Balanced stem fail-safe valve system

Abstract

A balanced stem fail-safe valve controls flow of fluids through a submerged pipeline. A closed subsea hydraulic pressure system operates or powers the valve. In the fail-safe mode the operating or reservoir pressure equals ambient sea pressure. A valve housing is arranged on the pipeline and a valve chamber is formed in the valve housing. A valve element is movable in the valve chamber between open and closed positions to control the flow of fluids through the pipeline. A first fluid pressure operable means is connected to the valve element to move the valve element to open position upon application of pump pressure to the first fluid pressure operable means. Electrically operated valves are used to direct the flow of power fluid to and from the valve. A spring is arranged in the valve housing to urge the valve element to its closed position in the event of power failure. A second fluid pressure operable means detached from the valve element engages the valve element upon application of operating or reservoir pressure to the second fluid pressure operable means to balance any unwanted force which might occur when the ambient pressure is greater than the internal valve pressure and permit the spring to close the valve element. The valve operator may be removable by means of a remotely operated manipulator for repair or replacement of the valve system or portions thereof.

Having fully described the objects, advantages, apparatus and operation of our invention we claim: 
     
       1. A hydraulically operable valve system for use in controlling flow of fluids through a submerged flowline comprising: a valve housing arranged on said submerged flowline;   a valve chamber arranged in said valve housing;   a valve element movable in said valve chamber between open and closed positions for controlling the flow of fluids through said flowline;   first fluid pressure operable means connected to said valve element for urging said valve element from one to another of said positions of said valve element upon application of fluid pressure to said first fluid pressure operable means;   biasing means arranged in said valve housing for urging said valve element from said other to said one of said positions of said valve element; and   second fluid pressure operable means detached from and engagable with said valve element to urge said valve element toward said one position of said valve element upon application of same or about same fluid pressure applied to said first fluid pressure operable means to counterbalance the force applied to said valve element by means of said first pressure operable means.   
     
     
       2. A valve system as recited in claim 1 in which said one position of said valve element being the closed position thereof and said other position of said valve element being the open position thereof. 
     
     
       3. A valve system as recited in claim 2 in which said first fluid pressure operated means comprises: a first valve stem connected to said valve element;   spring means arranged in said housing for urging said first valve stem and said connected valve element to the open position of said valve element; and   said second fluid pressure operable means comprises a second valve stem detached from and engagabeable with said valve element.   
     
     
       4. A valve system as recited in claim 3 including: a first cylinder having a power end and an exhaust end;   a first piston arranged in said first cylinder and connected to said first valve stem and having power and exhaust strokes;   a second cylinder having a power end;   a second piston arranged in said second cylinder;   means for supplying power operating fluid to said power end of said first cylinder comprising a reservoir at ambient pressure; a pump connected to said reservoir; an accumulator connected to said pump; conduit means connecting said accumulator to said power end of said first cylinder and said reservoir to said exhaust end of said first cylinder and to said power end of said second cylinder; and valve means having one position permitting flow of fluids from said accumulator to said power end of said first cylinder and for permitting flow of fluids from said exhaust end of said first cylinder to said reservoir and having another position permitting flow of fluids from said power end of said first cylinder to said reservoir and the exhaust end of said first cylinder to said reservoir and preventing flow of fluids from said accumulator to said power end of said first cylinder.   
     
     
       5. A valve system as recited in claim 4 including means providing a seal between said first piston and said first cylinder only on the end of said power stroke of said first piston; and means on said first piston to permit leakage of fluid through said first piston during reciprocation thereof in said first cylinder. 
     
     
       6. A valve system as recited in claim 5 in which said biasing means comprises two concentric springs. 
     
     
       7. A valve system as recited in claim 3 including a first cylinder;   a piston reciprocal in said first cylinder and connected to said first valve stem;   a second cylinder, said second valve stem being arranged in said second cylinder; and   a closed hydraulic system having means for fluidly communicating said first and second cylinders at ambient pressure to balance the opposing forces applied to said valve element by means of the fluid pressure applied to said valve stems.   
     
     
       8. A valve system as recited in claim 7 in which said second valve stem has a larger cross-sectional area than said first valve stem. 
     
     
       9. A hydraulically operable fail-safe valve system for use on a submerged flowline comprising: a valve housing arranged on said submerged flowline;   a valve chamber arranged in said valve housing;   a valve element movable in said valve chamber between open and closed positions for controlling the flow of fluids through said submerged flowline; a first valve stem connected to said valve element;   a valve operator housing;   a first cylinder arranged in said valve operator housing having a power end and an exhaust end;   a piston having power and exhaust strokes arranged in said first cylinder;   a second valve stem connected to said piston;   means for sealingly locking said valve operator housing to said valve housing;   means for releasably locking said second valve stem to said first valve stem;   biasing means arranged in said valve stem operator housing for urging said second valve stem and said piston and said first valve stem and said valve element from said open position of said valve element to said closed position thereof;   a source of power fluid;   first conduit means arranged in said valve operator and extending to said first cylinder to convey power fluid to said first cylinder for powering said piston in its power stroke;   second conduit means arranged in said valve operator housing and connected to the exhaust end of said first cylinder;   third conduit means arranged in said valve housing connected to a source of power fluid for conveying power fluid to said first conduit;   fourth conduit means arranged in said valve housing for exhausting fluid from said third conduit; said first and third conduits and said second and fourth conduits sealingly engaging when said valve operator housing and said valve housing are locked together;   a second cylinder arranged in said valve housing;   a valve stem piston arranged in said second cylinder detached from and engageable with said valve element;   a source of fluid pressure at the exhaust pressure end of said first cylinder; and   a fifth conduit connecting said second cylinder to said source of fluid pressure at the exhaust end of said first cylinder to balance the fluid pressure force applied to said second valve stem.   
     
     
       10. A hydraulically operable fail-safe valve system for use on a submerged flowline comprising: a valve housing arranged on said submerged flowline;   a valve chamber arranged in said valve housing;   a valve element movable in said valve chamber between open and closed positions for controlling the flow of fluids through said flowline;   a first valve stem connected to said valve element;   a valve operator housing;   a first cylinder arranged in said valve operator housing having a power end and an exhaust end;   a piston having power and exhaust strokes arranged in said first cylinder;   a second valve stem connected to said piston;   means for sealingly locking said valve operator housing to said valve housing;   means for releasably locking said second valve stem to said first valve stem;   biasing means arranged in said valve operator housing for urging said second valve stem and said piston and said first valve stem and said valve element from said open position of said valve element to said closed position thereof;   a second cylinder arranged in said valve housing;   a valve stem piston arranged in said second cylinder detached from and engageable with said valve element; and   means for fluidly communicating the exhaust end of said first cylinder and said second cylinder to balance the fluid pressure force applied to said second valve stem.   
     
     
       11. A hydraulically operable valve system for use in controlling fluids through a flowline comprising: a valve housing arranged on said submerged flowline;   a valve chamber arranged in said valve housing;   a valve element movable in said valve chamber between open and closed positions for controlling the flow of fluids through said flowline;   a first cylinder;   a piston reciprocal in said first cylinder;   a first valve stem connected to said piston and to said valve element, application of fluid pressure to said piston moving said valve element from one to another position thereof;   biasing means arranged in said valve housing or urging said valve element from said other to said one position thereof;   a second cylinder;   a second valve stem detached from and engageable with said valve element arranged in said second cylinder; and   means fluidly communicating said first and second cylinder to balance the opposing forces applied to said valve element through fluid pressure applied to said valve stems.   
     
     
       12. A valve system as recited in claim 11 in which said second valve stem has a larger cross-sectional area than said first valve stem. .Iadd. 13. A valve system for use in controlling flow of fluids through a flowline comprising: a valve housing;   a valve chamber arranged in said valve housing;   a valve element movable in said valve chamber between open and closed positions thereof for controlling the flow of fluids through said flowline;   first fluid pressure operable means connected to said valve element for urging said valve element from one to the other of said positions of said valve element upon application of fluid pressure to said first fluid pressure operable means;   biasing means for urging said valve element from said other to said one position of said valve element; and   second fluid pressure operable means detached from and engageable with said valve element to urge said valve element toward said one position of said valve element upon application of the same or about the same fluid pressure applied to said first fluid pressure operable means to counterbalance the force supplied to said valve element by said first fluid pressure operable means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. A valve system as recited in claim 13 in which said one position of said valve element being the closed position thereof and said other position of said valve element being the open position thereof. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. A valve system as recited in claim 14 in which said first fluid pressure operable means includes a first valve stem connected to said valve element and a piston connected to said first valve stem; and   said second fluid pressure operable means includes a second valve stem detached from and engageable with said valve element. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. A valve system as recited in claim 15 including a first actuator chamber, said piston being arranged in said first actuator chamber for reciprocation therein; seal means on said piston engageable with said first actuator chamber only at the end of the power stroke of said piston; and means on said piston to permit leakage of fluid through said piston during reciprocation thereof in said first actuator chamber. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. A valve system as recited in claim 15 in which said second valve stem has a larger cross-sectional area than said first valve stem. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. A valve system as recited in claim 15 including a first actuator chamber, said piston being arranged in said first actuator chamber; a second actuator chamber, said second valve stem being arranged in said second actuator chamber; and conduit means fluidly communicating the exhaust end of said first actuator chamber and said second actuator chamber to balance the fluid pressure force applied to said first valve stem. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. A valve system as recited in claim 18 including means for supplying power fluid to the power end of said first actuator chamber and for fluidly communicating the exhaust end of said first actuator chamber and said second actuator chamber, said means comprising   a reservoir at ambient pressure;   a pump connected to said reservoir;   an accumulator connected to said pump; conduit means connecting said accumulator to the power end of said first actuator chamber and said reservoir to the exhaust end of said first actuator chamber and to said second actuator chamber; and   valve means having one position permitting flow of fluids from said accumulator to the power end of said first actuator chamber and for permitting flow of fluids from the exhaust end of said first actuator chamber to said reservoir and having another position permitting flow of fluids from the power end of said first actuator chamber to said reservoir and the exhaust end of said first actuator chamber to said reservoir and preventing flow of fluids from said accumulator to the power end of said first actuator chamber. .Iaddend..Iadd. 20. A valve system as recited in claim 19 in which said first valve stem comprises two parts and said valve system includes means for releasably locking said parts together. .Iaddend..Iadd. 21. A valve system as recited in claim 15 in which said first valve stem comprises two parts and said valve system includes;   means for releasably locking said parts together;   first conduit means extending to said first actuator chamber to convey power fluid thereto for powering said piston in its power stroke;   second conduit means connected to the exhaust end of said first actuator chamber;   third conduit means connected to a source of power fluid for conveying power fluid to said first conduit means;   fourth conduit means for exhausting fluid from said second conduit means;   said first and third conduit means and said second and fourth conduit means sealingly engaging when said two parts of said first valve stem connect together; and   a fifth conduit means connecting said first actuator chamber to said second actuator chamber to balance the pressure force applied to said first valve   
     
     
        stem. .Iaddend..Iadd. 22.  A hydraulically operable valve system for use in controlling flow of fluids through a flowline comprising: a valve housing;   a valve chamber arranged in said valve housing;   a valve element movable in said valve chamber between open and closed positions;   first fluid pressure operable means including a first valve stem connected to said valve element for urging said valve element from one to another of said positions of said valve element;   biasing means for urging said valve element from said other to said one position of said valve element; and   second fluid pressure operable means including a second valve stem detached from and engageable with said valve element to urge said valve element toward said one position of said valve element upon application of fluid pressure to said second valve stem, said pressure being the same or about the same as the pressure applied to said first valve stem to counterbalance the force applied to said first valve stem. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 23. A hydraulically operable valve system for use in controlling fluids through a flowline comprising:   a valve housing;   a valve chamber arranged in said valve housing;   a valve element movable in said valve chamber between open and closed positions for controlling the flow of fluids through said flowline;   a first cylinder;   a piston reciprocal in said first cylinder;   a first valve stem connected to said piston and to said valve element, application of fluid pressure to said piston moving said valve element from one to another position thereof;   biasing means for urging said valve element from said other to said one position thereof;   a second cylinder;   a second valve stem detached from and engageable with said valve element arranged in said second cylinder; and   means fluidly communicating said first and second cylinders to balance the opposing forces applied to said valve element through fluid pressure applied to said valve stems. .Iaddend..Iadd. 24. A valve system as recited in claim 23 in which said second valve stem has a larger cross-sectional area than said first valve stem.