Valve trim having adjustable fluid flow characteristics and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10830358-B2
Application number	US-201916384402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2019
Priority date	Apr 15, 2019
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

Valve trim and related methods are described. An example valve trim includes a cage defining a body having a bore to receive a valve plug. The cage includes a plurality of passageways through a side surface of the body that are radially spaced relative to a longitudinal axis of the bore. A valve seat to receive the cage. The valve seat has a plurality of projections defining a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings. Ones of the first openings to align with respective ones of the passageways to provide a first flow characteristic when the cage is positioned in a first orientation relative to the valve seat. Ones of the second openings to align with respective ones of the passageways of the cage to provide a second flow characteristic different than the first flow characteristic when the cage is positioned in a second orientation relative to the valve seat different from the first orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve trim comprising:
a cage defining a body having a bore to receive a valve plug, the cage including passageways through a side surface of the body that are radially spaced relative to a longitudinal axis of the bore; and
a valve seat to receive the cage, the valve seat having projection defining first openings and second openings, ones of the first openings to align with respective ones of the passageways to provide a first flow characteristic when the cage is positioned in a first orientation relative to the valve seat, and ones of the second openings to align with respective ones of the passageways of the cage to provide a second flow characteristic different than the first flow characteristic when the cage is positioned in a second orientation relative to the valve seat different than the first orientation.

2. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the passageways of the cage is unobstructed by the projections when the cage is in the first orientation relative to the valve seat to provide the first flow characteristic.

3. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the passageways of the cage is obstructed by at least one of the projections when the cage is in the second orientation relative to the valve seat to provide the second flow characteristic.

4. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first flow characteristic is a linear flow characteristic and the second flow characteristic is an equal-percentage flow characteristic.

5. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cage includes an orientation tab to engage at least one of a first slot of a valve body to orient the cage in the first orientation or a second slot of the valve body to orient the cage in the second orientation different than the first orientation.

6. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein the valve seat includes a locating slot to receive a locating tab of a valve body to fix an orientation of the valve seat relative to the valve body when the valve seat is positioned in the valve body.

7. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first openings are formed between the projections and the second openings are formed by the projections.

8. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second openings include a first set of second openings each having a first shape and a second set of second openings each having a second shape different than the first shape.

9. A valve comprising:
a valve body defining a fluid flow passageway between an inlet and an outlet;
a valve seat positioned in the valve body to define an orifice of the fluid flow passageway, the valve seat defining projections; and
a cage positioned in the fluid flow passageway, the cage defining a bore and passageways formed through a side surface of the cage, the cage to slidably receive a valve plug at a first end of the bore and to at least partially receive a portion of the projections of the valve seat at a second end of the bore opposite the first end, the cage is positionable relative to the valve seat in different orientations to provide different fluid flow characteristics.

10. The valve as defined in claim 9 , wherein each of the different orientations is to provide a respective one of the different fluid flow characteristics.

11. The valve as defined in claim 9 , wherein at least one of the projections has a longitudinal length capable of extending across at least a portion of at least one of the passageways.

12. The valve as defined in claim 9 , wherein the valve seat and the valve body include a first key to fix a position of the valve seat relative to the valve body.

13. The valve as defined in claim 12 , wherein the first key includes a locating tab and a locating slot to receive the locating tab, one of the valve seat or the valve body includes the locating tab and the other one of the valve seat or the valve body includes the locating slot.

14. The valve as defined in claim 12 , wherein the cage and the valve body define a second key to position the cage in at least one of a first orientation relative to the valve seat or a second orientation relative to the valve seat that is different than the first orientation.

15. The valve as defined in claim 14 , wherein the second key includes an orientation tab protruding from the side surface of the cage and orientation slots formed in the valve body, the orientation slots being radially spaced relative to a longitudinal axis of a bore defined by the valve body that is configured to receive the cage.

16. The valve as defined in claim 15 , wherein the orientation tab is to engage a first one of the orientation slots to position the cage in a first orientation relative to the valve seat.

17. The valve as defined in claim 16 , wherein the orientation tab is to engage a second one of the orientation slots to position the cage in a second orientation relative to the valve seat.

18. A valve trim comprising:
means for sealing including means for obstructing fluid flow; and
means for guiding a valve plug, the means for guiding including means for characterizing fluid flow, the means for guiding being positionable relative to the means for sealing between at least one of a first orientation or a second orientation different from the first orientation, the means for obstructing fluid flow being positioned adjacent the means for characterizing fluid flow when the means for guiding is in the first orientation, and the means for obstructing fluid flow to align with the means for characterizing fluid flow when the means for guiding is in the second orientation.

19. The valve trim as defined in claim 18 , wherein the means for obstructing fluid flow does not obstruct the means for characterizing fluid flow when the means for guiding is in the first orientation, and the means for obstructing fluid flow extends across at least a portion of the means for characterizing fluid flow when the means for guiding is in the second orientation.

20. The valve trim as defined in claim 18 , further including means for defining a fluid flow passageway between an inlet and an outlet, the means for defining the fluid flow passageway configured to receive the means for sealing and the means for guiding the valve plug, wherein the means for guiding and the means for defining the fluid flow passageway includes a first means for fixing the means for guiding in the first orientation or the second orientation, and the means for sealing and the means for defining the fluid flow passageway includes a second means for fixing the means for sealing relative to the means for defining the fluid flow passageway in a third orientation.

Assignees

• Fisher Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Hostetter Steven
• Ohrt Wesley

Classifications

• F16K27/065

  with cylindrical plugs · CPC title

• F16K27/041

  cylindrical slide valves · CPC title

• F16K5/0442

  Spindles and actuating means · CPC title

• F16K5/0407

  with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means · CPC title

• F16K3/30

  Details · CPC title