High-performance pigging valve

Abstract

The invention discloses a high-performance pigging valve, and relates to the technical field of pigging valves, the high-performance pigging valve comprises a valve body, the valve body is internally provided with a horizontally extending medium flow channel and a vertically extending pigging device channel, the medium flow channel and the pigging device channel are orthogonally communicated, and a valve cavity is formed at the intersection; the sealing valve seat assembly comprises an upper valve seat ring assembly and a lower valve seat ring assembly which are installed in the valve cavity in a sealed mode, the axis of the upper valve seat ring assembly and the axis of the lower valve seat ring assembly are both perpendicular to the axis of the medium flow channel, and arc-shaped sealing faces with the same sphere center are arranged on the opposite sides of the upper valve seat ring assembly and the lower valve seat ring assembly. And the ball body is rotatably arranged between the arc-shaped sealing surfaces of the upper valve seat ring assembly and the lower valve seat ring assembly. Through multiple structural innovation and optimization, the technical breakthrough of non-stop pipe cleaning, reliable sealing under all working conditions, safe and convenient operation and economical and efficient maintenance is achieved, and the pipeline cleaning device is particularly suitable for high-pressure and continuous operation pipeline systems needing frequent pipe cleaning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pigging valve technology, specifically a high-performance pigging valve. Background Technology

[0002] In long-distance pipeline transportation systems in industries such as oil and gas and chemicals, pigging valves are core equipment for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of pipelines. Their main function is to load, deploy, and retrieve pigs, scraping away impurities, scale, and wax deposits from the inner walls of the pipeline to prevent blockages and further corrosion, thereby ensuring media transportation efficiency and pipeline lifespan. However, existing pigging valves still face many technical bottlenecks in practical applications, making it difficult to meet the demands of high-frequency pigging operations under harsh conditions.

[0003] Traditional pigging valves often adopt a symmetrical valve seat layout. The valve seat and support structure occupy the horizontal space on the side of the ball, making it impossible to form a bypass flow channel around the ball. As a result, when switching to pigging mode, the solid part of the ball will completely block the main medium flow channel, and pipeline transportation must be suspended before pigging can be performed, causing production interruption and significant economic losses to pipeline systems with high requirements for continuous operation.

[0004] In terms of sealing performance, traditional valve seats lack a reliable initial preload adjustment mechanism under low-pressure conditions, and insufficient sealing pressure can easily lead to leakage. Under high-pressure conditions, the relative rotation between the ball and the valve seat can easily cause wear on the sealing surface, and the sealing force cannot be dynamically compensated after wear. The sealing gap will increase cumulatively with the running time, and the risk of leakage will increase significantly. At the same time, traditional balls are often equipped with a rear support shaft, and the shaft end seal is prone to become a weak leakage point, further reducing the sealing safety level.

[0005] In terms of operation, traditional pigs mostly use a side-loading method, which requires additional adjustment of the positioning mechanism to ensure that the pig enters the pipeline accurately, resulting in low loading efficiency. Moreover, when switching operating conditions, there is a significant pressure difference between the medium flow channel and the pig channel, which makes the rotation resistance of the ball high, and problems such as jamming and impact wear of the sealing surface are prone to occur. Some valves need to be equipped with a deceleration mechanism to complete the operation, which increases the structural complexity and operation difficulty. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a high-performance pigging valve to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This invention provides a high-performance pigging valve, comprising: The valve body has a horizontally extending medium flow channel and a vertically extending pig channel inside. The medium flow channel and the pig channel are orthogonally connected and form a valve cavity at the intersection. A sealing valve seat assembly includes an upper valve seat ring assembly and a lower valve seat ring assembly that are sealed and installed in the valve cavity. The axes of the upper valve seat ring assembly and the lower valve seat ring assembly are perpendicular to the axis of the medium flow channel, and the opposite sides of the two are provided with arc-shaped sealing surfaces concentric with each other. A sphere is rotatably disposed between the arc-shaped sealing surfaces of the upper valve seat ring assembly and the lower valve seat ring assembly. The sphere has an axially penetrating sphere channel, and a blind plate is detachably installed at one end of the sphere channel. A valve stem drive assembly is connected to the ball and drives the ball to rotate, so that the ball channel is selectively aligned coaxially with the medium flow channel or the pig channel; A top cover is attached to the top of the valve body and closes the upper port of the pig channel. The top cover is equipped with a pressure relief valve.

[0008] Furthermore, the medium flow channel sequentially includes an inlet section, a valve cavity section, and an outlet section along the medium flow direction. The valve cavity section is the central cavity of the medium flow channel, with the valve cavity located at its center to accommodate the ball and the sealing valve seat assembly. The inlet section and the outlet section are collinear and intersect at the center of the ball. The outer diameter of the ball is smaller than the inner diameter of the valve cavity section, so that when the ball rotates within the valve cavity section, a circumferentially annular bypass flow channel is formed between the outer surface of the ball and the inner wall of the valve cavity section. When the ball channel is coaxial with the pig channel, the medium can bypass between the inlet section and the outlet section through the bypass flow channel.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottom inner side of the pig channel is coaxially provided with an upper mounting groove, and the medium flow channel wall directly below the upper mounting groove is coaxially provided with a lower mounting groove. The upper valve seat ring assembly is sealed and fixed in the upper mounting groove, and the lower valve seat ring assembly is sealed and axially slidably assembled in the lower mounting groove. Multiple lower compensation springs are evenly distributed circumferentially between the bottom of the lower mounting groove and the bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the valve body is provided with a bypass pressure regulating channel, the inlet of the bypass pressure regulating channel is connected to the medium channel, the outlet of the bypass pressure regulating channel is connected to the pig channel, and the bypass pressure regulating channel is provided with an adjustable regulating valve.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly, the ball, and the bottom of the lower mounting groove together form a pressure chamber; the outer peripheral surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly and the inner peripheral surface of the lower mounting groove are sealed by a sealing element. The bottom of the lower valve seat ring assembly has multiple convex ribs evenly distributed circumferentially. The bottom surface of the convex ribs contacts the bottom of the lower mounting groove. The bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly between adjacent convex ribs forms a first pressure bearing surface. The top surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly forms a second pressure bearing surface, and the area of ​​the first pressure bearing surface is larger than the area of ​​the second pressure bearing surface. A connecting hole is provided on the lower valve seat ring assembly between adjacent ribs. One end of the connecting hole is connected to the pressure chamber, and the other end of the connecting hole is connected to the top side of the lower valve seat ring assembly. When the medium pressure enters the pressure chamber through the connecting hole, the first pressure-bearing surface is subjected to an upward medium force, and the second pressure-bearing surface is subjected to a downward medium force. Since the area of ​​the first pressure-bearing surface is larger than that of the second pressure-bearing surface, the resulting pressure difference forms an upward net thrust, which is used to enhance the sealing pressure between the arc-shaped sealing surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly and the ball.

[0012] Furthermore, the end of the valve stem drive assembly is clearance-fitted with the drive hole on the ball, allowing the ball to float along the axial direction of the pig channel; When the pressure relief valve releases the pressure in the pig channel to atmospheric pressure, the medium pressure in the medium flow channel pushes the ball upward along the axial direction of the pig channel, causing the top surface of the ball to press against the arc-shaped sealing surface of the upper valve seat ring assembly, thereby enhancing the sealing pressure ratio between the upper valve seat ring assembly and the ball.

[0013] Furthermore, the valve body is provided with a first grease injection channel communicating with the upper mounting groove. The inlet end of the first grease injection channel penetrates the inner sidewall of the upper mounting groove, and the outlet end of the first grease injection channel leads to the outside of the valve body. The valve body is also provided with a second grease injection channel that communicates with the lower mounting groove. The inlet end of the second grease injection channel penetrates the inner wall of the lower mounting groove, and the outlet end of the second grease injection channel leads to the outside of the valve body. Both the outlet end of the first grease injection channel and the outlet end of the second grease injection channel are equipped with double check valves.

[0014] Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the upper valve seat ring assembly is provided with a first annular grease reservoir corresponding to the inlet end of the first grease injection channel, and the upper valve seat ring assembly is evenly distributed with a plurality of first L-shaped guide holes along the circumference. The inlet of the first L-shaped guide hole is connected to the first annular grease reservoir, and the outlet of the first L-shaped guide hole is connected to the medium flow channel. The outer circumferential surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly is provided with a second annular grease reservoir corresponding to the inlet end of the second grease injection channel, and the second annular grease reservoir is provided with a plurality of second L-shaped guide holes evenly distributed along the circumference. The inlet of the second L-shaped guide hole is connected to the second annular grease reservoir, and the outlet of the second annular grease reservoir is connected to the medium flow channel.

[0015] Furthermore, the valve body includes a valve body body and a detachable top-mounted valve neck. The valve body body has the medium flow channel inside, and the top-mounted valve neck forms the pig channel inside. The top-mounted valve neck is sealed and fixedly installed in the mounting port at the top of the valve body.

[0016] Furthermore, the lower valve seat ring assembly includes a lower valve seat ring body and a lower sealing ring fastened thereon; the upper valve seat ring assembly includes an upper valve seat ring body and an upper sealing ring fastened thereon; both the upper sealing ring and the lower sealing ring have an arc-shaped sealing surface with the same center as the sphere in the inner circumferential direction.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, one or more of the above technical solutions have the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention optimizes the medium flow channel structure by designing the valve cavity section as a cavity with an enlarged diameter, making the outer diameter of the ball smaller than the inner diameter of the valve cavity section to form an annular bypass flow channel around the ball; combined with the vertical valve seat layout, it frees up the horizontal space on the side of the ball, so that in the case of pigging, the medium can flow from the inlet section around the ball into the outlet section through the bypass flow channel, realizing the continuous flow of the main pipeline medium without interruption, solving the problem that traditional pigging valves require stopping the operation or additional pipeline layout, and greatly improving the pipeline operation efficiency and economic benefits.

[0018] 2. Under low-pressure conditions, the lower valve seat ring assembly, under the combined action of the ball's own weight preload and the initial preload of the lower compensating spring, forms a uniform sealing pressure, ensuring the effectiveness of the low-pressure seal. Under high-pressure conditions, through a pressure self-compensation mechanism, the medium pressure is introduced into the pressure chamber through the connecting hole, and the area difference between the first and second pressure-bearing surfaces generates an upward net thrust, causing the sealing pressure to increase proportionally with the medium pressure, achieving dynamic adaptive sealing. Under open-cover or medium transportation conditions, after the pig channel is depressurized, the medium flow channel pressure pushes the ball upward, pressing the upper valve seat ring sealing surface to form an additional high-pressure sealing barrier.

[0019] 3. This invention adopts a top-mounted cover design, allowing the pig to be installed vertically and naturally centered by gravity. It can accurately enter the pipeline without the need for an additional positioning mechanism, improving loading efficiency compared to the traditional side-mounting method. The top cover integrates a pressure relief valve, which can quickly release the pressure of residual media in the channel, avoiding the risk of media splashing when the cover is opened and ensuring the safety of operators. A bypass pressure regulating channel and regulating valve are added, which can quickly balance the pressure of the two channels before switching operating conditions, minimizing the opening and closing torque of the ball, and allowing for easy operation with a wrench without the need for a deceleration mechanism.

[0020] 4. The rear support shaft-less ball design of this invention reduces the number of parts and machining processes, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and assembly complexity. The valve body adopts a split structure of main body and upper-mounted valve neck. The upper valve seat ring is pre-installed on the upper-mounted valve neck and then integrally docks with the valve body main body, simplifying the assembly process and improving the sealing fit accuracy.

[0021] 5. This invention integrates active lubrication and emergency sealing grease injection structure. Routine lubrication and sealing repair can be completed by external grease injection tools without disassembling valves, achieving maintenance without downtime. The double check valve design effectively prevents grease loss and reverse seepage of media, ensuring lubrication and sealing effects.

[0022] In summary, through multiple structural innovations and optimizations, this invention achieves technological breakthroughs such as uninterrupted pipeline cleaning, reliable sealing under all operating conditions, safe and convenient operation, and economical and efficient maintenance. It is especially suitable for high-pressure, continuously operating pipeline systems that require frequent cleaning.

[0023] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the AA-direction structure; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the BB-oriented structure; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the partial structure at point A; Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the local structure at point B; Figure 6 This is a first-view structural schematic diagram of the lower valve seat ring assembly of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a second-view structural schematic diagram of the lower valve seat ring assembly of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first state structure during the pipe cleaning operation of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second state structure during the pipe cleaning operation of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the third state structure during the pipe cleaning operation of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth state structure during the pipe cleaning operation of the present invention.

[0026] In the picture: 1-Valve body; 11-Medium flow channel; 111-Inlet section; 112-Valve cavity section; 113-Outlet section; 114-Lower mounting groove; 12-Pig channel; 121-Upper mounting groove; 13-Bypass flow channel; 14-Bypass pressure regulating flow channel; 15-Regulating valve; 16-Pressure chamber; 17-Top-entry valve neck; 18-Valve body body; 2-Sealing valve seat assembly; 21-Upper valve seat ring assembly; 211-First annular grease reservoir; 212- 22-First L-shaped guide hole; 22-Lower valve seat ring assembly; 221-Protruding rib; 222-First pressure bearing surface; 223-Second pressure bearing surface; 224-Second annular grease reservoir; 225-Second L-shaped guide hole; 23-Arc-shaped sealing surface; 24-Lower compensating spring; 3-Spherical body; 31-Spherical channel; 32-Blind plate; 4-Valve stem drive assembly; 5-Top-mounted cover; 6-First grease injection channel; 7-Second grease injection channel; 8-Double check valve. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0028] Please see Figures 1-11 This invention provides a high-performance pigging valve, comprising a valve body 1, a sealing seat assembly 2, a ball 3, a valve stem drive assembly 4, and a top-mounted cover 5. Through optimized design and coordination, these components collectively achieve superior performance in high-pressure sealing, operational condition switching, rapid pig loading, and low-pressure sealing.

[0029] The valve body 1 serves as the pressure-bearing and structural foundation of the entire valve. Internally, it contains a horizontally extending media flow channel 11 and a vertically extending pig channel 12. The media flow channel 11 and the pig channel 12 are orthogonally connected, forming a valve chamber at their intersection. The media flow channel 11 connects the upstream and downstream pipelines, ensuring the continuity of media transport; the pig channel 12 provides a path for the pig to be inserted, retrieved, and pass through.

[0030] The sealing valve seat assembly 2 is crucial for ensuring valve sealing. It includes an upper valve seat ring assembly 21 and a lower valve seat ring assembly 22, which are installed sealingly within the valve cavity. The upper and lower valve seat ring assemblies 21 and 22 are respectively installed at the top and bottom of the valve cavity. Unlike conventional pigging valves that place the valve seat on both sides of the flow channel, this pigging valve arranges the axes of the upper and lower valve seat ring assemblies 21 and 22 perpendicular to the axis of the medium flow channel 11. The inner sides of both the upper and lower valve seat ring assemblies 21 and 22 are machined with arc-shaped sealing surfaces 23 coaxial with the center of the ball. This vertically symmetrical layout forms a natural bearing seat, providing radial positioning and full circumferential sealing support for the ball 3. Its symmetrical force characteristics are also conducive to forming a uniform sealing pressure under low-pressure conditions, significantly improving the reliability of the low-pressure seal.

[0031] As the core actuating component, the ball 3 is rotatably positioned between the arc-shaped sealing surfaces 23 of the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 and the lower valve seat ring assembly 22. An axially penetrating ball channel 31 is formed at the center of the ball 3, one end of which is sealed by a high-pressure removable blind flange 32. By rotating the ball 3 90°, this ball channel 31 can be aligned with either the horizontal medium flow channel 11 or the vertical pig channel 12, achieving functional switching. Furthermore, thanks to the stable support provided by the aforementioned vertically arranged valve seat rings, the ball 3 completely eliminates the traditional rear support shaft (lower shaft). This design eliminates the lower shaft, reduces potential leakage points, and simultaneously reduces the number of parts and machining processes, effectively lowering manufacturing costs and maintenance complexity while improving sealing safety.

[0032] The valve stem drive assembly 4 is responsible for executing and controlling the rotational movement of the ball 3. The valve stem is connected to the side of the ball 3 via a torsion-resistant structure such as a key or spline, and extends to the outside of the valve body 1 to connect with a manual, electric, or pneumatic actuator. The valve stem drive assembly 4 is equipped with multiple seals (such as packing seals and O-rings) to ensure zero leakage at the valve stem. By controlling the rotation of the valve stem of the valve stem drive assembly 4, the ball channel 31 can be accurately switched between two working positions (medium delivery position and pig navigation position), and throughout the switching process, the surface of the ball 3 remains in contact with the valve seat sealing surface, ensuring smooth operation and continuous sealing.

[0033] The aforementioned media delivery position refers to the coaxial alignment of the ball channel 31 and the media flow channel 11, while the pig navigation position refers to the coaxial alignment of the ball channel 31 and the pig channel 12.

[0034] The top-mounted cover 5 is secured to the top of the valve body 1 via flanges and high-strength bolts or threaded connections, serving as the main inlet and safety barrier for the pig channel 12. A pressure relief valve is integrated in the center of the top-mounted cover 5, allowing manual or automatic release of any residual medium pressure in the channel before pigging operations, ensuring operational safety. Additionally, a pressure gauge can be installed on the top-mounted cover 5 to monitor pressure values. The pig is installed vertically from the top, utilizing gravity to facilitate rapid and centered entry into the pipeline system, significantly improving loading efficiency and positioning accuracy compared to traditional side-mounting methods. With the valve closed, the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 achieves initial pre-tight sealing force under the weight of the ball 3, further simplifying the structure and ensuring a good low-pressure sealing effect.

[0035] In summary, this high-performance pigging valve achieves multiple technical advantages, including simplified structure, reliable sealing, safe operation, and convenient maintenance, through its core design features such as vertical valve seat layout, ball-on-ball design without rear support shaft, and top-mounted integrated top cover. It is especially suitable for pipeline systems in harsh operating conditions that require frequent pigging operations.

[0036] In this embodiment, the structure of the medium flow channel 11 is specially designed to ensure continuous flow of the main pipeline medium during pigging operations. The medium flow channel 11 includes, in sequence along the medium flow direction, an inlet section 111, a valve chamber section 112, and an outlet section 113.

[0037] Inlet section 111 and outlet section 113 serve as the connection between the valve and the pipeline. The axes of inlet section 111 and outlet section 113 are collinear, and their common axis passes through the geometric center of sphere 3. Inlet section 111 and outlet section 113 are equipped with standard flanges to ensure a reliable connection with the piping system.

[0038] Valve cavity section 112, as the core functional section of the medium flow channel 11, is located between inlet section 111 and outlet section 113. It is a cavity with a relatively enlarged diameter, and the valve cavity is formed by machining the center of its interior to accommodate the rotatable ball 3, the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 and the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 that provide sealing support.

[0039] The outer diameter of the ball 3 is designed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the valve cavity section 112. This dimensional difference is an engineering clearance set to achieve a specific function. When the ball 3 rotates in the valve cavity, its outer surface and the cylindrical inner wall of the valve cavity section 112 naturally form a bypass channel 13 with an annular cross-section that surrounds the ball 3.

[0040] The core function of the bypass channel 13 is fully realized when the valve switches operating conditions. When a pigging operation is required, the valve stem drive assembly 4 rotates the ball 3 by 90 degrees, switching its internal ball channel 31 from the media delivery position aligned with the horizontal media channel 11 to the pig navigation position coaxially aligned with the vertical pig channel 12. At this time, the ball channel 31 makes way for the vertical passage of the pig, while the horizontal media channel 11 appears to be blocked by the solid part of the ball 3. However, thanks to the aforementioned pre-designed annular bypass channel 13, the media is not completely isolated. Under pressure, the media in the main pipeline can flow in from the inlet section 111, then smoothly pass through this bypass channel 13 around the ball 3, and finally smoothly merge into the outlet section 113 and continue to flow downstream. This design achieves continuous bypass flow of the media during pigging operations, thereby ensuring the continuity of pipeline operation and operational efficiency.

[0041] This function is impossible to achieve with valves using a conventional left-right symmetrical seat layout. In traditional designs, the valve seat and its supporting structure occupy axial space, physically hindering the formation of the annular bypass channel 13. This embodiment, through a vertically arranged valve seat, structurally frees up the horizontal annular space on the sides of the ball 3, allowing it to be dedicated to forming a bypass channel, thus achieving the advantage of online pigging.

[0042] In this embodiment, an upper mounting groove 121 is coaxially provided on the inner bottom side of the pig channel 12, and a lower mounting groove 114 is coaxially provided on the wall of the medium flow channel 11 directly below the upper mounting groove 121. The upper valve seat ring assembly 21 is sealed and fixed in the upper mounting groove 121, and the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 cooperates with the ball 3 to seal the lower section of the pig channel 12. The lower valve seat ring assembly 22 is sealed and axially slidably assembled in the lower mounting groove 114, and multiple lower compensating springs 24 are evenly distributed circumferentially between the bottom of the lower mounting groove 114 and the bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly 22. The upper mounting groove 121 provides a stable mounting reference to ensure the accurate position of the sealing surface of the upper valve seat ring. The combination of the lower mounting groove 114 and the lower compensation spring 24 constitutes an intelligent floating compensation mechanism. The preload of the lower compensation spring 24 provides a stable initial sealing pressure for the lower valve seat ring assembly 22, ensuring the sealing effectiveness under low-pressure conditions. At the same time, its sliding characteristic allows the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 to adapt to the slight oscillation of the ball 3, the wear of the sealing surface, and the dimensional fluctuations caused by temperature changes, maintaining optimal sealing contact throughout its service life.

[0043] Based on the flow channel layout of valve body 1, in order to further optimize the pressure balance, ease of operation and cost control during the switching of working conditions, a bypass pressure regulating flow channel 14 is added to valve body 1. The inlet of the bypass pressure regulating flow channel 14 is connected to the medium flow channel 11, and the outlet of the bypass pressure regulating flow channel 14 is connected to the pig channel 12. A regulating valve 15 with adjustable on / off and flow rate is configured in the middle section of the bypass pressure regulating flow channel 14, thus constructing a pressure regulation and balance hub between the two channels (pig channel 12 and medium flow channel 11).

[0044] This design not only solves the problems of ball 3 rotation jamming and sealing surface impact wear caused by pressure imbalance between the two channels during traditional pigging valve operation switching, but also specifically addresses the limitation of traditional valves that rely on a reduction gear to increase opening and closing force. Traditional pigging valves have large opening and closing resistance caused by pressure difference, requiring a reduction gear to complete the operation, which not only increases structural complexity but also raises manufacturing costs. Specifically, when switching operating conditions is required, after opening the regulating valve 15, the medium in the medium flow channel 11 will flow smoothly into the pig channel 12 through the bypass pressure regulating channel 14, filling the entire valve with pressure and achieving pressure balance. This reduces the opening and closing torque of ball 3 to a minimum. At this time, there is no need for a reduction gear; the rotation opening and closing operation of ball 3 can be easily completed with just a wrench. This simplifies the overall valve structure and eliminates the design, processing, and assembly processes related to the reduction gear, significantly reducing manufacturing costs.

[0045] During normal medium transport, the regulating valve 15 of the bypass pressure regulating channel 14 is closed, and the medium is transported stably along the main medium channel 11. The upper valve seat ring assembly 21 and the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 maintain a reliable seal under the pre-tightening of the ball 3 by its own weight. When a pigging operation is required, the pressure relief valve in the center of the top cover 5 is first activated to slowly release any residual medium pressure in the pig channel 12 until the pressure in the channel is balanced with the atmospheric pressure. Then loosen the high-strength bolts or threaded fasteners connecting the top cover 5 and the valve body 1, open the top cover 5, and vertically place the pig into the pig channel 12. After placement, close the top cover 5 and tighten the fasteners. Open the regulating valve 15 and quickly balance the pressure of the two channels (pig channel 12 and medium channel 11) through the bypass pressure regulating channel 14. Drive the ball 3 with the lowest torque until the ball channel 31 is aligned with the pig channel 12. The pig in the pig channel 12 falls quickly under its own weight and is positioned at the junction of the ball channel 31 and the downstream pipeline, completing the pig placement operation. Then drive the ball 3 with the wrench until the ball channel 31 is aligned with the medium channel 11. Under the pressure of the medium, the pig enters the downstream pipeline from the ball channel 31. During the movement along the inner wall of the pipeline, it scrapes and cleans impurities and scale in the pipeline. The impurities generated during cleaning flow with the medium. After the pigging process is completed, the pig can flow back into the ball channel 31 with the medium, or be intercepted and recovered by the pipeline's pre-set recovery mechanism to ensure that the pig is not left in the pipeline and affects subsequent transportation. After the pigging process is completed, the regulating valve 15 is closed to restore the medium transportation.

[0046] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly 22, the ball 3, and the bottom of the lower mounting groove 114 together form a closed pressure chamber 16. The outer peripheral surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the lower mounting groove 114 are reliably isolated by a seal.

[0047] To achieve pressure self-compensation, multiple ribs 221 are evenly distributed circumferentially on the bottom of the lower valve seat ring assembly 22. The bottom surface of the ribs 221 directly contacts the bottom of the lower mounting groove 114, providing the main support for the lower valve seat ring assembly 22. The area between adjacent ribs 221 forms the first pressure-bearing surface 222 on the bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly 22. The top surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 forms the second pressure-bearing surface 223. The total area of ​​the first pressure-bearing surface 222 is set to be larger than the area of ​​the second pressure-bearing surface 223.

[0048] Furthermore, a connecting hole is machined on the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 body between adjacent ribs 221. One end of the connecting hole connects to the pressure chamber 16, and the other end connects to the top outer side of the lower valve seat ring assembly 22, that is, it communicates with the environment of the medium flow channel 11.

[0049] When the valve is in operation, the medium pressure inside the valve chamber is introduced into the pressure chamber 16 at the bottom through the connecting hole. The medium pressure acts simultaneously on the first pressure-bearing surface 222 (upward) and the second pressure-bearing surface 223 (downward). Since the area of ​​the first pressure-bearing surface 222 is larger than that of the second pressure-bearing surface 223, according to the fluid pressure formula (F=P×A), an upward net thrust acting on the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 is automatically generated.

[0050] The net thrust, together with the initial preload of the lower compensating spring 24, works synergistically to push the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 upward, making its arc-shaped sealing surface 23 fit more tightly against the ball 3. This design allows the sealing specific pressure to automatically and proportionally increase as the system medium pressure increases, achieving dynamic adaptability.

[0051] In this embodiment, the end of the valve stem drive assembly 4 and the drive hole on the ball 3 are fitted with a clearance. This key design allows the ball 3 to float axially in a limited manner along the axis of the pig channel 12.

[0052] When the top cover 5 needs to be opened for pigging operations, or when the pig 3 is in the media delivery position and a high-pressure seal needs to be strengthened, the pressure in the pig channel 12 is released to atmospheric pressure by operating the pressure relief valve. At this time, the working pressure maintained by the media flow channel 11 becomes the driving source. Since the lower part of the pig 3 (media flow channel 11 side) is exposed to the media pressure, while the upper part (pig channel 12 side) has been depressurized, a pressure difference exists. Under the action of this pressure difference, the media pressure pushes the pig 3 to move upward along the axial direction of the pig channel 12.

[0053] After the ball 3 floats upward, its top surface will press against the arc-shaped sealing surface 23 of the upper valve seat ring assembly 21. This action actively increases the sealing pressure between the upper valve seat ring and the ball 3, thereby forming an additional high-pressure sealing barrier guaranteed by the system pressure before the cover is opened or when the ball 3 is in the medium delivery position, improving operational safety and sealing performance.

[0054] Although the aforementioned pressure self-compensation design and the axial floating mechanism of the ball 3 have significantly improved sealing reliability, the frequent relative rotation of the ball 3 and the valve seat sealing surface during long-term valve operation can easily cause friction and wear, which not only shortens the service life of the sealing components, but also may cause minor leaks due to small gaps in the sealing surface under high pressure conditions. Furthermore, traditional maintenance requires disassembling the valve to apply grease, which is cumbersome and affects the continuous operation of the pipeline. At the same time, there is a lack of convenient on-site emergency sealing compensation methods when the sealing gap suddenly increases.

[0055] Therefore, in this embodiment, a grease injection structure integrating active lubrication and emergency sealing grease injection functions is designed. Specifically, the valve body 1 is provided with a first grease injection channel 6 communicating with the upper mounting groove 121. The inlet end of the first grease injection channel 6 penetrates the inner wall of the upper mounting groove 121, and the outlet end of the first grease injection channel 6 leads to the outside of the valve body 1. The valve body 1 is also provided with a second grease injection channel 7 communicating with the lower mounting groove 114. The inlet end of the second grease injection channel 7 penetrates the inner wall of the lower mounting groove 114, and the outlet end of the second grease injection channel 7 leads to the outside of the valve body 1. To prevent the loss of lubricating and sealing grease after grease injection or the reverse seepage of the medium into the channel, affecting the lubrication and sealing effect, double check valves 8 are installed at the outlet ends of the first grease injection channel 6 and the second grease injection channel 7.

[0056] Furthermore, to achieve uniform storage and precise flow of lubricating grease, ensuring circumferential uniformity of active lubrication and rapid filling of emergency grease injection, the outer circumferential surface of the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 is provided with a first annular grease reservoir 211 corresponding to the inlet end of the first grease injection channel 6, and the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 is evenly distributed with a plurality of first L-shaped guide holes 225 along the circumference. The inlet of the first L-shaped guide hole 225 communicates with the first annular grease reservoir 211, and the outlet of the first L-shaped guide hole 225 communicates with the medium flow channel 11. The outer circumferential surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 is provided with a second annular grease reservoir 224 corresponding to the inlet end of the second grease injection channel 7, and the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 is evenly distributed with a plurality of second L-shaped guide holes 225 along the circumference. The inlet of the second L-shaped guide hole 225 communicates with the second annular grease reservoir 224, and the outlet of the second L-shaped guide hole 225 communicates with the medium flow channel 11. This structure can... Two operational requirements are met externally on the valve body 1 using an external grease injection tool. During normal operation, grease is injected into the grease injection channel. After temporary storage in the annular grease reservoir, the grease continuously and evenly permeates to the sealing contact area between the ball 3 and the valve seat through the circumferentially distributed L-shaped guide holes, forming a stable lubricating film to achieve active lubrication. This significantly reduces rotational friction and wear between the sealing surfaces and extends the service life of the sealing components. When a small gap appears on the sealing surface, causing a minor leak, sealing grease can be injected under high pressure through the grease injection channel. The sealing grease quickly fills the sealing gap through the grease reservoir and guide holes. With the help of the medium pressure and the properties of the sealing grease itself, a dense temporary sealing layer is formed at the gap, achieving a rapid leak repair effect for emergency sealing grease injection. The double check valve 8 can effectively prevent the medium from flowing back into the grease injection channel in both operational states, avoiding the loss of grease and sealing grease. Moreover, the valve does not need to be disassembled throughout the process, greatly improving the convenience of valve maintenance and the continuous stability of pipeline operation.

[0057] In this embodiment, the valve body 1 includes a valve body body 18 and a detachable top-mounted valve neck 17. The valve body body 18 has a medium flow channel 11 inside, and its internal valve cavity section 112 and lower mounting groove 114 can be precisely formed by conventional processing technology. The top-mounted valve neck 17 forms the pig channel 12 inside, and its inner wall can be precision machined separately before being assembled with the valve body body 18, effectively reducing the overall processing difficulty and improving the channel and sealing fit accuracy. The top-mounted valve neck 17 is sealed and fixedly installed in the mounting port on the top of the valve body 1 by a flange structure and a high-strength sealing element. During assembly, the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 can be pre-installed onto the top-mounted valve neck 17. The upper mounting groove 121 is then fitted and fixed to the valve body 18 as a whole. This simplifies the assembly process and ensures the coaxiality of the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 and the lower valve seat ring assembly 22. When the pig channel 12 or the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 needs to be inspected or repaired, only the fasteners connecting the upper valve neck 17 and the valve body 18 need to be removed. There is no need to loosen the flange connection between the valve body 18 and the upstream and downstream pipelines. Maintenance work can be carried out quickly, which greatly shortens the downtime for maintenance. At the same time, the sealed and fixed installation method can ensure the pressure-bearing sealing of the pig channel 12 and prevent high-pressure media from leaking from the joint surface between the valve neck and the valve body 18, further improving the overall safety and stability of the valve operation.

[0058] To further optimize the maintenance economy and sealing accuracy of the sealing assembly, in this embodiment, the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 and the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 are designed as separate structures. The lower valve seat ring assembly 22 includes a lower valve seat ring body and a lower sealing ring secured thereto by an annular groove. The upper valve seat ring assembly 21 includes an upper valve seat ring body and an upper sealing ring assembled using the same securing method. This securing structure ensures the stability of the connection between the sealing ring and the body, preventing displacement or detachment under high-pressure conditions, and also enables quick disassembly and replacement of the sealing ring. Simultaneously, the inner circumferential surfaces of both the upper and lower sealing rings are... An arc-shaped sealing surface 23 is formed by precision grinding. This arc-shaped sealing surface 23 is designed to be concentric with the ball 3, ensuring that the sealing ring and the surface of the ball 3 always maintain a uniform fit in the full circumference during the rotation of the ball 3. When the sealing surface wears after long-term use, it is not necessary to replace the entire valve seat ring assembly. Only the corresponding sealing ring needs to be disassembled for replacement or repair, which greatly reduces maintenance costs and operation difficulty. In addition, the sealing ring can be made of a special sealing material that is more wear-resistant and resistant to media corrosion than the valve seat ring body. While ensuring sealing performance, it extends the overall service life of the sealing assembly and ensures that the valve can operate stably for a long time under harsh conditions.

[0059] Working principle: In the initial state, the valve is stably in the medium delivery position. At this time, the ball 3 is kept in a horizontal position under the locking action of the valve stem drive assembly 4. The ball channel 31 is precisely coaxially aligned with the medium flow channel 11, forming a smooth main medium delivery path. The sealing rings in the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 and the lower valve seat ring assembly 22 are tightly fitted to the surface of the ball 3 in the entire circumference through the arc-shaped sealing surface 23. The sealing force comes from the initial pre-tightening of the ball 3's own weight, superimposed with the self-compensating thrust under the action of medium pressure, constructing a double reliable sealing barrier, effectively blocking medium leakage.

[0060] With the bypass pressure regulating channel 14's regulating valve 15 in the closed state, the medium is smoothly transported along the main path composed of the inlet section 111, valve cavity section 112, ball channel 31, and outlet section 113 within the valve body 18, without any additional resistance throughout the process. The multiple sealing structure of the valve stem drive assembly 4 continues to function, ensuring zero leakage at the joint between the valve stem and the valve body 1. During daily operation, lubricating grease can be injected into the annular grease reservoirs (first annular grease reservoir 211 and second annular grease reservoir 224) through the first grease injection channel 6 and the second grease injection channel 7 on the valve body 1. The grease permeates evenly to the sealing contact surface through the L-shaped guide hole, achieving active lubrication to reduce frictional wear when the ball 3 rotates. If a slight leak occurs on the sealing surface, emergency repair can be completed by injecting grease under high pressure. The entire maintenance process does not require disassembling the valve and does not affect the normal transport of the medium.

[0061] When pigging operations are required, first activate the pressure relief valve in the center of the top cover 5 to slowly release any residual medium pressure in the pig channel 12 until the pressure in the channel is balanced with atmospheric pressure. This prevents medium splashing due to pressure difference when the cover is opened, ensuring the safety of the operators. Then, loosen the high-strength bolts or threaded fasteners connecting the top cover and the valve body 1, open the top cover 5, and vertically place the pig into the pig channel 12. Thanks to the vertical layout of the top-mounted design, the pig can naturally center itself during placement, accurately landing in the preset position in the channel without additional adjustment. After placement, close the top cover 5 and tighten the fasteners. The sealing structure at the top cover forms a reliable seal with the valve body 1 to prevent the medium from leaking from the top cover joint when switching operating conditions. At this time, the pig is temporarily stored in the pig channel 12. Since the ball 3 is still in the medium delivery position, the ball channel 31 is perpendicular to the pig channel 12. The pig cannot enter the ball channel 31, and the delivery of the main medium flow channel 11 is not affected in any way.

[0062] Next, the operation condition switching phase begins. The regulating valve 15 of the bypass pressure regulating channel 14 is opened, allowing the high-pressure medium in the medium channel 11 to flow smoothly into the pig channel 12, gradually balancing the pressure in both channels. This eliminates the resistance of the pressure difference to the rotation of the ball 3, preventing the ball 3 from jamming or the sealing surface from impacting and wearing due to the pressure difference. After pressure balance, the valve stem is driven to rotate via a manual, electric, or pneumatic actuator. The valve stem drives the ball 3 to rotate synchronously through a keyed or splined anti-torsional connection. During rotation, the surface of the ball 3 maintains continuous contact with the sealing surfaces of the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 and the lower valve seat ring assembly 22, ensuring uninterrupted sealing and preventing medium leakage during the switching process. After the ball 3 rotates 90°, the valve is officially switched to the pig navigation position. At this time, the ball channel 31 and the pig channel 12 are precisely coaxially aligned. The pig, which is temporarily stored in the pig channel 12, falls quickly to the ball channel 31 under its own gravity and is finally positioned at the junction of the ball channel 31 and the downstream pipeline, completing the preparation for the pig to enter the pipeline.

[0063] After the operating condition switch is completed, the pipeline cleaning operation officially begins. (Although the solid part of the ball 3 blocks the direct passage of the main medium flow channel 11, the annular bypass flow channel 13 formed between the two is continuously open because the outer diameter of the ball 3 is smaller than the inner diameter of the valve cavity section 112. The medium in the main pipeline flows in from the inlet section 111, and smoothly flows into the outlet section 113 through the bypass flow channel 13 around the surface of the ball 3, realizing uninterrupted and continuous transportation of the medium during the cleaning operation and ensuring pipeline operating efficiency.) By driving the ball 3 to rotate with a wrench until the ball channel 31 is aligned with the medium flow channel 11, the pig enters the downstream pipeline from the ball channel 31 under the pressure of the medium. During the movement along the inner wall of the pipeline, it scrapes and cleans impurities and scale in the pipeline. The impurities generated during cleaning flow with the medium. After the cleaning is completed, the pig can flow back into the ball channel 31 with the medium, or be intercepted and recovered by the pipeline's preset recovery mechanism to ensure that the pig is not left in the pipeline and affects subsequent transportation.

[0064] After the pigging operation is completed, valve reset is initiated. The pressure relief valve of the top cover 5 is operated again to release the medium pressure in the pig channel 12. Then, the top cover is opened and the pig is removed. After removal, the top cover is closed and the connection is tightened. The regulating valve 15 of the bypass pressure regulating channel 14 is reopened to rebalance the pressure in the medium channel 11 and the pig channel 12. The actuator drives the valve stem to rotate 90° in the opposite direction, causing the ball 3 to reset to the medium delivery position, and the ball channel 31 is re-aligned coaxially with the medium channel 11. Finally, the regulating valve 15 of the bypass pressure regulating channel 14 is closed to cut off the bypass path, and the valve returns to the initial stable medium delivery state.

[0065] If subsequent maintenance of internal components such as the pig channel 12 and the upper valve seat ring assembly 21 is required, the top-mounted valve neck 17 can be directly disassembled and installed without loosening the connection between the valve body 18 and the upstream and downstream pipelines, significantly shortening downtime for maintenance and reducing maintenance difficulty. The entire operation process fully leverages the advantages of core designs such as the vertical valve seat layout, the ball without rear support shaft 3, the pressure self-compensating seal, and the top-mounted structure, achieving high efficiency, safety, and convenience in pigging operations.

[0066] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high performance pigging valve characterized by, include: The valve body has a horizontally extending medium flow channel and a vertically extending pig channel inside. The medium flow channel and the pig channel are orthogonally connected and form a valve cavity at the intersection. A sealing valve seat assembly includes an upper valve seat ring assembly and a lower valve seat ring assembly that are sealed and installed in the valve cavity. The axes of the upper valve seat ring assembly and the lower valve seat ring assembly are both perpendicular to the axis of the medium flow channel, and the opposite sides of the two are provided with concentric arc-shaped sealing surfaces. A sphere is rotatably disposed between the arc-shaped sealing surfaces of the upper valve seat ring assembly and the lower valve seat ring assembly. The sphere has an axially penetrating sphere channel, and a blind plate is detachably installed at one end of the sphere channel. A valve stem drive assembly is connected to the ball and drives the ball to rotate, so that the ball channel is selectively aligned coaxially with the medium flow channel or the pig channel; A top cover is attached to the top of the valve body and closes the upper port of the pig channel. The top cover is equipped with a pressure relief valve.

2. The high performance pigging valve of claim 1, wherein, The medium flow channel includes an inlet section, a valve cavity section, and an outlet section in sequence along the medium flow direction. The valve cavity section is the central cavity of the medium flow channel, and the valve cavity is located at its center to accommodate the ball and the sealing valve seat assembly. The axes of the inlet section and the outlet section are collinear and intersect at the center of the ball. The outer diameter of the ball is smaller than the inner diameter of the valve cavity section, so that when the ball rotates in the valve cavity section, a circumferentially annular bypass flow channel is formed between the outer surface of the ball and the inner wall of the valve cavity section. When the ball channel is coaxial with the pig channel, the medium can bypass between the inlet section and the outlet section through the bypass flow channel.

3. The high-performance pigging valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom inner side of the pigging channel is coaxially provided with an upper mounting groove, and the medium flow channel wall directly below the upper mounting groove is coaxially provided with a lower mounting groove. The upper valve seat ring assembly is sealed and fixed in the upper mounting groove, and the lower valve seat ring assembly is sealed and axially slidably assembled in the lower mounting groove. Multiple lower compensation springs are evenly distributed circumferentially between the bottom of the lower mounting groove and the bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly.

4. The high-performance pigging valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body is provided with a bypass pressure regulating channel. The inlet of the bypass pressure regulating channel is connected to the medium channel, and the outlet of the bypass pressure regulating channel is connected to the pig channel. The bypass pressure regulating channel is provided with an adjustable regulating valve.

5. The high-performance pigging valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly, the ball, and the bottom of the lower mounting groove together form a pressure chamber; the outer peripheral surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly and the inner peripheral surface of the lower mounting groove are sealed by a sealing element. The bottom of the lower valve seat ring assembly has multiple convex ribs evenly distributed circumferentially. The bottom surface of the convex ribs contacts the bottom of the lower mounting groove. The bottom surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly between adjacent convex ribs forms a first pressure bearing surface. The top surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly forms a second pressure bearing surface, and the area of ​​the first pressure bearing surface is larger than the area of ​​the second pressure bearing surface. A connecting hole is provided on the lower valve seat ring assembly between adjacent ribs. One end of the connecting hole is connected to the pressure chamber, and the other end of the connecting hole is connected to the top side of the lower valve seat ring assembly. When the medium pressure enters the pressure chamber through the connecting hole, the first pressure-bearing surface is subjected to an upward medium force, and the second pressure-bearing surface is subjected to a downward medium force. Since the area of ​​the first pressure-bearing surface is larger than that of the second pressure-bearing surface, the resulting pressure difference forms an upward net thrust, which is used to enhance the sealing pressure between the arc-shaped sealing surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly and the ball.

6. The high-performance pigging valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the valve stem drive assembly is fitted with a clearance fit to the drive hole on the ball, allowing the ball to float along the axial direction of the pig channel. When the pressure relief valve releases the pressure in the pig channel to atmospheric pressure, the medium pressure in the medium flow channel pushes the ball upward along the axial direction of the pig channel, causing the top surface of the ball to press against the arc-shaped sealing surface of the upper valve seat ring assembly, thereby enhancing the sealing pressure ratio between the upper valve seat ring assembly and the ball.

7. The high-performance pigging valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The valve body is provided with a first grease injection channel that communicates with the upper mounting groove. The inlet end of the first grease injection channel penetrates the inner wall of the upper mounting groove, and the outlet end of the first grease injection channel leads to the outside of the valve body. The valve body is also provided with a second grease injection channel that communicates with the lower mounting groove. The inlet end of the second grease injection channel penetrates the inner wall of the lower mounting groove, and the outlet end of the second grease injection channel leads to the outside of the valve body. Both the outlet end of the first grease injection channel and the outlet end of the second grease injection channel are equipped with double check valves.

8. The high-performance pigging valve according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outer peripheral surface of the upper valve seat ring assembly is provided with a first annular grease reservoir corresponding to the inlet end of the first grease injection channel, and the upper valve seat ring assembly is evenly distributed with a plurality of first L-shaped guide holes along the circumference. The inlet of the first L-shaped guide hole is connected to the first annular grease reservoir, and the outlet of the first L-shaped guide hole is connected to the medium flow channel. The outer circumferential surface of the lower valve seat ring assembly is provided with a second annular grease reservoir corresponding to the inlet end of the second grease injection channel, and the lower valve seat ring assembly is provided with a plurality of second L-shaped guide holes evenly distributed along the circumference. The inlet of the second L-shaped guide hole is connected to the second annular grease reservoir, and the outlet of the second L-shaped guide hole is connected to the medium flow channel.

9. The high-performance pigging valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body includes a valve body body and a detachable top-mounted valve neck. The valve body body has the medium flow channel inside, and the top-mounted valve neck forms the pig channel inside. The top-mounted valve neck is sealed and fixedly installed in the mounting port on the top of the valve body.

10. The high-performance pigging valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower valve seat ring assembly includes a lower valve seat ring body and a lower sealing ring fastened thereon; the upper valve seat ring assembly includes an upper valve seat ring body and an upper sealing ring fastened thereon; both the upper sealing ring and the lower sealing ring have an arc-shaped sealing surface with the same center as the sphere in the inner circumferential direction.

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