Pistons for use in fluid exchange devices and related devices, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11852169-B2
Application number	US-202217671283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2022
Priority date	Nov 9, 2018
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

Pistons and related methods may be configured to separate fluids and to at least partially prohibit one fluid from traveling to one side of the piston from another side of the piston. Pressure exchange devices and systems may include such pistons.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A piston for at least partially separating at least two fluid streams, the piston comprising:
a body having an opening extending along a central axis of the body, the opening defining a fluid pathway through the piston extending directly from a first axial end of the body, along the central axis of the body, and to a second axial end of the body, the body configured to travel unconstrained within a tank based on a force applied to by at least one fluid within the tank; and
at least one valve obstructing the opening by being positioned along the central axis in the fluid pathway between the first axial end and the second axial end, the at least one valve configured to enable fluid flow in one direction traveling along the fluid pathway through the opening from the first axial end and the second axial end and to at least partially inhibit fluid flow in another, opposing direction along the fluid pathway through the opening from the second axial end and the first axial end, wherein the at least one valve is biased in a closed position toward the one direction.

2. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the opening extends from a first recess on a first end of the body to a second recess on a second end of the body, the first recess and the second recess being positioned between and separated by the at least one valve.

3. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve comprises a recess positioned upstream of the at least one valve.

4. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve is configured to move to an open position when a fluid traveling in the one direction overcomes a biasing force of the at least one valve.

5. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the piston comprises an abrasion resistant material configured to be at least partially buoyant in a fluid.

6. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the body of the piston is configured to travel unconstrained within the tank without attachment to an external shaft.

7. The piston of claim 1 , wherein at least one end of the body comprises a chamfered edge portion configured to create fluid vortices at an interface between the body and an inner wall of the tank in which the body is configured to travel.

8. The piston of claim 1 , further comprising at least a portion of a sensor configured to detect a presence of the body and the body moves through the tank, wherein the at least the portion of the sensor is positioned within a sidewall of the body of the piston at a location adjacent to an outer circumference of the body.

9. The piston of claim 1 , further comprising at least one magnet positioned substantially at an outer circumference of the body, the at least one magnet configured to produce a magnetic field for sensing by an associated sensor.

10. The piston of claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve is positioned in a middle portion of the body, wherein a first recess on the first axial end of the body and a second recess on the second axial end of the body are positioned on opposing sides of the at least one valve.

11. A piston for at least partially separating at least two fluid streams in a tank, the piston comprising:
a body having an opening extending along a central axis of the body, the opening defining a fluid pathway through the piston, the fluid pathway extending from a first axial end of the body, through the body along the central axis, and to a second axial end of the body, the body configured to travel unconstrained within a tank based on a force applied to by at least one fluid or within the tank;
at least one valve positioned along the fluid pathway and obstructing a portion of the opening, the at least one valve configured to enable fluid flow in one direction along the fluid pathway through the opening and to at least partially inhibit fluid flow in another, opposing direction along the fluid pathway through the opening; and
at least a portion of a sensor configured to detect a presence of the body as the body moves through the tank, the at least the portion of the sensor positioned adjacent to an outer circumference of the body.

12. The piston of claim 11 , wherein the at least one valve is positioned in a middle portion of the body, wherein a first recess on a first end of the body and a second recess on a second end of the body are positioned on opposing sides of the at least one valve, and wherein the first recess and the second recess are separated by the at least one valve.

13. The piston of claim 11 , wherein the at least one valve comprises a check valve biased in a closed position toward the one direction.

14. The piston of claim 11 , wherein the at least the portion of the sensor comprises a portion of a contactless sensor assembly configured to enable wireless detection of the presence of the body as the body moves through the tank.

15. The piston of claim 14 , wherein the portion of the contactless sensor assembly comprising at least one magnet positioned about the outer circumference of the body, the at least one magnet configured to produce a magnetic field for sensing by an associated sensor of the contactless sensor assembly.

16. A method of at least partially separating at least two fluid streams with a piston, the method comprising:
flowing fluid along a fluid pathway defined in a body of a piston and through an opening extending along a central axis of the body of the piston, the fluid pathway extending from a first axial end of the body, through the body along the central axis, and to a second axial end of the body,
obstructing a portion of the opening with at least one valve positioned along the fluid pathway;
enabling fluid flow in one direction along the fluid pathway through the opening in a first condition of the at least one valve; and
at least partially inhibiting fluid flow in another, opposing direction along the fluid pathway through the opening with the at least one valve in a second condition of the at least one valve.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
enabling a high pressure fluid to pass through the piston in the first condition of the at least one valve; and
substantially prohibiting a low pressure fluid from passing through the piston to the high pressure fluid in the second condition of the at least one valve.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
opening the at least one valve in the first condition of the at least one valve; and
closing the at least one valve in the second condition of the at least one valve.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising sensing a position of the body of the piston with a sensor assembly, wherein at least the portion of the sensor assembly is positioned within a sidewall of the body of the piston at a location adjacent to an outer circumference of the body.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising producing a magnetic field with at least one magnet positioned about a circumference of the body to be sensed by a portion of the sensor assembly.

Assignees

• Flowserve Man Co
• Flowserve Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Le Doux Jr Norman R
• Bandi Jason
• Havrilla Neil
• Olexson David
• Dreiss Andreas

Classifications

• F04F13/00 Primary

  Pressure exchangers · CPC title

• F16K11/0716

  with fluid passages through the valve member (F16K11/0704, F16K11/0708, F16K11/0712 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/084

  the magnet being used only as a holding element to maintain the valve in a specific position, e.g. check valves (F16K31/082, F16K31/086 take precedence) · CPC title

• F15B3/00

  Intensifiers or fluid-pressure converters, e.g. pressure exchangers; Conveying pressure from one fluid system to another, without contact between the fluids {(fluid-driven pumps F04B9/08)} · CPC title

• E21B43/2607

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title