GB2377003A

GB2377003A - A valve arrangement actuated by electrical means having reduced cabling.

Info

Publication number: GB2377003A
Application number: GB0115514A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Saunders; Julian Richard Davis; Edward James Cant
Original assignee: ABB Offshore Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Baker Hughes International Treasury Services Ltd
Priority date: 2001-06-25
Filing date: 2001-06-25
Publication date: 2002-12-31
Also published as: GB0115514D0; WO2003001098A1

Abstract

A valve arrangement having means 1 for controlling fluid flow between a first and second condition. The first condition is caused by electrical means 8 and the second condition by electrical means 12. Electrical means 8 and 12 are supplied with signals from the same pair of conductors 15, 16. Selection of either first condition or second condition is by polarity change of the signal from a first polarity 17 to a second polarity 18 selectable from an electronic control device 3. The electrical conductor 15 is connected to electrical means to limit only signals of the appropriate polarity to the electrical means 8, 12. The devices which provide electrical means for controlling the valve between first and second conditions may be solenoids, and the devices which limit the polarity to the required electrical means may be diodes. The invention allows the reduction of the signal cables between electrical means for operation between first and second valve condition.

Description

VALVE ARRANGEMENTS The present invention relates to valve arrangements.

Electrically operated pilot valves, conventionally called directional control valves (DCV's), normally control the hydraulic feeds to hydraulically powered actuators in subsea wells (for example hydrocarbon production wells). The number of DCV's required for one well is typically as high as forty. DCV's are latching devices fitted with two electric solenoids, one to open the valve, which then latches open, and the second to release the latch and close the valve. Each solenoid coil is fed with a pulsed electric supply via a pair of wires. An electronic solenoid drive circuit located in a subsea electronics module (SEM) typically provides the electric pulses.

A known arrangement is shown in Fig. 1, in which a DCV 1 having a hydraulic input I and a hydraulic output 0 is latched open by an electric pulse 2, provided by a solenoid drive module 3, housed in an SEM 4. The pulse 2 is fed via two wire connections 5 and 6 through a penetrator 7, to the coil 8 of the'open'solenoid of the DCV 1, thus allowing flow of hydraulic fluid through the DCV 1 to a hydraulic actuator. Closing of the DCV 1 is effected by a second electrical pulse 9, also provided separately by the solenoid drive module 3, and fed via two further wire connections 10 and 11 through the penetrator 7, to the coil 12 of the'close'solenoid of the DCV 1, thus shutting off hydraulic fluid flow through the DCV 1. Thus, there are four wire connections required through the penetrator 7. Reference numerals 13 and 14 designate quenching diodes across the solenoid coils 8 and 12.

The SEM 4 is normally pressurised at I Bar, i. e. at normal atmospheric pressure, rather than at the pressure of its operational subsea environment, which can be several hundred bar. The hydraulic system, including the DCV 1, typically operates within the subsea environment pressures. Thus, the wires 5,6 and 10,11 connecting the solenoid drive module 3 in the SEM 4 to the DCV 1 have to pass through the penetrator 7 which allows the connections to pass from the atmospheric pressure of the SEM 4 to the high pressures of the subsea environment. The penetrator 7 is thus part of the SEM 4.

Penetrators are expensive, and any reduction in the number of wires through them makes a significant reduction in their cost.

According to the present invention, there is provided a valve arrangement comprising: valve means for controlling fluid flow; first electrical means, for causing the valve means to be in a first condition; second electrical means, for causing the valve means to be in a second condition; and electrical control means arranged for providing selectively on an electrical conductor a signal of a first polarity and a signal of a second polarity, said conductor being i) connected to the first electrical means via a circuit device which only allows a signal of the first polarity to pass to the first electrical means, to cause the valve means to be in said second condition, and ii) connected to the second electrical means via a circuit device which only allows a signal of said opposite polarity to pass to the second electrical means, to cause the valve means to be in said second condition.

Said first condition may be an open condition of the valve means, the second condition being a closed condition of the valve means.

Said conductor may extend from said electrical control means to each of said circuit devices.

There may be a second electrical conductor, common to and connected to each of the first and second electrical means, for receiving signals which have passed through them.

Said second electrical conductor may extend from said electrical control means.

Each of said first and second electrical means may comprise a coil of a respective solenoid for operating the valve means.

Each of said circuit devices may comprise a diode.

Said signal of a first polarity and said signal of an opposite polarity may each comprise a signal pulse.

Said valve means may be suitable for controlling the feed of a hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically powered actuator in a well. The present invention also comprises such a valve arrangement in a well, for example an underwater well, the valve means controlling the feed of a hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically powered actuator of the well.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :- Fig. 1 is a diagram of a known valve arrangement; and Fig. 2 is a diagram of a valve arrangement according to an example of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 2, in which items which are the same as in Fig. 1 have the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1, a solenoid drive module 3 in an SEM 4 has only two conductors extending from it, namely wires 15 and 16, which pass through a penetrator 7, the module 3 providing selectively on wire 15 a pulse 17, that is positive going to open a DCV 1 for controlling the hydraulic feed to a hydraulically powered actuator of a subsea well (for example a hydrocarbon production well), and a pulse 18 that is negative going to close the DCV 1. The positive going pulse 17 current passes through a diode 19 to which the wire 15 is connected, through the coil 8 of the'open'solenoid and through the wire 16, whilst a diode 20, also connected to the wire 15, blocks the pulse from passing through the coil 12 of the'close'solenoid. The negative going pulse 18 current passes through the diode 20, through the coil 12 of the'close'solenoid and through the wire 16, whilst the diode 19 blocks the pulse from passing through the coil 8 of the'open'solenoid. Thus, there are only two connections through the penetrator 7, a major saving of penetrator cost for additional very low cost of two diodes, even if

they are 1000-volt devices which are desirable for high reliability, functioning in the system which typically operates at 24 volts.

Claims

CLAIMS A valve arrangement comprising: valve means for controlling fluid flow; first electrical means, for causing the valve means to be in a first condition; second electrical means, for causing the valve means to be in a second condition; and electrical control means arranged for providing selectively on an electrical conductor a signal of a first polarity and a signal of a second polarity, said conductor being i) connected to the first electrical means via a circuit device which only allows a signal of the first polarity to pass to the first electrical means, to cause the valve means to be in said second condition, and ii) connected to the second electrical means via a circuit device which only allows a signal of said opposite polarity to pass to the second electrical means, to cause the valve means to be in said second condition.
2. A valve arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first condition is an open condition of the valve means and said second condition is a closed condition of the valve means.
3. A valve arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said conductor extends from said electrical control means to each of said circuit devices.
4. A valve arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein there is a second electrical conductor, common to and connected to each of the first and second electrical means, for receiving signals which have passed through them.
5. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said second electrical conductor extends from said electrical control means.

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6. A valve arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein each of said first and second electrical means comprises a coil of a respective solenoid for operating the valve means.
7. A valve arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein each of said circuit devices comprises a diode.
8. A valve arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein said signal of a first polarity and said signal of an opposite polarity each comprises a signal pulse.
9. A valve arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein said valve means is suitable for controlling the feed of a hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically powered actuator in a well.
10. A valve arrangement, substantially as herein described with reference to Fig.

2 of the accompanying drawing.
11. A valve arrangement according to claim 9 or 10, in a well, the valve means controlling the feed of a hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically powered actuator of the well.
12. A valve arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the well is an underwater well.