Hydraseal frac valve
AssigneeFracmaster, LLC
InventorDon Atencio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve seal assembly can be energized by external pressure, such as by hydraulic pressure introduced via injection ports, so as to press the seal assembly against a gate with enough force to block paths where sand and chemicals would otherwise enter the valve body cavity or void. The external pressure makes the parts of the seal assembly move like a piston, forcing the seat of the seal assembly to press against the gate, eliminating the machined tolerances or gaps required for the gate to be opened or closed. A separate valve seal assembly can be provided for each face of the gate, and both assemblies can be activated when the gate is in an open position (fluid is flowing through the valve), and an upstream valve seal assembly can be activated alone when the gate is in a closed position.
Claims18
A method, comprising:
- providing at least one seal assembly in a valve, each at least one seal assembly being (A) adjacent to a respective face of a gate in the valve, (B) disposed at least partly along a fluid flow path of the valve, and (C) disposed within a respective pocket formed in a body of the valve;
- and
- energizing the at least one seal assembly comprising, for each at least one seal assembly, injecting a fluid to the respective pocket in which the respective seal assembly is disposed and not to the respective face of the gate, so as to compress each at least one seal assembly against the respective face of the gate,
- wherein each at least one seal assembly comprises a valve seat and an energizer ring bushing, each of the valve seat and the energizer ring bushing configured as a respective substantially cylindrical member, wherein the valve seat comprises a valve seat seal on an outer circumferential surface of the valve seat, and wherein the energizer ring bushing comprises a plurality of seals on an outer circumferential surface of the energizer ring bushing.
A system comprising:
- means for sealing comprising at least one seal assembly in a valve, each at least one seal assembly being (A) adjacent to a respective face of a gate in the valve, (B) disposed at least partly along a fluid flow path of the valve, and (C) disposed within a respective pocket formed in a body of the valve;
- and
- means for energizing the at least one seal assembly, configured, for each at least one seal assembly, to inject a fluid to the respective pocket in which the respective seal assembly is disposed and not to the respective face of the gate, so as to compress each at least one seal assembly against the respective face of the gate,
- wherein each at least one seal assembly comprises a valve seat and an energizer ring bushing, each of the valve seat and the energizer ring bushing configured as a respective substantially cylindrical member, wherein the valve seat comprises a valve seat seal on an outer circumferential surface of the valve seat, and wherein the energizer ring bushing comprises a plurality of seals on an outer circumferential surface of the energizer ring bushing.
An apparatus comprising:
- at least one seal assembly in a valve, each at least one seal assembly being (A) adjacent to a respective face of a gate in the valve, (B) disposed at least partly along a fluid flow path of the valve, and (C) disposed within a respective pocket formed in a body of the valve;
- and
- at least one pressure injection port for energizing the at least one seal assembly, the at least one pressure injection port configured, for each at least one seal assembly, to inject a fluid to the respective pocket in which the respective seal assembly is disposed and not to the respective face of the gate, so as to compress each at least one seal assembly against the respective face of the gate,
- wherein each at least one seal assembly comprises a valve seat and an energizer ring bushing, each of the valve seat and the energizer ring bushing configured as a respective substantially cylindrical member, wherein the valve seat comprises a valve seat seal on an outer circumferential surface of the valve seat, and wherein the energizer ring bushing comprises a plurality of seals on an outer circumferential surface of the energizer ring bushing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.