Valve seat replacement system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10718436-B2
Application number	US-201815907755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2018
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a valve sleeve for forming at least a portion of a valve flow passage. The valve sleeve includes a seat end having a seat face, the seat end extending at least partially into a chamber of a valve body. The valve sleeve also includes a sleeve portion coupled to the seat end and having a coupling end opposite the seat face, the coupling end comprising a retaining mechanism for removably coupling the valve sleeve to the valve body. The valve sleeve further includes an opening extending along a length of the valve sleeve, the opening forming at least a portion of the valve flow passage and having a generally circular cross section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve for controlling a fluid flow, the valve comprising:
a valve body having an inlet at a first end, an outlet at a second end, and a chamber positioned between the inlet and outlet;
a valve member moveable between an open position and a closed position, the valve member positioned within the chamber and blocking flow through the valve body when in the closed position and enabling flow through the valve body when in the open position;
a valve sleeve extending from at least one of the inlet or outlet into the chamber, the valve sleeve comprising a seat face at a seat end proximate the valve member, the valve sleeve abutting a shoulder formed along a flow path through the chamber, the shoulder facing a direction opposite the seat end, wherein the valve member contacts the seat face when in the open position and the closed position; and
a retaining mechanism coupling the valve sleeve to the valve body, the retaining mechanism mounted on at least one of the valve sleeve or the valve body and configured to transition the valve sleeve between an engaged position where the valve sleeve is coupled to the valve body and a disengaged position where the valve sleeve is not coupled to the valve body, the retaining mechanism comprising:
a retention feature moveable between the engaged position and the disengaged position, the retention feature being stored within an outer diameter of the valve sleeve when in the disengaged position and extending radially outward from the outer diameter when in the engaged position; and

an actuating mechanism, the actuating mechanism driving movement of the retention feature between the engaged position and the disengaged position, the actuating mechanism comprising:
a rotating body coupled to the retention feature, the rotating body rotating about an actuation axis to transition the retention feature between the engaged and disengaged positions; and
a plug coupling the retention feature to the rotating body, the plug blocking independent rotation of the retention feature about the actuation axis to thereby transmit rotation of the rotating body to the retention feature.

2. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the retention mechanism comprises:
a plurality of apertures arranged circumferentially about a coupling end of the valve sleeve, the apertures aligning with corresponding apertures formed in the valve body; and
fasteners extending through the apertures to couple the valve sleeve to the valve body.

3. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the retention mechanism comprises:
threads arranged along at least a portion of a length of the valve sleeve; and
mating threads arranged within a receptacle formed in the valve body.

4. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve sleeve comprises:
the seat end including the seat face; and
a sleeve portion including a coupling end, wherein the seat end is removably coupled to the sleeve portion.

5. The valve of claim 4 , wherein the seat end and the sleeve portion are made of different materials.

6. A valve sleeve for forming at least a portion of a valve flow passage, the valve sleeve comprising:
a seat end having a seat face, the seat end extending at least partially into a chamber of a valve body;
a sleeve portion coupled to the seat end and having a coupling end opposite the seat face, the coupling end comprising a retaining mechanism for removably coupling the valve sleeve to the valve body, the sleeve portion being positioned to contact an outward facing shoulder of the valve body at an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of the seat face, the retaining mechanism comprising:
a retention feature for securing the valve sleeve to the valve body, the retention feature extending radially outward from the coupling end and into a channel formed in the valve body;
an actuating mechanism for moving the retention feature between an engaged position where the retention feature extends radially outward from the coupling end and a disengaged position where the retention feature is within a slot formed in the coupling end; and
actuating recesses formed in the coupling end, the actuating recesses being used to drive movement of the actuating mechanism; and

an opening extending along a length of the valve sleeve, the opening forming at least a portion of the valve flow passage and having a generally circular cross section.

7. The valve sleeve of claim 6 , further comprising a mating face at the coupling end, the mating face including a groove for receiving a ring joint gasket, the groove being arranged radially outward from the opening and radially inward from the retaining mechanism.

8. The valve sleeve of claim 6 , wherein the coupling end comprises:
a plurality of slots extending radially inward from an outer diameter of the coupling end;
a barrier arranged between each slot of the plurality of slots, the respective barriers separating the slots from adjacent slots; and
a groove extending circumferentially about an outer diameter of the coupling end, the groove extending radially inward into each barrier.

9. The valve sleeve of claim 8 , further comprising a resilient member arranged within the groove.

10. The valve sleeve of claim 6 , wherein the retaining mechanism comprises:
a plurality of apertures arranged circumferentially about a mating face of the coupling end, the apertures positioned radially outward from the opening;
a plurality of mating apertures extending into the valve body; and
a plurality of fasteners extending through the apertures and the mating apertures, the fasteners coupling the valve sleeve to the valve body.

11. The valve sleeve of claim 6 , wherein the seat end is removably coupled to the sleeve portion and the seat end is comprised of a different material than the sleeve portion.

12. The valve sleeve of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the valve sleeve is comprised of a material having different properties than a material of the valve body.

Assignees

• Ge Oil & Gas Pressure Control Lp

Inventors

• Powell Jonathan Keith
• Munk Brian
• Mitelman Guy
• Cheatham Lloyd

Classifications

• F16K27/0272

  valves provided with a lining · CPC title

• F16K3/0272

  permitting easy assembly or disassembly · CPC title

• F16K3/30

  Details · CPC title

• Y10T137/6079

  Having particular valve seat · CPC title

• F16K3/0236 Primary

  the packing being of a non-resilient material, e.g. ceramic, metal · CPC title