GATE VALVE

• US 20110140027A1
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Pressure Control LP (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Pressure Control LP (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Parks, Glenn C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,690,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/326
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/02 with flat sealing faces; Packings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49412 with assembly, disassembly or composite article making

Abstract

A gate valve and a method for making a gate valve for use with abrasive fracturing fluids, include provided enlarged spaces in the gate valve body wherein sand or other debris from the fracturing fluid may accumulate without affecting the operation of the gate of the gate valve.

Claims

1. A gate valve for a fluid, comprising:

a gate having upper and lower ends, at least two upper and two lower side wall surfaces, and a gate opening extending through the gate;

a valve body having a fluid passageway passing through the valve body, and the gate is disposed within the valve body for upward or downward movement, whereby the gate opening may be disposed in a first substantially mating, fluid transmitting relationship with the fluid passageway of the valve body or in a second substantially non-mating, non-fluid transmitting relationship with the fluid passageway of the valve body;

the valve body having a gate cavity, having upper and lower ends, in which the gate moves upwardly and downwardly; and

the lower end of the gate cavity having an enlarged space wherein sand or other debris from the fluid may accumulate.

2. The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the at least two lower side wall surfaces of the lower end of the gate slope and taper downwardly and inwardly toward the lower end of the gate to provide the enlarged space for sand or other debris in the lower end of the gate cavity.

3. The gate valve of claim 2, wherein the lower end of the gate has at least four lower side wall surfaces which slope and taper downwardly and inwardly toward the lower end of the gate to provide the enlarged space for sand or other debris in the lower end of the gate cavity.

4. The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the lower end of the gate has a spacer member to space the gate from the lower end of the gate cavity when the gate opening is in the second substantially non-mating, non-fluid transmitting relationship.

5. The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the gate valve includes at least one retainer plate, having upper and lower ends, disposed in the gate cavity, the at least one retainer plate having a central opening which mates with the gate opening of the gate, when the gate opening is in the first substantially mating, fluid transmitting relationship;

and the lower end of the at least one retainer plate has at least one additional opening, and the at least one additional opening provides an enlarged space for sand or other debris in the lower end of the gate cavity.

6. The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the gate valve includes at least one retainer plate, having upper and lower ends, disposed in the gate cavity, the at least one retainer plate having a central opening which mates with the gate opening of the gate, when the gate opening is in the first substantially mating, fluid transmitting relationship;

and the upper end of the at least one retainer plate has at least one additional opening, and the at least one additional opening provides an enlarged space for sand or other debris in the upper end of the gate cavity.

7. The gate valve of claim 5, wherein the lower end of the at least one retainer plate has at least one spacer member to space the retainer plate from the lower end of the gate cavity.

8. The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the at least two upper side wall surfaces of the upper end of the gate slope and taper upwardly and inwardly toward the upper end of the gate to provide an enlarged space for sand or other debris in the upper end of the gate cavity.

9. The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the upper end of the gate valve includes a bonnet, secured to the upper end of the valve body, the bonnet having a seating surface having a generally frustoconical configuration on the underside of the bonnet, with a stem member, having upper and lower ends, passing through the bonnet, the stem member having a seating surface which seats against the seating surface of the bonnet, and between the underside of the bonnet and the seating surface of the stem member is an enlarged space wherein sand, or other debris, from the fluid may accumulate.

10. The gate valve of claim 1, wherein the upper end of the gate valve includes a bonnet, secured to the upper end of the valve body, the bonnet having a seating surface having a generally frustoconical configuration on the underside of the bonnet, with a stem member, having upper and lower ends, passing through the bonnet, the stem member having a portion disposed adjacent the seating surface of the bonnet, and between the underside of the bonnet and the portion of the stem member is an enlarged space wherein sand, or other debris, from the fluid may accumulate.

11. A method for making a gate valve for use with an abrasive fracturing fluid, comprising:

providing a gate having upper and lower ends, at least two upper and two lower side wall surfaces, and a gate opening extending through the gate;

providing a valve body having a fluid passageway passing through the valve body, and disposing the gate within the valve body for upward or downward movement, whereby the gate opening may be disposed in a first substantially mating, fluid transmitting relationship with the fluid passageway of the valve body or in a second substantially non-mating, non-fluid transmitting relationship with the fluid passageway of the valve body;

providing the valve body with a gate cavity, having upper and lower ends, in which the gate moves upwardly and downwardly; and

providing the lower end of the gate cavity with an enlarged space wherein sand or other debris from the abrasive fracturing fluid may accumulate.

12. The method of claim 11, including making the at least two lower side wall surfaces of the lower end of the gate slope and taper downwardly and inwardly toward the lower end of the gate to provide the enlarged space for sand or other debris in the lower end of the gate cavity.

13. The method of claim 12, including providing the lower end of the gate with at least four lower side wall surfaces and making the at least four lower side wall surfaces slope and taper downwardly and inwardly toward the lower end of the gate to provide the enlarged space for sand or other debris in the lower end of the gate cavity.

14. The method of claim 11, including disposing on the lower end of the gate a spacer member to space the gate from the lower end of the gate cavity when the gate opening is in the second substantially non-mating, non-fluid transmitting relationship.

15. The method of claim 11, including providing the gate valve with at least one retainer plate, having upper and lower ends, and disposing the at least one retainer plate in the gate cavity, the at least one retainer plate having a central opening which mates with the gate opening of the gate, when the gate opening is in the first substantially mating, fluid transmitting relationship;

and disposing in the lower end of the at least one retainer plate at least one additional opening, and the at least one additional opening provides an enlarged space for sand or other debris in the lower end of the gate cavity.

16. The method of claim 11, including providing the gate valve with at least one retainer plate, having upper and lower ends, and disposing the at least one retainer plate in the gate cavity, the at least one retainer plate having a central opening which mates with the gate opening of the gate, when the gate opening is in the first substantially mating, fluid transmitting relationship;

and disposing in the upper end of the at least one retainer plate at least one additional opening, and the at least one additional opening provides an enlarged space for sand or other debris in the upper end of the gate cavity.

17. The method of claim 15, including disposing on the lower end of the at least one retainer plate at least one spacer member to space the retainer plate from the lower end of the gate cavity.

18. The method of claim 11, including making the at least two upper side wall surfaces of the upper end of the gate slope and taper upwardly and inwardly toward the upper end of the gate to provide an enlarged space for sand or other debris in the upper end of the gate cavity.

19. The method of claim 11, including:

providing the upper end of the gate valve with a bonnet, secured to the upper end of the valve body;

providing the bonnet with a seating surface having a generally frustoconical configuration on the underside of the bonnet;

disposing a stem member, having upper and lower ends, to pass through the bonnet;

providing the stem member with a seating surface which seats against the seating surface of the bonnet; and

providing between the underside of the bonnet and the seating surface of the stem member an enlarged space wherein sand, or other debris, from the fracturing fluid may accumulate.

20. The method of claim 11, including:

providing the upper end of the gate valve with a bonnet, secured to the upper end of the valve body;

providing the bonnet with a seating surface having a generally frustoconical configuration on the underside of the bonnet;

disposing a stem member, having upper and lower ends, to pass through the bonnet;

providing the stem member with a portion disposed adjacent the seating surface of the bonnet; and

providing between the underside of the bonnet and the portion of the stem member an enlarged space wherein sand, or other debris, from the fracturing fluid may accumulate.