US 12,297,924 B2
Valve insert system
Sandra Gavela, Houston, TX (US); Zachary Walters, Coimbatore (IN); Codie Smith, Carmichaels, PA (US); Loc Gia Hoang, Houston, TX (US); and Eric Miller, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to Cameron International Corporation, Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Cameron International Corporation, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Sep. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/469,878.
Application 18/469,878 is a continuation of application No. 17/756,526, granted, now 11,796,069, previously published as PCT/US2020/065804, filed on Dec. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/950,008, filed on Dec. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0003434 A1, Jan. 4, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16K 3/20 (2006.01); E21B 43/26 (2006.01); F16K 3/02 (2006.01); F16K 3/36 (2006.01); F16K 31/50 (2006.01); F16K 31/60 (2006.01); F16K 41/02 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 3/207 (2013.01) [E21B 43/2607 (2020.05); F16K 3/0227 (2013.01); F16K 3/36 (2013.01); F16K 31/508 (2013.01); F16K 31/60 (2013.01); F16K 41/023 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a valve, comprising:
a valve body having an interior volume and a bore along a first axis;
a stem extending along a second axis;
a flow control element coupled to the stem, wherein the stem is configured to selectively move the flow control element through the interior volume between a closed position and an open position relative to the bore; and
a valve insert system configured to retain a pressurized lubricant in the interior volume;
wherein the valve is a gate valve, the flow control element is a gate, the valve insert system comprises a telescoping seat assembly positioned along the bore between the valve body and a first side of the gate, the telescoping seat assembly includes a first seat and a second seat coupled to the first seat, the second seat is a telescoping seat responsive to pressure within the interior volume such that the pressure within the interior volume biases the telescoping seat toward the first side of the gate, each of the first and second seats has an annular body with an innermost surface facing toward the bore and an outermost surface facing away from the bore, the outermost surface of the first seat is not enclosed within the second seat, and the outermost surface of the second seat is not enclosed within the first seat; and
wherein the valve insert system includes a first annular seal positioned to seal between the second seat and the gate; the valve insert system includes a second annular seal positioned to seal between the first seat and the second seat and positioned to allow the pressurized lubricant of the interior volume to be received within a gap between the first seat and the second seat such that, in operation, the pressurized lubricant within the gap pushes the first seat toward the valve body and pushes the second seat toward the first side of the gate; the first annular seal blocks flow of the pressurized lubricant to the bore between the second seat and the gate; the second annular seal blocks flow of the pressurized lubricant to the bore between the first seat and the second seat; and the first annular seal is larger in diameter than the second annular seal such that, in operation, the pressure of the pressurized lubricant within the gap between the first seat and the second seat acts on a surface of the second seat facing the gap to push the second seat toward the gate with greater force than the pressure of any pressurized lubricant of the interior volume between the second seat and the gate acts on a surface of the second seat facing the gate to push the second seat away from the gate.