Differential Pressure Actuated Valve

• US 20190154162A1
• Filed: 11/19/2017
• Published: 05/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safe-Crossings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Moretz R. Dale
• Inventors: Moretz, R. Dale
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/046 the valve being of the gate valve type or the sliding valve type
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/32 acting on a servo-mechanism or on a catch-releasing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 25/005 Particular materials for seats or closure elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/00 Construction of housing methods for welding housings B23K; Use of materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/30 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/12 actuated by fluid fluid-actuated lift valves F16K1/126 ; fluid-actuated check valves F16K15/00; fluid-actuated safety valves F16K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7723 Safety cut-off requiring reset

Abstract

This specification discloses a Valve designed to be used in systems wherein it is desirable to activate and close the valve in response-to changes in pressure inside a pipeline downstream of the valve, without any dependency on electronic communications or external power, relying solely on the energy within the pipeline for sensing the differences and for closing the valve. The present invention is specifically targeted to petroleum pipelines, but is applicable to fluid pipelines and piping systems for any fluid, liquid or gaseous. The Valve functions by utilizing a lowered pressure downstream of the Valve in opposition to the full pipeline pressure on the upstream side of the Valve. The pressure downstream is typically lowered by providing a flow restrictor on the downstream side of the Valve, or incorporated into the downstream side of the Valve, in a system with a pump on the downstream side of the section of the pipeline it is intended to protect. A flapper, or hinged gate, is held in the open position by exposing said gate to the full line pressure on the side where the line pressure enters the Valve, while the side of the flapper opposite the flow is exposed to the lowered pressure or the pipeline downstream of the restrictor through a connection with the downstream pipeline. The differential pressure holds the hinged gate in the open position so long as the required differential is maintained. When a pre-determined compromise of the differential pressure occurs, the magnitude of which is designed into the Valve for each application or installation, and/or adjusted in the field by means provided, the hinged gate is freed from the open position and moves into sealing contact with the closed position seat.

Claims

1. A Valve that is designed to automatically close upon the loss of relative negative pressure or reduced relative negative pressure in a pipeline downstream of the Valve, without the need for any external energy source or signal.

2. A Valve as in claim 1 which may be installed and utilized to prevent spills and contamination resulting from pipeline breaks or breaches.

3. A valve as in claim 1 with a Valve Housing constructed so as to be easily attachable to new or existing pipelines securely on both the upstream and downstream sides of the Valve, using whatever attachment method necessary for the specific installation.

6. A Valve as in claim 1 in which the relative negative pressure required to hold the Valve in the open positon, and the change required to release the valve gate and close the Valve may be optimized for the specific application by various methods, including but not limited to adjusting the projected area of the hinged Gate exposed to the relative negative pressure, springs or other means.

7. A Valve as in claim 1 in which the relative negative pressure is communicated to the Valve by a pipe or tube, comprising a connecting loop, connecting a port into the pipeline downstream of the Valve and Restrictor, or into an elongated Restrictor, with the Valve.

8. A Valve as in claim 1 which may use any of several means to tune the sensitivity of the valve to the differential pressures in order to optimize the valve operation for various applications and hydro-mechanical environments.

9. A Valve as in claim 1, utilizing a low pressure loop as in claim 7 to provide the low pressure holding the valve gate in the open position, which loop and connection may be arranged so as to adjust the sensitivity of the valve, as in claim 8, to changes in the differential pressures.

10. A Valve as in claim 1, the sensitivity of which may be adjusted by using an externally adjustable orifice connecting the upstream pressure chamber and the downstream pressure chamber.

11. A valve as in claim 1 which may be provided a reset mechanism consisting of having the primary gate hinge pin protrude through a bearing and seal mounted on the housing said hinge pin terminating in a spline, square, hex or other shape allowing a wrench to be used to turn the main gate back into the open position after deployment to the closed position.

12. A reset mechanism as in claim 7 which may be motorized, fully enclosed, and operable either onsite or remotely.

13. A Valve as in claim 1 in which the Port supplying relative negative pressure for holding the hinged valve Gate in the open position is equipped with a mechanism for closing the Port in the event the Valve is deployed to the closed position, said mechanism preventing the materials being transported from bypassing the closed Valve and continuing downstream.

14. A valve as in claim 1 which may be equipped with a remotely activated powered

10-1. g mechanism other than that provided for in claim 10 and claim 11, that can be controlled from outside the valve Housing.

15. A Valve as in claim 1 which may be operated by the application of power, in response to changes in downstream pressure, as well as being operated by pressure alone.

16. A Valve as in claim 1 which may be constructed in any size and of any material needed to be compatible with any pipeline or fluid transmission system.

17. A Valve as in claim 1 in which the sealing interface may be provided an elastomeric seal.

18. A Valve as in claim 1 in which the hinged valve Gate is attached with a hinge or flexible joint on one side to allow smooth movement between the open and closed positions.

19. A Valve as in claim 1 in which a latching mechanism may be employed in addition to or instead of relative negative pressure only to hold the hinged valve Gate in the open position.

20. A Latching Mechanism as in claim 19 which may be operated electrically or by other means in response to changes in the relative negative pressure (increase in pressure) downstream of the Restrictor and Valve.

4. A Valve in which the Valve Gate is maintained in the open position by the differential, or relative negative pressure differential between the pressure in the upstream pipeline and the pipeline downstream of the Valve and a flow Restrictor.

5. A Valve as in claim 4 which utilizes a pump on the downstream side of the protected section of pipeline, or crossing, to pull transported material over the crossing, and through the restrictor on the upstream side of the crossing, to provide a reduced or negative pressure in the protected pipeline section, or crossing.