Remote seals for self-regulating valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11719361-B2
Application number	US-202117171609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2021
Priority date	Feb 9, 2021
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A valve includes a valve body with an inlet and an outlet coupled to a tubular conduit operable to circulate a flow of a process fluid, an actuator with an interior volume divided by a valve diaphragm into a first volume portion that encloses a working fluid and a second volume portion, and a plug coupled to the valve diaphragm and operable to move toward an open position or a closed position based on movement of the valve diaphragm relative to a pressure of the working fluid. A seal isolator is coupled to the tubular conduit and includes an isolator diaphragm having a first side exposed to the flow of the fluid and a second side fluidly coupled to the first volume portion through the working fluid. The isolator diaphragm is configured to transmit a pressure of the flow of the process fluid to the pressure of the working fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve system, comprising:
a valve comprising:
a valve body that comprises an inlet configured to couple to a tubular conduit operable to circulate a flow of a process fluid, and an outlet configured to couple to the tubular conduit,
an actuator that comprises an interior volume divided by a valve diaphragm into a first volume portion that at least partially encloses a working fluid and a second volume portion, and
a plug coupled to the valve diaphragm and operable to move toward an open position to allow the flow of the process fluid through the valve body or toward a closed position to disallow the flow of the process fluid through the valve body based on movement of the valve diaphragm relative to a pressure of the working fluid;

a seal isolator coupled to the tubular conduit, the seal isolator comprising an isolator diaphragm having a first side exposed to the flow of the process fluid and a second side fluidly coupled to the first volume portion through the working fluid, the isolator diaphragm configured to transmit a pressure of the flow of the process fluid to the pressure of the working fluid;
a valve positioner configured to convert a signal reflective of the pressure of the flow of the process fluid to a pressure force signal provided to the actuator;
a controller in fluid communication with the second side of the isolator diaphragm and the first volume portion of the actuator though the valve positioner, the controller configured to generate the signal reflective of the pressure of the flow of the process fluid and provide the signal to the valve positioner; and
a plurality of working fluid regulators that is fluidly coupled to a working fluid supply, the controller, and the valve positioner, the plurality of working fluid regulators comprising:
a first working fluid regulator fluidly coupled between the valve positioner and the working fluid supply and configured to provide a cleaned flow of the working fluid to the valve positioner, and
a second working fluid regulator fluidly coupled between the controller and the working fluid supply and configured to provide a cleaned flow of the working fluid to the controller.

2. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein the seal isolator is configured to couple to the tubular conduit downstream of the valve body.

3. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein the isolator diaphragm is configured to transmit the pressure of the flow of the process fluid to the working fluid at a one-to-one ratio.

4. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid comprises a gas.

5. The valve system of claim 4 , wherein the gas comprises air.

6. The valve system of claim 4 , wherein the controller comprises a pneumatic controller.

7. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure signal comprises a capillary fluid.

8. The valve system of claim 1 , working fluid supply comprises a pneumatic supply.

9. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein the valve diaphragm fluidly separates the process fluid from a first side of the valve diaphragm that is exposed to the working fluid in the first volume portion, and a second side of the valve diaphragm is exposed to the process fluid.

10. A method, comprising:
receiving a flow of a process fluid in a tubular conduit at a valve, the valve comprising a valve body that comprises an inlet coupled to the tubular conduit and an outlet coupled to the tubular conduit;
receiving the flow of the process fluid at a seal isolator coupled to the tubular conduit, the seal isolator comprising an isolator diaphragm having a first side exposed to the flow of the process fluid;
transmitting a pressure of the process fluid through the isolator diaphragm to a working fluid at least partially enclosed within an actuator of the valve;
generating a pressure signal with a controller in fluid communication with the isolator diaphragm and the actuator based on the pressure of the flow of the process fluid;
adjusting, based on the pressure signal from the controller, the pressure of the working fluid with a pressure force signal from a valve positioner coupled to the actuator, the pressure force signal based on the pressure signal;
moving a valve diaphragm of the valve based on adjusting the pressure of the working fluid;
adjusting a plug coupled to the valve diaphragm toward an open position to allow the flow of the process fluid through the valve body or a closed position to disallow the flow of the process fluid through the valve body based on movement of the valve diaphragm relative to the pressure of the working fluid; and
circulating the working fluid from a working fluid source to a plurality of working fluid regulators, the controller, and the valve positioner, the circulating comprising:
circulating a first flow of the working fluid from the working fluid source to a first working fluid regulator to provide a first cleaned flow of the working fluid to the valve positioner, and
circulating a second flow of the working fluid from the working fluid source to a second working fluid regulator to provide a second cleaned flow of the working fluid to the controller.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the flow of the process fluid at the seal isolator comprises receiving the flow of the process fluid at the seal isolator downstream of the valve body.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein transmitting the pressure of the process fluid through the isolator diaphragm to the working fluid comprises transmitting the pressure of the process fluid through the isolator diaphragm to the working fluid at a one-to-one ratio.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the working fluid comprises a gas.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gas comprises air.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein generating the pressure signal comprises generating the pressure signal with a capillary fluid.

16. The method of claim 10 , the working fluid source comprises a pneumatic supply.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the valve diaphragm fluidly separates the process fluid from a first side of the valve diaphragm that is exposed to the working fluid in the first volume portion, and a second side of the valve diaphragm is exposed to the process fluid.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the process fluid comprises an untreated hydrocarbon fluid.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Alshammari Sultan Maseer

Classifications

• F16K41/103 Primary

  the diaphragm and the closure member being integrated in one member · CPC title

• F16K31/126

  the fluid acting on a diaphragm, bellows, or the like (F16K31/145, F16K31/165, F16K31/365, F16K31/385 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/365

  the fluid acting on a diaphragm · CPC title

• F16K31/38

  in which the fluid works directly on both sides of the fluid motor, one side being connected by means of a restricted passage and the motor being actuated by operating a discharge from that side (F16K31/40 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05D16/185 Primary

  using membranes within the main valve · CPC title