Wellsite Valve Spool Assembly Metal-to-Metal Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wellsite valve technologies face challenges in efficiently controlling and diverting fluid flows in subsea and land-based operations, particularly in forming reliable seals and managing pressure to ensure safe and efficient fluid management.
Innovation Solution
A valve system comprising a valve housing, a cage with holes, a valve plate with a sealing surface, and a spool assembly that forms a metal-to-metal seal, allowing the spool to move between inlet and outlet positions to control fluid flow through a wellsite component, utilizing a piston rod and pilot piston for pressure management and a spring for urging the spool assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a valve system uses traditional sealing mechanisms, then the structure is simpler, but the sealing reliability is insufficient under high pressure conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The valve system divides the sealing function into multiple independent sealing interfaces: a first sealing interface between the spool and valve body, and a second sealing interface between the valve plate and valve body. This segmentation allows each sealing interface to be optimized independently for high-pressure conditions, improving overall sealing reliability without requiring a complete redesign of the valve structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve plate is positioned in advance to pre-establish the second sealing interface before the spool reaches its final position. This preliminary action ensures that the sealing surfaces are already engaged and ready to handle high-pressure conditions, preventing leakage before it can occur during operation.
2Reliability
If the valve uses a spool assembly with multiple sealing interfaces, then the sealing performance improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into modular components: the spool with its sealing surface, the valve plate with its sealing surface, and the valve body with corresponding sealing surfaces. This modular segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and tested independently, then assembled together, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining high sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing surfaces of the spool, valve plate, and valve body are designed with homogeneous material properties and surface finish requirements. This standardization of sealing surface characteristics across different components simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing the use of similar machining operations and quality control procedures for all sealing surfaces.
3Stress or pressure
If the valve system implements pressure management through pilot piston, then the pressure control improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pilot piston acts as an intermediary component that receives pilot pressure and translates it into motion of the main spool. This intermediary mechanism allows for precise pressure control and gradual spool movement, improving pressure management while adding only a single auxiliary component to the valve system.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve system utilizes hydraulic pressure through the pilot piston and pilot pressure line to control the movement of the spool. By employing hydraulic principles, the system achieves smooth and controlled pressure management, allowing the spool to move gradually from the first position to the second position in response to pilot pressure changes.
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 effectively directs and diverts fluid flows, ensuring reliable sealing and efficient operation in wellsite components like subsea risers and blowout preventers, enhancing safety and operational efficiency by forming multiple sealing interfaces and managing pressure effectively.
Implementation Method 1
The spool assembly is selectively positionable in sealing engagement with the sealing surface of the valve plate to define a sealing interface therebetween
Implementation Method 2
The valve may also include a spring disposable in the housing about the piston, with the spring urging the spool assembly toward the housing
Implementation Method 3
The valve may also include a pilot piston operatively connectable to the piston rod, the pilot piston slidably positionable in the valve housing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A valve, system and method for controlling flow of fluid about a wellsite component of a wellsite are provided. The wellsite component has a flowline to pass the fluid therethrough. The valve includes a valve housing, a cage having holes therethrough positionable in selective fluid communication with the flowline, a valve plate operatively connectable between the valve housing and the cage (the valve plate having a sealing surface thereon), and a spool assembly comprising a spool slidably positionable in the cage. The spool assembly is selectively positionable in sealing engagement with the sealing surface of the valve plate to define a sealing interface therebetween, and is movable between an inlet position defining a fluid intake path and an outlet position defining a fluid outtake path whereby the fluid is selectively diverted through the wellsite component.