Valve With Removable Seat
A valve has a housing defining an inlet and an outlet and a cavity therebetween which receives a valve seat. The valve seat defines a slot which receives a body rotatably mounted with in the valve seat. The valve seat is sealingly engaged with the housing, the body rotatably mounted with in the valve seat sealingly engages the valve seat and is rotatably movable between an open and a closed position using an actuator. An opening in the housing provides access to the cavity. The valve seat may be removed from the housing through the opening by attaching the valve seat to the body rotatably mounted with in the valve seat, thereby attaching the valve seat to the actuator, and withdrawing the body rotatably mounted with in the valve seat from the housing using the actuator.
This application is based upon and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/270,564 filed May 6, 2014, which application is based upon and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/820,202, filed May 7, 2013 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/925,724 filed Jan. 10, 2014, all applications being hereby incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention concerns valves used in high wear environments.
BACKGROUNDIn hydraulic fluid handling valve applications there are many different fluid media to be considered, including, for example, water, various chemicals, as well as thick, highly abrasive fluids commonly called slurry. Slurries can have different levels of solid content as well as particle sizes. Because slurries have a higher level of solids content than typical hydraulic fluids, they present unique operational difficulties such as increased wear rate of piping and valves in systems transporting slurry.
Because of the increased wear rate on components caused by the slurry, it is typical for systems transporting slurry to have predetermined maintenance schedules for the replacement of worn parts such as seals, valve seats, and other components subject to wear. Such maintenance usually requires shut down of the affected hydraulic lines and results in the loss of production.
Typical valves used in slurry applications are pinch and knife gate valves which are designed specifically for the increased solid content of the fluid and the resultant greater wear on components. In order to service these types of valves it is necessary to remove either the entire valve or significant sections of pipe attached to the valve, resulting in increased down time of the production line and loss of associated revenue.
There is a clearly a need for components, such as valves, that can be serviced in a faster and more efficient manner to reduce production down time and the concomitant loss of revenue.
SUMMARYThe invention concerns a valve. In one example embodiment, the valve comprises a housing having an inlet and an outlet. A cavity is positioned within the housing between the inlet and the outlet. A first opening in the housing provides access to the cavity. A valve seat is positioned within the cavity and sealingly engages the housing. The valve seat is insertable into and removable from the cavity through the first opening. A closing member comprising a body rotatably mounted within the valve seat, and the body is rotatably movable between the open and the closed positions. A first actuator is mounted on the housing and is engageable with the valve seat for removing the valve seat and the valve closing member from the cavity through the first opening. A second actuator is mounted on the housing engaged with the valve closing member for moving the valve closing member between the open and the closed positions. By way of example, the valve closing member in this embodiment comprises a disk.
By way of example, the cavity may be defined by first and second walls positioned within the housing and oriented transversely to a flow axis extending from the inlet to the outlet. The first and second walls are in spaced relation to one another, each wall having a surface facing toward and sealingly engaged with the valve seat.
In a particular example embodiment, the housing comprises a first segment defining the first opening and a second segment attached to the first segment. The first and second segments are attached to one another end to end and define the inlet and the outlet and a flow axis extending therebetween. Additionally by way of example, each of the first and second segments comprises first and second lugs projecting outwardly from opposite ends thereof. The lugs each have at least one hole for receiving a fastener for attaching the segments to one another.
In a further example embodiment, each of the first and second segments comprises first and second arcuate projections positioned on opposite sides of the segments. The first and second arcuate projections surround the flow axis and extending radially there toward.
Further by way of example, each of the first and second segments comprises first and second grooves positioned on opposite sides of the segments, each of the grooves facing the flow axis. First and second gaskets are respectively positioned within the first and second grooves. In one example embodiment, the first and second grooves extend over interfacing surfaces of the first and second lugs of the first and second segments. The first and second gaskets also extend along the first and second grooves in the lugs.
In an example embodiment, the inlet has an inner diameter and the valve seat defines an aperture having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet thereby defining a sealing surface facing the inlet. The sealing surface may comprise at least one projection extending toward the inlet. Further by way of example, the outlet may have an inner diameter and the valve seat may define an aperture having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outlet thereby defining a sealing surface facing the outlet. In an example embodiment, the sealing surface comprises at least one projection extending toward the outlet.
As shown in
Inlet 14 and outlet 16 each have respective inner diameters 14a and 16a which are substantially aligned with an aperture 52 defined by the valve seat. Together the inlet 14, outlet 16 and aperture 52 define the flow axis 22 through the valve 10. In the example shown, the aperture 52 of the valve seat 40 has an inner diameter 52a less than the respective inner diameters 14a and 16a of the inlet 14 and the outlet 16. This difference in diameters creates two axial sealing surfaces, sealing surface 54, which faces inlet 14, and sealing surface 56, which faces outlet 16. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, axial sealing surfaces 54 and 56 engage the ends of pipe elements 58 and 60 joined by the valve 10. Compression between the ends of pipe elements 58 and 60 and the axial sealing surfaces 54 and 56 is provided by the positions of arcuate projections 30 and the pipe element's circumferential grooves 62. Axial projections 64 positioned respectively on the sealing surfaces 54 and 56 and extending respectively toward the inlet 14 and outlet 16 may be used to ensure a uniform seal between the pipe elements 58 and 60 and the seat 40. Additional or alternate sealing between the pipe elements 58 and 60 and the housing may be effected by gaskets 66 positioned in respective grooves 68 and 70 in the segments 18 and 20. Grooves 68 and 70 are positioned on opposite sides 32 and 34 of the segments and face the flow axis 22. Gaskets 66 engage the segments and the pipe elements to effect a fluid tight seal therebetween. As shown in
As shown in
Movement of gate 78 is effected by an actuator, in this example a rising stem jackscrew 82 (see
In another valve embodiment 94, shown in
As shown in
Although the example embodiments shown pertain to gate valves, the invention is also applicable to other types of valves. As shown in
Claims
1. A valve, comprising:
- a housing having an inlet and an outlet;
- a cavity positioned within said housing between said inlet and said outlet, a first opening in said housing providing access to said cavity;
- a valve seat positioned within said cavity and sealingly engaging said housing, said valve seat being insertable into and removable from said cavity through said first opening;
- a valve closing member comprising a body rotatably mounted within said valve seat, said body being rotatably movable between said open and said closed positions;
- a first actuator mounted on said housing and engageable with said valve seat for removing said valve seat and said valve closing member from said cavity through said first opening;
- a second actuator mounted on said housing, said second actuator being engaged with said valve closing member for moving said valve closing member between said open and said closed positions.
2. The valve according to claim 1, wherein said valve closing member comprises a disk.
3. The valve according to claim 1, wherein said cavity is defined by first and second walls positioned within said housing and oriented transversely to a flow axis extending from said inlet to said outlet, said first and second walls being in spaced relation to one another, each said wall having a surface facing toward and sealingly engaged with said valve seat.
4. The valve according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a first segment defining said first opening and a second segment attached to said first segment, said first and second segments being attached to one another end to end and defining said inlet and said outlet and a flow axis extending therebetween.
5. The valve according to claim 4, wherein each of said first and second segments comprises first and second arcuate projections positioned on opposite sides of said segments, said first and second arcuate projections surrounding said flow axis and extending radially there toward.
6. The valve according to claim 4, wherein each of said first and second segments comprises first and second lugs projecting outwardly from opposite ends thereof, said lugs each having at least one hole for receiving a fastener for attaching said segments to one another.
7. The valve according to claim 6, wherein each of said first and second segments comprises:
- first and second grooves positioned on opposite sides of said segments, each of said grooves facing said flow axis;
- first and second gaskets respectively positioned within said first and second grooves.
8. The valve according to claim 7, wherein said first and second grooves extend over interfacing surfaces of said first and second lugs of said first and second segments, said first and second gaskets extending along said first and second grooves in said first and second lugs.
9. The valve according to claim 4, wherein:
- said inlet has an inner diameter;
- said valve seat defines an aperture having an inner diameter smaller than said inner diameter of said inlet thereby defining a sealing surface facing said inlet.
10. The valve according to claim 9, wherein said sealing surface comprises at least one projection extending toward said inlet.
11. The valve according to claim 4, wherein:
- said outlet has an inner diameter;
- said valve seat defines an aperture having an inner diameter smaller than said inner diameter of said outlet thereby defining a sealing surface facing said outlet.
12. The valve according to claim 11, wherein said sealing surface comprises at least one projection extending toward said outlet.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 12, 2018
Publication Date: Oct 11, 2018
Inventors: William J. Reilly (Langhorne, PA), Lawrence W. Thau, JR. (Flemington, NJ), Michael Davis (Kunkletown, PA), Michael Prince (Bethlehem, PA)
Application Number: 16/006,246