Erosion-resistant valve trim

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11713830-B2
Application number	US-202017037632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2020
Priority date	Oct 1, 2019
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A valve trim for use in a fluid flow control device. The valve trim includes a cage body defined by an outer cage wall and an inner cage wall coupled to the outer cage wall, the outer cage wall spaced radially outward of the inner cage wall. The valve trim also includes a plurality of first flow characterizing passages formed in the outer cage wall, and a plurality of second flow characterizing passages formed in the inner cage wall. The cage body is at least partially made of an erosion-resistant material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve trim for use in a fluid flow control device, the valve trim comprising:
a cage body having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, the cage body defined by an outer cage wall and an inner cage wall coupled to the outer cage wall, the outer cage wall spaced radially outward of the inner cage wall;
a fluid pressure reducing portion, comprising:
a plurality of first flow characterizing passages formed in the outer cage wall;
a plurality of second flow characterizing passages formed in the inner cage wall; and
a pressure reducing chamber defined between the outer cage wall and the inner cage wall such that the pressure reducing chamber is fluidly connected to each of the plurality of first flow characterizing passages and is fluidly connected to each of the plurality of second flow characterizing passages; and

a valve seat carried by the cage body downstream of but adjacent to the second end of the cage body, such that the valve seat is isolated from the fluid pressure reducing portion.

2. The valve trim of claim 1 , wherein the cage body extends between the first end and the second end along a cage axis, and wherein each first flow characterizing passage of the plurality of first flow characterizing passages extends vertically along a first axis parallel to the cage axis.

3. The valve trim of claim 2 , wherein each second flow characterizing passage of the plurality of second flow characterizing passages extends vertically along a second axis parallel to the cage axis and the first axis.

4. The valve trim of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first flow characterizing passages are spaced from and surround the plurality of second flow characterizing passages, respectively.

5. The valve trim of claim 1 , wherein the cage body is at least partially made of an erosion-resistant material.

6. The valve trim of claim 1 , wherein the cage body is defined by an inner cage element and an outer cage element coupled to the inner cage element, the inner cage element comprising the inner wall, and the outer cage element comprising the outer wall.

7. The valve trim of claim 6 , further comprising an upper cage element coupled to the inner cage element and the outer cage element, wherein the upper cage element is made of a metallic material.

8. The valve trim of claim 1 , wherein the valve seat is integrally formed with the outer and inner cage walls such that the outer cage wall, the inner cage wall, and the valve seat form a monolithic structure.

9. The valve trim of claim 1 , further comprising a shoulder adapted to engage a portion of a valve body of the fluid flow control device, the shoulder arranged between the first and second ends and disposed entirely radially outward of the valve seat.

10. A valve trim for use in a fluid flow control device, the valve trim comprising:
a cage body defined by an outer cage wall and an inner cage wall coupled to the outer cage wall, the outer cage wall spaced radially outward of the inner cage wall;
a plurality of first flow characterizing passages formed in the outer cage wall; and
a plurality of second flow characterizing passages formed in the inner cage wall,
wherein the cage body is at least partially made of an erosion-resistant material,
wherein each of the plurality of first flow characterizing passages and each of the plurality of the plurality of second flow characterizing passages comprise a tapered slot that converges from a slot inlet to an intermediate slot portion and diverges from the intermediate slot portion to a slot outlet, and
wherein the plurality of second flow characterizing passages are identical to the plurality of first flow characterizing passages.

11. The valve trim of claim 10 , wherein the cage body extends between a first end and a second end opposite the first end along a cage axis, and wherein each first flow characterizing passage of the plurality of first flow characterizing passages extends vertically along a first axis parallel to the cage axis.

12. The valve trim of claim 11 , wherein each second flow characterizing passage of the plurality of second flow characterizing passages extends vertically along a second axis parallel to the cage axis and the first axis.

13. The valve trim of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of first flow characterizing passages are spaced from and surround the plurality of second flow characterizing passages, respectively.

14. The valve trim of claim 10 , wherein the inner cage wall is made of the erosion-resistant material.

15. The valve trim of claim 14 , wherein both the inner cage wall and the outer cage wall are made of the erosion-resistant material.

16. The valve trim of claim 10 , wherein the cage body is defined by an inner cage element and an outer cage element coupled to the inner cage element, the inner cage element comprising the inner wall, and the outer cage element comprising the outer wall.

17. The valve trim of claim 16 , further comprising an upper cage element coupled to the inner cage element and the outer cage element, wherein the upper cage element is made of a metallic material.

18. The valve trim of claim 10 , further comprising a shoulder adapted to engage a portion of a valve body of the fluid flow control device, the shoulder arranged between the first and second ends and disposed entirely radially outward of the valve seat.

19. A fluid flow control device, comprising:
a valve body comprising a valve body inlet, a valve body outlet, and a passageway extending between the valve body inlet and the valve body outlet; and
a valve trim at least partially disposed in the passageway of the valve body, the valve trim comprising:
a cage body defined by an outer cage wall and an inner cage wall coupled to the outer cage wall, the outer cage wall spaced radially outward of the inner cage wall, the cage body comprising a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a shoulder configured to engage a portion of the valve body, wherein the shoulder is arranged between the first and second ends;
a valve seat carried by the cage body at a positon upstream of the shoulder;
a plurality of first flow characterizing passages formed in the outer cage wall; and
a plurality of second flow characterizing passages formed in the inner cage wall, wherein the cage body is at least partially made of an erosion-resistant material, and wherein the shoulder is disposed entirely radially outward of the valve seat.

20. The fluid flow control device of claim 19 , further comprising a valve plug comprising a seating surface movably disposed within the cage body relative to the valve seat to control fluid flow through the passageway of the valve body.

21. The fluid flow control device of claim 20 , further comprising a bonnet coupled to the valve body, wherein the bonnet has a portion that directly engages an upper cage portion of the cage body.

22. The fluid flow control device of claim 19 , wherein the valve seat is carried by the cage body downstream of but adjacent to the second end of the cage body.

23. A method of manufacturing a valve trim for use in a fluid flow control device, the method comprising:
creating an outer cage element using an additive manufacturing technique, the outer cage element comprising a plurality of first flow characterizing passages;
creating an inner cage element using the additive manufacturing technique, wherein the inner cage element is formed of an erosion-resistant material a

Assignees

• Fisher Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Barron Kimball R
• Eilers Daniel J

Classifications

• F16K47/08 Primary

  for decreasing pressure {or noise level} and having a throttling member separate from the closure member {, e.g. screens, slots, labyrinths} · CPC title

• F16K5/18

  for plugs with cylindrical surfaces · CPC title

• F16K27/00

  Construction of housing (methods for welding housings B23K); Use of materials therefor · CPC title

• F16K39/022 Primary

  using balancing surfaces · CPC title

• F16K1/00 Primary

  Lift valves {or globe valves}, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces ({in combination with sliding valves F16K3/246, F16K3/267} ; diaphragm valves F16K7/00) · CPC title