An intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve

Abstract

The present application provides an intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve, comprising a valve, an actuator, and a control unit, wherein the actuator is installed above the valve, the valve comprises a valve stem and a return spring, the actuator comprises a drive motor, a cam mechanism, and a clutch mechanism, the control unit controls the rotation of the drive motor, the drive motor drives the cam mechanism via the clutch mechanism, so that the cam mechanism intermittently drives the valve stem upward to open the valve, and drives the valve stem to reset via the return spring to close the valve. The present application analyzes and processes the pressure signal or time signal at the valve through the control unit, so that the valve switch pressure value as the over-pressure and under-pressure protection value can meet the setting of any interval with extremely high repeatability, and the over-pressure and under-pressure protection value can be adjusted without replacing any accessories, and can be set through the control unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of emergency shut-off valves, and in particular to an intermittent emergency shut-off valve for a wellhead. Background Art

[0002] Emergency shut-off valves are primarily installed at wellheads or pipelines in gas (or oil) production facilities to prevent sudden pressure increases or decreases, which could cause pipeline ruptures or damage downstream equipment. Currently, the main emergency shut-off valves on the market come in three types: mechanical, electromagnetic, and hydraulic. Mechanical emergency shut-off valves have a narrow range of setpoints for overpressure and underpressure protection, low repeatability, and require regular replacement of overpressure and underpressure control springs. Remote valve opening requires the coordination of two motors, resulting in high power consumption and high costs. Magnetic emergency shut-off valves, due to installation site limitations, only have access to a low-voltage power supply of approximately 12V. Consequently, the solenoid valve cannot provide sufficient thrust, forcing it to narrow the valve's flow path. This results in high flow resistance, making it susceptible to freezing in winter and causing the valve to fail to operate. Hydraulic emergency shut-off valves, due to their inherent structural limitations, are large, complex, and difficult to install and maintain. Remote valve opening requires a pump, motor, and other drive equipment, resulting in high power consumption and high costs. In addition, since the production of gas (oil) production equipment decreases in the later stage of wellhead production or the pipeline pressure is already low, users only need to open and close the valve regularly and do not need over-pressure or under-pressure control. Therefore, the existing shut-off valve cannot meet the user's later usage requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide an intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] An intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve comprises a valve, an actuator and a control unit, wherein the actuator is mounted above the valve, the valve comprises a valve stem and a return spring, the actuator comprises a drive motor, a cam mechanism and a clutch mechanism, the control unit controls the rotation of the drive motor, the drive motor drives the cam mechanism via the clutch mechanism, so that the cam mechanism intermittently drives the valve stem upward to open the valve, and the return spring drives the valve stem to return to its original position to close the valve.

[0006] Optionally, the actuator also includes a ratchet mechanism and a transmission shaft, the ratchet mechanism and the cam mechanism are respectively installed on the transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft is connected to the clutch mechanism through gears, so that it rotates under the drive of the drive motor, driving the cam mechanism to intermittently lift the valve stem.

[0007] Optionally, the actuator further includes an electronic valve position switch feedback device, which is disposed adjacent to the ratchet mechanism and is linked to the valve stem via a rolling bearing.

[0008] Optionally, the actuator further includes a mechanical valve position indicator and a lifting handle, wherein the lifting handle is connected to the transmission shaft via a gear, and the mechanical valve position indicator is installed above the valve stem and is linked to the valve stem.

[0009] Optionally, the valve also includes a valve body, a valve disc, a valve seat and a bypass line. The valve disc is located at the top of the valve body and is mounted on the valve stem. The valve seat is located inside the valve body and is mounted on the valve stem for cooperating with the valve disc, thereby jointly realizing the opening and closing of the flow channel of the valve. The return spring is located at the bottom of the valve body and is mounted on the valve stem, and can be compressed and elastically deformed under the action of the valve stem. The bypass line is installed on the side wall of the valve body.

[0010] Optionally, the control unit includes a control processor and a pressure sensor, one end of the pressure sensor is connected to the valve, and the other end of the pressure sensor is connected to the control processor, and the control processor is installed above the internal protective cover and controls the opening and closing of the drive motor.

[0011] Optionally, the internal protective cover is installed above the valve through a bottom plate and partially covers the actuator, and a lifting handle of the actuator is exposed outside the internal protective cover.

[0012] Optionally, an external protective cover is also installed on the base plate, which completely covers the actuator, and the lifting handle is exposed outside the external protective cover. A window for observing the control processor and the mechanical valve position indicator of the actuator is provided on the external protective cover.

[0013] Optionally, the control processor compares the timer with the preset time and sends a corresponding control command to realize the timed opening and closing of the valve. The control processor sends an instruction to open or close the valve to the control processor through the remote control program, and the control processor controls the drive motor to drive the cam mechanism to rotate, thereby realizing remote opening and closing of the valve.

[0014] Optionally, the actuator is provided with a temperature sensor. When the temperature of the valve or well site rises to a critical temperature, the control processor controls the rotation of the drive motor according to the feedback temperature signal to drive the valve to close, and a backup power supply is provided inside the actuator.

[0015] An intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve of the present application analyzes and processes the pressure signal or time signal at the valve through a control unit, so that the valve switch pressure value as an over-pressure or under-pressure protection value can meet the setting of any interval with extremely high repeatability, and the over-pressure or under-pressure protection value can be adjusted without replacing any accessories, and can be set through the control unit. At the same time, the actuator of the present application adopts a mechanical clutch mechanism and a cam mechanism for intermittent transmission, has a simple structure and a compact size, and is conducive to the integrated design, on-site installation and maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the valve and actuator of the embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the actuator of the embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the actuator of the embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the actuator of the embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the valve and actuator of an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of an internal protective cover according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the internal protective cover of an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of an internal protective cover according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the internal protective cover from another perspective of an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Reference numerals

[0026] 1-valve, 11-valve body, 12-valve disc, 13-valve seat, 14-valve stem, 15-return spring, 16-bypass line, 2-actuator, 21-drive motor, 22-cam mechanism, 23-mechanical valve position indicator, 24-lifting handle, 25-ratchet mechanism, 26-clutch mechanism, 27-electronic valve position switch feedback, 28-drive shaft, 29-rolling bearing, 31-control processor, 32-pressure sensor, 4-internal protective cover, 5-external protective cover, 6-base plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The specific implementation of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] In this document, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, etc. are only used to indicate the relative position relationship between related parts, rather than to limit the absolute positions of these related parts.

[0029] In this article, "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish each other, and do not indicate the importance and order, or the prerequisite for each other's existence.

[0030] In this document, “equal”, “same”, etc. are not strictly limited in a mathematical and / or geometric sense, but also include errors that can be understood by those skilled in the art and are allowed in manufacturing or use.

[0031] Unless otherwise stated, numerical ranges herein include not only the entire range between its two endpoints but also the several sub-ranges contained therein.

[0032] The present application provides an intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a valve 1, an actuator 2 and a control unit, the actuator 2 is installed above the valve 1, the valve 1 includes a valve stem 14 and a return spring 15, the actuator 2 includes a drive motor 21, a cam mechanism 22 and a clutch mechanism 26, the control unit collects wellhead pressure and controls the rotation of the drive motor 21 according to a preset valve switching pressure value, the drive motor 21 drives the cam mechanism 22 through the clutch mechanism 26, so that the cam mechanism 22 intermittently drives the valve stem 14 to lift upward, thereby opening the valve 1, the return spring 15 is sleeved on the valve stem 14 and deformed under the action of the valve stem 14, and the valve stem 14 is reset by the return spring 15, so that the valve 1 is closed.

[0033] The working process of the intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve of the present application is as follows: the control unit collects the pressure signal or time signal at the valve 1 for analysis and processing, and sends the corresponding switch action command according to the preset valve switch pressure value, thereby controlling the drive motor 21 to drive the cam mechanism 22 to rotate to the convex point position of the cam mechanism 22, and the valve 1 can be fully opened. Then the drive motor 21 continues to drive the cam mechanism 22 to rotate and pass the convex point position of the cam mechanism 22, and the valve 1 is quickly closed under the action of the reset spring 15.

[0034] The present application uses a control unit to analyze and process the pressure signal or time signal at the valve 1, so that the valve switch pressure value as the over-pressure or under-pressure protection value can meet the setting of any interval with extremely high repeatability, and the over-pressure or under-pressure protection value can be adjusted without replacing any accessories, and can be set through the control unit. At the same time, the actuator 2 of the present application uses a mechanical clutch mechanism 26 and a cam mechanism 22 for intermittent transmission, and has a simple structure and compact size, which is conducive to the integrated design, on-site installation and maintenance.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present application, Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the actuator 2 further includes a ratchet mechanism 25 and a transmission shaft 28. The ratchet mechanism 25 and the cam mechanism 22 are respectively mounted on the transmission shaft 28. The transmission shaft 28 is connected to the clutch mechanism 26 via a gear, thereby rotating under the drive of the drive motor 21, driving the cam mechanism 22 to intermittently lift the valve stem 14. At the same time, the ratchet mechanism 25 is used to lock and prevent the cam mechanism 22 from reversing, thereby ensuring the automatic opening and closing of the valve 1.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the actuator 2 also includes an electronic valve position switch feedback device 27, which is arranged adjacent to the ratchet mechanism 25 and is linked to the valve stem 14 through a rolling bearing 29, thereby monitoring the status of the valve 1 in real time. The emergency shut-off valve of the present application has an overpressure and underpressure switch function. By collecting wellhead pressure data, the pressure signal is synchronously transmitted to the control unit. The control unit controls the drive motor 21 to drive the transmission shaft 28 and the cam mechanism 22 to rotate through the clutch mechanism 26 according to the preset valve switch pressure value. When the cam mechanism 22 rotates, the valve stem 14 is lifted, thereby opening the valve 1. When the cam rotates to the highest position of the convex point, the electronic valve position switch feedback device 27 feeds back the valve position signal to the control unit, and the control unit controls the drive motor 21 to stop rotating, and the valve 1 is fully opened. When the valve 1 needs to be closed, the control unit controls the driving motor 21 to continue rotating according to the feedback pressure signal. After the driving motor 21 drives the cam mechanism 22 to rotate past the highest position of the convex point, the valve 1 is quickly closed under the action of the reset spring 15. The control unit prepares a pressure adjustment button to set the high and low pressure values ​​for opening the valve according to user requirements.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present application, Figures 2 to 4As shown, the actuator 2 also includes a mechanical valve position indicator 23 and a lifting handle 24. The lifting handle 24 is connected to the transmission shaft 28 via a gear. The mechanical valve position indicator 23 is installed above the valve stem 14 and is linked to the valve stem 14 to indicate the status of the valve 1. The emergency shut-off valve of the present application has an on-site switching function. If the valve 1 needs to be manually opened on-site, the lifting handle 24 is pressed to engage with the gear and rotated clockwise, and the mechanical valve position indicator 23 is observed to be in the open position. If the valve 1 needs to be manually closed on-site, the lifting handle 24 is pressed to engage with the gear and rotated clockwise. After the cam mechanism 22 passes the convex point, the valve 1 will immediately close under the action of the return spring 15, and the mechanical valve position indicator 23 is observed to be in the closed position.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the valve 1 adopts a straight-channel stop valve structure and also includes a valve body 11, a valve disc 12, a valve seat 13 and a bypass line 16. The valve disc 12 is located at the top of the valve body 11 and is sleeved on the valve stem 14. The valve seat 13 is located inside the valve body 11 and is sleeved on the valve stem 14 for cooperating with the valve disc 12, thereby jointly realizing the on-off of the flow channel of the valve 1. The return spring 15 is located at the bottom of the valve body 11 and is sleeved on the valve stem 14. It can be compressed and elastically deformed under the action of the valve stem 14. The bypass line 16 is installed on the side wall of the valve body 11 for bypass.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the control unit includes a control processor 31 and a pressure sensor 32. One end of the pressure sensor 32 is connected to the valve 1 for collecting wellhead pressure data and converting it into a pressure signal. The other end of the pressure sensor 32 is connected to the control processor 31 for transmitting the pressure signal to the control processor 31. The control processor 31 is installed above the internal protective cover 4 and controls the opening and closing of the drive motor 21. The internal protective cover 4 is installed above the valve 1 through the base plate 6 and partially covers the actuator 2 to facilitate installation and protection. The lifting handle 24 is exposed outside the internal protective cover 4 for operation.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, an external protective cover 5 is also installed on the base plate 6. The external protective cover 5 completely covers the actuator 2 to facilitate installation and protection. The lifting handle 24 is exposed outside the external protective cover 5 for operation. A window for observing the control processor 31 and the mechanical valve position indicator 23 is provided on the external protective cover 5.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present application, the control processor 31 can send corresponding control commands based on the timer's comparison with a preset time, thereby achieving timed opening and closing of the valve 1. Furthermore, a remote control program can be used to send valve opening or closing instructions to the control processor 31, which can then control the drive motor 21 to rotate the cam mechanism 22, thereby achieving remote opening and closing of the valve 1.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present application, the actuator 2 is equipped with a temperature sensor. In the event of a fire near the valve 1 or the well site, or if the temperature rises to a critical temperature (user-settable but not exceeding 120°C), the control processor 31 controls the rotation of the drive motor 21 based on the feedback temperature signal, causing the valve 1 to close rapidly. The number and location of the temperature sensors can be installed according to user-specified locations. Furthermore, a backup power supply is provided within the actuator 2. The actuator 2 is typically powered by solar energy from the well site. In the event of a solar power failure at the well site, the backup power supply immediately activates, thereby completely avoiding losses caused by the valve 1 failing to open and close automatically due to power problems.

[0043] The emergency shut-off valve of the present application has the following advantages over the prior art: First, the valve 1 of the present application does not have the high and low pressure springs and lever devices of a mechanical self-operated emergency shut-off valve, and only has one drive motor 21, which has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, complete functions, and arbitrarily adjustable pressure setting value. Second, the valve 1 partially adopts a straight-channel stop valve structure, which has low flow resistance and is not prone to flow interception and ice formation, which would cause the valve 1 to become inoperable. Third, when manually closing or opening the valve, the actuator 2 is provided with a ratchet mechanism 25 to prevent reverse rotation, so it can be stopped at any position. When the lifting handle 24 is rotated to drive the gear to drive the cam mechanism 22 to open and close the valve, the output end of the drive motor 21 is provided with a mechanical clutch device 26. Therefore, the driving force is only used to rotate the cam mechanism to drive the valve 1 to open and close, and the operating force is very small, which is convenient for users. Finally, the emergency shut-off valve of the present application can be switched freely in multiple modes, and can be pressure-controlled or timed to open and close, meeting the user's usage requirements at any time.

[0044] The preferred specific implementation methods and embodiments of the present application are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above implementation methods and embodiments. Various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept of the present application.

Claims

1. An intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve, characterized in that: The invention comprises a valve (1), an actuator (2) and a control unit, wherein the actuator (2) is installed above the valve (1), the valve (1) comprises a valve stem (14) and a return spring (15), the actuator (2) comprises a drive motor (21), a cam mechanism (22) and a clutch mechanism (26), the control unit controls the rotation of the drive motor (21), the drive motor (21) drives the cam mechanism (22) via the clutch mechanism (26), so that the cam mechanism (22) intermittently drives the valve stem (14) to rise, thereby opening the valve (1), and drives the valve stem (14) to return to its original position via the return spring (15), thereby closing the valve (1); The control unit includes a control processor (31) and a pressure sensor (32), one end of the pressure sensor (32) is connected to the valve (1), and the other end of the pressure sensor (32) is connected to the control processor (31), the control processor (31) is installed above the internal protective cover (4) and controls the opening and closing of the drive motor (21), and the control unit is configured to collect a pressure signal or a time signal at the valve (1), analyze and process the pressure signal or the time signal, and send a corresponding switch action command according to a preset valve switch pressure value or a preset time; The actuator (2) further comprises a ratchet mechanism (25) and a transmission shaft (28), wherein the ratchet mechanism (25) and the cam mechanism (22) are respectively mounted on the transmission shaft (28), and the transmission shaft (28) is connected to the clutch mechanism (26) via a gear, thereby rotating under the drive of the drive motor (21), driving the cam mechanism (22) to intermittently lift the valve stem (14); The actuator (2) further includes an electronic valve position switch feedback device (27), which is disposed adjacent to the ratchet mechanism (25) and is linked to the valve stem (14) via a rolling bearing (29); The actuator (2) further comprises a mechanical valve position indicator (23) and a lifting handle (24), wherein the lifting handle (24) is connected to the transmission shaft (28) via a gear, and the mechanical valve position indicator (23) is mounted above the valve stem (14) and is linked to the valve stem (14); The valve (1) further comprises a valve body (11), a valve flap (12), a valve seat (13) and a bypass line (16), wherein the valve flap (12) is located at the top of the valve body (11) and is sleeved on the valve stem (14), and the valve seat (13) is located inside the valve body (11) and is sleeved on the valve stem (14) for cooperating with the valve flap (12) to jointly realize the on-off of the flow channel of the valve (1), the return spring (15) is located at the bottom of the valve body (11) and is sleeved on the valve stem (14), and can be compressed and elastically deformed under the action of the valve stem (14), and the bypass line (16) is installed on the side wall of the valve body (11).

2. The intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The internal protective cover (4) is installed above the valve (1) through a bottom plate (6) and partially covers the actuator (2), and the lifting handle (24) of the actuator (2) is exposed outside the internal protective cover (4).

3. The intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: An external protective cover (5) is also installed on the base plate (6), and the external protective cover (5) completely covers the actuator (2). The lifting handle (24) is exposed outside the external protective cover (5). A window for observing the control processor (31) and the mechanical valve position indicator (23) of the actuator (2) is provided on the external protective cover (5).

4. The intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control processor (31) compares the timer with a preset time and sends a corresponding control command to realize the timed opening and closing of the valve (1); The control processor (31) sends a valve opening or closing instruction to the control processor (31) through a remote control program, and the control processor (31) controls the drive motor (21) to drive the cam mechanism (22) to rotate, thereby realizing remote opening and closing of the valve (1).

5. The intermittent wellhead emergency shut-off valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The actuator (2) is provided with a temperature sensor. When the temperature of the valve (1) or the well site rises to a critical temperature, the control processor (31) controls the drive motor (21) to rotate according to the feedback temperature signal, driving the valve (1) to close. A backup power supply is also provided inside the actuator (2).

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