Valve control and/or lubrication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10982808-B2
Application number	US-201916407085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2019
Priority date	May 8, 2019
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A system for operating and/or lubricating a plurality of valves which are mounted on a number of christmas trees and which each include a hydraulic actuator which is operated by hydraulic pressure from a hydraulic pressure source and a lubricant inlet which is connected to an interior portion of the valve that is configured to receive a lubricant from a lubricant source. The system includes a plurality of control units, each of which is associated with a respective valve and each of which has at least one of a hydraulic pressure line which is connectable to the hydraulic pressure source and a lubricant line which is connectable to the lubricant source. Each control unit is operable to selectively connect the hydraulic pressure source to the hydraulic actuator to thereby operate the valve and/or to selectively connect the lubricant source to the lubricant inlet to thereby communicate lubricant into the interior portion of the valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for operating and/or lubricating a plurality of valves which are mounted on a number of Christmas trees, each valve comprising a hydraulic actuator which is operated by hydraulic pressure from a hydraulic pressure source and/or a lubricant inlet which is connected to an interior portion of the valve that is configured to receive a lubricant from a lubricant source, the system comprising:
a plurality of control units, each of which is associated with a respective valve, each control unit comprising a hydraulic pressure line which is connectable to the hydraulic pressure source and a lubricant line which is connectable to the lubricant source;
each control unit further comprising a hydraulic port and a lubricant port;
a hydraulic conduit which is connected between the hydraulic port and the hydraulic actuator and a lubricant conduit which is connected between the lubricant port and the lubricant inlet;
each control unit further comprising a hydraulic activation means for selectively connecting the hydraulic pressure line to the hydraulic port and a lubricant activation means for selectively connecting the lubricant line to the lubricant port;
whereby each control unit is operable to selectively connect the hydraulic pressure source to the hydraulic actuator to thereby operate the valve and to selectively connect the lubricant source to the lubricant inlet to thereby communicate lubricant into the interior portion of the valve.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic activation means comprises an electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated first valve which is connected between the hydraulic pressure line and the hydraulic port.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first valve comprises a solenoid operated valve.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each control unit further comprises a hydraulic return line which is connectable to the hydraulic pressure source and first and second hydraulic ports which are connected via respective first and second hydraulic conduits to the hydraulic actuator, and wherein the hydraulic activation means is operable to selectively connect the hydraulic pressure and return lines to the hydraulic actuator to thereby operate the valve.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic activation means comprises an electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated first valve which is connected between the hydraulic pressure and return lines and the first and second hydraulic ports.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first valve comprises a solenoid operated directional control valve.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant activation means comprises a first valve which is connected between the lubricant line and the lubricant port.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant activation means comprises a lubricant pump which is connected between the lubricant line and the lubricant port.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the lubricant pump comprises a first cylinder which is alternately connectable to the hydraulic pressure and return lines and a second cylinder which is connected to the lubricant line.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the lubricant activation means further comprises an electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated first valve which is connected between the first cylinder and the hydraulic pressure and return lines, and wherein the first valve is configured to alternately connect the first cylinder to the hydraulic pressure and return lines to thereby operate the lubricant pump.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the valve comprises first and second lubricant inlets, each control unit comprises first and second lubricant ports which are connected to the lubricant inlets by respective first and second lubricant conduits, and the lubricant activation means further comprises an electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated second valve which is connected between the lubricant pump and the first and second lubricant ports.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first and second valves comprises a solenoid operated directional control valve.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein each control unit comprises a controller which is configured to operate the hydraulic activation means and/or the lubricant activation means.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein each control unit further comprises means for enabling an operator to manually operate the hydraulic activation means and/or the lubricant activation means.

15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a control computer which is located remotely of the Christmas trees and is configured to control the operation of the controllers.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising means for identifying to the control computer the valves to which the control units are connected.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the identifying means comprises a unique identifier for each control unit and location and function information for the valve to which each control unit is or will be connected, the identifier and location and function information being stored in digital form in a storage device which is accessible by the control computer.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the identifying means further comprises means for designating the location and function information of each valve and means for determining the location and function information from the designating means.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the designating means comprises a number of machine-readable tags which are connected to each control unit and are encoded with the location and function information of the valve to which the control unit is will be connected.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the determining means comprises an electronic media reader which is configured to read the tags.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the tags are removably connected to the control units.

22. The system of claim 13 , wherein each control unit further comprises a number of status lamps, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the status lamps to provide visual indications of certain conditions of the control unit.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pressure and return lines of each control unit on each Christmas tree are connected in series with the hydraulic pressure and return lines of another control unit on that tree.

24. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a number of manifold units, each of which is positioned on or adjacent a corresponding Christmas tree, wherein the control units of each tree are connected either directly or indirectly to the manifold unit for that tree.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein each manifold unit is connected in series with another manifold unit.

26. The system of claim 1 , wherein each control unit is positioned on its respective valve.

Assignees

• Fmc Tech Inc
• Fmg Tech Inc

Inventors

• Zerkus James Michael
• Raymond Steven Dornell
• Machado Thiago Guimaraes
• Pillai Rajeev Rajan

Classifications

• F16K31/122

  the fluid acting on a piston (F16K31/143, F16K31/163, F16K31/363, F16K31/383 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K3/0254

  being operated by particular means · CPC title

• F16N2270/70

  Supply · CPC title

• F16N7/385 Primary

  Central lubrication systems · CPC title

• F16K3/36

  Features relating to lubrication · CPC title