Wellhead Gas Injection Flapper Valve as a Secondary Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas injection systems lack a reliable secondary barrier to prevent gas flow from a wellhead installation in case of emergencies or malfunctions, such as leaks or control valve failures.
Innovation Solution
A gas injection system featuring a housing with a gas flow passage and a pivotably mounted flapper closure member in a gas injection valve, which opens and closes in response to fluid pressure, providing a redundant safety mechanism to control gas flow into and out of the wellhead installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gas injection valve is installed in the gas flow passage to provide a secondary barrier, then safety and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A flapper closure member is introduced as an intermediary component within the gas injection valve to physically block the gas flow passage. This flapper acts as a secondary barrier that can be rapidly deployed to stop gas flow from the wellhead installation in emergency situations, thereby improving safety without requiring complete redesign of the entire gas injection system
Solution Approach 2:
The gas injection valve is segmented into distinct functional components: a housing containing the gas flow passage, a pivotably mounted flapper closure member, and a control mechanism. This segmentation allows the secondary barrier function to be added as a modular component, improving reliability while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through standardized interfaces and independent component failure modes
2Speed
If a flapper closure member is pivotably mounted in the gas injection valve, then the ability to quickly prevent gas flow is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flapper closure member is designed to be pivotably mounted rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically respond to control signals by rotating into position to block the gas flow passage. This dynamic mounting mechanism enables rapid closure action while accommodating manufacturing tolerances through the rotational degree of freedom, reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements compared to fixed rigid sealing structures
Solution Approach 2:
The flapper closure member utilizes a curved or arc-shaped geometry that conforms to the gas flow passage configuration. This curved design allows the flapper to seal against the passage walls through rotational movement, distributing sealing forces along a curved surface and reducing the precision requirements for flatness and alignment compared to linear sealing mechanisms
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
Ensures safe and controlled gas injection by preventing gas escape from the wellhead installation during emergencies by using a secondary barrier mechanism that operates based on fluid pressure changes.
Implementation Method 1
the gas injection valve is configured to displace the flapper closure member from the closed position to the open position in response to fluid pressure applied to a piston of the gas injection valve
Implementation Method 2
the flapper closure member in a closed position prevents the gas flow from the wellhead installation through the gas flow passage
Data Source
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AI summary
A gas injection system includes a housing having a gas flow passage extending longitudinally through the housing, and the housing being configured to connect to a wellhead installation of the subterranean well, and a gas injection valve disposed at least partially in the housing, whereby the gas flow passage extends through the gas injection valve, and the gas injection valve includes a pivotably mounted flapper closure member. The flapper closure member in an open position permits gas flow between the gas flow passage and the wellhead installation, and the flapper closure member in a closed position prevents the gas flow from the wellhead installation through the gas flow passage.