Remote Check Valve Bleed Assembly for Gate Valve Grease Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gate valves in fracking operations require manual intervention to bleed out grease from cavities, leading to potential soil contamination and safety hazards due to the need for personnel to enter the red zone, causing operational disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A remotely actuated bleed system with a check valve and piston mechanism allows controlled release of grease from gate valve cavities, directing it through tubing to a container for safe removal, preventing soil contamination and enabling continuous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a manual bleed port with plug is used to allow grease to escape from the gate cavity, then the grease can be released from the cavity, but personnel must enter the red zone causing safety hazards and operational disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses automatic detection and actuation mechanisms that allow the bleed port to open and close without human intervention. The control system monitors grease pressure and automatically activates the bleed port when grease accumulation is detected, eliminating the need for personnel to enter the red zone while maintaining proper grease drainage functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical operation of opening and closing the bleed port plug is replaced with an automated control system that uses sensors, actuators, and control logic to manage the bleed port operation remotely, substituting human mechanical action with an automated electromechanical system
2Ease of operation
If the bleed port plug is removed to allow grease escape, then grease can be released from the cavity, but grease may escape containment and contaminate the soil
Solution Approach 1:
A controlled intermediary pathway is introduced between the grease cavity and the external environment. The bleed port is equipped with a controlled opening mechanism that directs grease flow through a designated path to a collection container, preventing uncontrolled escape and soil contamination while still allowing grease to be released from the cavity
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful aspect of uncontrolled grease escape is extracted and separated from the necessary function of grease release. The system extracts only the required amount of grease through a controlled pathway and directs it to a collection container, leaving the containment integrity intact and preventing soil contamination
3Ease of operation
If grease is pumped into the cavities behind the gate, then the gate can move smoothly between open and closed positions, but the incompressibility and viscosity of grease require very slow gate operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by providing a bleed port that can be activated before or during gate operation to release excess grease pressure. This preliminary pressure relief allows the gate to move at normal speeds without being constrained by the incompressibility of the grease, while still maintaining smooth movement through proper lubrication
4Reliability
If a plug is used to seal the bleed port, then fluid loss during valve operation is prevented, but manual intervention is required to open the plug for grease release
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses automatic detection and actuation mechanisms that allow the bleed port to open and close without human intervention. The control system monitors grease pressure and automatically activates the bleed port when grease accumulation is detected, eliminating the need for personnel to manually open the plug while maintaining proper grease drainage functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor grease pressure and cavity conditions, automatically controlling the bleed port plug based on real-time data. When grease accumulation reaches a threshold, the system receives feedback and automatically opens the plug to release grease, then closes it when pressure equalizes, maintaining fluid containment while enabling automated grease release
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures safe and efficient removal of grease from gate valve cavities without manual intervention, reducing soil contamination and allowing uninterrupted fracking operations by providing a contained pathway for fluid release.
Implementation Method 1
a check valve is provided within the port such that in normal operation the check valve prevents the grease from exiting through the port while allowing grease to proceed into the cavity through the check valve
Implementation Method 2
the check valve is provided with a remotely actuated piston. The piston provides sufficient force to drive the check dart off of its seat
Implementation Method 3
grease is applied to the valve in an effort to push the proppant out of the valves' nooks and crannies
Data Source
AI summary
A check valve bleed assembly eliminates the requirement for a person to enter the red zone when bleeding the grease out of a gate or other valve. A gas or other fluid is provided to the check valve bleed assembly. The gas or other fluid acts upon the surface driving a pin into the associated check valve with sufficient force to overcome the resistance of the object sitting on a seat and moves the object off of the seat. The force is maintained as long as is necessary. Usually, the check valve is held open until the gate transitions into the gate's associated gate recess thereby displacing the grease within the gate recess through the check valve, into the check valve bleed assembly, and finally to a waste collection tube. In some embodiments a gate valve greasing access port is included in the check valve bleed assembly such that grease may be injected into the check valve bleed assembly.