Ball valves with lattice structures and methods of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837562-B2
Application number	US-201715835084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Dec 7, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A ball for use within a ball valve includes an outer wall, an inner wall that defines a central bore, and a lattice structure positioned within an interior space defined between the outer wall and the inner wall. The ball may include one or more flow conditioners positioned within the central bore. The ball may be formed via an additive manufacturing process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ball for use within a ball valve, comprising:
an outer wall;
an inner wall that defines a central bore; and
a first lattice structure positioned within an interior space defined between the outer wall and the inner wall, wherein the first lattice structure comprises a grid of cells interconnected with one another and coupled to the inner and outer walls along the central bore at least in a central area midway between opposite ends of the central bore, and the grid of cells comprises a plurality of cells disposed one after another in a first direction from the outer wall to the inner wall,
wherein the first lattice defines a plurality of open spaces within the grid of cells, the open spaces arranged parallel with the central bore of the inner wall, and
wherein at least some of the open spaces extend within the interior space between inner surfaces of the outer wall.

2. The ball of claim 1 , wherein the first lattice structure comprises a square lattice structure.

3. The ball of claim 1 , wherein the first lattice structure comprises a hexagonal lattice structure, a pyramidal lattice structure, a triangular prism lattice structure, or a tetrahedron lattice structure.

4. The ball of claim 1 , wherein the grid of cells of the first lattice structure is coupled to the inner and outer walls along an entire length of the central bore.

5. The ball of claim 1 , wherein the first lattice structure is entirely internal to the outer wall and the inner wall.

6. The ball of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the outer wall is between approximately 1 to 25 percent of a maximum diameter of the ball.

7. The ball of claim 1 , comprising one or more flow conditioners positioned within the central bore, wherein the one or more flow conditioners are integrally formed with the ball.

8. The ball of claim 7 , wherein the one or more flow conditioners comprise one flow conditioner positioned at a central portion of the central bore.

9. A ball valve, comprising:
a housing; and
a ball positioned within the housing and configured to rotate to adjust the ball valve between an open position and a closed position, wherein the ball comprises an outer wall, an inner wall that defines a central bore that enables fluid flow across the ball valve while the ball valve is in the open position, and a first lattice structure that extends between the outer wall and the inner wall;
wherein the first lattice structure comprises a grid of cells interconnected with one another and coupled to the inner and outer walls along the central bore at least in a central area midway between opposite ends of the central bore, and the grid of cells comprises a plurality of cells disposed one after another in a first direction from the outer wall to the inner wall,
wherein the grid of cells defines a plurality of open spaces therein, the open spaces arranged parallel with the central bore of the inner wall, and
wherein at least some of the open spaces extend within the interior space between inner surfaces of the outer wall.

10. The ball valve of claim 9 , wherein the housing comprises a body, an upstream closure, and a downstream closure, and at least one of the body, the upstream closure, and the downstream closure comprises a second lattice structure.

11. The ball valve of claim 10 , wherein the second lattice structure comprises through holes, wherein the through holes of the second lattice structure are parallel with the open spaces of the first lattice structure when the valve is in the open position.

12. The ball valve of claim 9 , wherein the first lattice structure comprises a square lattice structure or a hexagonal lattice structure.

13. The ball valve of claim 11 , wherein each of the through holes extends in an axial direction along a central axis of a fluid flow bore through the housing, the ball is configured to rotate to position the central bore into alignment with the fluid flow bore in the open position, and the ball is configured to rotate to position the central bore out of alignment with the fluid flow bore in the closed position.

14. The ball valve of claim 9 , wherein the grid of cells of the first lattice structure is coupled to the inner and outer walls along an entire length of the central bore.

15. The ball valve of claim 9 , wherein the grid of the cells comprises a first plurality of trusses extending in the first direction, a second plurality of trusses extending in a second direction crosswise to the first direction, and a third plurality of trusses extending in a third direction crosswise to the first and second directions.

16. The ball valve of claim 1 , wherein the grid of the cells comprises a first plurality of trusses extending in the first direction, a second plurality of trusses extending in a second direction crosswise to the first direction, and a third plurality of trusses extending in a third direction crosswise to the first and second directions.

17. A system, comprising:
a ball valve configured to mount in a valve body having a fluid passage, wherein the ball valve is configured to move between an open position and closed position in the valve body, wherein the ball valve comprises:
an outer wall;
an inner wall that defines a central bore, the central bore interconnected with the fluid passage when the ball valve is in the open position; and
a lattice structure positioned within an interior space defined between the outer wall and the inner wall, wherein the lattice structure comprises a grid of cells interconnected with one another and coupled to the inner and outer walls along the central bore at least in a central area midway between opposite ends of the central bore, and the grid of cells comprises a plurality of cells disposed one after another in a first direction from the outer wall to the inner wall, the grid of cells defining open spaces therebetween, wherein the open spaces are parallel to the central bore of the inner wall, and
wherein at least some of the open spaces extend within the interior space between inner surfaces of the outer wall.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the grid of the cells comprises a first plurality of trusses extending in the first direction and a second plurality of trusses extending in a second direction crosswise to the first direction, wherein the grid of the cells comprises a third plurality of trusses extending in a third direction crosswise to the first and second directions.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the grid of the cells of the lattice structure is coupled to the inner and outer walls along an entire length of the central bore.

20. The system of claim 17 , comprising the valve body having a second lattice structure, wherein the second lattice structure comprises a plurality of holes extending in an axial direction along a central axis of a fluid flow bore through the valve body.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Gottlieb Emanuel John
• Magadi Gopalakrishna Srinivasamurthy

Classifications

• F16K5/0605 Primary

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

• F16K5/0657

  Particular coverings or materials · CPC title

• E21B2200/04

  Ball valves · CPC title

• F16K27/067

  with spherical plugs · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title