An actuator for opening and closing a hydraulic drive plug valve

Abstract

The application discloses an actuator for opening and closing a hydraulic drive plug valve, relates to the technical field of valve actuators, and particularly relates to an actuator for a top drive plug valve used in well drilling. The actuator comprises a plug valve actuator and a plug valve body. The plug valve actuator comprises a fixed sleeve, a sliding sleeve, a sleeve driving plate, a cylinder barrel and a cylinder piston rod. The fixed sleeve, the sliding sleeve, the sleeve driving plate, the cylinder barrel and the cylinder piston rod are installed between parallel upper and lower end plates. Upper and lower rolling bearings are located between the upper and lower end plates and the fixed sleeve. A driving bearing is installed between the sleeve driving plate and the sliding sleeve. The actuator for opening and closing the hydraulic drive plug valve is not connected and fixed with a top drive reduction gearbox. Once installed, no later adjustment is needed. The rolling bearing is used to replace the roller. There is no large gap and the operation is stable. There is almost no wear and noise.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of valve actuator technology, specifically to an actuator for hydraulically driving the opening and closing of a plug valve. Background Technology

[0002] Top drive plug valves typically have two main uses: 1. They are safety devices that can be quickly shut off when the mud column pressure is unbalanced, especially during blowouts or well kicks, to prevent mud and drilling fluid from flowing back into the drill string; 2. They can also be used as switch control devices to turn the flow of mud on and off during top drive operations, and can be operated hundreds of times during the drilling of a single well.

[0003] When operating a stopcock valve, the knob must be rotated 90 degrees from the open position to the closed position and then returned to the open position. This is achieved by applying torque to the stopcock valve knob. This torque can be applied manually or via a remote actuator. For mud-saving operations, using a remote actuator is the preferred method. Remote actuators typically transmit torque via a hexagonal drive shaft connected to the internal hexagonal hole of the stopcock valve knob. When the valve is used for blowout prevention, it experiences extremely high internal pressure, which places a significant compressive load on the valve ball during the transition from the open to the closed state. This high load requires applying high torque to the stopcock valve knob to ensure complete ball closure and complete prevention of mud backflow. Using a remote actuator is the most efficient way to provide the required high torque.

[0004] Remote actuators currently use hydraulic cylinders to generate power, thereby applying torque to the actuator interface. In most cases, linear motion is converted to rotary motion using a rack and pinion mechanism. To ensure torque is transmitted to the plug valve knob, the actuator sliding sleeve must be connected to the plug valve ball knob. Most domestically produced plug valve actuators consist of two hydraulic cylinders bolted to the bottom of the top drive gearbox. The cylinders are threadedly connected to the sliding sleeve, allowing adjustment of the sliding sleeve to the appropriate position, which is then tightened with a nut. During assembly, the clearance between the roller and the roller groove needs to be adjusted via the connecting threads, thus relying heavily on the assembly skills and responsibility of the assembly workers and on-site service personnel. Incorrect initial stroke adjustment of the hydraulic cylinder will shorten its effective stroke, resulting in incomplete opening and closing of the plug valve. Furthermore, the significant impacts and vibrations during top drive operation can cause changes in the roller position, leading to incomplete opening and closing of the plug valve. The rollers generate considerable noise as they roll within the sliding sleeve's roller groove. The contact surface between the roller and the roller groove sometimes exhibits rolling friction and sometimes sliding friction, causing roller wear and even damage, ultimately resulting in incomplete opening and closing of the plug valve.

[0005] For plug valves, accurate alignment of the valve ball in both open and closed states is crucial for achieving optimal valve life. If proper alignment is not achieved in the open state, the leading edge of the ball and the trailing edge of the lower seat will be exposed to abrasive sludge, leading to premature wear and potentially creating eddy currents that accelerate erosion. The resulting deflected flow path and accelerated erosion can cause premature valve failure.

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, we propose an actuator for hydraulically driving the opening and closing of a plug valve, so as to solve the problems mentioned above. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the problems mentioned in the background section, this invention provides a hydraulically driven actuator for opening and closing a plug valve. This actuator is not fixedly connected to the top drive gearbox, requiring no subsequent adjustments after initial installation. The rollers are replaced by bearings, eliminating large clearances and ensuring stable operation with virtually no wear or noise.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an actuator for hydraulically driving the opening and closing of a plug valve, comprising a plug valve actuator and a plug valve body: The plug valve actuator includes a fixed sleeve, a sliding sleeve, a sleeve drive plate, a cylinder body, and a cylinder piston rod. The fixed sleeve, sliding sleeve, sleeve drive plate, cylinder body, and cylinder piston rod are installed between parallel upper and lower end plates. The plug valve actuator also includes an upper rolling bearing and a lower rolling bearing, which are located between the upper end plate, the lower end plate and the fixed sleeve. A drive bearing is installed between the sleeve drive plate and the sliding sleeve. The upper end of the cylinder piston rod is connected to the upper end plate, the lower end of the cylinder piston rod is connected to the lower end plate through a small round nut, and the cylinder body is connected to the sleeve drive plate through a locking nut. The fixed sleeve is fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the plug valve body. The plug valve body is provided with a plug valve knob. The fixed sleeve is locked onto the plug valve body by a fixed pin body and a fixed pin stop. The fixed sleeve also has two circumferentially distributed circular holes. The circular holes of the fixed sleeve correspond to sliding bearings, and the sliding bearings correspond to the knob drive gear. The sliding sleeve has two axially symmetrical square holes machined on it, and a rack is machined on the inner side of the square hole. The rack in the square hole of the sliding sleeve meshes with a knob drive gear. A hexagonal drive shaft is installed on one side of the knob drive gear. A baffle is fixed to the outer circumference of the sliding sleeve by bolts.

[0009] Using the above technical solution, the plug valve actuator is not connected and fixed to the top drive gearbox, and no subsequent adjustment is required after the initial installation. The rollers are replaced by bearings, eliminating large clearances and ensuring stable operation with virtually no wear or noise.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sliding sleeve and the fixed sleeve form an up-and-down sliding structure.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the sliding sleeve and the fixed sleeve form an up-and-down sliding structure, and the ball valve can be driven to rotate when the sliding sleeve rises and falls.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inner circular surface of the sliding sleeve corresponds to the outer circular surface of the fixed sleeve.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the inner circular surface of the sliding sleeve corresponds to the outer circular surface of the fixed sleeve, which facilitates the connection between the sliding sleeve and the fixed sleeve.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper end plate and the lower end plate are provided with interconnected oil passages, and one side of the upper end plate and the lower end plate is provided with a threaded hole for connecting an oil pipeline connector.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, interconnected oil channels are machined in the upper and lower end plates to facilitate oil flow.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the front edge of the sleeve drive plate is provided with a protruding structure for connecting with other fixed objects.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the front edge of the sleeve drive plate is provided with a protruding structure for connecting with other fixed objects, which facilitates the connection with other fixed objects.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the knob drive gear is inserted into the inner hexagon of the plug valve knob.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the knob drive gear is inserted into the hexagonal socket of the plug valve knob, which facilitates the connection between the knob drive gear and the plug valve knob.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one end of the hexagonal drive shaft of the knob drive gear is mounted close to the fixed sleeve.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, one end of the hexagonal drive shaft of the knob drive gear is close to the fixed sleeve, which facilitates transmission.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cylinder body is symmetrically arranged about the center line of the plug valve body.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the cylinder body is symmetrically arranged about the center line of the plug valve body, making the structure more externally stable.

[0024] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper end of the cylinder piston rod is connected to the upper end plate, and the lower end of the cylinder piston rod is connected to the lower end plate through a small round nut.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, the lower end of the cylinder piston rod is connected to the lower end plate through a small round nut, which facilitates the connection between the cylinder piston rod and the lower end plate.

[0026] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer circular surface of the plug valve body has eight hemispherical holes.

[0027] By adopting the above technical solution, there are 8 hemispherical holes on the outer circular surface of the plug valve body. The 8 hemispherical holes are evenly distributed around the circumference, which facilitates the even distribution of the fixing pin body.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: the plug valve actuator is not connected and fixed to the top drive gearbox, no subsequent adjustment is required after one installation, the roller is replaced by a bearing, there is no large clearance and the operation is stable, with almost no wear and noise. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a 3D diagram of a plug valve actuator installed on a plug valve.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a 3D diagram of a plug valve actuator.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the sliding sleeve and the plug valve.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the meshing of the rack and pinion and the knob drive gear.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a front view of the plug valve and its actuator after installation.

[0034] Figure 6 It is section AA.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a top view of the plug valve and its actuator after installation.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a BB cross-section.

[0037] Figure 9This is a CC cross-sectional view.

[0038] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of DD.

[0039] In the diagram: 1. Plug valve actuator; 101. Fixed sleeve; 102. Sliding sleeve; 103. Upper end plate; 104. Lower end plate; 105. Sleeve drive plate; 106. Knob drive gear; 107. Sliding bearing; 108. Baffle; 109. Upper rolling bearing; 110. Lower rolling bearing; 111. Drive bearing; 112. Fixed pin stop; 113. Fixed pin body; 114. Cylinder body; 115. Cylinder piston rod; 116. Locking nut; 117. Small round nut; 2. Plug valve body; 201. Plug valve knob; 21. Connecting piece; 22. Ball valve. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] Please see Figure 1-10 The present invention provides the following technical solution: an actuator for hydraulically driving the opening and closing of a plug valve, comprising a plug valve actuator 1 and a plug valve body 2: The plug valve actuator 1 includes a fixed sleeve 101, a sliding sleeve 102, a sleeve drive plate 105, a cylinder body 114, and a cylinder piston rod 115. The sliding sleeve 102 and the fixed sleeve 101 form an up-and-down sliding structure. The fixed sleeve 101, the sliding sleeve 102, the sleeve drive plate 105, the cylinder body 114, and the cylinder piston rod 115 are installed between parallel upper end plate 103 and lower end plate 104. Interconnected oil passages are machined in the upper end plate 103 and lower end plate 104. Threaded holes for connecting oil pipeline joints are machined on one side of the upper end plate 103 and lower end plate 104. The plug valve actuator 1 also includes an upper rolling bearing 109 and a lower rolling bearing 110, which are located between the upper end plate 103, the lower end plate 104 and the fixed sleeve 101. A drive bearing 111 is installed between the sleeve drive plate 105 and the sliding sleeve 102. The front edge of the sleeve drive plate 105 is provided with a protrusion structure for connecting with other fixed objects. The upper end of the cylinder piston rod 115 is connected to the upper end plate 103, and the lower end of the cylinder piston rod 115 is connected to the lower end plate 104 through a small round nut 117. The cylinder body 114 is connected to the sleeve drive plate 105 through a locking nut 116. The cylinder body 114 is symmetrically arranged about the center line of the plug valve body 2. The fixed sleeve 101 is fitted onto the outer circular surface of the plug valve body 2. The outer circular surface of the plug valve body 2 has 8 hemispherical holes. The plug valve body 2 is provided with a plug valve knob 201. The fixed sleeve 101 is locked onto the plug valve body 2 by the fixed pin body 113 and the fixed pin stop 112. The fixed sleeve 101 also has 2 evenly distributed circular holes. The circular holes of the fixed sleeve 101 correspond to the sliding bearing 107. The sliding bearing 107 corresponds to the knob drive gear 106. The knob drive gear 106 is inserted into the inner hexagon of the plug valve knob 201. The inner circular surface of the sliding sleeve 102 corresponds to the outer circular surface of the fixed sleeve 101. Two axially symmetrical square holes are machined on the sliding sleeve 102, and a rack is machined on the inner side of the square hole. The rack of the square hole of the sliding sleeve 102 meshes with a knob drive gear 106. A hexagonal drive shaft is installed on one side of the knob drive gear 106. The inner end of the knob drive gear 106 is connected to a ball valve 22 through a connector 21. A baffle 108 is fixed on the outer circular surface of the sliding sleeve 102 by bolts. like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drive bearing 111 is located between the sleeve drive plate 105 and the sliding sleeve 102, allowing the upper end plate 103, lower end plate 104, sleeve drive plate 105, fixed sleeve 101, and sliding sleeve 102 to rotate relative to each other. The upper ends of the four cylinder piston rods 115 are connected to the upper end plate 103 and fixed with small round nuts 117. The lower ends of the four cylinder piston rods 115 are connected to the lower end plate 104 and fixed with small round nuts 117. The cylinder body 114 is connected to the sleeve drive plate 105 and fixed with locking nuts 116. When oil is supplied to the cylinder, the cylinder body 114 will move up and down, thereby driving the sliding sleeve 102 to move up and down through the drive bearing 111. like Figure 3 and Figure 6As shown, the outer surface of the plug valve body 2 has eight hemispherical holes, four on the top and four on the bottom of the plug valve knob 201, all evenly distributed circumferentially. The outer surface of the fixing pin body 113 is threaded, and the top is a hemispherical shape. When the fixing pin is screwed into the bottom of the threaded hole, the hemispherical part of the fixing pin body 113 enters the hemispherical hole on the outer surface of the plug valve body 2, and is then pressed down by eight fixing pin blocks 112 and fixed with bolts. The fixing sleeve 101 also has two evenly distributed circular holes, corresponding to two sliding bearings 107. The two sliding bearings 107 are respectively... The knob drive gear 106 is installed in two round holes on the fixed sleeve 101. One end of the knob drive gear 106 is a gear, and the other end is a hexagonal drive shaft corresponding to the inner hexagon of the plug valve knob 201. The middle part is a cylinder corresponding to the sliding bearing 107. After the knob drive gear 106 is installed, the hexagonal part is inserted into the inner hexagon of the plug valve knob 201, and the middle cylindrical part is in the sliding bearing 107. When the knob drive gear 106 is passively rotated, it can drive the plug valve knob 201 to rotate, thereby completing the opening and closing of the plug valve. like Figure 4 As shown, the inner circular surface of the sliding sleeve 102 corresponds to the outer circular surface of the fixed sleeve 101. The sliding sleeve 102 can slide up and down along the outer circle of the fixed sleeve 101. There are two rectangular through holes on the sleeve wall of the sliding sleeve 102. The vertical edge of the through hole is a rack. After the knob drive gear 106 is installed, it meshes with the rack. When the sliding sleeve 102 moves up and down, the knob drive gear 106 can rotate. There are several threaded holes on the edge of the rectangular through hole. The baffle 108 is fixed to the outer circular surface of the sliding sleeve 102 by bolts so that the knob drive gear 106 cannot be dislodged from the plug valve knob 201. like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, interconnected oil passages are machined in the upper end plate 103 and the lower end plate 104, and a threaded hole for connecting an oil pipeline connector is machined on one side of the upper end plate 103 and the lower end plate 104. When oil enters through the threaded hole on the upper end plate 103 and exits through the threaded hole on the lower end plate 104, the hydraulic oil enters the oil passage in the piston rod 115 of the four cylinders from the oil passage in the upper end plate 103, then enters the cylinder and pushes the cylinder body 114 of the four cylinders to move upward, thereby driving the sliding sleeve 102 to move upward. Conversely, when oil enters through the threaded hole on the lower end plate 104 and exits through the threaded hole on the upper end plate 103, the hydraulic oil enters the oil passage in the piston rod 115 of the four cylinders from the oil passage in the lower end plate 104, then enters the cylinder and pushes the cylinder body 114 of the four cylinders to move downward, thereby driving the sliding sleeve 102 to move downward. The sleeve drive plate 105 has a protrusion on its edge for connecting with other fixed objects. After connection, the upper end plate 103, lower end plate 104, sleeve drive plate 105 and four oil cylinders will not rotate; only the fixed sleeve 101 and the plug valve body 2 will rotate together.

[0042] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An actuator for hydraulically driving the opening and closing of a plug valve, characterized in that: Includes a plug valve actuator (1) and a plug valve body (2): The plug valve actuator (1) includes a fixed sleeve (101), a sliding sleeve (102), a sleeve drive plate (105), a cylinder body (114), and a cylinder piston rod (115). The fixed sleeve (101), sliding sleeve (102), sleeve drive plate (105), cylinder body (114), and cylinder piston rod (115) are installed between parallel upper end plate (103) and lower end plate (104). The plug valve actuator (1) further includes an upper rolling bearing (109) and a lower rolling bearing (110), which are located between the upper end plate (103), the lower end plate (104) and the fixed sleeve (101), and a drive bearing (111) is installed between the sleeve drive plate (105) and the sliding sleeve (102). The upper end of the cylinder piston rod (115) is connected to the upper end plate (103), the lower end of the cylinder piston rod (115) is connected to the lower end plate (104) through a small round nut (117), and the cylinder body (114) is connected to the sleeve drive plate (105) through a locking nut (116). The fixed sleeve (101) is fitted on the outer circular surface of the plug valve body (2). The plug valve body (2) is provided with a plug valve knob (201). The fixed sleeve (101) is locked on the plug valve body (2) by a fixed pin body (113) and a fixed pin stop (112). The fixed sleeve (101) also has two circumferentially distributed circular holes. The circular holes of the fixed sleeve (101) correspond to the sliding bearing (107), and the sliding bearing (107) corresponds to the knob drive gear (106). The sliding sleeve (102) has two axially symmetrical square holes, and a rack is machined on the inner side of the square hole. The rack of the square hole of the sliding sleeve (102) meshes with a knob drive gear (106). A hexagonal drive shaft is installed on one side of the knob drive gear (106). A baffle (108) is fixed on the outer circle surface of the sliding sleeve (102) by bolts.

2. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding sleeve (102) and the fixed sleeve (101) form an up-and-down sliding structure.

3. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner surface of the sliding sleeve (102) corresponds to the outer surface of the fixed sleeve (101).

4. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end plate (103) and the lower end plate (104) are machined with interconnected oil passages, and one side of the upper end plate (103) and the lower end plate (104) is machined with threaded holes for connecting oil pipeline joints.

5. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front edge of the sleeve drive plate (105) is provided with a protruding structure for connecting with other fixed objects.

6. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The knob drive gear (106) is inserted into the hexagonal socket of the plug valve knob (201).

7. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The knob drive gear (106) is mounted on a hexagonal drive shaft with one end close to the fixed sleeve (101).

8. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder body (114) is symmetrically arranged about the center line of the plug valve body (2).

9. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the cylinder piston rod (115) is connected to the upper end plate (103), and the lower end of the cylinder piston rod (115) is connected to the lower end plate (104) through a small round nut (117).

10. The actuator for opening and closing a hydraulically driven plug valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer circular surface of the plug valve body (2) has 8 hemispherical holes.

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