Subsea control valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865895-B2
Application number	US-201716336093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2017
Priority date	Sep 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a subsea control valve ( 10 ) for controlling the supply of hydraulic fluid to a subsea fluid-actuated device ( 4 ). The valve comprises a housing ( 11 ) with an input fluid line bore ( 16 ) connectable to a input fluid system ( 2 ), a return fluid line bore ( 17 ) connectable to a return fluid system ( 3 ) and an actuator fluid line bore ( 18 ) connectable to the fluid-actuated device ( 4 ). A ball valve member ( 20 ) with a through bore ( 21 ) is pivotably connected within the housing ( 11 ) between the input fluid line bore ( 16 ), the return fluid line bore ( 17 ) and the actuator fluid line bore ( 18 ), the ball valve member ( 20 ) having a first and a second position. The actuator fluid line bore ( 18 ) and the return fluid line bore ( 17 ) are connected to each other via the through bore ( 21 ) when the ball valve member ( 20 ) is in its first position, thereby allowing fluid to be returned from the fluid-actuated device ( 4 ) to the return fluid system ( 3 ). The input fluid line bore ( 16 ) and the actuator fluid line bore ( 18 ) are connected to each other via the through bore ( 21 ) when the ball valve member ( 20 ) is in its second position, thereby allowing fluid to flow from the input fluid system ( 2 ) to the fluid-actuated device ( 4 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A subsea control valve for controlling the supply of hydraulic fluid to a subsea fluid-actuated device, the subsea control valve comprising:
a housing comprising an input fluid line bore connectable to a input fluid system, a return fluid line bore connectable to a return fluid system and an actuator fluid line bore connectable to the fluid-actuated device; and
a ball valve member comprising a through bore, the ball valve member being pivotably connected within the housing between the input fluid line bore, the return fluid line bore and the actuator fluid line bore and having a first and a second position;
wherein the actuator fluid line bore and the return fluid line bore are connected to each other via the through bore when the ball valve member is in its first position, thereby allowing fluid to be returned from the fluid-actuated device to the return fluid system; and
wherein the input fluid line bore and the actuator fluid line bore are connected to each other via the through bore when the ball valve member is in its second position, thereby allowing fluid to flow from the input fluid system to the fluid-actuated device;
an input side ball seat and a return side ball seat for supporting the ball valve member within the housing, wherein the input fluid line bore is provided through the input side ball seat and the return fluid line bore is provided through the return side ball seat;
a first ball valve seal having a first radius, the first ball valve seal being provided between the input side ball seat and the ball valve member; and
a second ball valve seal having a second radius, the second ball valve seal being provided between the return side ball seat and the ball valve member;
wherein the first radius of the first ball valve seal is smaller than the second radius of the second ball valve seal.

2. The subsea control valve according to claim 1 , where the input side ball seat and the return side ball seat are biased towards the ball valve member.

3. The subsea control valve according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an input side end element and a return side end element which are both connected to the housing;
wherein an axially protruding section of the input side ball seat is sealed against the input side end element by an input side seal; and
wherein an axially protruding section of the return side ball seat is sealed against the return side end element by a return side seal.

4. The subsea control valve according to claim 3 , wherein an input side spring device is provided between the input side ball seat and the input side end element and a return side spring device is provided between the return side ball seat and the return side end element.

5. The subsea control valve according to claim 3 , wherein the input side ball seat comprises an input side inner piston surface which is exposed to the fluid pressure of the input fluid line and an input side outer piston surface which is exposed to the fluid pressure of the actuator fluid line, and wherein the return side ball seat comprises a return side inner piston surface which is exposed to the fluid pressure of the return fluid line and a return side outer piston surface which is exposed to the fluid pressure of the actuator fluid line.

6. The subsea control valve according to claim 5 , wherein an area of the input side inner piston surface is larger than an area of the return side inner piston surface.

7. The subsea control valve according to claim 5 , wherein an area of the input side outer piston surface is smaller than an area of the return side outer piston surface.

8. The subsea control valve according to claim 1 , wherein a rotation axis of the ball valve member is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the input fluid line bore and a longitudinal axis of the return fluid line bore.

9. The subsea control valve according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the actuator fluid line bore coincides with a rotation axis of the ball valve member.

10. The subsea control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the ball valve member comprises a supporting element protruding into the actuator fluid line bore of the housing.

11. The subsea control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the ball valve member is connected to a shaft by a connection interface which allows the valve member to be rotated by the shaft, and wherein the connection interface comprises a piston surface which is exposed to the fluid of the actuator fluid line.

12. The subsea control valve according to claim 11 , wherein the through bore of the ball valve member comprises a fluid bore section which extends towards the piston surface.

13. The subsea control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the through bore of the ball valve member comprises two sections which are oriented at an angle of 90° in relation to each other, wherein one section is perpendicular to a rotation axis of the ball valve member and another section coincides with the rotation axis of the ball valve member.

14. A system for controlling operation of a subsea fluid-actuated device between an initial state and an actuated state, the device comprising an actuator member which is biased with a biasing force to the initial state; wherein the system comprises:
a subsea control valve comprising a ball valve member, an input fluid line bore, a return fluid line bore and an actuator fluid line bore;
an input fluid system connected to the input fluid line bore, wherein a fluid pressure of the input fluid system is configured to be higher than a pressure needed to counteract the biasing force of the actuator member;
a return fluid system connected to the return fluid line bore, wherein a fluid pressure of the return fluid system is configured to be lower than the pressure needed to counteract the biasing force of the actuator member;
wherein the actuator fluid line bore is connectable to the fluid-actuated device;
wherein the actuator fluid line bore and the return fluid line bore are connected to each other when the ball valve member is in a first position, thereby allowing fluid to return from the actuator fluid line bore to the return fluid bore; and
wherein the input fluid line bore and the actuator fluid line bore are connected to each other when the ball valve member is in a second position, thereby allowing fluid to flow from the input fluid system to the actuator fluid line bore; and
wherein the subsea control valve further comprises:
a housing;
an input side ball seat and a return side ball seat for supporting the ball valve member within the housing, wherein the input fluid line bore is provided through the input side ball seat and the return fluid line is provided through the return side ball seat;
a first ball valve seal having a first radius, the first ball valve seal being provided between the input side ball seat and the ball valve member; and
a second ball valve seal having a second radius, the second ball valve seal being provided between the return side ball seat and the ball valve member;
wherein the first radius of the first ball valve seal is smaller than the second radius of the second ball valve seal.

15. The system according to claim 14 , where the input side ball seat and the return side ball seat are biased towards the ball valve member.

16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the subsea control valve further comprises:
an input side end element and a return side end element which are both connected to the housing;
wherein an axially protruding section of the input side ball seat is sealed against the input side end element by

Assignees

• Fmc Kongsberg Subsea As

Inventors

• Magnus Heyn Halfdan
• Mathisen Stig Fredrik

Classifications

• E21B34/04

  in underwater well heads · CPC title

• F16K11/0873

  the plug being only rotatable around one spindle · CPC title

• F16K11/0876 Primary

  one connecting conduit having the same axis as the spindle · CPC title

• Y10T137/86638

  Rotary valve · CPC title

• F16K11/056

  with ball-shaped valve members · CPC title