GB2375382A

GB2375382A - Valve with closure member maintaiable without stopping flow

Info

Publication number: GB2375382A
Application number: GB0214222A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ilham Nasirov; Ramiz Guliyev; Madat Nasirov
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-06-19
Filing date: 2002-06-19
Publication date: 2002-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2022-06-19
Also published as: GB0214222D0; GB2375382B

Abstract

A pipeline valve comprises tubular body 1 having branches 2,3 closeable by a closure system comprising horizontal 7, 8 and lateral 9 gates. The lateral gates engage and close the branches under spreading action of cams 22 on rotation of control rod 21 by handle 24 and are released by fluid pressure. The closure system is axially reciprocable within the body by a tube 19 connected to actuator piston 11 within cylinder 10 at one end of the body between piston endstops 31, 32 representing closing and retracted positions. The valve is opened by releasing cams 22 followed by retraction into the body by the piston. Fluid leakage to the body is returned to pipeline via lines 27 and check valves 26. Capturing devices 6 retain the horizontal gates in position, enabling repair of the closure system without needing to stop flow.

Description

CLOSING DEVICE The invention relates to a closing device of the type which is normally used to control the flow of liquid, air, gas, vapour and the like through pipes and pipelines.

A well known closing device comprise of a body, rod, a gasket for disconnection of body cavity from its actuator, a gate in a form of a wedge with a quill, tightness of which is secured up to second class. The gate moves, by means of an electric actuator, up and down till its restrictor thus opening and closing the passage of the main body of the valve (Gurevich D. F. and others. M. Nedri 1988, page 225-227, fig 5. 27-5. 29.

1-ypeeu, i) 7. 0. u dp. M. Hepb/1988 e., cmp 225-2276 puc 5. 27 - 5. 29).

Disadvantages of the mentioned type of closing device are, inter alia, complexity of manufacturing and repairing, impossibility of replacement of its outworn gate and other components without stopping established flow in a pipeline system a part of which the mentioned closing device constitutes and thus low reliability and efficiency because of losses incurred as a result of discontinuation of established flows during repairs and replacement of most frequently outworn components. Since replacement and repair of the valve or its gate also requires emptying a part of the pipeline system, it constitutes threat to environment as well. Replacing outworn heavy valves in hardly reachable areas like mountains is extremely difficult as it requires using heavy cranes and vehicles to be delivered to such difficult areas.

The most technically similar type of closing device is a well known valve (taken as a prototype from a patent SU 1813959 Al) comprising a main body inside of which there is a mobile gate linked to a piston of actuator by means of a rod whereas cylinder of the actuator is separated from the main body by means of a gasket as well as gate restrictors and a working substance line.

The body is made in a form of a vertical pipe with two horizontal branches to be linked to pipeline and the upper part of the body has a cylinder of the actuator the piston of which is made in a form of a gate equipped with a check valve and linked to the main gate by means of the rod equipped with a blocking element. Each of the annular cavities of piston and of the main gate is separately linked to the working substance line through flexible pipes.

This valve partially resolves some problems associated with its repair without stopping inside flows but has a number of disadvantages like complexity and low safety level while replacing its main gate without stopping established flows inside the pipeline as well as complexity of design and manufacturing of the gates themselves as flow directions are designed to change four times in this device. Moreover its sizes are inevitably too big and its design makes some types of pigging very difficult or even impossible.

The main objectives of the invention described hereby are to increase reliability, durability and efficiency, to reduce costs associated with running pipelines, to increase safety level and minimise the risk of environmental damage.

A key object of this invention is to provide a closing device, which is technically and commercially more efficient and allows for its actuator as well

as a ! ! major components to be easily repaired or replaced without stopping of established flows inside the pipeline system a part of which this valve may constitute.

Accordingly, this invention provides a closing device comprising a main body in the form of a vertical pipe with two horizontal branches, on top of which an actuator is placed and connected by means of a tube, with a rod inside, to a mobile closure system, which comprises of two identical lateral gates, one horizontal upper and one horizontal lower gate interconnected by a tube, upper and lower restrictors of the closure system and capturing devices of the horizontal gates. A means is provided for avoiding excess pressure of fluid or gas in the vertical part of the body.

The upper and lower horizontal gates contain junk-rings and seats for the capturing devices whereas the upper horizontal gate is connected, on the top, with the actuator.

The rod is equipped with pushing means and its lower end is loosely installed on a thrust seat and a handle provided on the upper end serves to turn the rod together with its pushing means for 90 , thus controlling horizontal movements of the lateral gates, which may also be achieved by other means or devices. The pushing means may be in a form of claws.

The capturing devices are provided for reliably capturing a horizontal gate while replacing or repairing other gates or their components like junk-rings, as well as detaching, repairing and replacing the actuator with possibly the same or another type of actuator.

The mechanism comprising of two lateral gates and pushing means of the rod, which serves to block horizontal passage of the body, may be replaced with a ball with a pipe-like passage in the middle for simplicity reasons. In that case horizontal gates will be made in such a shape that will constitute seats on top and bottom for the ball to ensure proper sealing.

An example embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which : Figure 1 shows a side view of the whole closing device with a hydraulic actuator used as an example to ease description of substance of the invention.

As shown in Figure 1, the unit comprises a body 1 in the form of a pipe with two flush branches 2,3 fixed along one axis by the pipeline 4. Bottom section of the body 1 is choked by a removable end-cap 5. Top and bottom sections of the body 1 contain capturing devices 6, which are used in case of replacement of horizontal gates 7,8 and lateral gates 9.

On the top section of the body 1 along one axis a cylinder 10 of the actuator is installed by means of releasable connection, and its piston 11 is equipped with a gasket 12 for splitting of cavities above and underneath the piston 11 and a safety valve 13 for interconnection of cavities above and underneath drive piston 11 in its extreme upper and lower positions in case of increase of working substance pressure above a certain level. A closure system is made in the form of two identical lateral gates 9 and two identical horizontal gates 7 and 8. The upper and the lower gates 7 and 8 are interconnected by a tube 14 in the middle of which there are windows in the form of bushings 15, inside of

which there are mandrels 16 of the lateral gates 9. Horizontal gates 7 and 8 contain junk-rings 17 and seats 18 for the capturing devices 6. The upper horizontal gate 7 is connected on top with the piston 11 of cylinder 10 by means of a tube 19, and the lower horizontal gate 8 is choked on the bottom with an end-cap 20. Inside the tube 19 along the axis there is a rod 21 with two claws 22 provided for controlling of horizontal movements of the lateral gates 9. The lower end of the rod is loosely installed on a thrust seat 23, whereas on the top end of the rod a handle 24 is provided for turning the rod 21 together with claws 22 for 900. Body 1 is linked to the branch 3 by means of two pipes equipped with faucets 25 for displacement of liquid or gas from the cavity of the body, and with check valves 26 for preventing liquid or gas flow from the pipeline 4 into the body 1 of the unit.

The junk rings 17 are preferably made of a flexible material resistant to gas, oil, frost and other forces depending on the environment in which the closing device is operated, for example rubber or plastic, proof against working substance, oil, inert gas, air, water, as well as liquid and gas transported through a pipeline.

The horizontal gates 7 and 8, lateral gates 9, and the capturing devices 6 are preferably made of a solid material such as metal, plastic and the like.

Spacing between horizontal gates 7 and 8 depends on the diameter of the pipe 4, whereas height of the top and bottom sections of the body 1 depends on vertical size of the closure system.

Cavities above and underneath piston 11 of the cylinder 10, vessel 28, a booster 29 and the working substance line 30 comprise a closed system for circulation of the working substance under the required pressure and in required quantity. Extreme upper and lower positions of the closure system are defined by position of restrictors 31 and 32. In extreme lower position of the closure system passages of the body 1 are closed by the lateral gates 9 by means of the claws 22 of the rod 21. Operation of the actuator and the closure system is controlled by faucets 33,34, 35,36, as well as by automation and instrumentation system.

An example type of actuator is shown in Figure 1, as described above, for illustration purpose only and may indeed be replaced with a number of other types of actuators depending on specific requirements. Actuators for the type of closing device described in this invention may be electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical etc.

In order to open the passage of body 1 the handle 24 of the rod 21 is turned for 90 into the position"open". At the same time the claws 22 of the rod 21 release the lateral gates 9 from clamping force and the lateral gates move towards the centre under pressure of flow. By means of the booster 29 the working substance flows from the vessel 28 into cavity of the cylinder 10 underneath piston 11 and the piston moves up until restrictor 32 and opens the horizontal passage of the body 1. At the same time the working substance is forced out of cavity of the cylinder 10 above the piston 11 into the vessel 28 while faucets 33 and 35 are open but faucets 34 and 36 are closed. As a result of this the piston 11 of the actuator moves into position"n"whereas the upper horizontal gate 7 moves into position"m".

In order to close the horizontal passage of the body 1 the working substance. by means of the booster 29, flows through the pipe system 30 into the cavity of cylinder 10 above the piston 11 and the latter moves down till the restrictor 31. At the same time the working substance above the piston is forced out into the vessel 28 through open faucets 34 and 36 while faucets 33 and 35 are closed. Then the handle 24 is turned for 900 into position "closed" whereas the claws 22 together with mandrels 16 force the lateral gates 9 towards the flush branches 2 and 3 thereby closing the horizontal passage of the body 1. Mandrels serve to ensure that the lateral gates do not move in direction other than along the line of branches 2 and 3 while horizontal gates are in closed position. The system comprising bushings, mandrels and claws is described herein as one possible way of moving the lateral gates 9 and may be replaced with another mechanism or method. For simplicity a ball 1 with a horizontal passage in the middle, as described in Figure 2, may be installed in between two horizontal gates 2 in order to replace lateral gates and their closure system supported by claws and mandrels.

While the closure system moves up and down the fluid or gas above or under the closure system in the cavity of the body 1 should be relieved and this may be obtained by means of a system, which allows the fluid or gas to flow through the faucet 25 of the pipe 27 and check valves 26 into the flush branch 3. Alternatively, check valves may be installed on the horizontal gates to avoid necessity of having pipes 27.

In case the pressure of the working substance above and below the piston 11 rises above permissible level the safety valve 13 opens to link cavities below and above the piston and the working substance flows within a closed cyclecylinder 1 0 vessel 28 booster 29 working substance line z cylinder 10.

Existence of capturing devices 6 and seats 18 allow, without stopping the flow inside the pipeline, for quick, reliable and safe replacement of outworn Junkrings of the piston 11 or the whole actuator, lateral gates 9 and horizontal gates 7 and 8 or their junk-rings. If a ball type closure is applied, then the ball and a horizontal gate may be removed for replacement or repair, while the other gate is captured.

In order to detach the actuator or replace the upper horizontal gate 7 and the lateral gates 9 the whole closure system moves up until the lower horizontal gate can be captured with the upper capturing device. A similar procedure is carried out with movements in opposite direction if replacement of the lower horizontal gate 8 or of its junk-ring is required. Slightly different procedures also may be carried out to replace components and the actuator of the closing device described herein.

The closing device provided hereby may be installed in vertical or other positions.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 A closing device comprising a main body in the form of a vertical pipe with two horizontal branches, on top of which an actuator is placed and connected by means of a tube, with a rod inside, to a mobile closure system, which comprises of two lateral gates, one horizontal upper and one horizontal lower gate interconnected by a tube in the middle of which there are guiding means for horizontal movements of the lateral gates, and is located inside the main body which is choked by releasable choking means at the bottom end and comprises capturing devices for capturing the horizontal gates when repairs or replacements, without stopping the flow, are needed, a system which allows liquid, vapour or gas into either horizontal branches from the vertical part of the body or into central part of the vertical body but not backwards, upper and lower restrictors of the closure system.
2 A closing device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the upper and the lower horizontal gates contain sealants such as junk-rings or the like and seats for the capturing devices whereas the upper horizontal gate is connected, on the top, with the actuator.
3 A closing device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the lower end of the rod is loosely installed on a thrust seat and a handle provided on the upper end serves to turn the rod together with its pushing means thus controlling horizontal movements of the lateral gates, which may also be achieved by other means or devices.
4 A closing device as claimed in any preceding claim where the system comprising of two lateral gates, mandrels and claws in order to block the horizontal passage of the body may be replaced with other types of sealants.
5 A closing device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 3 wherein the lateral gates can move towards the branches and backwards, whereas the closure system is movable up and down inside the main body by means of the actuator and the connecting tube so that opening and closing of the closing device may be obtained.
6 A closing device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the capturing devices are provided for reliably capturing one of the horizontal gates when replacing or repairing other gates or their components such as junk-rings or other types of sealants, as well as when detaching, repairing and replacing the actuator with possibly the same or another type of actuator.
7 A closing device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the guiding means for horizontal movements of the lateral gates can be in the form of bushings, collars or another form which allows for obtaining full closure of the closing device by pressing the lateral gates towards the branches of the main body until full sealing is reached.
8 A closing device as claimed in any preceding claim, which can be operated by different types of actuators such as electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanic and the like.
9 A closing device as claimed in any preceding claim, which can be installed vertically or otherwise.
10 A closing device substantially as described herein with references to the Figure 1 and Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.