Friction-free light-torque wear-resistant ball valve with hydraulic ring plug type valve seat

Abstract

The invention discloses two types of friction-free light-torque wear-resistant ball valves with hydraulic ring plug type valve seats, and belongs to invention and creation in the aspect of special ball valves. The novel hydraulic sealing ball valve is developed to solve the prominent problems that a lock hopper valve, a lock slag valve, a silicon powder valve, an ore pulp valve and the like used by an existing coal chemical device, a polycrystalline silicon chemical device and a steel mill ore pulp working condition device are short in service life and the like. O-shaped ring type sealing ring plug valve seats or V-shaped ring type sealing ring plug valve seats are arranged in the left valve body and the right valve body, and the two ring plug valve seats respectively form two novel ball valves with different performances. According to the novel ball valve, sealing is controlled through hydraulic pressure, the valve seat is designed to be a contact spherical surface capable of being separated and combined, in the rotating process of the ball body, friction is not generated between the valve seat sealing ring and the spherical surface, only when the valve is closed, the valve seat sealing ring and the spherical surface are combined, and effective sealing is formed. Therefore, the hydraulic sealing ball valve is compact in structure, long in service life and convenient to operate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention, "Hydraulic Ring Plug Type Frictionless Light Torque Wear-Resistant Ball Valve" (hereinafter referred to as hydraulic sealed ball valve), is an invention in the field of special ball valves. This invention relates to valves used in special applications of process pipelines in industries such as petrochemicals, power plants, metallurgy, and coal chemical engineering. Background Technology

[0002] The main objective of this invention is to address the issue that imported special valves, as well as those being domestically produced, are no longer adequate for the operating conditions of existing coal chemical plants, polysilicon chemical plants, and steel plant slurry processing units. These units have complex processes, extremely harsh operating conditions, and stringent technical requirements for equipment. Therefore, key equipment in these units is often imported, especially in coal chemical plants where special valves are used extensively. According to my on-site investigation, taking state-owned enterprises as an example, in the nearly 20 years since coal chemical plants entered substantive production in 2006, the lifespan of imported valves has fallen short of the actual 20,000 online operation cycles. This is particularly true for lock hopper valves, slag lock valves, and silicon powder valves, which frequently experience operational failures, severely impacting the normal production of the entire unit. When these valves have been used for a year, or even just a few months, problems arise: firstly, the valve opening and closing torque is too high, the ball valve fails to fully engage, the valve seat engages with the ball surface, and severe ball-cutting occurs, easily causing the ball to jam. Secondly, even if the valve seat and ball surface do not jam, severe wear and scoring occur, causing sealing failure and excessive leakage. Therefore, these problems necessitate a plant shutdown before valve replacement. Such shutdowns inevitably result in significant economic losses for the company. To avoid unforeseen shutdowns, several domestic valve manufacturers have attempted to localize imported valves by applying hard alloy coating technology to the ball surface and seat to extend the lifespan of worn parts. While this has shown some success, it is still not ideal and does not completely eliminate the potential lifespan issues. Therefore, to thoroughly solve the existing problems, new innovative breakthroughs in valve design and structure are necessary to completely resolve the key technical challenges of hard-seal ball valves.

[0003] In summary, through on-site investigation of special valve process equipment, the problems identified in the valve analysis are as follows: the medium contains hard particles of various sizes mixed in with the high-speed flow of the fluid, which impacts and erodes the valve internals, causing severe wear on the contact surface between the valve seat seal ring and the ball. Furthermore, the valve seat seal ring biting into the ball surface, resulting in severe ball-cutting, is also a major cause of reduced valve lifespan. Therefore, this invention first develops a valve that can meet the requirements of special operating conditions while ensuring a guaranteed valve lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention applies the principle of hydraulic transmission and provides two independently combined hydraulic ring plug valve seats: one is an "O-ring type sealing ring plug valve seat," and the other is a "V-ring type sealing ring plug valve seat." Due to differences in sealing structure and materials, these two sets of ring plug valve seats, together with the left and right valve bodies, form four ring plug valve seat hydraulic chambers each. Two identical sealing ring plug valve seats form a novel ball valve. This novel ball valve comes in two types with different performance characteristics: the "O-ring type sealing ring plug valve seat" is suitable for low-temperature and normal-temperature applications; the "V-ring type sealing ring plug valve seat" is suitable for medium-temperature and high-temperature applications. Furthermore, a matching "handwheel piston cylinder / worm gear rotation mechanism" is provided. This handwheel actuator has an oil-filled piston cylinder and a worm gear box, and it has two functions: first, the piston cylinder provides hydraulic kinetic energy to the ring plug valve seat hydraulic chamber; second, the worm gear box provides 90° rotation torque to the valve stem. In use, the two functions are operated separately by operating the handwheel, achieving a tight closure of the novel ball valve and effortless operation. This invention discloses two novel hydraulic sealing ball valves. High-temperature resistant hydraulic silicone oil is installed in the hydraulic chamber of the ring-plug valve seat. This oil transmits the kinetic energy of the hydraulic oil, causing the hydraulic ring-plug valve seat to engage and disengage. This controls the valve seat sealing rings to engage and disengage with the spherical surface, forming an effective seal. The ring-plug valve seat is inlaid with a hard sealing ring. These two components are tightly fitted together, and the engagement and disengagement are controlled by the hydraulic silicone oil. During the 90° transition from open to closed position of the fixed ball, the left and right sealing rings maintain a gap with the spherical surface, preventing friction. Only when the ball reaches the closed position do the left and right sealing rings engage with the spherical surface, forming a tight and durable seal. Therefore, the novel hydraulic sealing ball valve has very low opening and closing torque, saving time and effort in operation. It completely changes the structural performance of existing ball valves, fundamentally solving the shortcomings of special ball valves, while also ensuring a service life far exceeding that of existing ball valves, thus greatly improving production efficiency.

[0005] This invention, a "hydraulic ring-type valve seat frictionless light torque wear-resistant ball valve," mainly comprises: a middle valve body; a left pressure ring; a large O-ring; a left ring-type valve seat; a left sealing ring; a small O-ring; a left valve body; a ball; a conical bushing; a left oil pipe interface; a stuffing box; a packing sleeve; a packing pressure plate; a left handwheel; a fixing buckle; a side bracket; a worm gear box; a worm gear shaft; a right handwheel; a connecting gear sleeve; a bracket; a valve stem; an oil pipe; an upper valve cover; a right oil pipe interface; a right ring-type valve seat; a right pressure ring; a right sealing ring; a right valve body; a small V-ring; a large V-ring; a lower valve shaft; a set screw; and a lower valve cover.

[0006] The ball has a conical countersunk hole with a countersunk platform at its upper end, inside which is a conical bushing bearing. Additionally, a square core hole is located at the lower part of the countersunk platform, which is firmly integrated with the square core shaft of the valve stem, allowing the valve stem to drive the ball to rotate synchronously. The lower part of the upper valve cover has a ball positioning sleeve, which is tightly fitted into the conical bushing hole of the ball. This ensures that the conical bushing bearing, within its inner hole, only provides positioning and does not rotate. The ball's rotation is achieved through positioning using the conical surface. The conical surface prevents powder from entering the shaft hole and prevents the sleeve from seizing. The ball cannot rotate because it is dead. Similarly, the lower end of the ball also has a conical countersunk hole with a conical bushing bearing inside. The inner hole of this bearing has a lower valve shaft, which is tightly fitted into the conical bushing hole of the ball and locked. At the same time, the lower valve shaft is tightly fitted and fixed to the lower hole of the intermediate valve body and the upper hole of the lower valve cover. Thus, the lower valve cover is fixed to the intermediate valve body by studs and nuts, and the lower valve shaft is fixed in place. The lower valve cover has a set screw, which applies an upward pushing force to the lower valve shaft to support the ball and make it sink. It can be seen that the lower valve shaft can be regarded as the positioning shaft of the ball. Therefore, by positioning the upper and lower conical shafts, the ball will be firmly controlled and rotated by the valve stem. See attached. Figure 1 As shown.

[0007] The present invention features a trapezoidal frustum shape on both sides of the sphere, with the sealing spherical portion positioned below the frustum. This sealing surface, in conjunction with the valve seat sealing ring, achieves efficient sealing and durable wear resistance. Therefore, this structural design aims to reduce wear caused by contact between the valve seat sealing ring and the spherical surface, thereby contributing to extending the valve's lifespan. (See attached diagram) Figure 1 As shown.

[0008] This invention features a multi-tiered countersunk platform inside the left and right valve bodies. Each countersunk platform houses an "O-ring type sealing ring valve seat" or a "V-ring type sealing ring valve seat." The left and right ring valve seats have shoulders and journals at both ends. Multiple O-rings are provided at both the larger and smaller ends of the journals to seal the gap between the inner wall of the valve body and the top of the shoulder. The left and right ring valve seats have four journals, each with multiple O-rings. Their functions are twofold: first, to strengthen the sealing of the shaft hole clearance; and second, for these four O-rings, two of the larger O-rings are pre-tightened by the left and right pressure rings, while the other two smaller O-rings are pre-tightened by the countersunk end faces of the left and right valve bodies. Through the pre-tightening force on the large and small O-rings, the axial forces generated can cancel each other out. At this time, the left and right ring valve seats are statically balanced. When hydraulic silicone oil or medium pressure is applied, the left and right ring valve seats will be compressed and will produce a small axial displacement, which plays a significant role in controlling the spherical clearance of the left and right sealing rings. Furthermore, the "V-ring type sealing ring plug valve seat" features left and right single "V" shaped end face packings A and D at both the large and small ends of the journal, with multiple upper and lower "V" shaped intermediate packings B and F, and intermediate packings C and E in the middle. This "V" ring combination, with its ingenious and unique design of large and small sealing glands, is highly practical. In addition, the large and small "V" ring glands also possess the characteristics of the aforementioned "O-ring type sealing ring plug valve seat." (See attached image) Figure 3 and attached Figure 4 As shown.

[0009] This invention features an upper valve cover on the intermediate valve body. The upper valve cover has a stuffing box at its top and a ball-shaped positioning sleeve at its bottom. The upper valve cover is fixed to the intermediate valve body as a single unit by studs and nuts. A bracket is mounted on the upper valve cover, and a matching "handwheel piston cylinder / worm gear rotation mechanism" is installed on the bracket. This handwheel actuator consists of two mechanisms integrated into one unit, which is then fixed to the upper valve cover by the bracket, bolts, studs, nuts, and a gear sleeve, connecting the valve stem and the worm gear shaft to form a single unit, allowing them to rotate synchronously. The handwheel piston cylinder, through a side bracket, a locking buckle, studs, and nuts, is assembled with the worm gear box as a single unit. The handwheel piston cylinder comprises a cylinder cover, cylinder barrel, piston, O-ring, pressure cap nut, trapezoidal screw, and handwheel. The cylinder barrel contains the piston and pressure cap nut, and the piston groove has an O-ring used to seal the gap between the piston and cylinder barrel, ensuring the hydraulic silicone oil is sealed and pressurized without leakage, thus achieving the purpose of lifting the hydraulic silicone oil by handwheel operation. When the valve is closed, the left handwheel rotates clockwise, pushing the trapezoidal screw into the cylinder, which in turn drives the piston to compress the silicone oil. At this time, the hydraulic silicone oil is pressurized, and the cylinder outputs hydraulic silicone oil, which enters the hydraulic chambers of the annular valve seats on the left and right valve bodies through the oil pipes. The annular valve seats are then expanded by the hydraulic silicone oil, causing the large "O"-ring or large "V"-ring to contract under back pressure, while the small "O"-ring or small "V"-ring expands under back pressure. Thus, the annular valve seats drive the sealing rings to hug the spherical surface, forming a reliable seal. These two different sealing rings will undergo slight deformation under the pressure of the hydraulic silicone oil or the medium. Because the axial forces generated after applying pre-tightening force through the pressure ring and the countersunk end face have canceled each other out, the left and right annular valve seats are statically balanced, meaning the sealing rings do not generate sealing pressure on the spherical surface. This is very beneficial for improving service life. (See attached image) Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 As shown.

[0010] This invention features a compact and novel structure, excellent sealing performance, reliable use, easy operation, and flexible control. It achieves a frictionless fit between the valve seat and the spherical seal, resulting in low valve rotation torque and long service life. It is currently an ideal, groundbreaking, and exemplary product. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1This is a main sectional view of the structure of the present invention. In the figure: 1. Intermediate valve body; 2. Left pressure ring; 3. Large O-ring; 4. Left annular valve seat; 5. Left sealing ring; 6. Small O-ring; 7. Left valve body; 8. Ball; 9. Conical bushing; 10. Left oil pipe interface; 11. Stuffing gland; 12. Nut; 13. Bolt; 14. Stuffing sleeve; 15. Stuffing plate; 16. Left handwheel; 17. Fixing clip; 18. Side bracket; 19, 24, 28, 31, 42, 45. Nuts; 20. 25, 29, 32, 43, 46. Studs; 21. Worm gearbox; 22. Worm gear shaft; 23. Right hand wheel; 26. Connecting gear sleeve; 27. Bracket; 30. Valve stem; 33. Oil pipe; 34. Upper valve cover; 35. Right oil pipe interface; 36. Right ring plug valve seat; 37. Right pressure ring; 38. Right sealing ring; 39. Right valve body; 40. Small V-shaped ring; 41. Plug; 44. Large V-shaped ring; 47. Lower valve shaft; 48. Set screw; 49. Lower valve cover.

[0012] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Sectional view of AA. In the figure: 50. Cylinder head; 51. Trapezoidal screw; 52. Cylinder barrel; 53. Pressure cap nut; 54. O-ring; 17. Fixing clip; 55. Piston; 56. Hydraulic cylinder interface; 18. Side bracket; 57. Housing; 58. Worm gear; 22. Worm gear shaft; 59. Worm; 23. Right handwheel; 16. Left handwheel.

[0013] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of part I. In the figure: 4. Left annular valve seat; 6. Small O-ring; 10. Left oil pipe interface; 7. Left valve body; 1. Middle valve body; 3. Large O-ring; 2. Left pressure ring; 8. Ball; 5. Left sealing ring.

[0014] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of part II. In the figure: 38. Right sealing ring; 8. Ball; 36. Right annular valve seat; 37. Right pressure ring; 60. End face packing A; 61. Intermediate packing B; 62. Intermediate packing C; 1. Intermediate valve body; 39. Right valve body; 35. Right oil pipe interface; 63. End face packing D; 64. Intermediate packing E; 65. Intermediate packing F. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The working principle of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] 1. When the valve is closed:

[0017] The operation involves two steps: First, turn the right handwheel 23 clockwise, causing the worm gear 59 and worm wheel 58 to rotate, which in turn causes the worm wheel shaft 22 and valve stem 30 to rotate synchronously, bringing the valve to the closed position. Second, turn the left handwheel 16 clockwise, causing the trapezoidal screw 51 to move into the cylinder, pushing the piston 55 and increasing the pressure of the hydraulic silicone oil output from the cylinder chamber. This pressure is transmitted through the oil pipe 33 to the hydraulic chamber of the annular valve seats, acting on the side walls of the left and right annular valve seats 4 and 36. At this time, the left and right annular valve seats 4 and 36 are compressed and expanded, causing the left and right sealing rings 5 ​​and 38 to tightly grip the spherical surface, forming a tight seal. The valve is now fully closed. (See attached image) Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 As shown.

[0018] 2. When the valve is open:

[0019] The operation is carried out in two steps: First, turn the left handwheel 16 counterclockwise to move the trapezoidal screw 51 out of the cylinder, which will pull the piston 55 to move. At this time, the oil cylinder releases pressure and quickly returns the hydraulic silicone oil in the hydraulic chamber of the left and right annular valve seats to the oil cylinder chamber. Then, the left and right annular valve seats 4 and 36 drive the left and right sealing rings 5 ​​and 38 to separate from the spherical surface. Next, turn the right handwheel 23 counterclockwise to open the valve. During the valve opening process, the present invention has the characteristics of small torque, easy operation and labor saving.

[0020] This invention, the "Hydraulic Ring-Type Frictionless, Light Torque Wear-Resistant Ball Valve," represents a significant improvement and leap forward in the quality of existing domestic and international special wear-resistant ball valves. Furthermore, this invention boasts high innovation and has achieved domestic production. This novel hydraulic sealing ball valve completely solves the prominent problems of ball valves, such as poor wear resistance, excessive torque, poor sealing performance, and short service life. It is destined to become a leading product in the valve industry, especially for valves used in coal chemical and silicon powder plants, where its significance is paramount. It has a promising market prospect, strong practicality, and is a groundbreaking, forward-looking, high-tech product.

Claims

1. Two types of "hydraulic ring-type valve seat frictionless light torque wear-resistant ball valves" mainly include: Intermediate valve body (1); Left pressure ring (2); Large O-ring (3); Left annular valve seat (4); Left sealing ring (5); Small O-ring (6); Left valve body (7); Ball (8); Conical bushing (9); Left oil pipe interface (10); Stuffing box (11); Stuffing sleeve (14); Stuffing plate (15); Left handwheel (16); Fixing buckle (17); Side bracket (18); Worm gear box (21); Worm gear shaft (22); Right handwheel (23); Connecting gear sleeve (26); Bracket (27); Valve stem (30); Oil pipe (33); Upper valve cover (34); Right oil pipe interface (35); Right annular valve seat Composed of (36); right pressure ring (37); right sealing ring (38); right valve body (39); V-shaped small ring (40); V-shaped large ring (44); lower valve shaft (47); set screw (48); lower valve cover (49); cylinder head (50); trapezoidal screw (51); cylinder barrel (52); pressure cap nut (53); O-ring (54); piston (55); housing (57); worm gear (58); worm (59); end face packing A (60); intermediate packing B (61); intermediate packing C (62); end face packing D (63); intermediate packing E (64); intermediate packing F (65), characterized in that: The middle valve body (1) is provided with left and right valve bodies (7, 39) with ring plug valve seats on both sides. There are multiple countersunk platforms inside the left and right valve bodies (7, 39). The countersunk platforms are provided with "O-ring type sealing ring plug valve seats" or "V-ring type sealing ring plug valve seats". The left and right ring plug valve seats (4, 36) are provided with shoulders and journals at both ends. The journals are provided with multiple "O" rings at the large and small ends. The left and right ring plug valve seats (4, 36) have a total of four journals. Each journal is provided with multiple "O" rings. They and the left and right valve bodies (7, 39) form the hydraulic chamber of "O-ring type sealing ring plug valve seats". The "V-ring type sealing ring plug valve seat" is provided with left and right single "V" angle end face packings A and D (60, 63) at the large and small ends of the journal, and multiple upper and lower "V" shaped intermediate packings B and F (61, 65) and intermediate packings C and E (62, 64) in the middle. The design of the large and small sealing boxes of this "V" ring combination is ingenious, unique and practical. The intermediate valve body (1) is provided with an upper valve cover (34), the upper part of which is provided with a stuffing box (11) and the lower part with a ball (8) positioning bushing; a bracket (27) is provided on the upper valve cover (34), and a matching "handwheel piston cylinder / worm gear rotation mechanism" is provided on the bracket (27). The handwheel actuator is composed of two mechanisms integrated into one. The handwheel piston cylinder is composed of a cylinder cover (50); a cylinder barrel (52); a piston (55); an O-ring (54); a pressure cap nut (53); a trapezoidal screw (51); and a handwheel (16). The cylinder barrel (52) contains a piston (55) and a pressure cap nut (53). The piston (55) has an O-ring (54) in its groove, which is used to seal the gap between the piston (55) and the cylinder barrel (52) so that the hydraulic silicone oil can be sealed and pressurized without leakage. The upper end of the ball (8) is provided with a conical countersunk hole with a countersunk platform, and a conical bushing (9) bearing is provided inside. In addition, a square core hole is provided at the lower part of the countersunk platform, which is firmly combined with the square core shaft of the valve stem (30) into one piece. The lower end of the ball (8) is also provided with a conical countersunk hole, and a conical bushing bearing is provided inside. The inner hole of the bearing is provided with a lower valve shaft (47), which is fixed in the lower hole of the intermediate valve body (1) and the upper hole of the lower valve cover (49), so that the lower valve shaft (47) is tightly positioned. The lower valve cover (49) is provided with a set screw (48), which applies an upward pushing force to the lower valve shaft (47) to support the ball (8) to sink. The two sides of the sphere (8) are designed as trapezoidal frustums, and the sealing part of the sphere (8) is designed below the frustum. It works with the left and right sealing rings (5, 38) to achieve a high-efficiency sealing and wear-resistant and durable effect.

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