Shut-off actuator with gas generation device

• US 7,231,934 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Onesubsea IP UK Limited (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Biester, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Keasel; Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CLOUD K
• Application Number:
  US10/489,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 137/68.13, 251 635- 636, 251/76, 251/297, 251/89, 251326-329
• US Class Current: 137/68.13
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/064 specially adapted for underwater well heads
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/16 Control means therefor being outside the borehole control systems for submerged well heads E21B33/0355
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 13/06 constructed to be ruptured by an explosion
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/044 slide valves with flat obturating members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/1221 one side of the piston being spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1647 Explosive actuation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7723 Safety cut-off requiring reset

Abstract

A shut-off device, in particular for application in the extraction of natural gas and mineral oil, has a shut-off housing (3) comprising an admission channel (2) and in which a shut-off organ (4) is supported in an adjustable manner relative to the admission channel (2) between an open position (5) and a closed position (6), and has an actuating device (7) at least for adjusting the shut-off organ (4) from the open position (5) into the closed position (6). To improve such a shut-off device in that, especially in an emergency, fast adjustment of the shut-off organ to the closed position is possible in a constructively easy and economical manner, the actuating device comprises a gas generation device (8) for the production of an adjustment pressure for adjusting the shut-off organ (4) in the direction of the close position (6).

Claims

1. A shut-off device comprising:

a shut-off housing comprising;

an admission channel;

a free space; and

a hole section;

a shut-off organ supported within said shut-off housing in an adjustable manner relative to the admission channel between an open position and a closed position, the shut-off organ comprising;

a pressure end extending into the free space; and

a latching end opposite the pressure end, the latching end comprising a wedging section;

an actuating device at least for adjusting the shut-off organ from the open position into the closed position, the actuating device comprising a gas generation device capable of producing an adjustment pressure to adjust the shut-off organ in the direction of the closed position, wherein the gas generation device is arranged within the shut-off housing free space; and

wherein the shut-off organ latching end engages and is at least partially held in place by the shut-off housing hole section when the shut-off organ is in the closed position.

2. The shut-off device according to claim 1 wherein the shut-off organ is a slide with at least one admission port.

3. The shut-off device according to claim 1 wherein the shut-off organ is adjustable and is able to slide laterally with respect to the admission channel.

4. The shut-off device according to claim 1 further comprising a piston movable in the free space of the shut-off housing and operably associated with the pressure end of the shut-off organ, the piston being subjected to the adjustment pressure produced by the gas generation device.

5. The shut-off device according to claim 4 wherein the shut-off organ is supported with its pressure end on an internal side of the piston and the gas generation device is associated with an external side of the piston.

6. The shut-off device according to claim 4 further comprising sealing rings arranged on both sides between the shut-off organ and the admission channel.

7. The shut-off device according to claim 6 wherein a second packing box is pushed onto the shut-off organ between the admission channel and the latching end opposite the pressure end of the shut-off organ for holding a further set of seals.

8. The shut-off device according to claim 7,

wherein the shut-off organ latching end comprises a substantially cylindrical free end section and wherein the wedging section is substantially conical and is adjacent to the free end;

wherein hole section is substantially conical; and

wherein the cone angle of the hole section is substantially equal to the cone angle of the wedging section.

9. The shut-off device according to claim 8 further including a release device for resetting the shut-off organ from the closed position to the open position.

10. The shut-off device according to claim 8 wherein the release device includes a release element movable in the direction of the free end section within the longitudinal hole.

11. The shut-off device according to claim 10 wherein the release element is a release ball.

12. The shut-off device according to claim 10 wherein the release element is movable through a substantially pin-shaped trigger element, and is moveable laterally to the longitudinal hole.

13. The shut-off device according to claim 12 wherein the trigger element is formed as an adjustment screw provided with a conical section.

14. The shut-off device according to claim 13 wherein the adjustment screw is accessible from outside the shut-off housing.

15. The shut-off device according to claim 1 wherein the gas generation device is a gas generator.

16. The shut-off device according to claim 1 further comprising a sealing cover sealing an end of the free space assigned to the gas generation device.

17. The shut-off device according to claim 16 wherein a spring element is arranged between the piston and an end-stop element within the shut-off housing.

18. The shut-off device according to claim 17 wherein the spring element is plugged onto the shut-off organ.

19. The shut-off device according to claim 17 wherein the end stop element is a first packing box through which the shut-off organ is passed in a sealed manner.

20. The shut-off device according to claim 17 wherein a pressure equalization device is disposed in the free space between the piston and the end-stop element.

21. The shut-off device according to claim 9 wherein the spring element is prestressed between the sealing cover and the end-stop element.

22. The shut-off device according to claim 1 wherein the shut-off housing comprises a sealable wall hole in the region of the free space.

23. The shut-off device according to claim 1 wherein the shut-off housing comprises more than one housing module attached to one another in a releasable manner.