Subsea Stabilized Valve Spool Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sub plate mounted valves used in offshore oil or gas wells are unstable due to reliance on springs or pilot pressure, leading to unintended position shifts and loss of configuration.
Innovation Solution
A valve design that employs a pressurized working fluid to maintain the spool in either an armed or disarmed configuration, eliminating the need for springs or continuous pilot pressure, using a spool with an upward facing shoulder and pilot ports to control fluid flow between supply and discharge ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If springs or pilot pressure are used to bias the spool, then the valve can be moved between armed and disarmed configurations, but the valve becomes unstable and may shift to unintended positions
Solution Approach 1:
The valve design pre-pressurizes the working fluid in the interior cavity before operation. This preliminary pressurization creates a stable fluid environment that eliminates the need for continuous pilot pressure or springs, allowing the spool to remain stable in either armed or disarmed position without unintended shifts
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a pressurized working fluid (hydraulic system) to bias the spool to desired positions. The pressurized fluid replaces traditional mechanical springs and continuous pilot pressure systems, providing stable positioning through fluid pressure acting on the spool surfaces
2Reliability
If continuous pilot pressure is used to maintain valve configuration, then the spool remains in position, but the system requires continuous energy input and complex control
Solution Approach 1:
The system is pre-charged with pressurized working fluid in the interior cavity before operation. This preliminary action eliminates the need for continuous pilot pressure, as the pre-pressurized fluid maintains spool position passively without continuous energy input
Solution Approach 2:
The pressurized working fluid in the interior cavity serves the dual function of both operating medium and positioning bias. The system uses its own internal pressurized fluid to maintain configuration without requiring external continuous pilot pressure, making the system self-sufficient
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 valve maintains stability in both configurations without requiring continuous pilot pressure, ensuring reliable operation of hydraulic circuits controlling blowout preventers by using the working fluid to bias the spool and maintain its position.
Implementation Method 1
A supply port of the valve is arranged to provide a pressurized working fluid such that a spool of the valve is biased by the working fluid to a first position when the valve is moved to an armed configuration and such that the spool biased by the working fluid to a second position when the valve is moved to the disarmed configuration
Data Source
AI summary
An SPM valve for use in a subsea environment includes a spool selectively movable between first and second positions to thereby arrange the valve in respective armed and disarmed configurations. The particular arrangement of a supply port and discharge port with respect to the spool permits a pressurized working fluid supplied to the supply port to bias the spool to both the first and second positions once an external force is applied to the spool to initially set the spool in either the first or second position.