Method and apparatus for a choke valve and operation of a choke valve

1. A choke valve comprising:

a valve body having an axial through hole and a radial entry port;

a valve seat coaxially housed in the body axial through hole;

a pressure balanced valving member

axially reciprocal within the body axial through hole between

a first sealing position

bearing against the valve seat

and

a second position

spaced away from the seat;

a plug drive housing attached to the valve body,

the plug drive housing

being operably connected to an axial shaft,

the axial shaft

being operably connected to the pressure balanced valving member; and

a reinforcement member

being a reinforcement plate having a reinforcing opening,

the reinforcement member

being detachably connected to the plug drive housing

via the reinforcing opening

with the axial shaft

at least partially passing through the reinforcing opening, and

the reinforcing member

increasing an axial load that the plug drive housing can take

before failure of the plug drive housing;

wherein the reinforcement member is detachably connected to the plug drive housing via both:

(i) the reinforcement member

being in contact with the plug drive housing, and

(ii) a plurality of spaced apart fasteners detachably connecting

the reinforcement member and

the valve body

which plurality of spaced apart fasteners span between

the reinforcement member and

the valve body;

wherein

before failure from a load on the pressure balanced valving member,

the plug drive housing

will transfer at least a portion of the load to the reinforcement member

causing the reinforcement member

to transfer this load to the valve body

through the plurality of spaced apart fasteners, and

wherein

the plug drive housing remains operably connected to the axial shaft when the reinforcement member is detached from the plug drive housing.

2. The choke valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes a flange detachably connected to the valve body, and the flange is detachably connected to the plug drive housing.

3. The choke valve of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spaced apart fasteners includes four spaced apart fasteners.

4. The choke valve of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement opening has first and second annular shoulders with the first annular shoulder being located exterior of the second annular shoulder, and the plug drive housing remains in contact with the first annular shoulder but is spaced apart from the second annular shoulder to form a gap between an inner surface of the second annular shoulder and an upper surface of the plug drive housing.

5. The choke valve of claim 4 , wherein the plug drive housing includes a bonnet detachably connected to the plug drive housing and an upper surface of the bonnet forms the upper surface of the plug drive housing.

6. The choke valve of claim 5 , wherein movement of the bonnet causes the bonnet to contact the second annular shoulder.

7. The choke valve of claim 1 , wherein the plug drive housing includes an actuator which is manually, electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated.

8. A choke valve comprising:

a valve body having an axial through hole

passing from a first side of the valve body to a second side of the valve body,

an outlet passageway

coaxially aligned with the axial through hole and

positioned at the first side of the valve body, and

a radial inlet port

intersecting the axial through hole between the first and second sides of the valve body;

a valve seat

housed in the axial through hole between the radial inlet port and the outlet passageway;

a pressure balanced valving member

axially reciprocal within the axial through hole between

a first position bearing against the valve seat

and

a second open position spaced away from the valve seat;

a plug drive having a drive housing,

the drive housing being attached to the valve body,

the drive housing having

an axially reciprocating plug drive shank

for reciprocal moving of the pressure balanced valving member

between the first position and the second position;

a driving gear threadably connected to the axially reciprocating plug drive shank;

a plug drive reinforcing member having a reinforcing opening and a plate section and

being detachably connected to both the drive housing and the valve body, wherein the driving gear is located between the valve body and the plug drive reinforcing member,

the reinforcing opening

allowing the axially reciprocating plug drive shank to at least partially extend through the plug driving reinforcing member;

whereby

whenever the plug drive shank

is subjected to a force in excess of a predetermined value

the plug drive reinforcing member will reinforce the drive housing,

wherein the plug drive reinforcing member is detachably connected to the drive housing via both:

(a) the reinforcing opening being detachably connected to the plug drive housing and

(b) a plurality of spaced apart detachably connectable fasteners detachably connecting the plug drive reinforcement member and the valve body;

wherein before failure,

the drive housing

will transfer a load to the plug drive reinforcing member

via the reinforcing opening

which transfers this load to the valve body

via the plurality of spaced apart detachably connectable fasteners.

9. The choke valve of claim 8 , wherein the valve body includes a flange detachably connected to the valve body, and the flange is detachably connected to the drive housing.

10. The choke valve of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of spaced apart fasteners includes four spaced apart fasteners.

11. The choke valve of claim 8 , wherein the reinforcement opening has first and second annular shoulders with the first annular shoulder being located exterior of the second annular shoulder, and the plug drive housing remains in contact with the first annular shoulder but is spaced apart from the second annular shoulder to form a gap between an inner surface of the second annular shoulder and an upper surface of the drive housing.

12. The choke valve of claim 11 , wherein the drive housing includes a bonnet detachably connected to the drive housing and an upper surface of the bonnet forms the upper surface of the drive housing.

13. The choke valve of claim 12 , wherein movement of the bonnet causes the bonnet to contact the second annular shoulder.

14. The choke valve of claim 8 , wherein the plug drive housing includes an actuator which is manually, electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated.

15. A choke valve comprising:

a valve body having an axial through hole and a radial entry port;

a valve seat coaxially housed in the axial through hole;

a pressure balanced valving member

axially reciprocal within the body axial through hole between

a first sealing position bearing against the valve seat and

a second position spaced away from the seat;

a plug drive housing attached to the valve body,

the plug drive housing

being operably connected to an axial shaft,

the axial shaft

being operably connected to the pressure balanced valving member; and

a reinforcement member

being a reinforcement plate having a reinforcing opening,

the reinforcement member

being detachably connected to the plug drive housing

via the reinforcing opening, and

the reinforcing member

increasing an axial load that the plug drive housing can take

before failure of the plug drive housing;

wherein the reinforcement member is detachably connected to the plug drive housing via both:

(i) the reinforcing opening, and

(ii) a plurality of spaced apart fasteners detachably connecting

the reinforcement member and

the valve body

which plurality of spaced apart fasteners span between

the reinforcement member and

the valve body;

wherein

before failure from a load on the pressure balanced valving member,

the plug drive housing

will transfer at least a portion of the load to the reinforcement member

causing the reinforcement member

to transfer this load to the valve body

through the plurality of spaced apart fasteners, and

wherein

the plug drive housing remains operably connected to the axial shaft and valving member when the reinforcement member is detached from the plug drive housing.

16. The choke valve of claim 15 , wherein the valve body includes a flange detachably connected to the valve body, and the flange is detachably connected to the plug drive housing.

17. The choke valve of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of spaced apart fasteners includes four spaced apart fasteners.

18. The choke valve of claim 15 , wherein the reinforcement opening has first and second annular shoulders with the first annular shoulder being located exterior of the second annular shoulder, and the plug drive housing remains in contact with the first annular shoulder but is spaced apart from the second annular shoulder to form a gap between an inner surface of the second annular shoulder and an upper surface of the plug drive housing.

19. The choke valve of claim 18 , wherein the plug drive housing includes a bonnet detachably connected to the plug drive housing and an upper surface of the bonnet forms the upper surface of the plug drive housing, and wherein movement of the bonnet causes the bonnet to contact the second annular shoulder.

20. The choke valve of claim 15 , wherein the plug drive housing includes an actuator which is manually, electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated.