Ball valve with bidirectional follow-up seat

Abstract

The utility model relates to a ball valve adopting bidirectional follow-up valve seat, and the ball valve is two-piece structure, and the ball valve includes a ball, a valve seat and a valve body, the valve seat is composed of the upstream valve seat located ball upstream and the downstream valve seat located ball downstream, the ball, the upstream valve seat and the downstream valve seat are fixedly installed in the valve body, and disc springs are arranged at the contact positions of the upstream valve seat and the valve body and the downstream valve seat and the valve body along the positive pressure direction and the reverse pressure direction. The utility model has the beneficial effects that the disc spring located the upstream valve seat side and the disc spring located the downstream valve seat side make the upstream valve seat keep continuous contact with the ball valve body and the downstream valve seat keep continuous contact with the ball valve body under the positive pressure or the reverse pressure, the sealing rings are arranged at the contact positions of the bottom end and the top end of the downstream valve seat and the valve body, and the sealing rings can form good sealing between the downstream valve seat and the valve body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of mineral slurry conveying technology, and in particular relates to a ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat. Background Technology

[0002] In mining production, slurry transportation is a crucial link that runs through many processes, including mining, beneficiation, and smelting. Slurry is a mixture of ore particles and water or other liquid media, characterized by high concentration, strong corrosiveness, and high hardness and abrasiveness of solid particles. The stable operation of its transportation system plays a decisive role in improving the efficiency of mineral resource extraction and processing.

[0003] In slurry conveying systems, valves, as core components controlling slurry flow, bear the important responsibilities of opening, closing, and regulating flow and pressure. However, the special properties of slurry make ordinary valves highly susceptible to wear and corrosion during use, leading to problems such as valve leakage and seal failure, which seriously affect the stability and reliability of the entire conveying system.

[0004] For example, in bidirectional slurry flow conditions, when conveying high-concentration slurry with reverse pressure, the ball of a conventional valve seat will be pushed by the medium pressure and displaced in the opposite direction. At this time, gaps easily form between the ball and the sealing surface of the valve seat, allowing solid particles to enter the sealing surface. The sealing surface is then easily eroded and worn by particles in the high-pressure slurry, leading to incomplete closure and inaccurate flow control. In highly corrosive slurry environments, the valve material will corrode, shortening its service life and even causing safety accidents. Therefore, valves play a crucial role in slurry transportation, and their performance directly affects the efficient and stable operation of the transportation system. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat.

[0006] This ball valve employs a bidirectional follow-up seat and has a two-piece structure. The ball valve includes a ball, a seat, and a valve body. The seat consists of an upstream seat located upstream of the ball and a downstream seat located downstream of the ball. The ball, upstream seat, and downstream seat are all fixedly mounted on the valve body. Disc springs are provided at the contact points between the upstream and downstream seats, along both the forward and reverse pressure directions. The disc springs on the upstream and downstream seats ensure that the valve body is protected regardless of the pressure applied. Whether under forward or reverse pressure, the upstream valve seat is constantly in contact with the ball valve body due to the push of the disc spring located on the upstream valve seat side, and the downstream valve seat is also constantly in contact with the ball valve body due to the push of the disc spring located on the downstream valve seat side; sealing rings are provided at the contact points between the bottom and top of the downstream valve seat and the valve body, and the sealing rings can form a good seal between the downstream valve seat and the valve body; a packing gland is fixedly installed on the outside of the valve body above the valve stem, at the connection between the valve stem and the valve body. A packing ring is provided at the contact point, and the packing gland is fixed to the valve body via a fixing device and a disc spring. The packing gland and packing ring are used to form a good seal between the valve stem, valve body, and external environment. Bearings are provided at the contact points between the valve stem and the ball, as well as the valve body. The bearings reduce the frictional resistance between the valve stem and the valve body, allowing the valve stem to rotate more smoothly when controlling the opening and closing of the ball, reducing mechanical wear, and extending the service life of components. The bearings also ensure the stability and accuracy of the valve stem rotation, enabling more efficient transmission of operating force and improving the reliability of ball valve control. Gaskets are provided at the contact points between the valve body and the upstream valve seat, and between the valve body and the downstream valve seat. The gaskets fill the tiny gaps between the valve body and the upstream and downstream valve seats, preventing leakage of media such as slurry, ensuring the sealing of the ball valve, maintaining normal operating pressure, and also relieving rigid contact between components, reducing the impact of vibration and impact on the ball valve structure, protecting the valve body and valve seat, and improving the overall durability of the ball valve. The outer surface of the ball has a titanium dioxide coating with a thickness of 0.25 mm or more.

[0007] Preferably, both the contact points between the upstream valve seat and the ball and the contact points between the downstream valve seat and the ball have chamfers. The chamfers are used to relieve the spring force of the disc spring corresponding to the upstream valve seat and the disc spring corresponding to the downstream valve seat.

[0008] Preferably, the outer surfaces of some upstream valve seats and some downstream valve seats at the chamfer also have a titanium dioxide coating with a thickness of more than 0.25 mm.

[0009] Preferably, the titanium dioxide coating thickness is 0.3 mm or more, which makes the ball valve acid-resistant and wear-resistant.

[0010] Preferably, a yoke is fixedly connected to the top of the valve body via a fixing device. The yoke has a shaft that passes through the yoke and is coaxially connected to the valve stem via a mechanical connecting key. The shaft serves as a rotational support and transmission component, bearing the load during rotation and transmitting the rotation of the components above the shaft to the valve stem, providing a power transmission path for the valve's opening and closing operation. The mechanical connecting key is used to transmit torque between the shaft and the valve stem, making them form a single rotating unit, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of power transmission, and preventing slippage or misalignment between components. The yoke provides support and fixation, offering a stable mounting base for rotating components such as the shaft, ensuring that each component maintains the correct relative position during operation, and improving the stability and reliability of valve operation.

[0011] Preferably, a handle is fixedly connected above the shaft by a fixing device; the handle is fixed to the yoke by the fixing device passing through the limiting block, and the center of the handle is fixedly connected to the upper end of the shaft by the handle passing through the gasket; the handle is used to generate a rotational action to open or close the ball valve.

[0012] Preferably, the fixing device is a matching bolt and nut.

[0013] Preferably, the sealing ring is an O-ring.

[0014] Preferably, the mechanical connecting key is a C-type key.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0016] In this invention, the disc springs located on the upstream valve seat side and the downstream valve seat side ensure that, regardless of whether the valve is subjected to positive or negative pressure, the upstream valve seat is pushed by the disc spring on the upstream valve seat side to maintain continuous contact with the ball valve body, and the downstream valve seat is pushed by the disc spring on the downstream valve seat side to maintain continuous contact with the ball valve body. Sealing rings are provided at the contact points between the bottom and top of the downstream valve seat and the valve body, and the sealing rings can form a good seal between the downstream valve seat and the valve body.

[0017] The packing gland and packing ring are designed to create a good seal between the valve stem, valve body, and external environment. The bearings reduce frictional resistance between the valve stem and valve body, allowing for smoother stem rotation when controlling the ball valve, reducing mechanical wear, and extending component lifespan. The bearings also ensure the stability and precision of the valve stem rotation, enabling more efficient force transmission and improving the reliability of the ball valve control. The gaskets fill the tiny gaps between the valve body and the upstream and downstream valve seats, preventing leakage of media such as slurry, ensuring the ball valve's sealing performance, maintaining normal operating pressure, and mitigating rigid contact between components. This reduces the impact of vibration and shock on the ball valve structure, protecting the valve body and seats and improving the overall durability of the ball valve. Chamfers are provided at the contact points between the upstream and downstream valve seats and the ball valve. These chamfers relieve the tension of the disc springs corresponding to the upstream and downstream valve seats. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A ball valve with a 2.5mm diameter and a bidirectional follow-up valve seat;

[0019] Figure 2 A ball valve with a 4mm diameter and a bidirectional follow-up valve seat;

[0020] Figure 3 A ball valve with a 2mm diameter and a bidirectional follow-up valve seat;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat under positive pressure.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat under reverse pressure.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Ball, 2. Downstream valve seat, 3. Upstream valve seat, 4. Disc spring, 5. Sealing ring, 6. Valve body, 7. Bolt, 8. Nut, 9. Bearing, 10. Gasket, 11. Packing ring, 12. Shaft, 13. Mechanical connection key, 14. Valve stem, 15. Packing gland, 16. Yoke, 17. Handle, 18. Limit block. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments. The description of the embodiments below is only for the purpose of helping to understand the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0025] As one embodiment, a ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat is provided. The ball valve has a two-piece structure and includes a ball 1, a valve seat, and a valve body 6. The valve seat consists of an upstream valve seat 3 located upstream of the ball 1 and a downstream valve seat 2 located downstream of the ball 1. The ball 1, the upstream valve seat 3, and the downstream valve seat 2 are all fixedly installed on the valve body 6.

[0026] Disc springs 4 are provided at the contact points between the upstream valve seat 3 and the valve body 6, and at the contact points between the downstream valve seat 2 and the valve body 6, along both the positive and negative pressure directions. The disc springs located on the upstream valve seat side and the downstream valve seat side ensure that, regardless of whether the valve is subjected to positive or negative pressure, the upstream valve seat can always maintain continuous contact with the ball valve body due to the push of the disc springs located on the upstream valve seat side, and the downstream valve seat can always maintain continuous contact with the ball valve body due to the push of the disc springs located on the downstream valve seat side.

[0027] O-rings 5 ​​are provided at the bottom and top of the downstream valve seat 2 where they contact the valve body 6. The sealing rings can form a good seal between the downstream valve seat and the valve body. A packing gland 15 is fixedly provided on the outside of the valve body 6 above the valve stem 14. A packing ring 11 is provided at the contact point between the valve stem 14 and the valve body 6. The packing gland 15 is fixed to the valve body 6 by matching bolts 7 and nuts 8 passing through the disc spring 4. The packing gland and packing ring are used to form a good seal between the valve stem, the valve body and the external environment.

[0028] A bearing 9 is provided at the contact point between the valve stem 14, the ball 1, and the valve body 6. The bearing reduces the frictional resistance between the valve stem and the valve body, allowing the valve stem to rotate more smoothly when controlling the ball's opening and closing, reducing mechanical wear, and extending the service life of the components. The bearing also ensures the stability and accuracy of the valve stem rotation, enabling more efficient transmission of operating force and improving the reliability of the ball valve control. Gaskets 10 are provided at the contact points between the valve body 6 and the upstream valve seat 3, and between the valve body 6 and the downstream valve seat 2. The gaskets fill the tiny gaps between the valve body and the upstream and downstream valve seats, preventing leakage of media such as slurry, ensuring the sealing of the ball valve, maintaining normal operating pressure, and relieving rigid contact between components. This reduces the impact of vibration and impact on the ball valve structure, protects the valve body and valve seat, and improves the overall durability of the ball valve.

[0029] The outer surface of the ball 1 has a titanium dioxide coating with a thickness of more than 0.3 mm; the outer surface of part of the upstream valve seat 3 and part of the downstream valve seat 2 at the chamfer also has a titanium dioxide coating with a thickness of more than 0.3 mm. The titanium dioxide coating makes the ball valve acid resistant and wear resistant.

[0030] There are chamfers at the contact points between the upstream valve seat 3 and the ball 1, and at the contact points between the downstream valve seat 2 and the ball 1. The chamfers are used to relieve the spring force of the disc spring corresponding to the upstream valve seat and the disc spring corresponding to the downstream valve seat.

[0031] A yoke 16 is fixedly connected to the top of the valve body 6 by matching bolts 7 and nuts 8. A shaft 12 passes through the yoke 16 and is coaxially connected to the valve stem 14 via a C-key. The shaft serves as a rotational support and transmission component, bearing the load during rotation and transmitting the rotation from the components above it to the valve stem, providing a power transmission path for valve opening and closing. The C-key transmits torque between the shaft and valve stem, forming a single rotating unit, ensuring accurate and reliable power transmission and preventing slippage or misalignment between components. The yoke provides support and fixation, offering a stable mounting base for rotating components such as the shaft, ensuring the correct relative position of each component during operation, and improving the stability and reliability of valve operation. A handle 17 is fixedly connected to the top of the shaft 12 by matching bolts 7 and nuts 8. The handle 17 is fixed to the yoke 16 by matching bolts 7 and nuts 8 passing through a limit block 18. The center of the handle 17 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the shaft 12 via a gasket 10. The handle is used to generate rotational action to open or close the ball valve.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the gap between the two-way follower valve seats of this utility model can be 2.5mm, 4mm or 4mm.

[0033] like Figure 4 As shown, under positive pressure, the ball 1 moves to the downstream valve seat 2, and the upstream valve seat 3 is pushed by the corresponding disc spring 4 and always maintains continuous contact with the ball 1. The downstream valve seat 2 and the ball 1 are sealed by the O-ring seal 5.

[0034] like Figure 5 As shown, under reverse pressure, the ball 1 moves to the upstream valve seat 3, and the downstream valve seat 2 is pushed by the corresponding disc spring 4 and always maintains continuous contact with the ball 1. The downstream valve seat 2 and the ball 1 are sealed by the O-ring seal 5.

[0035] In summary, the ball valve with bidirectional follow-up valve seat designed in this utility model can keep the upstream valve seat 3 and the downstream valve seat 2 in close contact with the ball 1 during the process of moving under pressure, thereby preventing solid particles in the slurry from entering the sealing surface.

[0036] Tests showed that the ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat designed in this utility model had a closing pressure differential of 25 bar, a shell test pressure of 78 bar, a packing seal test pressure of 57 bar, a valve seat air pressure leakage test pressure of 6 bar, and a valve seat hydraulic leakage test pressure of 25 bar.

[0037] In the mining of nickel and cobalt ores, preheated slurry is pumped into a high-pressure reactor, and appropriate amounts of concentrated sulfuric acid and high-pressure steam are added. High-pressure acid leaching is then used in the reactor to leach valuable metals such as nickel and cobalt from the ore into a solution, while most of the iron undergoes high-temperature hydrolysis and enters the slag. After leaching, the slurry passes through a three-stage flash evaporation tank to cool and depressurize the slurry discharged from the reactor. The cooled and depressurized slurry, with a temperature of approximately 105°C, is finally discharged from the low-pressure flash evaporation tank. The ball valve designed in this invention is mainly used in the mining of nickel and cobalt ores. This ball valve can be applied to the slurry transport in high-pressure reactors operating at temperatures of 250–260°C and pressures of 48–51 bar, and can also be used to transport the discharged 105°C slurry.

Claims

1. A ball valve employing a bidirectional follow-up valve seat, the ball valve having a two-piece structure, the ball valve comprising a ball (1), a valve seat, and a valve body (6), characterized in that: The valve seat is composed of an upstream valve seat (3) located upstream of the ball (1) and a downstream valve seat (2) located downstream of the ball (1); the ball (1), the upstream valve seat (3) and the downstream valve seat (2) are all fixedly installed on the valve body (6); Disc springs (4) are provided at the contact points between the upstream valve seat (3) and the valve body (6) and the contact points between the downstream valve seat (2) and the valve body (6), along the positive pressure direction and the reverse pressure direction. Sealing rings (5) are provided at the bottom and top of the downstream valve seat (2) where they contact the valve body (6); a packing gland (15) is fixedly provided on the outside of the valve body (6) above the valve stem (14); a packing ring (11) is provided at the contact point between the valve stem (14) and the valve body (6); the packing gland (15) is fixed to the valve body (6) by a fixing device passing through a disc spring (4); A bearing (9) is provided at the contact point between the valve stem (14) and the ball (1) and the valve body (6); a gasket (10) is provided at the contact point between the valve body (6) and the upstream valve seat (3) and at the contact point between the valve body (6) and the downstream valve seat (2). The outer surface of the sphere (1) has a titanium dioxide coating with a thickness of more than 0.25 mm.

2. The ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The contact points between the upstream valve seat (3) and the ball (1) and the contact points between the downstream valve seat (2) and the ball (1) are both chamfered.

3. The ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer surfaces of the upstream valve seat (3) and the downstream valve seat (2) at the chamfered area also have a titanium dioxide coating with a thickness of more than 0.25 mm.

4. The ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The titanium dioxide coating has a thickness of 0.3 mm or more.

5. The ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat according to claim 1, characterized in that: A yoke (16) is fixedly connected above the valve body (6) by a fixing device. The yoke (16) is provided with a shaft (12) that passes through the yoke (16) and is coaxially connected to the valve stem (14) by a mechanical connecting key (13).

6. The ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat according to claim 5, characterized in that: A handle (17) is fixedly connected above the shaft (12) by a fixing device; the handle (17) is fixed to the yoke (16) by the fixing device passing through the limiting block (18), and the center position of the handle (17) is fixedly connected to the upper end of the shaft (12) by the handle (17) passing through the gasket (10).

7. The ball valve employing a bidirectional follow-up valve seat according to any one of claims 1, 5, and 6, characterized in that: The fixing device consists of a matching bolt (7) and nut (8).

8. The ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing ring (5) is an O-ring.

9. The ball valve with a bidirectional follow-up valve seat according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mechanical connecting key (13) is a C-type key.

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