Adjustable trunnion valve and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644752-B2
Application number	US-201514644089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2015
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

An adjustable trunnion valve includes an obturator, a valve stem, at least one valve seal, and a trunnion. The trunnion and obturator are configured to translate the obturator along a longitudinal axis extending through the trunnion and the obturator upon rotation of the valve stem beyond one or both of its open position and its closed position. A method of operating an adjustable trunnion valve having an obturator coupled to a trunnion and a valve stem includes passing a fluid through the adjustable trunnion valve and rotating the valve stem to rotate the obturator about an axis of rotation and to simultaneously translate the obturator in a direction along the axis of rotation while the obturator is supported by the trunnion and while the fluid flows through the adjustable trunnion valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable trunnion valve, comprising:
an obturator within a valve body;
a valve stem coupled to the obturator and configured to rotate the obturator relative to the valve body between an open position and a closed position;
at least one valve seal abutting against a surface of the obturator and a surface of the valve body; and
a trunnion coupled to the obturator, wherein the trunnion comprises a threaded sleeve configured to rotate 90° over a stationary support, wherein the trunnion further comprises a bearing between the threaded sleeve and the stationary support, wherein the trunnion and obturator are configured to translate the obturator along a longitudinal axis extending through the trunnion and the obturator upon rotation of the valve stem beyond one or both of the open position and the closed position, wherein the threaded sleeve is configured to rotate without vertically translating the obturator when the obturator is rotated between the open position and the closed position.

2. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 1 , wherein the obturator is configured to rotate independently of the threaded sleeve when the obturator is rotated more than 90°.

3. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 1 , wherein the obturator is configured to translate along the longitudinal axis when the obturator rotates independently of the threaded sleeve.

4. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 1 , wherein the stationary support is integral with the valve body.

5. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve seal comprises a sealing surface configured to abut the obturator.

6. An adjustable trunnion valve, comprising:
an obturator within a valve body;
a valve stem coupled to the obturator and configured to rotate the obturator relative to the valve body between an open position and a closed position;
at least one valve seal abutting against a surface of the obturator and a surface of the valve body; and
a trunnion coupled to the obturator, wherein the trunnion and obturator are configured to translate the obturator along a longitudinal axis extending through the trunnion and the obturator upon rotation of the valve stem beyond one or both of the open position and the closed position, wherein the trunnion comprises a riser threadably engaged with a stationary support comprising a sleeve, and wherein the riser comprises a post within the sleeve, wherein the obturator is configured to rotate the riser when the obturator rotates more than 90°.

7. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 6 , wherein the obturator is configured to rotate between the open position and the closed position without vertical translation.

8. An adjustable trunnion valve, comprising:
an obturator within a valve body;
a valve stem coupled to the obturator and configured to rotate the obturator between an open position and a closed position;
a first valve seal abutting against a first side of the obturator;
a second valve seal abutting against a second side of the obturator opposite the first side of the obturator, wherein the first valve seal and the second valve seal are angled toward each other; and
a trunnion assembly coupled to the obturator, the trunnion assembly comprising:
a fixed base secured to the valve body; and
an adjustable extension;

wherein at least one of the fixed base, the adjustable extension, and the obturator defines a protrusion, and wherein at least one of the fixed base, the adjustable extension, and the obturator includes a member defining a recess, the protrusion positioned at least partially within the recess and abutting against a first end of the recess when the obturator is in the open position and against a second end of the recess when the obturator is in the closed position, wherein rotation of the valve stem beyond the open position and the closed position results in the protrusion rotating the member defining the recess, changing a length of the trunnion assembly, and vertically translating the obturator relative to the fixed base.

9. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 8 , wherein the adjustable extension comprises a set of threads.

10. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 9 , wherein the obturator comprises a set of threads configured to mate with the threads of the adjustable extension.

11. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 9 , wherein the fixed base comprises a set of threads configured to mate with the threads of the adjustable extension.

12. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 8 , wherein the trunnion assembly further comprises at least one bearing.

13. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 12 , wherein the at least one bearing is disposed between the fixed base and the adjustable extension.

14. The adjustable trunnion valve of claim 12 , wherein the at least one bearing is disposed between the fixed base and the obturator.

15. A method of operating an adjustable trunnion valve comprising an obturator coupled to a trunnion and a valve stem, the method comprising:
passing a fluid through the adjustable trunnion valve, wherein the trunnion comprises a threaded sleeve configured to rotate 90° over a stationary support, wherein the trunnion further comprises a bearing between the threaded sleeve and the stationary support, wherein the trunnion and obturator are configured to translate the obturator along a longitudinal axis extending through the trunnion and the obturator upon rotation of the valve stem beyond one or both of the open position and the closed position, wherein the threaded sleeve is configured to rotate without vertically translating the obturator when the obturator is rotated between the open position and the closed position; and
rotating the valve stem to rotate the obturator about an axis of rotation, wherein rotating the valve stem may simultaneously translate the obturator in a direction along the axis of rotation while the obturator is supported by the trunnion and while the fluid flows through the adjustable trunnion valve.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising rotating the valve stem to rotate the obturator about the axis of rotation without translating the obturator vertically in a direction along the axis of rotation.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein rotating the valve stem to rotate the obturator about the axis of rotation without translating the obturator vertically in a direction along the axis of rotation comprises opening or closing the adjustable trunnion valve.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein rotating the valve stem to rotate the obturator about an axis of rotation and to simultaneously translate the obturator vertically in a direction along the axis of rotation while the obturator is supported by the trunnion comprises translating the obturator without disassembling the valve.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein rotating the valve stem to rotate the obturator about an axis of rotation and to simultaneously translate the obturator vertically in a direction along the axis of rotation while the obturator is supported by the trunnion comprises temporarily opening or closing the valve.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein rotating the valve stem to rotate the obturator about an axis of rotation and to simultaneously translate the obturator vertically in a direction along the axis of rotation while the obturator is supported by the trunnion comprises translating the obturator without disconnecting the adjustable trunnion valve from an adjacent flow conduit.

Assignees

• Flowserve Man Co

Inventors

• Nabors Blake
• Prince Donald
• Majka Anthony

Classifications

• F16K27/067 Primary

  with spherical plugs · CPC title

• F16K5/0605 Primary

  with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means · CPC title

• F16K5/0689

  between housing and plug · CPC title

• F16K5/0668

  Single packings · CPC title

• F16K5/163

  adjustable in height · CPC title