Gate valve assembly comprising a support member

Abstract

A gate valve assembly having a through bore adapted for fluid communication with a well bore and prepared for receiving an elongated member. The gate valve assembly comprises a gate element which is movably arranged in a gate valve housing, wherein the gate element has a gate bore arranged for receiving the elongated member, wherein a cutting tool is arranged in the gate bore first and second seats, wherein at least one of the first or second seat is arranged to provide sealing contact with a sealing surface of the gate element. A support member arranged with an opening encompassing the through bore and an expanded opening portion which is open to the through bore in the axial direction of the through bore, wherein a reduced section of the support member defines the expanded opening portion, and the opening has a decreasing radius along the reduced section in the axial direction of the support member toward a contact surface area arranged at an end portion of the support member adjacent the cutting tool, wherein the radius of the opening corresponds essentially to the radius of the through bore. The contact surface area is prepared for engagement with the elongated member and provides a counter acting area interacting with the cutting tool when shearing the elongated member. The invention also includes a method.

1 . A gate valve assembly having a through bore adapted for fluid communication with a well bore and configured for receiving an elongated remember, the gate valve assembly comprising:
 a gate element which is movably arranged in a gate valve housing, the gate element having a gate bore which is configured for receiving the elongated member;   a cutting tool which is arranged in the gate bore;   first and second seats for between which the movable gate element is positioned, wherein at least one of the first and second seats being configured to provide sealing contact with a sealing surface of the gate element;   a support member comprising an opening which is aligned with the through bore and an expanded opening portion which is open to the through bore in the axial direction of the through bore, wherein a reduced section of the support member defines the expanded opening portion, wherein the opening has a decreasing radius along the reduced section in the axial direction of the support member toward a contact surface area arranged at an end portion of the support member adjacent the cutting tool, and wherein the radius of the opening corresponds essentially to the radius of the through bore;   wherein the contact surface area is configured for engagement with the elongated member and provides a counteracting area interacting with the cutting tool during shearing of the elongated member.   
     
     
         2 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first seat comprises the support member and the first seat include an engagement surfaced for contact with a first surface of the gate element. 
     
     
         3 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the cutting tool is arranged in the gate bore, wherein the gate bore encompasses the through bore for receiving the elongated member and an expanded opening portion which is open to the through bore in the axial direction of the through bore, wherein a reduced section of the gate element member defines the expanded opening portion, wherein the gate bore has a decreasing radius along the reduced section in the axial direction of the gate element toward the cutting tool arranged at an end portion of the gate element member adjacent the support member, and wherein the radius of the gate bore at the location of the cutting tool corresponds essentially to the radius of the through bore. 
     
     
         4 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the gate element comprises the support member, and wherein the opening of the support member is a portion of the gate bore and a transverse recess is arranged in the gate element for positioning of the cutting tool. 
     
     
         5 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the reduced section of the support element is provided as an rectilinear inclined surface extending along a portion of the circumference of the opening of the support element. 
     
     
         6 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the reduced section of the gate element is provided as a rectilinear inclined surface extending along a portion of the circumference of the gate bore. 
     
     
         7 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a temporary seal surface protection element which is configured to fill the gate bore so that the radius of the gate bore corresponds to or is smaller than an inner radius of the second seat. 
     
     
         8 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising means for preloading the second seat against the seating surface of the e element. 
     
     
         9 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 8 , further comprising means for activating the preloading means in the closed position of the gate element. 
     
     
         10 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the activating means comprises an activating portion of the sealing surface, and wherein the second seat is arranged in sealing contact with an initial portion of the sealing surface in an open position of the gate element and with the activating portion of the sealing surface in the closed position of the element. 
     
     
         11 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the gate valve housing includes a support surface for the second seat and the activation portion of the sealing surface is positioned axially closer to the support surface than the initial portion of the sealing surface. 
     
     
         12 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the initial portion of the sealing surface is connected to the activating portion of the sealing surface by a transfer surface. 
     
     
         13 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the preloading means comprises a spring which has an initial mode when the second seat is in contact with the initial portion of the sealing surface and a compressed mode when the second seat is in contact with the activating portion of the sealing surface. 
     
     
         14 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with further comprising a first actuator for providing a pulling force on the movable gate and a second actuator for providing a pushing force on the movable gate. 
     
     
         15 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with one  claim 1 , wherein the gate valve housing comprises a support surface for the first seat which is formed as a bore for the first seat, wherein the support surface is arranged in connection with a first inner surface provided in the valve housing and angled relative to the axis of the through bore, and wherein the first inner surface approaches the through bore in the axial direction away from the bore for the first seat. 
     
     
         16 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the first inner surface of the valve housing defines a first enlarged opening portion of the through bore. 
     
     
         17 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the first enlarged opening portion of the through bore is arranged facing the expanded opening portion. 
     
     
         18 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the support surface for the second seat is formed as a bore for the second seat having a radius larger than the radius of the through bore, and wherein a minimum inner radius of the second seat corresponds to or is larger than the maximum radius of the gate bore. 
     
     
         19 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the support surface for the second seat is connected to a second inner surface provided in the valve housing and arranged at an angle relative to the axis of the through bore approaching the through bore in the axial direction away from bore for the second seat. 
     
     
         20 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein the second inner surface of the valve housing defines a second enlarged opening portion of the through bore. 
     
     
         21 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein the second inner surface of the through bore is formed as an annular inclined surface. 
     
     
         22 . A gate valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second seats is an annular element, and wherein an axial axis of said at least one of the first and second seats essentially coincides with the axis of the through bore. 
     
     
         23 . A method for shearing an elongated member arranged in a through bore of a gate valve assembly which comprises a movable gate element for dosing the through bore, the through bore being adapted for fluid communication with a well bore, the method comprising the steps of:
 arranging the elongated member through an opening in a support member located adjacent to a cutting tool which is arranged in a gate bore of the movable gate element, wherein the opening encompasses the through bore and an expanded opening portion which is open to the through bore in the axial direction of the through bore, and wherein a reduced section of the support member defines the expanded opening portion;   moving the cutting tool and arranging the elongated member in contact with a contact surface area of the support member, wherein the opening has a decreasing radius along the reduced section in the axial direction of the support member toward the contact surface area arranged at an end portion of the support member, and wherein the radius of the opening at the location of the contact surface area corresponds essentially to the radius of the through bore;   conducting the shearing of the elongated member by the cutting tool thereby utilizing the counteracting effect of the contact surface area in engagement with the elongated member and thereby providing a local concentration of shearing forces; and   closing the through bore by moving the movable gate element into closing position.   
     
     
         24 . The method in accordance with  claim 23 , further comprising carrying out the following steps when moving the gate element into closing position:
 moving the gate element from an initial position where an initial portion of a sealing surface of the gate element is in sealing contact with a second seat arranged with additional sealing providing means;   moving the gate element from the initial position so that a transfer portion continued from the initial portion of the sealing surface is arranged in contact with the second seat and initiating additional sealing of the sealing surface; and   further moving the gate element so that an activation portion of the sealing surface continued from the transfer portion is in contact with the second seat thereby fully activating the additional sealing providing means and providing an increased sealing force between the sealing surface of the gate element and the second seat.