Pressure-Balanced Choke Valve Reduces Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing choke valves in oil and gas production require high torque and energy for operation, especially at high pressures, leading to increased costs and maintenance challenges due to complex designs, high seal friction, and susceptibility to corrosive fluids, making remote operation difficult and costly.
Innovation Solution
A dual-functional manual and actuated choke valve system with a pressure-balanced design using a small electric actuator, minimal seals, and a simplified indicator, allowing for low-power operation and easy maintenance, adaptable to various valve standards, and capable of operating with solar power without electrical utilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prior art choke valves are used with multiple rubber seals, then sealing is achieved, but seal friction increases and seals are susceptible to damage from corrosive fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes multiple rubber seals from the valve design, extracting the problematic sealing components that caused high friction and corrosion susceptibility. The design achieves sealing through a different mechanism that eliminates these vulnerable parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite sealing approach combining a soft seal element with a hard backup ring, creating a multi-material solution that provides effective sealing while reducing friction and improving resistance to corrosive fluids.
2Stress or pressure
If prior art choke valves operate at high pressures (15,000 psi or greater), then high-pressure containment is achieved, but torque requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pressure-balanced design where balanced ports allow downstream pressure to act on the plug, creating a counterbalancing force that offsets the high upstream pressure. This pressure counterweight significantly reduces the torque needed to operate the valve even at 15,000 psi or greater.
3Ease of operation
If remote motorized actuators are used to operate choke valves, then remote operation is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure-balanced design creates a counterbalancing force that offsets high upstream pressure, dramatically reducing the torque and consequently the power consumption required for remote motorized actuators to operate the valve.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by reducing torque requirements through pressure balancing, which directly lowers power consumption and enables operation with smaller, lower-cost actuators and power sources.
4Reliability
If multiple seals are used in seal cartridges, then sealing is achieved, but maintenance difficulty increases due to corrosive impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex multi-seal cartridge system and replaces it with a simplified design using fewer seals that are more resistant to corrosive fluids, making maintenance easier and more reliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite sealing materials including corrosion-resistant alloys and specialized seal compounds that maintain sealing effectiveness while withstanding corrosive environments, reducing maintenance requirements.
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 system significantly reduces torque requirements for valve operation, enabling low-cost automation of multiple wellheads with reduced energy consumption and simplified maintenance, while avoiding damage from corrosive fluids and high-pressure conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The valve is a pressure-balanced choke valve used for high pressure fluids... greatly reduces the torque or force required for the opening and closing of the valve, even with line pressures as high as 20,000 psi, through as high as a 98% pressure balance on either side of a valve plug
Data Source
AI summary
A choke valve body of a valve apparatus includes a lower stem that terminating at a lower end thereof with a plug. A conduit traverses a lower portion of the lower stem between at least one plug aperture traversing the plug to at least one top aperture traversing an upper end of the lower portion. The lower portion is slidably retained within the valve chamber between closed and open positions. A bonnet fixed with the valve body has a bonnet chamber for receiving the lower portion, and a bore with at least one annular seal for slidably retaining an upper portion. A yoke assembly is fixed with the bonnet, terminates at an upper end with a drive mechanism, and includes an upper stem with a threaded upper end that is driven between raised and lowered positions by the drive mechanism, the upper stem fixed with the lower stem.