Cage and sleeve choke system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a choke valve assembly for use in a fluid handling system. The choke valve assembly comprises a cage and sleeve choke. At least one part of the cage, the sleeve, or both is made of a superhard material.

Description

Description Title of the invention: THROTTLING SYSTEM CAGE AND SHIRT CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims priority of U.S. application No. e 63 / 734.310 submitted on December 16, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated into this document as a reference for all purposes. FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a cage and sleeve choke system having components formed from superhard materials. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This section aims to introduce the reader to various aspects of the art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and / or claimed below. This analysis is considered useful in providing background information that facilitates a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, these statements should be understood from this perspective and not as an acknowledgment of prior art.

[0004] In certain fluid handling systems, such as mineral extraction systems, various fluid control devices are used to Controlling flow rate, pressure, and other fluid flow parameters. For example, in mineral extraction systems, throttle valves can be used to regulate the flow of fluids (e.g., oil, gas, and water) from the well. A stem that can be raised or lowered drives a movable sleeve over an opening through which the fluids flow. By shifting the position of the valve's movable sleeve relative to the opening, fluid flow is permitted. Unfortunately, the valve's moving elements can be subjected to environments with relatively high pressure drops, abrasive media carried by the fluid, and / or fluid flow cavitation, which can lead to wear, erosion, and other degradation. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention relates to a throttle valve assembly for use in a fluid handling system. The throttle valve assembly includes a cage and sleeve throttle. At least part of the cage, the sleeve, or both are made of a superhard material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a valve that uses a cage and sleeve choke.

[0007] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the embodiment of Figure 1, focusing on the internal components of the valve.

[0008] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the top of one embodiment of a cage for use in the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements identified by the terms "equal" or "similar" refer to equal or similar elements that perform the same functions in the various embodiments. However, the various embodiments of the invention can be represented in many different ways, and these should not be interpreted as limiting the embodiments stated herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present description comprehensive and complete, and to express the full scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0010] When introducing elements of various forms of embodiment, the articles "a," "an," "the," "said," and the like are understood to mean that there may be one or more of these elements. The expressions "comprising," "including," "having," and the like are intended to be inclusive and open-ended, meaning that there may be additional elements besides those listed. The use of "above," "below," "on top of," "below," "up," "down," and their variations refers to the orientation shown in the drawings and is for clarity, but does not require a particular orientation of the components with respect to a fixed reference or gravity. The term "fluid(s)" encompasses liquids, gases, vapors, and combinations thereof.

[0011] The embodiments of the present invention relate to fluid handling systems, such as fluid handling systems for mineral extraction systems (e.g., drilling systems, hydraulic fracturing systems, etc.). The cage and sleeve choke of the present invention will be described with reference to drawings depicting an example of a specific valve system. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to that specific valve system or configuration but can be employed in any system requiring a choke and sleeve configuration. It should also be noted that choke and sleeve systems are generally well known in the art; see, for example, U.S. Patent No. e5,086,808, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Accordingly, it shall be understood that certain connections, seals, bleed ports, etc., are common to such valve systems, but are not described herein. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand the present invention and how to incorporate it into the valve system of their choice.

[0012] Figure 1A shows a valve system 10 with a valve body 12, a fluid inlet 14, and a fluid outlet 16. The fluid inlet 14 and fluid outlet 16 intersect in the fluid chamber 18. The valve cover 20 is located opposite the outlet 16. The valve stem 22 is housed in the cover 20. The valve stem 22 is controlled by an actuator 24. As depicted herein, the actuator 24 is a manual actuator, but it will be noted that the valve can also be operated manually. hydraulically, pneumatically, or electronically.

[0013] In the fluid chamber 18 is the throttling assembly 30, the details of which are more clearly shown in Figure 2. The throttling assembly 30 includes a sleeve 32 arranged in a sleeve holder 34 and a cage 36 arranged in a cage holder 38. The sleeve 32 is cylindrical with a top wall 33. The cage 36 is generally cylindrical, with a flow passage through it and one or more fluid ports 37 to allow fluid to flow through the flow passage. The exact number and position of the fluid ports may vary. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cage holder 38 is also arranged within a sealing adapter 40 with a flow passage through it. It should be noted that the sealing adapter 40 may not be required.In cases where an existing valve assembly is adapted to use the throttle assembly 30 of the present invention, an adapter 40 may be required to compensate for size differences between the throttle assembly and the valve outlet.

[0014] The sleeve 32 is retained in the sleeve holder 34. The sleeve 32 may be retained in the sleeve holder 34 by an epoxy adhesive, brazing, or heat shrinking. The sleeve holder 34 may be threaded, welded, epoxy-fixed, or otherwise connected to the stem 22. In one embodiment, the sleeve holder 34 may be monolithically formed on the stem 22.

[0015] Cage 36 is retained in cage holder 38 with epoxy adhesive, brazing, or heat shrink tubing. When adapter 40 is used, cage holder 38 can be retained in place in various ways. Provided that axial movement of the cage holder 38 is prevented and it is tightly coupled to the adapter 40 to prevent fluid passage between the adapter 40 and the cage holder 38. By way of non-limiting example, the cage holder 38 may have annular projections with conical sealing surfaces on its outer surface 42, which engage with corresponding annular receiving formations with conical sealing surfaces on the inner surface 44 of the adapter 40. Alternatively, the outer surface 42 of the cage holder 38 may be threaded to engage with corresponding threads on the inner surface 44 of the adapter 40. One or more sealing rings may be placed between the cage holder 38 and the adapter 40. The exact number and configuration of the sealing components may vary.

[0016] Adapter 40 rests on a shoulder 11 that forms the transition between the fluid chamber 18 and the outlet 16. The construction of adapter 40 may vary according to the requirements of the specific valve system, provided that it is held in place, axial movement of adapter 40 is prevented, and it is tightly coupled to the outlet 16 to prevent fluid passage around the outside of adapter 40. By way of non-limiting example, adapter 40 may have annular projections with tapered sealing surfaces on the outer surface 46, which mate with corresponding annular receiving formations with tapered sealing surfaces on the inner surface 17 of the outlet 16. Alternatively, the outer surface 46 of adapter 40 may be threaded to mate with corresponding threads on the inner surface 17 of the outlet 16. One or more sealing rings may be placed between adapter 40 and the Exit 16. The exact number and configuration of the sealing components may vary.

[0017] In operation, fluid entering the valve system 10 passes through inlet 14 into fluid chamber 18. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the throttling assembly 30 is in the fully open position. This places the sleeve 32 above all fluid ports 37. Fluid flows through fluid ports 37 into cage 36 and exits through outlet 16. To control fluid flow, the valve system 10 can be actuated, which lowers the stem 22. As the stem 22 descends, the sleeve 32 also descends over cage 36 to cover the fluid ports 37. The sleeve 36 can be partially or fully lowered to partially or completely block the fluid ports 37. In the fully closed position, the sleeve 36 rests on top of the cage support 38, which forms the seat of the valve 39.In a preferred embodiment, when the sleeve 32 contacts the seat 39, the upper wall 33 of the sleeve 32 also rests on the upper edge 35 of the cage 36. In this position, all fluid ports 37 are completely blocked, and no fluid leaves the fluid chamber 18. The sleeve 36 can modify the cross-section of the fluid flow by partially blocking the fluid ports 37. In some embodiments, the valve seat 39 may be formed on the upper edge of the cage 36. In either case, the fully closed position would cause all fluid ports 37 of the cage 36 to be blocked by the sleeve 32. The respective circumferences of the sleeve 32 and the cage 36 are as follows. that the sleeve 32 can fit over the cage 36, but without allowing fluid to flow between the sleeve 32 and the cage 36.

[0018] Over time, fluid flow and the high pressure drops experienced at the cage / liner interface can cause degradation, erosion, and wear. Prior art cage and liner valve systems are typically made of tungsten carbide, a material vulnerable to such degradation, necessitating frequent replacement of the valve's internal components. To reduce the frequency of replacements, the present invention utilizes an internal component of the cage and liner valve that incorporates a superhard material. In this document, the term "superhard material" refers to a hardness value greater than approximately 20 gigapascals (GPa) on the Vickers hardness test, or a material with a hardness value greater than approximately 4500 Brinell (HB) on the Brinell scale. The term "approximately" refers to a range of 1% to 10%.Preferred superhard materials include diamond-based materials (e.g., silicon-core diamond, polycrystalline diamond compacts, polycrystalline diamond discs, or other materials including diamond) and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride.

[0019] Given the manufacturing tolerances and cost limitations associated with the use of preferred superhard materials, the present invention includes embodiments in which only a portion of the choke assembly 30 is formed from superhard materials, namely, a portion of the cage 36 and / or a portion of the sleeve 32. For example, the cage 36 may have a A layer of superhard material extends continuously around the outer annular surface of cage 36. In one embodiment, only the upper portion of cage 36 (as shown in Figure 3), covered by sleeve 32, may be made of a superhard material, while the lower portion may be made of tungsten carbide or another suitable material. Likewise, sleeve 32 may have a layer of superhard material extending continuously around its inner annular surface. In one embodiment, only the lower portion of sleeve 32 would be made of a superhard material. In other embodiments, the entire cage and / or the entire sleeve may be made of superhard material. The superhard material may be incorporated into cage 36, sleeve 32, or both.If incorporated in both, the superhard material used in cage 36 may be the same as or different from the superhard material used in sleeve 32. In a preferred embodiment, cage 36 and sleeve 32 incorporate the same superhard materials.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 27 March 2026 (27.03.2026)

1. A throttling assembly for controlling fluid flow in a fluid handling system, comprising a cage having a cylindrical body forming a flow passage therethrough and at least one fluid port extending through said body; said cage being mounted on and retained in said cage carrier by epoxy adhesive, brazing, or heat shrinking; a sleeve having a cylindrical surface and a top surface, said sleeve being configured to selectively slide over said cage and block the entry of fluid into said at least one fluid port, and to slide off the cage and permit the entry of fluid into said at least one fluid port;characterized in that the upper part of the cage that is covered by the sleeve when it blocks the entry of fluids into said at least one fluid port is formed from a superhard material comprising polycrystalline diamond, and the lower part of the cage is formed from a different material, and wherein the sleeve comprises a layer of superhard material comprising polycrystalline diamond that extends continuously around the inner annular surface thereof, or on the lower part of the sleeve.

2. The throttling assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cage has a plurality of fluid ports, and said sleeve is configured to slide selectively over said cage and block fluid entry to the entirety of said plurality of fluid ports, and to slide off said cage and allow fluid to enter to the entirety of said plurality of fluid ports.

3. The constriction assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cage is retained in said cage holder with epoxy adhesive.

4. The constriction assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cage is retained in said cage holder by brazing.

5. The constriction assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cage is retained in said thermally expanding cage holder.

6. The strangulation assembly according to claim 1, wherein said shirt is mounted on a shirt carrier.

7. The constriction assembly according to claim 6, wherein said shirt is retained in said shirt holder with epoxy adhesive.

8. The throttling assembly according to claim 6, wherein said sleeve is retained in said sleeve holder by brazing.

9. The constriction assembly according to claim 6, wherein said shirt is retained in said heat-shrinkable shirt carrier.

10. The choke assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cage is formed from a single piece of superhard material.

11. The constriction assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cage has a layer of superhard material that extends continuously around the outer annular surface of said cage.

12. The constriction assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper part of said cage is formed from a superhard material.

13. The constriction assembly according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve is formed from a single piece of superhard material.

14. The constriction assembly according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve has a layer of superhard material that extends continuously around the inner annular surface of said sleeve.

15. The constriction assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower part of said sleeve is formed from a superhard material.

16. . A throttling assembly for controlling fluid flow in a fluid handling system, wherein: a cage has a cylindrical body forming a flow passage therethrough and at least one fluid port extending through said body; A sleeve has a cylindrical surface and a top surface, the sleeve being configured to slide selectively over said cage and block the entry of fluids into said at least one fluid port, and to slide off the cage and allow the entry of fluids into said at least one fluid port; said sleeve is mounted in a sleeve carrier and is retained in said sleeve carrier by epoxy adhesive, brazing, or heat shrinking; characterized in that the top portion of the cage that is covered by the sleeve when it blocks the entry of fluids into said at least one fluid port is formed from a superhard material comprising polycrystalline diamond, and the bottom portion of the cage is formed from a different material, and wherein the sleeve comprises a layer of superhard material comprising polycrystalline diamond that extends continuously around the inner annular surface thereof or on the bottom portion of the sleeve.

17. . The throttling assembly according to claim 16, wherein said cage has a plurality of fluid ports, and said sleeve is configured to slide selectively over said cage and block fluid entry to the entirety of said plurality of fluid ports, and to slide off said cage and allow fluid entry to the entirety of said plurality of fluid ports.

18. The throttling assembly according to claim 16, wherein said shirt is mounted on said shirt carrier with epoxy adhesive.

19. The throttling assembly according to claim 16, wherein said sleeve is mounted on said sleeve carrier with brazing.

20. The choke assembly according to claim 16, wherein said shirt is mounted on said heat-shrinkable shirt carrier.

21. The strangulation assembly according to claim 16, wherein said cage is mounted on a cage holder.

22. The constriction assembly according to claim 21, wherein said cage is retained in said cage holder with epoxy adhesive.

23. The throttling assembly according to claim 21, wherein said cage is retained in said cage holder by brazing.

24. The constriction assembly according to claim 21, wherein said cage is retained in said cage holder with heat shrink.

25. The constriction assembly according to claim 16, wherein said cage is formed from a single piece of superhard material.

26. The choke assembly according to claim 16, wherein said cage has a layer of superhard material that extends continuously around the outer annular surface of said cage.

27. ​​The constriction assembly according to claim 16, wherein the upper part of said cage is formed from a superhard material.

28. The throttling assembly according to claim 16, wherein said sleeve is formed from a single piece of superhard material.

29. The constriction assembly according to claim 16, wherein said sleeve has a layer of superhard material that extends continuously around the inner annular surface of said sleeve.

30. The constriction assembly according to claim 16, wherein the lower part of said sleeve is formed from a superhard material.

31. A throttling assembly for controlling fluid flow in a fluid handling system, wherein: a cage has a cylindrical body forming a flow passage therethrough and at least one fluid port extending through said body; a sleeve has a cylindrical surface and a top surface, the sleeve being configured to slide selectively over said cage and block the entry of fluids into said at least one fluid port, and to slide off the cage and allow the entry of fluids into said at least one fluid port; characterized in that the upper part of the cage that is covered by the sleeve when it blocks the entry of fluids into said at least one fluid port is formed of a superhard material comprising polycrystalline diamond, and the lower part of the cage is formed of a different material, and wherein the sleeve comprises a layer of superhard material comprising polycrystalline diamond that extends continuously around the inner annular surface thereof or on the lower part of the sleeve.

32. The throttling assembly according to claim 31, wherein said cage has a plurality of fluid ports, and said sleeve is configured to slide selectively over said cage and block fluid entry to the entirety of said plurality of fluid ports, and to slide off said cage and allow fluid to enter to the entirety of said plurality of fluid ports.

33. The strangulation assembly according to claim 31, wherein said cage is mounted on a cage holder.

34. The constriction assembly according to claim 31, wherein said cage is retained in said cage holder with epoxy adhesive.

35. The throttling assembly according to claim 31, wherein said cage is retained in said cage holder with brazing.

36. The constriction assembly according to claim 31, wherein said cage is retained in said cage holder with heat shrink.

37. The strangulation assembly according to claim 31, wherein said shirt is mounted on a shirt carrier.

38. The throttling assembly according to claim 37, wherein said sleeve is retained in said cage holder with epoxy adhesive.

39. The throttling assembly according to claim 37, wherein said sleeve is retained in said cage holder by brazing.

40. The throttling assembly according to claim 37, wherein said sleeve is retained in said heat-shrink cage holder.

41. The constriction assembly according to claim 31, wherein said cage is formed from a single piece of superhard material.

42. The choke assembly according to claim 31, wherein said cage has a layer of superhard material that extends continuously around the outer annular surface of said cage.

43. The throttling assembly according to claim 31, wherein said sleeve is formed from a single piece of superhard material.

44. The constriction assembly according to claim 31, wherein said sleeve has a layer of superhard material that extends continuously around the inner annular surface of said sleeve.

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