US 12,011,745 B2
Ball valve with downstream residue purge
András Tomor, Érd (HU); Péter Tóth, Zalaegerszeg (HU); Aryoso Nirmolo, Villach (AT); Christopher Brydon, Reno, NV (US); Christopher R. Shages, Bethlehem, PA (US); and Larry D. Ray, Jr., Baytown, TX (US)
Assigned to Flowserve Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
Filed by Flowserve Management Company, Irving, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/984,668.
Prior Publication US 2024/0157407 A1, May 16, 2024
Int. Cl. F16K 5/06 (2006.01); B08B 3/02 (2006.01); B08B 3/08 (2006.01); B08B 5/02 (2006.01); F16K 5/08 (2006.01)
CPC B08B 3/02 (2013.01) [B08B 3/08 (2013.01); B08B 5/02 (2013.01); F16K 5/06 (2013.01); F16K 5/08 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A ball valve configured to control a flow therethrough of a process fluid, the ball valve comprising:
a valve housing having a valve inlet and a valve outlet, the valve outlet surrounding a longitudinal axis thereof, a valve seat being within and fixed to the valve housing;
a ball element rotatable within the valve seat and forming a seal therewith, the ball element being penetrated by a central passage that is aligned with the valve inlet and the valve outlet and forms a fluid interconnection therebetween when the ball element is rotated to an open position, the valve inlet being isolated from the valve outlet when the ball element is rotated to a closed position; and
a downstream purging inlet configured, when the ball element is in the closed position, to direct a purging fluid in a purging inlet direction onto a downstream portion of the ball element, said purging inlet direction being co-planar with said longitudinal axis and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;
wherein when the ball is in the closed position:
the downstream portion of the ball extends downstream from the valve seat to an apex that is longitudinally offset from the valve seat by an incursion distance;
the downstream purging inlet is located at a purging inlet location that is longitudinally offset downstream from the valve seat by a purging inlet distance that is less than the incursion distance; and
the downstream purging inlet directs the stream of purging fluid onto an impact location on the downstream portion of the ball element, said impact location being longitudinally offset downstream from the valve seat by an impact distance
a ratio of the purging inlet distance divided by the incursion distance being less than 0.9.