Ball valves with translating seating assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958078-B2
Application number	US-201615344711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2016
Priority date	May 23, 2012
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A valve including a flow control assembly having an adaptive, floating closure member is provided. In one embodiment, a ball valve includes a floating closure member having a shoulder enclosed within a recess of the valve body. The recess is larger than the shoulder of the closure member and allows axial movement of the closure member with respect to the valve body and along a flow path through the valve. Additional valve systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve comprising:
a body;
a flow control assembly inside the body, the flow control assembly including a ball, a seat carried by the ball, and a closure member, wherein the seat is installed in the body in a manner that allows movement of the seat toward and away from the ball, the closure member is installed in the body in a manner that allows movement of the closure member with respect to the body and along a flow path through the valve, and the seat and the closure member have mating sealing surfaces that seal against each other when the valve is closed.

2. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the closure member includes a shoulder enclosed in a recess in the body.

3. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve is configured such that, in operation when the valve is closed, pressure of fluid received in the valve acts on the seat and the closure member and reinforces sealing engagement of the seat and the closure member along the mating sealing surfaces.

4. The valve of claim 3 , wherein the valve is configured such that, in operation when the valve is closed, the pressure of the fluid received in the valve creates a net force that pushes the seat away from the ball and toward the closure member.

5. The valve of claim 2 , wherein the body of the valve includes a retaining ring that retains the shoulder of the closure member in the recess in the body.

6. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the flow control assembly includes an additional closure member and an additional seat that have mating sealing surfaces that seal against each other when the valve is closed.

7. The valve of claim 6 , wherein the additional seat is carried by the ball and is installed in the body in a manner that allows movement of the additional seat toward and away from the ball, and the additional closure member is installed in the body in a manner that allows movement of the closure member with respect to the body and along the flow path through the valve.

8. The valve of claim 7 , wherein the additional closure member includes a shoulder enclosed in a recess in the body.

9. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the closure member has a facial seal.

10. The valve of claim 9 , wherein the facial seal is installed in a groove of the closure member.

11. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve is a cartridge valve in which the body and the flow control assembly are configured to be installed in a fluid conduit by moving the body with the flow control assembly transverse to the axis of the fluid conduit between a pair of connectors of the fluid conduit.

12. A method comprising:
receiving fluid in a valve disposed between first and second sections of a fluid conduit, the valve including a valve body and a flow control assembly inside the valve body, wherein the flow control assembly includes a ball, a seat carried by the ball, and a closure member;
rotating the ball to a closed position within the valve body in which the seat seals against the closure member, wherein the seat is installed in the valve body in a manner that allows movement of the seat toward and away from the ball, the closure member is installed in the valve body in a manner that allows movement of the closure member with respect to the valve body and along a flow path through the valve, and rotating the ball to the closed position causes pressure of the fluid to apply a net force on the seat that pushes the seat against the closure member.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising axially translating the closure member along the flow path during valve operation.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein rotating the ball to the closed position causes the closure member to be pushed against the first section of the fluid conduit.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the flow control assembly includes an additional seat carried by the ball and an additional closure member, and rotating the ball to the closed position within the valve body causes the additional seat to seal against the additional closure member.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Avdjian Christophe
• Berardo Jacques

Classifications

• F16K5/0631

  between two flanges · CPC title

• F16K5/204

  with the plugs or parts of the plugs mechanically pressing the seals against the housing · CPC title

• F16K25/02 Primary

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

• F16K1/14

  with ball-shaped valve member (check valves F16K15/04) · CPC title

• F16K5/20

  for plugs with spherical surfaces · CPC title