Computational, theoretical and experimental study of the working medium flow regimes in the gate valve internal bypasses

Abstract

Demand is growing in technological lines of the oil and gas industry for stop-control valves that provide the required throughput characteristic at the pressure drop of 25 MPa or more. Compared to valves, the gate valves have the lower resistance coefficient in the open position. Slide stop-control devices are widely used as the stop-control valves. The most important problems that arise in designing such devices include determination of the hydraulic and cavitation characteristics and of the specific pressure at the gate. Internal bypass introduction in the control valves makes it possible to increase regulation accuracy at the high pressure drops, and using it in the gate valves to reduce forces in displacement of the stop-control elements and specific pressure at the gate when opening/closing, as well as to determine the point of the cavitation bubbles collapse in the flow. A method for calculating hydraulic characteristics of the bypass and a method for determining its throughput characteristics on the basis of computational and theoretical research using the modern engineering analysis system are proposed.