Slam-shut safety assembly for providing redundant safety shutoff

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11125348-B2
Application number	US-201916574602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Oct 10, 2018
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A slam-shut safety assembly configured to provide redundant safety shutoff in a gas distribution system. The slam-shut safety assembly includes a valve body, a first slam-shut safety device coupled to the valve body, and a second slam-shut safety device coupled to the valve body. The valve body has an inlet, an outlet, and defines a flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet. The first slam-shut safety device is configured to block the flow path at a first position responsive to an overpressure condition or an underpressure condition. The second slam-shut safety device is configured to block the flow path at a second position responsive to the overpressure condition or the underpressure condition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A slam-shut safety assembly configured to provide redundant safety shutoff in a gas distribution system, comprising:
a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and defining a flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet;
a first slam-shut safety device coupled to the valve body and configured to block the flow path at a first position within the valve body responsive to an overpressure condition or an underpressure condition; and
a second slam-shut safety device coupled to the valve body and configured to block the flow path at a second position within the valve body responsive to the overpressure condition or the underpressure condition,
wherein the first slam-shut safety device comprises a first control element movably disposed within the valve body, and
wherein a first side of the first control element is in fluid communication with a second side of the first control element when the first control element is in a first state and the first side of the first control element is isolated from the second side of the first control element when the first control element is in a second state.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second slam-shut safety device operates independently from the first slam-shut safety device.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first slam-shut safety device is coupled to a first port of the valve body and the second slam-shut safety device is coupled to a second port of the valve body, the second port being aligned with and opposite the first port.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first slam-shut valve seat disposed in the valve body, the first slam-shut valve seat defining a first orifice that forms a first part of the flow path; and
a second slam-shut valve seat disposed in the valve body, the second slam-shut valve seat defining a second orifice that forms a second part of the flow path,
wherein the first control element is movable along a slam-shut axis between the first state and the second state, the first state comprising an open first position, in which the first control element is spaced away from the first slam-shut valve seat, thereby allowing fluid flow through the first orifice, and the second state comprising a closed second position, in which the first control element is seated against the first slam-shut valve seat, thereby preventing fluid flow through the first orifice, and
wherein the second slam-shut safety device comprises a second control element movable along the slam-shut axis between an open first position, in which the second control element is spaced away from the second slam-shut valve seat, thereby allowing fluid flow through the second orifice, and a closed second position, in which the second control element is seated against the second slam-shut valve seat, thereby preventing fluid flow through the second orifice.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second control elements is pressure-balanced.

6. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first and second slam-shut valve seats are aligned with but spaced apart from one another within the valve body.

7. An assembly configured to provide redundant safety shutoff in a gas distribution system, comprising:
a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and defining a flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet, the valve body including a first slam-shut valve seat defining a first orifice that forms a first part of the flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and the valve body including a second slam-shut valve seat defining a second orifice that forms a second part of the flow path between the inlet and the outlet;
a first slam-shut safety device coupled to the valve body, comprising:
a first control element movably disposed within the valve body, the first control element movable along a slam-shut axis between an open first position, in which the first control element is spaced away from the first slam-shut valve seat, thereby allowing fluid flow through the first orifice, and a closed second position, in which the first control element is seated against the first slam-shut valve seat, thereby preventing fluid flow through the first orifice; and
a first valve stem operatively coupled to the first control element; and

a second slam-shut safety device, comprising:
a second control element movably disposed within the valve body, the second control element movable along the slam-shut axis between an open first position, in which the second control element is spaced away from the second slam-shut valve seat, thereby allowing fluid flow through the second orifice, and a closed second position, in which the second control element is seated against the second slam-shut valve seat, thereby preventing fluid flow through the second orifice; and
a second valve stem operatively coupled to the second control element,

wherein a first side of the first control element is in fluid communication with a second side of the first control element when the first control element is in the first open position and the first side of the first control element is isolated from the second side of the first control element when the first control element is in the second closed position.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the second slam-shut safety device prevents fluid flow through the second orifice independently of the first slam-shut safety device preventing fluid flow through the first orifice.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first slam-shut safety device is coupled to a first port of the valve body and the second slam-shut safety device is coupled to a second port of the valve body, the second port being aligned with and opposite the first port.

10. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first slam-shut safety device further comprises a first bonnet coupled to the valve body, the first bonnet comprising a first sleeve extending into the flow path, and the first control element movably disposed within the first sleeve between the open first position and the closed second position, and wherein the second slam-shut safety device further comprises a second bonnet coupled to the valve body, the second bonnet comprising a second sleeve extending into the flow path, and the second control element movably disposed within the second sleeve between the open first position and the closed second position.

11. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second control elements is pressure-balanced.

12. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first and second slam-shut valve seats are aligned with but spaced apart from one another within the valve body.

13. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a first bypass body coupled to the first control element and defining a first aperture arranged to facilitate fluid flow from the first side of the first control element to the second side of the first control element; and
a second bypass body coupled to the second control element and defining a second aperture arranged to facilitate fluid flow from a first side of the second control element to a second side of the second control element.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first side of the second control element is in continuous direct fluid communication with the second side of the first control element.

15. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a first biasing element arranged to bias the first control element toward the closed second position, and a second biasing element arranged to bias the second control element toward the closed second position.

16. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first

Assignees

• Emerson Process Man Regulator Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Groza Emil
• Gota Eva
• Paredes Nesmashnaya Nikita Jose
• Todea Adina
• Bouvry Michel

Classifications

• F16K2200/204

  in series · CPC title

• F16K2200/201

  of diverse type, size or shape · CPC title

• F16K17/32

  acting on a servo-mechanism or on a catch-releasing mechanism · CPC title

• F16K17/025

  and remaining open after return of the normal pressure · CPC title

• F16K1/443

  the seats being in series · CPC title