Compact manifold trunnion ball valve

• US 6,669,171 B1
• Filed: 10/29/1999
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Array Holdings Incorporated (Array)
• Original Assignee: Aceco Valve Incorporated (AceCo Semiconductor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stunkard, Gerald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastianelli, John
• Application Number:
  US09/431,299
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 251/315.08, 251/315.01, 251/315.04, 251/315.14
• US Class Current: 251/315.08
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0642 the spherical plug being insertable from one and only one side of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 5/0673 Composite packings

Abstract

A compact manifold ball valve having a valve body defining a valve chamber and having first and second ends and a first flow passage intersecting the valve chamber a cylindrical sealing surface defining a bonnet and valve stem passage also intersecting the valve chamber. A seat and ball retainer is threaded into the second end of the valve body and provides for support and positioning of a pair of trunnion support elements and a pair of seat assemblies. A valve ball having opposed trunnions is rotatable between open and closed positions within the valve chamber and is supported by the trunnion supports. A valve stem and bonnet assembly is secured and sealed to said valve body and is actuated to rotate the valve ball for opening and closing thereof. The valve seats are capable of metal-to-metal sealing with the valve ball in the event of heat destruction of said face seals to provide the valve with a fire-safe character. The seats incorporate high temperature graphite filament seals for fire-safe sealing between the valve seats and valve body in the event of heat destruction of said back seals. Other internal metal surfaces are arranged for metal-to-metal fire-safe sealing in the event the primary seals are destroyed by heat.

Claims

1. A compact manifold ball valve, comprising:

(a) a valve body defining a valve chamber and having first and second substantially planar open ends each defining flange end connection sealing surfaces and a first flow passage intersecting said valve chamber and having a bonnet and valve stem passage also intersecting said valve chamber, said valve body further defining a first seat recess;

(b) a tubular threaded retainer element being removably located in sealed relation within said second open end of said valve body and defining a second flow passage and a second seat recess;

(c) a pair of trunnion support elements being positioned and retained within said valve chamber by said tubular threaded retainer element;

(d) a valve ball having opposed trunnions being supported by said trunnion support elements for rotation within said valve chamber and defining a flow port for registry with said first and second flow passages and having an external spherical sealing surface;

(e) a valve stem and bonnet assembly being secured to said valve body and having rotary driving relation with said valve ball, said stem and bonnet assembly being sealed with respect to said valve body at said bonnet and valve stem passage;

(f) first and second metal valve seats being located respectively within said first and second seat recesses and having face seals disposed in sealing engagement with said external spherical sealing surface of said valve ball and back seals establishing sealing respectively with said valve body and tubular threaded retainer element, said valve seats being disposed for metal-to-metal sealing with said external spherical surface of said valve ball in the event of heat destruction of said face seals; and

(g) high temperature seals maintaining sealing between said first and second valve seats and said valve body tubular threaded retainer element in the event of heat destruction of said back seals.

2. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

(a) said seat recesses of said valve body and seat retainer having cylindrical high temperature sealing surfaces;

(b) said first and second metal valve seats each defining a high temperature seal groove; and

(c) a high temperature sealing element being located in each high temperature seal groove and having sealing engagement with said having cylindrical high temperature sealing surfaces.

3. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 2, wherein:

each of said high temperature sealing elements having graphite filament composition for fire-safe sealing of said first and second valve seats in the event of destruction of said face seals and said back seals by heat.

4. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

a pair of circular trunnion bearing elements each being interposed between one of said trunnions and one of said trunnion support elements.

5. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

said valve seats each defining metal face sealing surfaces for fire-safe sealing contact with said external spherical sealing surface of said valve ball in the event of heat destruction of said face seals thereof.

6. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

(a) said valve seats each defining a face seal groove having a respective face seal seated therein; and

(b) said valve seats each defining a locking rim being deformed by crimping to lock said face seals within said face seal grooves.

7. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

said first and second valve seats each having back seals having greater diameter as compared to the sealing diameter of said face seals with said valve ball and causing line pressure acting thereon to develop a resultant force urging said first and second valve seats into sealing engagement with said valve ball.

8. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

wave springs being located within said first and second seat recesses and applying spring force to said first and second metal valve seats for maintaining said face seals of said first and second metal valve seats in sealing engagement with said valve ball at all pressure conditions of said compact manifold ball valve.

9. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

(a) said valve body defining an internal locator shoulder and defining a retainer stop shoulder;

(b) said tubular threaded retainer element having a trunnion support locator shoulder and having a stop shoulder disposed for contact with said retainer stop shoulder; and

(c) said trunnion support elements being secured within said valve chamber by said internal locator shoulder of said valve body and said locator shoulder of said tubular threaded retainer element.

10. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

(a) said valve body defining a retainer locator shoulder; and

(b) said tubular threaded retainer element engaging and being located by said retainer locator shoulder.

11. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

(a) said valve body defining an internal retainer sealing surface;

(b) said retainer element defining outer peripheral seal grooves; and

(c) sealing elements being located within said outer peripheral seal grooves and having sealing engagement with said retainer sealing surface.

12. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, said valve stem and bonnet assembly comprising:

(a) a cylindrical sealing surface defining at least a portion of said bonnet and stem passage;

(b) a bonnet member being secured to said valve body and having a sealing portion thereof located within said bonnet and stem passage;

(c) at least one sealing element being supported by said sealing portion of said bonnet member and having sealing engagement with said cylindrical sealing surface.

13. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 12, comprising:

(a) said bonnet member defining a generally cylindrical stem passage and defining a cylindrical stem sealing surface;

(b) a valve stem being located for rotation within said generally cylindrical stem passage; and

(c) at least one sealing element establishing sealing between said generally cylindrical stem passage and said bonnet member.

14. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 13, comprising:

said bonnet member defining an internal grease groove and having a grease passage intersecting said internal grease groove and a grease fitting through which grease is supplied to said grease passage and internal grease groove.

15. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

(a) said bonnet member defining a generally cylindrical stem passage and defining an internal cylindrical stem sealing surface and having a generally cylindrical sealing extension being located within said bonnet and valve stem passage;

(b) a valve stem being located for rotation within said generally cylindrical stem passage and having a thrust flange of greater dimension than said generally cylindrical stem passage for restraining pressure induced stem blow-out; and

(c) at least one sealing element establishing sealing between said generally cylindrical stem passage and said bonnet member.

16. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 15, comprising:

(a) a stop pin projecting externally of said bonnet member,

(b) an actuator handle being connected to said valve stem and defining a handle positioning receptacle receiving said stop pin projection and permitting only quarter turn rotation of said valve stem for opening or closing movement of said valve ball.

17. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 1, comprising:

(a) said first substantially planar end of said valve body defining a first metal sealing surface having a first end seal groove;

(b) said tubular threaded retainer element defining a second metal sealing surface having a second end seal groove;

(c) flange type end connection members being secured to said first and second substantially planar open ends of said valve body and having metal-to-metal sealing contact with said first and second metal sealing surfaces; and

(d) end seal elements being disposed within said first and second end seal grooves and establishing sealing of said flange type end connection members with said first and second metal sealing surfaces.

18. A compact fire-safe manifold ball valve, comprising:

(a) a valve body defining a valve chamber and having first and second substantially planar open ends and a first flow passage intersecting said valve chamber and having a cylindrical sealing surface defining a bonnet and valve stem passage also intersecting said valve chamber, said first substantially planar open end of said valve body having a first metal end sealing surface said valve body defining a first valve seat intersecting said first flow passage and being in communication with said valve chamber, said first valve seat having a high temperature sealing surface;

(b) a threaded retainer element being removably located in sealed relation within said second end of said valve body and defining a second flow passage and a second valve seat intersecting said second flow passage and being in communication with said valve chamber, said retainer element further defining a second metal end sealing surface;

(c) a pair of trunnion support and bearing assemblies being supported within said valve chamber by said retainer element;

(d) a valve ball having opposed trunnions and being positioned by said trunnion support elements for rotation within said valve chamber and defining a flow port for registry with said first and second flow passages and having an external spherical sealing surface;

(e) a valve stem and bonnet assembly being secured to said valve body and having rotary driving relation with said valve ball, said stem and bonnet assembly being sealed with respect to said cylindrical sealing surface of said bonnet and stem passage;

(f) first and second valve seats being located respectively within said first and second seat recesses and having face seals disposed in sealing engagement with said external spherical sealing surface of said valve ball and back seals establishing sealing respectively with said valve body and seat retainer, said valve seats being disposed for metal-to-metal sealing with said external spherical surface of said valve ball in the event of heat destruction of said face seals; and

(g) high temperature seals maintaining sealing between said first and second valve seats and said valve body and seat retainer in the event of heat destruction of said back seals.

19. The compact fire safe manifold ball valve of claim 18, comprising:

(a) said seat recesses of said valve body and retainer element having cylindrical high temperature sealing surfaces;

(b) said first and second pressure actuated valve seats each defining a high temperature seal groove; and

(c) high temperature sealing elements being located in each high temperature seal groove and having sealing engagement with said cylindrical high temperature sealing surfaces.

20. The compact fire safe manifold ball valve of claim 18, comprising:

(a) said first and second valve seats each having back seals having greater diameter as compared to the sealing diameter of said face seals with said valve ball and causing line pressure acting thereon to develop a resultant force urging said first and second valve seats into sealing engagement with said valve ball;

(b) said bonnet member defining a generally cylindrical stem passage and defining an internal cylindrical stem sealing surface and having a generally cylindrical sealing extension being located within said bonnet and valve stem passage;

(c) a valve stem being located for rotation within said generally cylindrical stem passage and having a thrust flange of greater dimension than said generally cylindrical stem passage for restraining pressure induced stem blow-out;

(d) at least one sealing element establishing sealing between said generally cylindrical stem passage and said bonnet member,

(e) said first end of said valve body defining a first metal sealing surface having a first end seal groove;

(f) said retainer element defining a second metal sealing surface having a second end seal groove;

(g) flange type end connection members being secured to said first and second ends of said valve body and having metal-to-metal sealing contact with said first and second metal sealing surfaces; and

(h) end seal elements being disposed within said first and second end seal grooves and establishing sealing of said end connection members with said first and second metal sealing surfaces.

21. A compact manifold ball valve comprising:

(a) a valve body defining oppositely facing generally planar axial ends and defining a valve chamber and a flow passage intersecting said valve chamber, said valve body having a valve stem passage also intersecting said valve chamber;

(b) a valve ball having opposed trunnion elements and being rotatably positioned within said valve chamber and defining a flow port for registry with said flow passage and having an external spherical sealing surface;

(c) a valve stem being located for rotary movement within said valve stem passage and having driving relation with said valve ball for rotating said valve ball between open and closed positions within said valve chamber;

(d) at least one valve seat being located within said valve chamber and having sealing engagement with said external spherical sealing surface of said valve ball;

(e) a pair of trunnion support elements being located within said valve chamber and being moveable axially, perpendicularly and horizontally within said valve body to permit centering of said valve ball with respect to said at least one valve seat; and

(f) a pair of flange type end members having bolted and sealed connection with said axial ends of said valve body, said end members and having flow-line connections.

22. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 21, comprising:

(a) said opposed trunnion elements being integral with said valve ball;

(b) annular bearing members establishing bearing engagement with said opposed trunnion elements; and

(c) said pair of annular trunnion support elements being located within said valve chamber and receiving said annular bearing members in supported relation therein, said annular trunnion support elements having axial clearance with respect to said valve body and said valve ball and being capable of shifting within said valve body for maintaining centered relation of said valve ball with respect to said at least one valve seat.

23. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 21, comprising:

(a) said axial ends of said valve body each defining axially projecting portions defining annular metal sealing surfaces having less diameter than said valve body; and

(b) inner peripheral portions of each of said flange type end members having metal-to-metal sealing engagement with respective annular metal sealing surfaces of said axially projecting portions and outer peripheral portions of each of said flange type end members having stand-off from said axial ends of said valve body.

24. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 21, comprising:

a threaded retainer element being removably received in sealed relation within said valve body and defining at least a portion of said flow passage, said retainer element having an axial end defining an annular metal sealing surface for sealing engagement by one of said flange type end members.

25. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 24, comprising:

(a) said valve body defining a first seat recess and an axially oriented access passage;

(b) said threaded retainer element being received within said axially oriented access passage and defining a second seat recess; and

(c) said at least one valve seat being first and second seat members being located within said first and second seat recesses respectively and having sealing engagement with said external spherical sealing surface of said valve ball, said first seat member and said valve ball each being of a dimension permitting movement thereof through said axially oriented access passage during valve assembly or disassembly.

26. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 24, comprising:

(a) said valve body defining an axial sealing projection extending axially beyond one of said axial ends of said valve body and defining a first circular metal sealing surface having metal-to-metal sealing with one of said end connection members;

(b) an internal retainer stop being defined by said valve body;

(c) said threaded retainer element engaging said internal retainer stop for precision location thereof relative to said valve body and defining a second circular metal sealing surface projecting axially beyond an axial end of said valve body and having metal-to-metal sealing with another of said flange type end connection members.

27. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 25, comprising:

circular wave spring elements being located within said first and second seat recesses and applying spring force to said valve seats for urging said valve seats into sealing engagement with said spherical sealing surface of said valve ball.

28. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 21, comprising:

(a) said valve ball having trunnion elements each defining cylindrical bearing surfaces;

(b) a first trunnion support shoulder being defined within said valve body;

(c) a second trunnion support shoulder being defined by said tubular retainer element;

(d) generally cylindrical trunnion bearing members being received in journal engagement about said cylindrical bearing surfaces; and

(e) annular trunnion support elements having supporting relation with said generally cylindrical trunnion bearing members and having supported engagement with said first and second trunnion support shoulders respectively, said annular trunnion support element being moveable relative to said first and second trunnion support shoulders to permit centering of said valve ball with respect to said at least one valve seat.

29. A compact manifold ball valve, comprising:

(a) a valve body defining a valve chamber and having first and second annular substantially planar axial ends and a first flow passage intersecting said valve chamber and having a bonnet and valve stem passage also intersecting said valve chamber, said valve body defining an axially oriented access passage and first trunnion support shoulders;

(b) a valve ball being positioned for rotation within said valve chamber and having opposed trunnions and defining a flow port for registry with said flow passage and having an external spherical sealing surface;

(c) a pair of seat assemblies located for sealing engagement with said valve ball;

(d) a pair of trunnion bearings being disposed in bearing engagement with said opposed trunnions;

(e) a pair of annular trunnion support elements being positioned about said trunnion bearings and disposed for supported engagement with said first trunnion support shoulders, said trunnion support elements capable of shifting axially, perpendicularly and horizontally to permit centering of said valve ball with respect to either of said seat assemblies;

(f) a valve stem having rotary driving relation with one of said opposed trunnion elements of said valve ball and being sealed with respect to said valve body within said valve stem passage; and

(g) a threaded retainer element being removably located in sealed relation within said axially oriented access passage and having second trunnion support shoulders disposed for supporting relation with said annular trunnion support elements within said valve body.

30. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 29, comprising:

(a) a pair of flange type end connection members having sealing engagement with respective first or second substantially planar axial ends of said valve body;

(b) said valve body defining an axial sealing projection extending axially beyond one of said substantially planar axial ends of said valve body and defining a first circular metal sealing surface having metal-to-metal sealing with one of said flange type end connection members;

(c) an internal retainer stop being defined by said valve body; and

(d) said retainer element engaging said internal retainer stop for precision location thereof relative to said valve body and defining a second circular metal sealing surface projecting axially beyond the other of said axial ends and having metal-to-metal sealing with another of said flange type end connection members.

31. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 29, comprising:

(a) a first seat recess being defined by said valve body;

(b) a second seat recess being defined by said retainer element; and

(c) circular wave spring elements being located within said first and second seat recesses and applying spring force to said valve seats for urging said valve seats into sealing engagement with said spherical sealing surface of said valve ball.

32. The compact manifold ball valve of claim 29, comprising:

(a) said trunnion elements each defining cylindrical bearing surfaces;

(b) a first trunnion support shoulder being defined within said valve body;

(c) a second trunnion support shoulder being defined by said tubular retainer element;

(d) generally cylindrical trunnion bearing members being received in journal engagement about said cylindrical bearing surfaces; and

(e) annular trunnion support elements having supporting relation with said generally cylindrical trunnion bearing members and having supported engagement with said first and second trunnion support shoulders respectively, said annular trunnion support elements having clearance with said valve body and said valve ball permitting centering movement of said valve ball with respect to at least one of said seat assemblies.