Internal valve

• US 5,280,874 A
• Filed: 06/26/1992
• Issued: 01/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Montana Sulphur & Chemical Co.
• Original Assignee: Montana Sulphur & Chemical Co.
• Inventors: Zink, Donald G., Schwartz, John E., Zink, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/903,934
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 251/335.2, 251/335.3, 251/63.5, 251/63.6, 251/144, 137/573, 137/576, 137/587, 137/454.6, 137/454.5
• US Class Current: 251/144
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/07 of cutting-off parts of tanks, e.g. tank-cars
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/00 Other details not peculiar to particular types of valves or cut-off apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6866 Railway car
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7668 Retained by bonnet or closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86228 With communicating opening in common walls of tanks or compartments

Abstract

An internal valve for pressurized fluid containment vessels having vessel ports. The valve includes a valve seat associated with the vessel port and a valve member movable between a closed position against the valve seat and an open position wherein fluid can flow through the vessel port. A control chamber positioned in the vessel is connected to the valve member. A motive mechanism acting on or in the control chamber, by a control system outside of the vessel, controllably moves the valve member to at least one of the open or closed positions. The control chamber is sealed from fluid in the vessel by a sealing system, which includes a flexing surface against which fluid pressure in the vessel acts to thereby bias the valve member towards one of the open or closed positions.

Claims

1. An internal valve for a fluid containment vessel having a vessel port, said internal valve comprising:

a conduit having a conduit end portion, said conduit being operatively mountable to a fluid containment vessel having a vessel port so that the interior of said conduit is in fluid communication with the vessel port and so that said conduit end portion is positioned within the fluid containment vessel and spaced a distance inward from the vessel port, said conduit end portion including a valve seat area;

a valve operator body having a cavity, said valve operator body being operatively positionable in the fluid containment vessel and outside of said conduit;

a member disposed in and movable within said cavity;

motive means operable from outside of the fluid containment vessel for acting within said cavity on said member;

a valve plug; and

connecting means for operatively connecting said member to said valve plug so that, as said member is moved in said cavity by said motive means, said valve plug is controllably moved from an open position relative to said valve seat area in which position vessel fluid can pass between the exterior and interior of the fluid containment vessel through the conduit and the vessel port and a closed position against said valve seat area in which position vessel fluid is blocked from passing between the exterior and the interior of the fluid containment vessel through the conduit and the vessel port.

2. The internal valve of claim 1 further comprising a flexing surface attached to and movable with said member, wherein said flexing surface has an inside surface and is positionable so that fluid pressure in the fluid containment vessel acts directly on said inside surface.

3. The internal valve of claim 2 wherein said flexing surface comprises a diaphragm sealing element.

4. The internal valve of claim 3 wherein said diaphragm sealing element is formed of a strong flexible material selected from the group of metal, plastic and rubber.

5. The internal valve of claim 4 wherein said strong flexible material comprises stainless steel.

6. The internal valve of claim 3 wherein said diaphragm sealing element is formed of a laminated or multi-layer construction.

7. The internal valve of claim 3 wherein said diaphragm sealing element is formed of a flexible material which is compatible with the fluid to be contained in the fluid containment vessel.

8. The internal valve of claim 3 wherein said valve operator body includes first and second body portions secured together to define said cavity therebetween, said diaphragm sealing element being disposed in said cavity.

9. The internal valve of claim 8 wherein said member comprises a pressure plate member secured to said diaphragm sealing element and movable therewith.

10. The internal valve of claim 9 wherein said valve seat area defines a valve seat opening having a cross-sectional area and said pressure plate member has an effective cross-sectional area in said cavity which is substantially greater than the cross-sectional area of said valve seat opening.

11. The internal valve of claim 9 wherein said connecting means includes a rod attached to said pressure plate member and operably connected to said valve plug.

12. The internal valve of claim 11 wherein said connecting means further includes a yoke member attached to said rod and operably connected to said valve plug.

13. The internal valve of claim 12 wherein said yoke member is attached to a movable valve section which includes said valve plug.

14. The internal valve of claim 8 wherein said motive means includes a passageway communicating with said cavity and a source of pressurized fluid acting on said passageway and disposed outside of the fluid containment vessel.

15. The internal of claim 14 wherein said passageway defines a first passageway, said cavity defines first and second sealed control chambers, said diaphragm sealing element defining a surface for each sealed control chamber, said first passageway communicating said first seal control chamber and said source of pressurized fluid, said motive means further includes a second passageway communicating said second sealed control chamber and said source of pressurized fluid, and said source of pressurized fluid acts on said second sealed control chamber through said first and second passageways.

16. The internal valve of claim 14 wherein said passageway defines a first passageway, said cavity defines first and second control chambers, said diaphragm sealing element defining a surface for each said control chamber, said first passageway communicating said first sealed control chamber and said source of pressurized fluid, said motive means further includes a second passageway communicating said second sealed control chamber and the fluid in the fluid containment vessel, and said diaphragm sealing element seals said first control chamber from fluid in the fluid containment vessel.

17. The internal valve of claim 8 wherein one of said first and second body portions includes at least one passageway means therethrough for communicating said diaphragm sealing element with fluid pressure in the fluid containment vessel.

18. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said motive means includes a biasing spring positioned inside said cavity and biasing said valve plug towards at least one of the open and closed positions.

19. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said motive means includes a movable surface positioned within said cavity, said cavity defines first and second control chambers, and said movable surface separates said first and second control chambers.

20. The internal valve of claim 19 wherein said motive means further includes a source of pressurized fluid operatively connected to one of said first and second control chambers.

21. The internal valve of claim 20 wherein said chambers are sealed from the fluid inside the fluid containment vessel and said source of pressurized fluid is operatively connected to both said first and second control chambers.

22. The internal valve of claim 21 wherein said motive means further comprises first and second passageways which communicate said first and second control chambers, respectively, with said source of pressurized fluid.

23. The internal valve of claim 20 wherein said motive means further includes passageway means for directly communicating the other of said first and second control chambers to the fluid in the fluid containment vessel.

24. The internal valve of claim 23 wherein said valve plug is positioned such that the fluid in the fluid containment vessel biases said valve plug towards at least one of the open and closed positions.

25. The internal valve of claim 23 wherein said passageway means comprises a plurality of passages, each of said passages directly communicating the other of said first and second control chambers to the fluid in the fluid containment vessel.

26. The internal valve of claim 20 wherein said motive means further includes a biasing spring positioned inside said cavity and biasing said valve plug towards at least one of the open and closed positions.

27. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said cavity includes control fluid, and said motive means includes fluid heating means for heating said control fluid.

28. The internal valve of claim 27 wherein said fluid heating means includes exchange means for indirect heat exchange with a separate heating fluid.

29. The internal valve of claim 27 wherein said fluid heating means includes an electrical conductor.

30. The internal valve of claim 29 wherein power s applied to said electrical conductor via electrical induction means positioned on the other side of a magnetic-permeable metal wall.

31. The internal valve of claim 27 wherein said fluid heating means delivers steam to heat said control fluid.

32. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said motive means includes a movable member passing through said cavity and connected to said member.

33. The internal valve of claim 32 wherein said movable member has an end operatively positionable outside of the fluid containment vessel.

34. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said motive means comprises a rod.

35. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said motive means comprises a screw and a screw jack for rotating said screw.

36. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said motive means comprises a passageway located in said valve operator body and an applicator means located in said passageway for applying pressure to said member.

37. The internal valve of claim 36 wherein said applicator means comprises a solenoid device.

38. The internal valve of claim 36 wherein said applicator means comprises an electrically driven motor.

39. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said motive means includes a piston-cylinder operatively connected to said valve plug and spring means positioned in said cavity and operatively connected to said piston-cylinder for biasing said valve plug to one of the open and closed positions.

40. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said conduit is part of a valve body portion, said valve body portion being connectable to the fluid containment vessel for supporting said conduit, said valve plug and said valve operator body.

41. The internal valve of claim 40 wherein said valve body portion is positioned generally between said valve seat area and said cavity.

42. The internal valve of claim 40 wherein said valve body portion includes a flanged outlet positionable at the vessel port and communicating through said conduit with said valve seat area.

43. The internal valve of claim 42 wherein said conduit is curved to form a generally ninety degree angle.

44. The internal valve of claim 40 wherein said valve body portion is formed of metal.

45. The internal valve of claim 1 further comprising mounting flange means for mounting said conduit to the fluid containment vessel.

46. The internal valve of claim 45 wherein said mounting flange means includes a flange and removable fastening members for securing said flange to the fluid containment vessel.

47. The internal valve of claim 46 wherein said removable fastening members comprise bolts.

48. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said conduit is permanently attached to the fluid containment vessel.

49. The internal valve of claim 48 wherein said conduit is welded to the fluid containment vessel at the vessel port.

50. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said connecting means includes a rod attached to said member and operably connected to said valve plug.

51. The internal valve of claim 50 wherein said connecting means further includes a yoke portion attached to said rod and operably connected to said valve plug.

52. The internal valve of claim 51 wherein said yoke portion is attached to a movable valve section which includes said valve plug.

53. The internal valve of claim 51 wherein said yoke portion includes two spaced parallel vertical members.

54. The internal valve of claim 50 further comprising a passageway connecting said conduit and said cavity, and wherein said rod travels within said passageway.

55. The internal valve of claim 54 wherein said passageway is axially aligned with said valve seat area.

56. The internal valve of claim 1 further comprising a valve seat member mountable at said valve seat area.

57. The internal valve of claim 1 wherein said valve seat area includes a replaceable valve seat member.