Well service valve seat removal

• US 10,400,764 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPM Oil & Gas Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SPM Flow Control Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wagner, Bryan, Cummings, Justin R., Snider, Erica, Grams, Alexander, Buckley, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Venkatesan, Umashankar
• Application Number:
  US15/488,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20170298932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 137 1518, 137 1519, 13731527, 13731533
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/1087 Valve seats
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/162 Adaptations of cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/22 Arrangements for enabling ready assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/38 of conical shape
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/42 Valve seats for double-seat valves F16K1/44
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/026 the valve member being a movable body around which the medium flows when the valve is open
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 25/005 Particular materials for seats or closure elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6065 Assembling or disassembling reciprocating valve

Abstract

A valve seat includes a generally cylindrical body that defines a bore extending axially therethrough and has an outer surface. An enlarged diameter portion extends axially from the generally cylindrical body and defines a shoulder surface and an annular surface disposed opposite the shoulder surface; the annular surface is configured to form a seal with a displaceable portion of a valve. An annular notch is formed in the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body, and it extends a distance from a shoulder surface. The annular notch decouples a stiffness of the enlarged diameter portion to thereby increase a radial compressibility of the generally cylindrical body. An annular channel is formed in the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body and is disposed axially below the annular notch. The annular channel is configured to receive a hydraulic fluid to compress radially the generally cylindrical body.

Claims

1. A valve seat, comprising:

a generally cylindrical body defining a bore axially therethrough and having an outer surface;

an enlarged diameter portion extending axially from the generally cylindrical body and defining a shoulder surface, the enlarged diameter portion having a sealing surface disposed opposite the shoulder surface, the sealing surface configured to form a seal with a displaceable portion of a valve;

an annular notch formed in the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body and defining cylindrical surface having an axial length measured from and delimited by the shoulder surface, the annular notch decoupling a stiffness of the enlarged diameter portion to thereby increase a radial compressibility of the generally cylindrical body; and

an annular channel formed in the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body and disposed axially below the annular notch, the annular channel configured to receive a hydraulic fluid to compress radially the generally cylindrical body;

wherein a body length is measured from the shoulder surface to an end of the generally cylindrical body disposed opposite the enlarged diameter portion and a ratio of the axial length to the body length is 0.1-0.4.

2. The valve seat of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the axial length to the body length is approximately 0.25.

3. The valve seat of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical surface defined by the annular notch has a floor diameter, the enlarged diameter portion defines an outer diameter, and the bore defines an inner diameter, and wherein a difference between the floor diameter and the outer diameter is approximately equal to a difference between the floor diameter and the inner diameter.

4. The valve seat of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical surface defined by the annular notch has a floor diameter, the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body defines an outer diameter, and the bore defines an inner diameter, and wherein a difference between the floor diameter and the outer diameter is approximately equal to a difference between the floor diameter and the inner diameter.

5. The valve seat of claim 1 wherein a depth of the annular channel is approximately equal to a depth of the annular notch.

6. The valve seat of claim 1 further comprising a lower annular groove disposed axially below the annular channel, the lower annular groove configured to receive an O-ring.

7. The valve seat of claim 6 further comprising an upper annular groove disposed axially above the annular channel, the upper annular groove configured to receive an O-ring.

8. The valve seat of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body is tapered.

9. The valve seat of claim 8 wherein an angle of the taper of the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body is 1-3 degrees.

10. The valve seat of claim 9 wherein the angle of the taper of the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body is 1.8 degrees.

11. A reciprocating pump, comprising:

a power end, and

a fluid end coupled to the power end, the fluid end comprising a cylinder block defining a fluid bore and a plurality of valve seats disposed in the fluid bore, at least one of the plurality of valve seats comprising;

a generally cylindrical body defining a seat bore axially therethrough and having an outer surface;

an enlarged diameter portion extending axially from the generally cylindrical body and defining a shoulder surface, the enlarged diameter portion having a sealing surface disposed opposite the shoulder surface that is configured to form a seal with a displaceable portion of a valve; and

an annular notch formed in the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body and defining a cylindrical surface having an axial length measured from and delimited by the shoulder surface, the annular notch decoupling a stiffness of the enlarged diameter portion to thereby increase a radial compressibility of the generally cylindrical body by a hydraulic fluid injected into an annular channel, the annular channel being formed in one of the cylinder block and the outer surface of the cylindrical body of the at least one valve seat;

wherein a body length is measured from the shoulder surface to an end of the generally cylindrical body disposed opposite the enlarged diameter portion and a ratio of the axial length to the body length is 0.1-0.4.

12. The reciprocating pump of claim 11 wherein the annular channel is formed in the cylinder block.

13. The reciprocating pump of claim 11 wherein the annular channel is formed in the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body and is disposed axially below the annular notch.

14. The reciprocating pump of claim 11 wherein the ratio of the axial length distance to the body length is approximately 0.25.

15. The reciprocating pump of claim 11 wherein the cylindrical surface defined by the annular notch has a floor diameter, the enlarged diameter portion defines an outer diameter, and the seat bore defines an inner diameter, and wherein a difference between the floor diameter and the outer diameter is approximately equal to a difference between the floor diameter and the inner diameter.

16. The reciprocating pump of claim 11 wherein the cylindrical surface defined by the annular notch has a floor diameter, the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body defines an outer diameter, and the seat bore defines an inner diameter, and wherein a difference between the floor diameter and the outer diameter is approximately equal to a difference between the floor diameter and the inner diameter.

17. A method for ejecting a valve seat of a reciprocating pump, comprising:

fluidly coupling a source of hydraulic fluid to a quid bore formed in a cylinder block;

pressurizing the hydraulic fluid in the fluid bore, the hydraulic fluid received by an annular channel and radially compressing the valve seat;

wherein the valve seat comprises;

a generally cylindrical body defining a seat bore axially therethrough and having an outer surface;

an enlarged diameter portion extending axially from the generally cylindrical body and defining a shoulder surface, the enlarged diameter portion having a sealing surface disposed opposite the shoulder surface that is configured to form a seal with a displaceable portion of a valve, and

an annular notch formed in the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body and defining a cylindrical surface having an axial length measured from and delimited by the shoulder surface, the annular notch decoupling a stiffness of the enlarged diameter portion to thereby increase a radial compressibility of the generally cylindrical body;

wherein a body length is measured from the shoulder surface to an end of the generally cylindrical body disposed opposite the enlarged diameter portion and a ratio of the axial length to the body length is 0.1-0.4;

wherein the annular channel is formed in one of the cylinder block and the outer surface of the cylindrical body of the valve seat; and

removing the valve seat from the cylinder block.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the annular channel is formed in the outer surface of the generally cylindrical body and is disposed axially below the annular notch.