Dart valve with centralizer

• US 10,641,062 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextier Completion Solutions Inc. (Patterson-Uti Energy Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: C&M Oilfield Rentals, LLC
• Inventors: Sendlak, Christopher, Harper, Joe R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tietjen, Marina A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gray, Paul J
• Application Number:
  US16/274,063
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 137542, 137543, 13754313, 13754315
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/10 operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/102 with means for locking the closing element in open or closed position E21B34/105 and E21B34/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/38 of conical shape
• 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 15/063 the valve being loaded by a spring

Abstract

A dart valve includes an inlet centralizer to receive a stem extending from the cone body. The inlet centralizer can stabilize the movement of the cone body by constraining the radial movement of the cone body within the housing. Because the radial movement of the cone body is limited, wear and damage to the cone body and other components of the dart valve is minimized. The dart valve can be utilized in high pressure applications and can be used in horizontal and vertical orientations. Because of this, the dart valve can provide reliable operation in various arrangements.

Claims

1. A dart valve, comprising:

a housing defining a valve volume in fluid communication with an inlet and an outlet;

a cone seat disposed within the valve volume between the inlet and the outlet and comprising a seat surface;

an inlet centralizer disposed within the valve volume between the inlet and the cone seat, the inlet centralizer comprising;

an inlet centralizer body;

an inlet centralizer channel extending axially through the inlet centralizer body; and

a plurality of flow channels disposed circumferentially around the inlet centralizer channel; and

an exit centralizer disposed within the valve volume between the cone seat and the outlet, the exit centralizer comprising;

an exit centralizer body comprising an axial seat, wherein a cone body comprising a cone surface is configured to abut the axial seat when the cone body is spaced apart from the cone seat, such that the axial seat prevents oscillation of the cone body or further axial movement of the cone body away from the cone seat; and

an exit centralizer channel extending axially through the exit centralizer body, wherein the exit centralizer channel is spaced radially inward from the axial seat, such that an annular volume is disposed between the axial seat and the exit centralizer channel;

a cone assembly axially moveable relative to the cone seat, the cone assembly comprising;

the cone body;

a biasing member in engagement with the cone body, and disposed within the annular volume between the axial seat and the exit centralizer channel, wherein the biasing member is configured to bias the cone body toward the cone seat to sealingly engage the cone surface with the seat surface to prevent flow from the outlet to the inlet, and to compress to axially space the cone surface apart from the seat surface to permit flow between the inlet and the outlet; and

an inlet stem axially extending from the cone body and at least partially into the inlet centralizer channel to constrain radial movement of the cone body.

2. The dart valve of claim 1, wherein the exit centralizer comprises a hardened material.

3. The dart valve of claim 2, the cone assembly further comprising:

an outlet stem axially extending from the cone body and at least partially into the exit centralizer channel to constrain radial movement of the cone body.

4. The dart valve of claim 3, wherein the outlet stem comprises a hardened material.

5. The dart valve of claim 1, wherein the exit centralizer body comprises a tapered body.

6. The dart valve of claim 1, wherein the cone seat comprises a hardfaced cone seat.

7. The dart valve of claim 1, wherein the inlet centralizer comprises a hardened material.

8. The dart valve of claim 1, wherein the inlet stem comprises a hardened material.

9. The dart valve of claim 1, wherein the cone surface comprises a polymer portion.

10. The dart valve of claim 1, further comprising a top housing coupled to the housing.

11. The dart valve of claim 10, further comprising an o-ring disposed between the top housing and the housing.

12. The dart valve of claim 9, wherein the polymer comprises a polyurethane sealing material.

13. The dart valve of claim 10, wherein the top housing comprises an inner surface exposed to the valve volume and further comprises a hardened flow ring disposed on a portion of the inner surface.

14. The dart valve of claim 1, wherein the inlet centralizer body further comprises a bull nose.

15. A dart valve, comprising:

a housing defining a valve volume in fluid communication with an inlet and an outlet;

a cone seat disposed within the valve volume between the inlet and the outlet and comprising a seat surface;

an inlet centralizer disposed within the valve volume between the inlet and the cone seat, the inlet centralizer comprising;

an inlet centralizer body; and

an inlet centralizer channel extending axially through the inlet centralizer body;

an exit centralizer disposed within the valve volume between the cone seat and the outlet, the exit centralizer comprising;

an exit centralizer body comprising an axial seat, wherein a cone body comprising a cone surface is configured to abut the axial seat when the cone body is spaced apart from the cone seat, such that the axial seat prevents oscillation of the cone body or further axial movement of the cone body away from the cone seat; and

an exit centralizer channel extending axially through the exit centralizer body, wherein the exit centralizer channel is spaced radially inward from the axial seat, such that an annular volume is disposed between the axial seat and the exit centralizer channel; and

a cone assembly axially moveable relative to the cone seat, the cone assembly comprising;

the cone body;

a biasing member in engagement with the cone body and the exit centralizer and disposed within the annular volume between the axial seat and the exit centralizer channel, wherein the biasing member is configured to bias the cone body toward the cone seat to sealingly engage the cone surface with the seat surface to prevent flow from the outlet to the inlet, and to compress to axially space the cone surface apart from the seat surface to permit flow between the inlet and the outlet;

an inlet stem axially extending from the cone body and at least partially into the inlet centralizer channel to constrain radial movement of the cone body; and

an outlet stem axially extending from the cone body and at least partially into the exit centralizer channel to constrain radial movement of the cone body.

16. The dart valve of claim 15, the inlet centralizer further comprising a plurality of flow channels disposed circumferentially around the inlet centralizer channel.

17. The dart valve of claim 15, wherein the cone seat comprises a hardfaced cone seat.

18. The dart valve of claim 16, wherein the cone surface comprises a polyurethane sealing material.

19. A dart valve, comprising:

a housing defining a valve volume in fluid communication with an inlet and an outlet;

a cone seat disposed within the valve volume between the inlet and the outlet and comprising a seat surface;

an inlet centralizer disposed within the valve volume between the inlet and the cone seat, the inlet centralizer comprising;

an inlet centralizer body; and

an inlet centralizer channel extending axially through the inlet centralizer body;

an exit centralizer disposed within the valve volume between the cone seat and the outlet, the exit centralizer comprising;

an exit centralizer body comprising an axial seat, wherein a cone body comprising a cone surface is configured to abut the axial seat when the cone body is spaced apart from the cone seat, such that the axial seat prevents oscillation of the cone body or further axial movement of the cone body away from the cone seat; and

an exit centralizer channel extending axially through the exit centralizer body wherein the exit centralizer channel is spaced radially inward from the axial seat, such that an annular volume is disposed between the axial seat and the exit centralizer channel;

a cone assembly axially moveable relative to the cone seat, the cone assembly comprising;

the cone body, wherein the cone surface comprises a polymer portion;

a biasing member in engagement with the cone body and disposed within the annular volume between the axial seat and the exit centralizer channel, wherein the biasing member is configured to bias the cone body toward the cone seat to sealingly engage the polymer portion of the cone surface with the seat surface to prevent flow from the outlet to the inlet, and to compress to axially space the cone surface apart from the seat surface to permit flow between the inlet and the outlet; and

an inlet stem axially extending from the cone body and at least partially into the inlet centralizer channel to constrain radial movement of the cone body.

20. The dart valve of claim 19, the inlet centralizer further comprising a plurality of flow channels disposed circumferentially around the inlet centralizer channel.

21. The dart valve of claim 19 wherein the cone assembly further comprises an outlet stem axially extending from the cone body and at least partially into the exit centralizer channel to constrain radial movement of the cone body.

22. The dart valve of claim 19, wherein the cone seat comprises a hardfaced cone seat.

23. The dart valve of claim 19, wherein the polymer comprises a polyurethane sealing materials.