Valves including one or more flushing features and related assemblies, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022057016-A1
Application number	US-202117517547-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2021
Priority date	Nov 9, 2018
Publication date	Feb 24, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Valve and related assemblies, systems, and methods may include a self-cleaning feature that may be configured to at least partially displace material from a portion of the valve. Such valves may be utilized in a pressure exchanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A valve comprising:
a valve body having a fluid pathway defined through the valve body, the valve body being formed of a metal material defining a first seating surface; a valve member received in the valve body and defining a second seating surface, the valve member being movable relative to the valve body in order to at least partially obstruct the fluid pathway when the second seating surface of the valve member contacts the first seating surface of the valve body; and at least one flushing feature comprising another fluid pathway defined by the valve body that extends to at least a portion of the valve and terminates in openings defined proximate at least one of the first seating surface or the second seating surface, the openings of the at least one flushing feature configured to supply fluid to the at least a portion of the valve through the first seating surface along the another fluid pathway that is at least partially separated from the fluid pathway of the valve body, the at least one flushing feature configured to at least partially displace material from at least one of the first seating surface or the second seating surface.

2 . The valve of claim 1 , further comprising a sleeve, the valve body being disposed in the sleeve, a fluid channel comprising an annular ring being collectively defined by both the sleeve and the valve body at an interface between the sleeve and the valve body, the fluid channel configured to deliver the fluid to the openings from the another fluid pathway through the fluid channel in the sleeve.

3 . The valve of claim 2 , wherein the at least one flushing feature comprises apertures extending around and through a portion of the first seating surface, the apertures being fluidly coupled to the another fluid pathway.

4 . The valve of claim 2 , wherein the valve member is received and centered within the sleeve.

5 . The valve of claim 4 , wherein the valve member comprises one or more guide elements configured to control motion of the valve member by maintaining the valve member in a substantially coaxial orientation relative to the valve body.

6 . The valve of claim 5 , wherein the one or more guide elements are configured to limit movement of the valve member relative to the sleeve and the valve body.

7 . The valve of claim 1 , wherein the openings extend around and through the first seating surface.

8 . The valve of claim 7 , further comprising an annular ring defined by a portion of the valve, the annular ring extending around a primary direction of fluid flow along the fluid pathway and defining the another fluid pathway, the openings being commonly fluidly connected to the annular ring, the at least one flushing feature configured to receive the fluid into the annular ring, disperse the fluid into to the openings with the annular ring, and provide the fluid to the first seating surface as the fluid exits the openings.

9 . The valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises a check valve, the valve member being coupled to the valve body and biased relative to the valve body in one of an open position or a closed position.

10 . A valve comprising:
a valve body having a first fluid passage defined through the valve body; a valve member received in the valve body, the valve member being movable relative to the valve body in order to at least partially obstruct the first fluid passage when the valve member and the valve body contact at a rigid seating surface; and apertures defined in the rigid seating surface and defining a flushing feature configured to supply fluid to at least a portion of the valve along a second fluid passage that is at least partially separated from the first fluid passage of the valve body.

11 . The valve of claim 10 , wherein the apertures comprises discrete openings defined in and extending around the valve body, the discrete openings being commonly and fluidly coupled to the second fluid passage.

12 . The valve of claim 10 , wherein the valve body is disposed in a sleeve, wherein a portion of the second fluid passage is defined by the sleeve, and wherein the second fluid passage includes a fluid supply channel extending around the valve body to supply the fluid to each of the apertures.

13 . The valve of claim 12 , wherein the sleeve comprises a fluid opening in communication with the fluid supply channel, the fluid opening configured to supply the fluid through the sleeve to the fluid supply channel of the valve body.

14 . The valve of claim 10 , wherein the valve body is disposed in a valve sleeve, wherein the second fluid passage extends from the apertures, through the valve body, through the valve sleeve, and to a fluid source.

15 . A method of operating a valve, the method comprising:
flowing fluid through a valve body along a fluid passageway defined through the valve body; at least partially obstructing flow of the fluid through the valve body by moving a valve member toward of a valve seat defined by the valve body; and at least partially displacing material from the valve by suppling the fluid to the valve seat along another fluid pathway at least partially separated from the fluid pathway of the valve body with at least one flushing feature comprising one or more apertures.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising supplying the fluid to the one or more apertures through a channel circumscribing at least a majority of the valve body with the fluid supplied from a fluid source.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising supplying the fluid to the channel of the valve body through a passageway defined in an outer sleeve in which the valve body is disposed.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising flowing the fluid through a rigid seating surface of the valve body.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising supplying the fluid to the one or more apertures comprising individual, discrete nozzles through a common channel circumscribing at least a majority of the valve body, wherein the common channel supplies each of the individual, discrete nozzles.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising controlling motion of the valve member with one or more guide elements maintaining the valve member in a substantially coaxial orientation relative to the valve body.

Assignees

• Flowserve Man Co

Inventors

• Christian Cinnamon
• Schappert Stephen
• Dreiss Andreas
• Nitz Tim
• O'Sullivan Mark

Classifications

• B08B9/00 Primary

  Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto · CPC title

• G05D16/028

  Controlling a pressure difference (control of flow G05D7/00) · CPC title

• E21B43/2607

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• F16K25/02

  Arrangements using fluid issuing from valve members or seats · CPC title

• B08B9/0328

  by purging the pipe with a gas or a mixture of gas and liquid · CPC title