Reduced stroke gate valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12181065-B2
Application number	US-202017083041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2020
Priority date	Oct 29, 2019
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A reduced stroke gate valve is provided. The reduced stroke gate valve provides a predetermined or desired flow area for a given bore size through the gate valve while reducing a total length through which the gate valve strokes between an open position and a closed position. The reduced stroke gate valve includes one or more openings that span a non-circular or non-round area within the gate. The non-circular or non-round shape or distribution of opening(s) in the gate may provide a flow area equivalent to a predetermined flow area for a single circular hole that would otherwise be used for the gate valve application, but with a shape or distribution of opening(s) that provides a reduced stroke length to move the gate valve from the open position to the closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gate valve comprising:
a first valve seat and a second valve seat spaced apart, wherein each of the first valve seat and the second valve seat comprise a flowpath formed therethrough; and
a gate, wherein movement of the gate in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the gate valve with respect to the first and second valve seats transitions the gate valve between an open position and a closed position;
wherein the gate comprises an opening formed therein, the opening extending a thickness of the gate, the opening spanning an area having:
a first dimension in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gate valve; and
a second dimension in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gate valve, wherein the second dimension is longer than the first dimension;
wherein a cross-sectional shape of the opening has a first side or portion that has a convex shape relative to a centroid of the cross-sectional shape and a second side or portion that does not have a convex shape relative to the centroid, wherein the second side or portion is opposite to the first side or portion;

a chamber;
a stem coupled to the gate, the stem having a primary piston disposed thereon and extending radially therefrom, the primary piston being configured to move through the chamber and engage a shoulder of a secondary piston;
a first port and a second port for delivering hydraulic fluid to the chamber, wherein:
for opening the gate, the hydraulic fluid is communicated through the first port to the chamber on a first side of the primary piston, thereby moving the primary piston until the primary piston engages the shoulder of the secondary piston, and
for closing the gate, the hydraulic fluid is communicated through the second port to the chamber on a second side of the primary piston.

2. The gate valve of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the opening is crescent shaped having one side concave with respect to a centroid of the cross-sectional shape and an opposite side convex with respect to the centroid of the cross-sectional shape.

3. The gate valve of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the opening is not symmetric across the longitudinal axis of the gate valve.

4. The gate valve of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the gate, wherein the actuator selectively transitions the gate valve between the open position and the closed position by moving the gate longitudinally.

5. The gate valve of claim 1 , wherein:
the gate valve, in the open position, allows fluid to flow through the opening of the gate, from the flowpath of the first valve seat to the flowpath of the second valve seat; and
the gate valve, in the closed position, prevents fluid from flowing between the flowpath of the first valve seat and the flowpath of the second valve seat.

6. The gate valve of claim 1 , wherein in the open position the opening of the gate overlaps with the flowpaths of the first and the second valve seat.

7. The gate valve of claim 1 , wherein the first side of the cross-sectional shape of the opening comprises a circular arc having a first end and a second end, and wherein the second side of the cross-sectional shape of the opening comprises a straight line connecting the first end and the second end of the circular arc.

8. The gate valve of claim 1 , wherein at least some portion of the chamber is configured to be vented via the first port or the second port during the opening or closing of the gate.

9. The gate valve of claim 1 , further comprising the shoulder, and wherein
the second side of the primary piston is configured to abut the shoulder to stop a motion of the piston.

10. The gate valve of claim 1 , the gate valve further comprising:
a third port; and
wherein in an event that the gate valve does close when the hydraulic fluid is delivered through the second port, the hydraulic fluid is communicated through the third port to the chamber on a second side of the secondary piston.

11. A tubing hanger system, comprising:
a tubing hanger body;
an annulus bore formed through the tubing hanger body; and
a gate valve disposed in the tubing hanger body, the gate valve comprising:
a first valve seat and a second valve seat spaced apart, wherein each of the first valve seat and the second valve seat comprise a flowpath formed therethrough;
a gate, wherein longitudinal movement of the gate in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the gate valve with respect to the first and second valve seats transitions the gate valve between an open position and a closed position;
wherein the gate comprises an opening formed therein, the opening extending through a thickness of the gate, the opening spanning an area having a dimension in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gate valve that is shorter than a dimension in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gate valve, and wherein a cross-sectional shape of the opening has a first side or portion that has a convex shape relative to a centroid of the cross-sectional shape and a second side or portion that does not have a convex shape relative to the centroid, wherein the second side or portion is opposite to the first side or portion;
a chamber;
a stem coupled to the gate, the stem having a primary piston disposed thereon and extending radially therefrom, the primary piston being configured to move through the chamber and engage a shoulder of a secondary piston; and
a first port and a second port for delivering hydraulic fluid to the chamber, wherein:
for opening the gate, the hydraulic fluid is communicated through the first port to the chamber on a first side of the primary piston, thereby moving the primary piston until the primary piston engages the shoulder of the secondary piston, and
for closing the gate, the hydraulic fluid is communicated through the second port to the chamber on a second side of the primary piston.

12. The tubing hanger system of claim 11 , wherein the gate valve further comprises an actuator coupled to the gate, wherein the actuator selectively transitions the gate valve between the open position and the closed position by moving the gate longitudinally.

13. The tubing hanger of claim 11 , wherein the opening in the gate has a same cross-sectional area, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the annulus bore, as the flowpaths of the first and second valve seats.

14. The tubing hanger of claim 11 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the opening is crescent shaped having one side concave with respect to a centroid of the cross-sectional shape and an opposite side convex with respect to the centroid of the cross-sectional shape.

15. The tubing hanger of claim 11 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the opening is not symmetric across the longitudinal axis of the gate valve.

16. A method comprising:
obtaining a predetermined circular area of a given radius;
providing a gate valve comprising:
a first valve seat and a second valve seat spaced apart, wherein each of the first valve seat and the second valve seat comprise a flowpath formed therethrough;
a gate comprising an opening formed therein, the opening extending through a thickness of the gate, the opening spanning an area having a dimension in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the gate valve that is shorter than a dimension in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gate valve, and wherein a cross-sectional shape of the opening has a first side or portion that has a convex shape relative to a centroid of the cross-sectional shap

Assignees

• Dril Quip Inc
• Innovex Int Inc

Inventors

• Bartlett Chris D

Classifications

• F16K3/00

  Gate valves or sliding valves, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closing members having a sliding movement along the seat for opening and closing (F16K5/00 takes precedence; in barrages or weirs E02B8/04) · CPC title

• E21B34/04

  in underwater well heads · CPC title

• E21B33/035 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater installations (E21B33/043, E21B33/064, E21B33/076 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B34/02 Primary

  in well heads · CPC title

• E21B33/04

  Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads · CPC title