Diverter valve

Abstract

Provided is a diverter valve including a housing assembly having a plurality of ports and a drum assembly disposed in the housing. The drum assembly including a plurality of passages for selectively coupling the ports, wherein an axial position of the drum assembly with respect to the ports determines which ports are active and which parts are dormant. Further provided is a method of operating a diverter valve, including disposing a drum of the diverter valve in a first position, wherein the first position is configured to provide a first passage from an inlet of the diverter valve to a first outlet of the diverter valve, the first passage comprising a first bend-pipe extending crosswise to an axis of the drum and comprising a first radius of curvature that is at least five times an internal diameter of the first bend-pipe, and moving the drum along the longitudinal axis through the diverter valve to a second position, wherein the second position is configured to provide a second passage from the inlet of the diverter valve to a second outlet of the diverter valve, the second passage comprising a second bend-pipe extending crosswise to the axis of the drum and comprising a second radius of curvature that is at least five times an internal diameter of the second bend-pipe.

1 . A diverter valve comprising:
 a housing assembly comprising a plurality of ports; and   a drum assembly disposed in the housing and comprising,
 a plurality of passages for selectively coupling the ports, 
 wherein an axial position of the drum assembly with respect to the ports determines which ports are active and which parts are dormant. 
   
   
   
       2 . The diverter of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of passages extend laterally through the drum assembly from an inlet to an outlet, wherein the passages are axially offset from one another and the outlets are circumferentially offset from one another. 
   
   
       3 . The diverter valve of  claim 1 , wherein the drum is configured to route fluid through a first of the plurality of passages in a first axial position and to route fluid through a second of the plurality of passages in a second axial position, wherein the plurality of passages each comprise a radius of curvature that is at least five times the respective diameter. 
   
   
       4 . The diverter valve of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of passages comprises a first passage configured to couple an inlet of the diverter valve to a first outlet of the diverter valve, a second passage configured to couple the inlet of the diverter valve to a second outlet of the diverter valve, and a third passage configured to couple the inlet of the diverter valve to the first outlet and the second outlet of the of the diverter valve simultaneously, wherein the plurality of passages each comprise a radius of curvature that is at least five times the respective diameter. 
   
   
       5 . The diverter valve of  claim 1 , wherein inlets of the plurality of passages are aligned at a common circumferential position at different axial positions along a length of the drum assembly. 
   
   
       6 . The diverter valve of  claim 1 , wherein inlets of the plurality of passages are offset from one another relative to a central axis of the drum assembly. 
   
   
       7 . The diverter valve of  claim 1 , wherein the drum is configured to route fluid through a first of the plurality of passages in a first axial position, and wherein the first of the plurality of passages comprises a first outlet that is coaxial with the inlet in the first position. 
   
   
       8 . The diverter valve of  claim 7 , wherein the first outlet comprises a first outlet diameter that is different from a diameter of the inlet. 
   
   
       9 . The diverter valve of  claim 7 , wherein the drum is configured to route fluid through a second of the plurality of passages in a second axial position, and wherein the second of the plurality of passages comprises a second outlet that comprises an axis that is angled with respect to an axis of the inlet. 
   
   
       10 . A diverter drum, comprising:
 a drum body comprising a drum centerline;   a first bend-pipe that extends crosswise through the drum body from a first inlet to a first outlet, wherein the first bend-pipe comprises a first centerline in a first plane crosswise to the drum centerline; and   a second bend-pipe that extends crosswise through the drum body from a second inlet to a second outlet, wherein the second bend-pipe comprises a second centerline in a second plane crosswise to the drum centerline, and   wherein the first plane and the second plane are offset from one another.   
   
   
       11 . The diverter drum of  claim 10 , wherein the first inlet and the second inlet are aligned with one another along an axis parallel to the drum centerline. 
   
   
       12 . The diverter drum of  claim 10 , wherein the first inlet and the second inlet are offset from one another in a direction crosswise to the drum centerline. 
   
   
       13 . The diverter of  claim 10 , wherein the first bend-pipe comprises a first radius of curvature in a first direction, and wherein the second bend-pipe comprises a second radius of curvature in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction. 
   
   
       14 . The diverter of  claim 13 , wherein the first radius of curvature is at least five times a diameter of the first bend-pipe, and the second radius of curvature is at least five times a diameter of the second bend pipe. 
   
   
       15 . The diverter of  claim 14 , wherein the diameter of the first bend-pipe and the diameter of the second bend-pipe are configured to accept a pig. 
   
   
       16 . The diverter of  claim 10 , comprising a third bend-pipe that extends crosswise through the drum body from a third inlet to a third outlet and a fourth outlet. 
   
   
       17 . A diverter valve system, comprising:
 a drum, comprising:
 a first fluid path comprising a first inlet and a first outlet; and 
 a second fluid path comprising a second inlet and a second outlet, 
 wherein the drum comprises a range of movement coaxial with a centerline of the drum and between at least a first position and a second position, wherein the first inlet is aligned with an inlet axis and the first outlet is coaxial with a first outlet axis in the first position, and wherein the second inlet is aligned with the inlet axis and the second outlet is coaxial with a second outlet axis in the second position. 
   
   
   
       18 . The diverter valve system of  claim 17 , wherein the first inlet and second inlet are aligned at a common circumferential position at different axial positions along a length of the drum. 
   
   
       19 . The diverter valve system of  claim 17 , wherein the first inlet is coaxial with the inlet axis, and wherein the second inlet is coaxial with the inlet axis. 
   
   
       20 . The diverter valve system of  claim 17 , wherein the first inlet is offset a distance from the inlet axis in a first direction crosswise to the centerline of the drum, and wherein the second inlet is offset the distance from the inlet axis in a second direction crosswise to the centerline of the drum and opposite from the first direction. 
   
   
       21 . The diverter valve system of  claim 17 , wherein the first fluid path comprises a first curvature having a first radius and the second fluid path comprises a second curvature having a second radius, wherein the first curvature and the second curvature are in opposite directions. 
   
   
       22 . The diverter valve system of  claim 20 , wherein the first radius is at least five times a diameter of the first fluid path, and the second radius is at least five times a diameter of the second fluid path. 
   
   
       23 . The diverter valve system of  claim 17 , comprising a housing having an inlet coaxial with the inlet axis, a first outlet coaxial with the first outlet axis, and a second outlet coaxial with the second outlet axis. 
   
   
       24 . The diverter valve of the system of  claim 17 , wherein the drum is configured to couple to a fluid circuit of a subsea hydrocarbon production system. 
   
   
       25 . A method of operating a diverter valve, comprising:
 disposing a drum of the diverter valve in a first position, wherein the first position is configured to provide a first passage from an inlet of the diverter valve to a first outlet of the diverter valve, the first passage comprising a first bend-pipe extending crosswise to an axis of the drum and comprising a first radius of curvature that is at least five times an internal diameter of the first bend-pipe; and   moving the drum along the longitudinal axis through the diverter valve to a second position, wherein the second position is configured to provide a second passage from the inlet of the diverter valve to a second outlet of the diverter valve, the second passage comprising a second bend-pipe extending crosswise to the axis of the drum and comprising a second radius of curvature that is at least five times an internal diameter of the second bend-pipe.