Valve trim having adjustable fluid flow characteristics and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11255442-B2
Application number	US-202017063289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2020
Priority date	Apr 15, 2019
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

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 first passageway through a side surface of the body. The first passageway has an axis that is non-parallel relative to a longitudinal axis of the bore. A valve seat is to receive the cage. The valve seat has a first projection defining a first opening. The cage to be positioned relative to the valve seat in a first orientation to align the first opening and the first passageway to provide a first flow characteristic. The cage to be positioned relative to the valve seat in a second orientation to offset an alignment between the first projection and the first passageway to provide a second flow characteristic different than the first flow characteristic.

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 a first passageway through a side surface of the body, the first passageway having an axis that is non-parallel relative to a longitudinal axis of the bore; and
a valve seat to receive the cage, the valve seat having a first projection defining a first opening, the cage to be positioned relative to the valve seat in a first orientation to align the first opening and the first passageway to provide a first flow characteristic, and the cage to be positioned relative to the valve seat in a second orientation to offset an alignment between the first projection and the first passageway to provide a second flow characteristic different than the first flow characteristic.

2. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein the bore of the cage at least partially receives the first projection.

3. 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.

4. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first passageway has a non-circular shape.

5. The valve trim as defined in claim 4 , wherein the first passageway includes a first portion having a first width and a second portion have a second width different than the first width such that the first passageway forms a generally T-shaped opening.

6. The valve trim as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cage includes a second passageway radially spaced from the first passageway, and wherein the valve seat includes a second projection radially spaced from the first projection.

7. The valve trim as defined in claim 6 , wherein the first projection is to align with first passageway and the second projection is to align with the second passageway when the cage is in the first orientation relative to the valve seat.

8. The valve trim as defined in claim 6 , wherein the first passageway and the second passageway have identical shapes.

9. The valve trim as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first projection has a first shape and the second projection has a second shape different than the first shape.

10. A valve trim comprising:
a cage having a longitudinal bore to receive a valve stem, the cage including a first passageway having an axis that is non-parallel relative to the longitudinal bore; and
a valve seat having a first projection extending in a direction toward the cage, the cage positionable relative to the valve seat between a first position at which the first passageway is partially obstructed by the first projection to provide a first fluid flow characteristic through the first passageway and a second position at which the first passageway is unobstructed to provide a second fluid flow characteristic through the first passageway different than the first fluid flow characteristic.

11. The valve trim as defined in claim 10 , wherein the first projection has a first body having at least one of a Y-shaped or a V-shaped cross-sectional shape taken along a longitudinal plane.

12. The valve trim as defined in claim 10 , wherein the valve seat includes a second projection extending in a direction toward the cage and radially spaced from the first projection.

13. The valve trim as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second projection has at least one of a Y-shape or a V-shape.

14. The valve trim as defined in claim 13 , wherein a space between the first projection and the second projection defines a U-shaped opening.

15. The valve trim as defined in claim 14 , wherein the cage has a second passageway having an axis that is non-parallel relative to the longitudinal bore and radially spaced from the first passageway, the first passageway to align with the first projection and the second passageway to align with the second projection when the cage is in the first position, and wherein the first passageway to align with the space between the first projection and the second projection when the cage is in the second position.

16. A valve trim comprising:
a valve seat structured to be positioned in a fluid flow passageway of a valve body, the valve seat having a projection extending from a seating surface of the valve seat, the projection formed adjacent a circumferential edge of the valve seat and about a portion of a circumference of the valve seat; and
a cage structured to be positioned in the valve body, the cage defining a bore formed along a longitudinal axis of the cage and a first opening 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 projection of the valve seat at a second end of the bore opposite the first end, the cage being positionable relative to the projection of the valve seat in different orientations to provide different fluid flow characteristics through the fluid flow passageway of the valve body.

17. The valve trim as defined in claim 16 , wherein the projection has a longitudinal length capable of extending across a portion of the first opening.

18. The valve trim as defined in claim 16 , wherein the cage is positionable relative to the valve seat between a first orientation and a second orientation, the cage in the first orientation to cause the projection to partially obstruct the first opening of the cage to define a first passageway between an inlet side of the cage and an outlet side of the cage that provides a first fluid flow characteristic, the cage in the second orientation to prevent the projection from obstructing the first opening to define a second passageway between the inlet side of the cage and the outlet side of the cage having a second fluid flow characteristic different than the first fluid flow characteristic.

19. The valve trim as defined in claim 16 , wherein the projection and the first opening define a first flow path that provides a first fluid flow characteristic when the cage is in a first orientation relative to the valve seat, and wherein the first opening defines a second flow path that provides a second fluid flow characteristic when the cage is in a second orientation relative to the valve seat, the first fluid flow characteristic being different than the second fluid flow characteristic.

20. The valve trim as defined in claim 19 , wherein the projection has a body that defines a first arm spaced from a second arm extending from a base, and wherein the first arm and the second arm define a second opening therebetween, the first opening and the second opening to define the first flow path when the cage is in the first orientation and only the first opening to define the second flow path when the cage is in the second orientation.

Assignees

• Fisher Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Hostetter Steven
• Ohrt Wesley

Classifications

• F16K1/427

  Attachment of the seat to the housing by one or more additional fixing elements · CPC title

• F16K1/52 Primary

  Means for additional adjustment of the rate of flow · CPC title

• F16K5/0442

  Spindles and actuating means · CPC title

• F16K3/246

  Combination of a sliding valve and a lift valve · CPC title

• F16K27/041

  cylindrical slide valves · CPC title