DIVERTER VALVE
Provided is a diverter valve including a housing assembly having a plurality of ports and a drum assembly disposed in the housing. The drum assembly including a plurality of passages for selectively coupling the ports, wherein an axial position of the drum assembly with respect to the ports determines which ports are active and which parts are dormant Further provided is a method of operating a diverter valve, including disposing a drum of the diverter valve in a first position, wherein the first position is configured to provide a first passage from an inlet of the diverter valve to a first outlet of the diverter valve, the first passage comprising a first bend-pipe extending crosswise to an axis of the drum and comprising a first radius of curvature that is at least five times an internal diameter of the first bend-pipe, and moving the drum along the longitudinal axis through the diverter valve to a second position, wherein the second position is configured to provide a second passage from the inlet of the diverter valve to a second outlet of the diverter valve, the second passage comprising a second bend-pipe extending crosswise to the axis of the drum and comprising a second radius of curvature that is at least five times an internal diameter of the second bend-pipe.
This application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/975,311, entitled “Diverter Valve”, filed on Aug. 24, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, and which claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/515,531, entitled “Diverter Valve”, filed on May 19, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, and which claims priority to and benefit of PCT Application No. PCT/US07/87234 entitled “Diverter Valve”, filed on Dec. 12, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, and which claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/874,429, entitled “Diverter Valve”, filed on Dec. 12, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDThis section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art
In accordance with certain embodiments, the present invention relates to devices and methods for directing the flow of fluid between different fluid pathways of a fluidic circuit. For example, the present invention provides a diverter valve that manages the activity and use of various fluid pathways within a given fluidic circuit for use in the production of hydrocarbons, such as petroleum and natural gas.
During hydrocarbon production, a series of discrete wells can be connected to a single floating vessel through a series of interconnecting fluidic pathways of a larger fluidic circuit. From time to time, it may be desirable to manage the fluid pathways between the individual wells and the single platform by isolating certain fluid pathways while allowing access to other fluid pathways. This management can be effectuated via one or more diverter valves that act as gatekeepers within the circuit, thus directing the fluid flow between the wells and the floating vessel.
To insure the integrity of the fluidic circuit, inspection of the structural components of the fluidic circuit is often conducted by what is known in the industry as a “pig.” These pigs travel through the various fluid pathways, using known testing methodology (e.g., ultrasound, electromagnetic feedback, visual inspection, etc.) to transmit information regarding the structural integrity of the piping defining the fluid pathways to an operator.
Generally, these pigs are flexible devices and can accommodate bends or turns within the various fluid pathways. However, this flexibility is not without limit Traditional pigs have a flexibility that is limited to five times the diameter of the pipe they traverse. That is, pigs can accommodate a radius of curvature (bend in the flow pathway's piping) that is equal to or greater than five times the diameter of the pipe the pig is traversing. This dimensioning requirement is often referenced in the petroleum industry as the “5D” requirement.
To accommodate this 5D requirement, present diverter valves are designed larger than is necessary for managing the fluid flowing therethrough. This increased design leads to increased costs, weight, and manufacturing times, all of which may be undesirable.
The present invention, therefore, provides advantages and potential solutions to certain of these traditional concerns.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present invention, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Moreover, the use of “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below, “left,” “right,” and variations of these terms is made for convenience, but does not require any particular orientation of the components.
As discussed in detail below, certain embodiments of the present invention provide novel diverter valves and diverter valve drum designs that are believed to be beneficial to the production of petroleum and natural gas from subsea environments, for instance. For example, one embodiment of the present invention provides a diverter-valve drum in which the fluid pathways are defined by curved pipes disposed at positions offset with respect to a central axis of the drum. Advantageously, this offset design facilitates a so-called 5D radius of curvature while concurrently limiting the overall dimensioning of the assembly. As another example, the present invention provides a diverter-valve drum that includes a bifurcated passageway that expands one inlet into two outlets or merges two inlets into one outlet, depending on the direction of fluid flow. A further example of a drum provided by the present invention comprises an arcuate recessed portion that defines a peripheral surface of the drum. Advantageously, employing a peripheral surface of the drum to direct fluid flow provides manufacturing efficiencies that may translate into cost savings and may provide greater structural rigidity. Of course, the foregoing embodiments are merely examples of the scope of the present invention, which is delineated further below. Indeed, although the following discussion focuses on subsea applications, the present invention is applicable to any number of environments where the management of fluid flow is a concern, including surface and industrial applications, for instance.
Turning to the figures,
To manage operation of the various segments of this fluidic circuit, the illustrated system 10 includes diverter valves 20 that couple segments of riser and casing structures 18 to one another. These valves 20 control and manage access to the various segments of the fluidic circuit, by selectively opening and closing various fluid pathways. Although the diverter valves 20 are illustrated as being disposed between the sea vessel 16 and the trees 14, these valves 20 may be located at any point on the fluidic circuit, and may further be located directly on or integrated within the trees 14 or surface vessel 16, for example.
To manage transition of the diverter valve 20 between operational states that control the direction of flow therethrough (as discussed in further detail below), the valve 20 includes an operation stem 32 extending from the upper end cap 24. This operation stem 32 can be configured to mate with the stab of a remote operated vehicle (ROV), or can be configured to operate in response to electrical or hydraulic commands, for example.
For example, if port 30 were an inlet or upstream portion of the diverter valve 20, then, in the illustrated position of the drum 42, fluid flow would be directed from the inlet port 30, through a first bend-pipe 46, and, ultimately, into the leftmost (with respect to
To facilitate the change between outlets while maintaining a sufficient radius of curvature for the bend,
In certain situations, an operator may desire to have selective functionality between a first flow pathway of the circuit or a second fluid pathway of the circuit, and functionality with both fluid pathways of the circuit. To facilitate this multi-functionality, the drum 42 may include a bifurcated bend-pipe 50 that couples inlet port 30 to both the left outlet port 28a and the right outlet port 28b. This bifurcated bend-pipe 50 may be offset with respect to the drum 42, as illustrated in
Similar to the above-described embodiments, transitioning between the first and second flow paths is accomplished through axial displacement of the drum 42. Again, this drum 42 may be actuated through an actuation mechanism 44 disposed in the upper end cap 24, for instance. In the schematic illustration of
To accomplish this transition, the drum 42 (see also
Again, the above description is illustrative of exemplary embodiments, and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims below.
Claims
1. A system, comprising:
- a fluid flow valve configured to control a fluid flow of a fluid between first and second components of a hydrocarbon system, wherein the fluid flow valve comprises: a housing comprising a housing axis, a first port, a second port, and a third port; a first fluid diverter passage disposed in the housing, wherein a first flow path through the first fluid diverter passage extends along a first plane crosswise to the housing axis, and the first fluid diverter passage is configured to selectively move in an axial direction along the housing axis between first open and closed positions relative to the first and second ports; and a second fluid diverter passage disposed in the housing, wherein a second flow path through the second fluid diverter passage extends along a second plane crosswise to the housing axis, the first and second planes are axially offset relative to one another along the housing axis, and the second fluid diverter passage is configured to selectively move in an axial direction along the housing axis between second open and closed positions relative to the first and third ports.
2. The system of claim 1, comprising a fluid source coupled to the fluid flow valve.
3. The system of claim 1, comprising the first component of the hydrocarbon system.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first component comprises a well, a tree, or a surface vessel disposd on a body of water.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first flow path through the first fluid diverter passage has a first curvature that extends along the first plane crosswise to the housing axis.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first fluid diverter passage has a first radius of curvature that is at least five times a first diameter of the first fluid diverter passage.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the second flow path through the second fluid diverter passage has a second curvature that extends along the second plane crosswise to the housing axis.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first fluid diverter passage has a first radius of curvature that is at least five times a first diameter of the first fluid diverter passage, and the second fluid diverter passage has a second radius of curvature that is at least five times a second diameter of the second fluid diverter passage.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second fluid diverter passage comprises a first passage portion that splits into a second passage portion and a third passage portion.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first flow path through the first fluid diverter passage extends in a first direction along the first plane crosswise to the housing axis, the second flow path through the second fluid diverter passage extends in a second direction along the second plane crosswise to the housing axis, and the first and second directions diverge from one another.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first or second fluid diverter passages has a curved passage portion or an angled passage portion.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second planes are normal to the housing axis and parallel to one another.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second fluid diverter passages are coupled to a drum having a range of motion in the axial direction along the housing axis within the housing.
14. The system of claim 13, comprising an actuator coupled to the drum, wherein the actuator is configured to drive the drum to move along the range of motion in the axial direction along the housing axis, and the actuator comprises an electric drive or a hydraulic drive.
15. The system of claim 14, comprising one or more position sensors configured to monitor a position of the drum along the range of motion in the axial direction along the housing axis within the housing.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the drum, the first fluid diverter passage, and the second fluid diverter passage are integrated together as a one-piece structure.
17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first fluid diverter passage is offset by a first offset distance relative to a centerline of the drum, and the second fluid diverter passage is offset by a second offset distance relative to the centerline of the drum.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid flow valve comprises a third fluid diverter passage disposed in the housing, wherein a third flow path through the third fluid diverter passage extends along a third plane crosswise to the housing axis, and the third fluid diverter passage is configured to selectively move in the axial direction along the housing axis between third open and closed positions relative to the first, second, and third ports.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the third fluid diverter passage comprises a first passage portion that splits into a second passage portion and a third passage portion.
20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first flow path through the first fluid diverter passage extends in a first direction along the first plane crosswise to the housing axis, the second flow path through the second fluid diverter passage extends in a second direction along the second plane crosswise to the housing axis, the third flow path through the third fluid diverter passage extends in a third direction along the third plane crosswise to the housing axis, and the first, second, and third directions diverge from one another.
21. The system of claim 1, wherein the second fluid diverter passage extends lengthwise along an axis, and the second fluid diverter passage has a wall that extends only partially around the axis such that the second fluid diverter passage is partially open lengthwise along the axis.
22. A system, comprising:
- a first component of a hydrocarbon system; and
- a fluid flow valve configured to control a fluid flow of a fluid between the first component and a second component of the hydrocarbon system, wherein the fluid flow valve comprises: a housing comprising a housing axis, a first port, a second port, and a third port; a first fluid diverter passage disposed in the housing, wherein a first flow path through the first fluid diverter passage extends along a first plane crosswise to the housing axis, and the first fluid diverter passage is configured to selectively move in an axial direction along the housing axis between first open and closed positions relative to the first and second ports; and a second fluid diverter passage disposed in the housing, wherein a second flow path through the second fluid diverter passage extends along a second plane crosswise to the housing axis, the first and second planes are axially offset relative to one another along the housing axis, and the second fluid diverter passage is configured to selectively move in an axial direction along the housing axis between second open and closed positions relative to the first and third ports.
23. A system, comprising:
- a fluid flow valve configured to control a fluid flow of a fluid between first and second components of a hydrocarbon system, wherein the fluid flow valve comprises: a housing comprising a housing axis, a first port, a second port, and a third port; a drum having a range of motion in the axial direction along the housing axis within the housing, wherein the drum comprises a plurality of fluid diverter passages axially offset from one another relative to the housing axis, and the plurality of fluid diverter passages diverge relative to one another.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first port, the second port, and the third port are disposed in a common plane extending crosswise to the housing axis.
25. The system of claim 23, wherein one of the plurality of fluid diverter passages comprises a first passage portion that splits into a second passage portion and a third passage portion.
Type: Application
Filed: May 23, 2016
Publication Date: Sep 15, 2016
Inventor: Loc Gia Hoang (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 15/161,745