one of:
- at least one slot of the first, second, or third plurality of slots comprises opposite radially extending edges that curve in a radial direction between an inner radius and an outer radius;
- or
- at least one slot of the third plurality of slots comprises opposite edges that taper in common directions away from a rotational axis from a first side to a second side of the third circular plate;
- or a combination thereof.
6 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a compressor, comprising:
- a rotating compressor valve, comprising:
- a first circular plate having a first plurality of slots extending axially through the first circular plate;
- a second circular plate having a second plurality of slots extending axially through the second circular plate, wherein the first circular plate is fixed relative to the second circular plate, and the first plurality of slots are aligned circumferentially with respect to the second plurality of slots;
- and
- a third circular plate disposed axially between the first and second circular plates, wherein the third circular plate comprises a third plurality of slots extending axially through the third circular plate, and the third circular plate is configured to rotate relative to the first and second circular plates, wherein the rotating compressor valve comprises at least one of:
- at least one slot of the first, second, or third plurality of slots comprises opposite radially extending edges that curve in a radial direction between an inner radius and an outer radius;
- or
- at least one slot of the third plurality of slots comprises opposite edges that taper in common directions away from a rotational axis from a first side to a second side of the third circular plate;
- or a combination thereof.
7 more elements
A method, comprising:
- opening a flow path through a compressor by rotating a rotating plate within two stationary plates of a rotating compressor valve to circumferentially align slots in extending axially through the rotating plate with complimentary slots extending axially through the two stationary plates;
- and
- closing the flow path through the compressor by rotating the rotating plate within the two stationary plates to circumferentially align the slots in the rotating plate with the complimentary slots in the two stationary plates, wherein the rotating compressor valve comprises at least one of:
- at least one slot of the slots in the rotating plate or the complimentary slots in the two stationary plates comprises opposite radially extending edges that curve in a radial direction between an inner radius and an outer radius;
- or
- at least one slot of the slots in the rotating plate comprises opposite edges that taper in common directions away from a rotational axis from a first side to a second side of the rotating plate;
- or a combination thereof.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.