Fluid handling – Processes – Cleaning – repairing – or assembling
Patent
1991-05-13
1992-08-04
Hepperle, Stephen M.
Fluid handling
Processes
Cleaning, repairing, or assembling
137315, 1374546, F16K 2706
Patent
active
051350190
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a ball valve for use particularly in subsea hydrocarbon production systems. Although the valve is designed for subsea use, it may also be utilized in other harsh environment applications where a top entry valve is selected to facilitate maintenance operations. The invention also comprises a method for manufacturing an insert assembly for this new ball valve.
In most cases flowlines from subsea hydrocarbon production systems need to include an isolation valve to separate sections of flowlines allowing maintenance of section equipment and emergency shutdown services of flowlines upstream of the process facilities to prevent hazardous pollution/discharges. A primary use of the present ball valve is as such an isolation valve. For use in water depths beyond access of divers the valve insert, which contains all active parts, should be retrievable to the surface for repair by using a remotely operated tool (ROT).
Thus, more particularly the invention is directed to the kind of ball valve comprising a valve body having a cavity of generally conical shape and communicating with inlet and outlet ports having a common axis, an insert assembly provided with a valve ball, two ports corresponding to said inlet and outlet ports, respectively, and associated seat means, the insert assembly has a generally conical shape as cavity and, is adapted to be housed therein and to be retrieved therefrom. The insert assembly is composed of two parts joined together generally along a dividing plane, connector means for releasably fixing said insert assembly in said cavity, and actuator means for rotating the valve ball about its axis between a closed and an open position with respect to the ports.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,368 there is previously known a ball valve for the above purpose, and incorporating features corresponding in part to what is recited immediately above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the subsea applications mentioned involving the rough conditions usually found in offshore hydrocarbon production, it is extremely important that all components, such as valves, be very reliable and also able to be retrieved to the surface in a simple and secure manner. At the same time the cost of manufacturing and installing such components must not be prohibitive. The present invention is directed to an improved ball valve of the type referred to above, as well as an associated method for manufacturing the insert assembly for the ball valve, making it possible, inter alia, to obtain a better machining with increased accuracy without undue manufacturing costs.
This is obtained in a ball valve as recited above, in which the dividing plane between the two parts of the insert assembly is normal to the rotational axis of the valve ball and substantially coincides with the common axis of the inlet and outlet ports.
One particular advantage of this solution consists in the provision of seals surrounding each of the two ports in the insert assembly, which seals can be mounted on respective outer ends of tubular sleeve members defining the ports, and being fixed between the two parts of the insert assembly. Preferably, the sealing against the valve ball is also provided for by elements associated with these tubular sleeve members.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other related features and advantages of this invention will be explained more closely below with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows as an example and somewhat simplified a complete assembled ball valve according to the invention, in longitudinal section and in an open position,
FIG. 2A show a retrievable assembly (FIG. 2A) as and 2B retracted from the valve body (FIG. 2B), the main parts or components of the valve being the same as in FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 shows somewhat more in detail the actual insert assembly which constitutes a crucial component of the valve of FIG. 1 and 2,
FIG. 4 shows the insert assembly of FIG. 3 in an exploded view, to better illustrate the various parts and elements making up the insert
REFERENCES:
patent: 3150681 (1964-09-01), Hansen et al.
patent: 4342330 (1982-08-01), Wieveg et al.
patent: 4587990 (1986-05-01), Pennell et al.
patent: 4606368 (1986-08-01), McCafferty
Den Norske Stats Oljeselskap A.S.
Hepperle Stephen M.
Mobil Oil Corporation
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