Quick-Connect Valve Actuator Coupling for Leak-Safe Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve actuators for mineral recovery wells face challenges with threaded connections, which are expensive to manufacture, prone to damage, and require precise alignment to avoid fluid leakage, and current solutions do not effectively prevent axial or rotational movement during installation.
Innovation Solution
The development of a quick connect apparatus with a housing and bonnet featuring lugs and slots that align axially to prevent axial movement and a latch mechanism to prevent rotational movement, allowing for secure and efficient connection without the need for threaded connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If threaded connections are used to connect the actuator to the bonnet, then the connection is secure and reliable, but the manufacturing cost increases and the connection is prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The connection interface is segmented into discrete lugs and slots rather than continuous threaded structures. The bonnet flange includes multiple slots radially spaced around its circumference, while the actuator housing includes corresponding lugs that engage with these slots. This segmentation allows for simple insertion and rotation-based locking without complex threading operations, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining connection reliability.
2Reliability
If threaded connections are used to connect the actuator to the bonnet, then the connection is secure, but the connection is easily damaged
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using traditional threaded connections where the actuator threads into the bonnet, the design inverts the engagement mechanism: the bonnet provides passive slots and the actuator provides active lugs that rotate into locked positions. This inversion eliminates vulnerable threaded structures and creates a more robust connection that resists damage from misalignment and installation errors.
3Reliability
If threaded connections are used, then the actuator can be securely connected, but the inlet rotation during installation causes misalignment and requires moving the supply line
Solution Approach 1:
The design incorporates preliminary alignment features where the actuator inlet is pre-positioned at a specific angular location relative to the lug-slot engagement points. During installation, the actuator is inserted and rotated only until the lugs engage with the slots, which automatically positions the inlet in the correct alignment with the supply line. This preliminary positioning action eliminates the need for post-installation supply line adjustments.
4Ease of operation
If traditional valve actuators are used, then the valve can be actuated, but axial and rotational movement during installation causes misalignment and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The connection mechanism transitions from a static threaded interface to a dynamic rotation-based engagement. The actuator is inserted axially with the lugs passing through the slots, then rotated dynamically until the lugs lock into the slots at precise angular positions. This dynamic engagement process inherently achieves high alignment precision without requiring pre-drilled holes or complex alignment procedures, preventing both axial and rotational misalignment that could cause leakage.
Data Source
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AI summary
An actuator for operating a linear valve, such as a gate valve, includes a quick connect coupling between the housing and at least one of a bonnet and a power head assembly. In embodiments, the quick connect coupling includes a plurality of lugs spaced apart around an annular actuator housing surface, and a plurality of lugs spaced apart around an annular surface of another member such as a bonnet or power head, each of the lugs defining a plurality of slots therebetween. The lugs pass through corresponding slots, and then the housing is rotated relative to the other member until at least a portion of the lugs of each component are axially aligned in a locked position. The rotation is less than one full revolution of the rotated component. A latch prevents the component from rotating out of the locked position.