Gate valve and seat insert for a gate valve

Abstract

A gate valve and a seat insert for a gate valve having a valve body, which may be used for hydrocarbon well fracturing operations with a fracturing fluid, or “frac fluid”, includes a seat pocket for receipt of the seat insert and a seat, which seat insert may include a tubular member having a first and a second seat insert end face, the first and second seat insert end faces each include at least one annular seal, and the seat insert is disposed in the seat pocket with the first seat insert end face sealed against the valve body and the second seat insert end face sealed against the seat.

I Claim: 
     
         1 . A gate valve for a fluid comprising:
 a valve body having an internal valve cavity;   first and second flow passageways extending through the valve body, each flow passageway having a longitudinal axis;   a gate member disposed within the valve body and having an opening which may be moved into a fluid transmitting relationship with the first and second flow passageways;   an annular recess in the valve body and disposed adjacent and around the first flow passageway, the annular recess having a first wall surface disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first flow passageway and a second wall surface disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first flow passageway;   the annular recess forming a seat pocket for receipt of a seat and a seat insert;   the seat is disposed between the gate member and the first flow passageway, the seat being an elongate tubular member and having first and second ends and an inner and an outer wall surface extending between the first and second ends, the first end of the seat is disposed in a spaced relationship from the first flow passageway and the second end of the seat is disposed adjacent the gate member, the first end of the elongate tubular member having a seat end face;   the seat insert is disposed between the seat and the first flow passageway, the seat insert being a tubular member and having first and second ends and an inner and an outer wall surface extending between the first and second ends of the seat insert, the first end of the seat insert is disposed adjacent the first flow passageway and the second end of the seat insert is disposed adjacent the seat end face of the seat;   the outer wall surface of the seat is coplanar with the outer wall surface of the seat insert;   the seat has a seat diameter and the seat insert has a seat insert diameter, and the seat diameter and the seat insert diameter are substantially the same;   the first end of the seat insert has a first seat insert end face; and the second end of the seat insert has a second seat insert end face; and   the seat insert and the seat are slidingly received within the annular recess in the valve body.   
     
     
         2 . The gate valve of  claim 1 , wherein the first seat insert end face includes at least one annular seal. 
     
     
         3 . The gate valve of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one annular seal is an O-ring seal. 
     
     
         4 . The gate valve of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one annular seal is disposed within an annular half-dove tail groove in the first seat insert end face. 
     
     
         5 . The gate valve of  claim 2 , wherein the first seat insert end face includes at least two annular seals, wherein the at least two annular seals are each disposed within an annular half-dove tail groove in the first seat insert end face. 
     
     
         6 . The gate valve of  claim 1 , wherein the second seat insert end face includes at least one annular seal. 
     
     
         7 . The gate valve of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one annular seal is an O-ring seal. 
     
     
         8 . The gate valve of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one annular seal is disposed within an annular half-dove tail groove in the second seat insert end face. 
     
     
         9 . The gate valve of  claim 6 , wherein the second seat insert end face includes at least two annular seals, wherein the at least two annular seals are each disposed within an annular half-dove tail groove in the second seat insert end face. 
     
     
         10 . A seat insert for a gate valve having a gate member, a gate valve body having an internal valve cavity, first and second flow passageways extending through the valve body, and a seat pocket in the valve body for receipt of a seat and the seat insert, comprising:
 a tubular member having first and second ends and an inner and an outer wall surface extending between the first and second ends, the first end of the seat insert adapted to be disposed adjacent the first flow passageway and the second end of the seat insert adapted to be disposed adjacent the seat;   the first end of the tubular member having a first seat insert end face, and the second end of the tubular member has a second seat insert end face; and;   wherein the first seat insert end face includes at least one annular seal and the second seat insert end face includes at least one annular seal, the first seat insert end face adapted to be disposed within the seat pocket and seal against valve body, and the second seat insert end face adapted to seal against the seat.   
     
     
         11 . The seat insert of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one annular seal is an O-ring seal. 
     
     
         12 . The seat insert of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one annular seal is disposed within an annular half-dove tail groove in the first seat insert end face. 
     
     
         13 . The seat insert of  claim 10 , wherein the second seat insert end face includes at least one annular seal. 
     
     
         14 . The seat insert of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one annular seal is an O-ring seal. 
     
     
         15 . The seat insert of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one annular seal is disposed within an annular half-dove tail groove in the second seat insert end face. 
     
     
         16 . The seat insert of  claim 10 , wherein the seat insert is slidingly received within the annular recess in the valve body.