Other

Mogas Industries, Inc.

Evola Limited

James W Mohrfeld

Cynthia Christenson

Kevin Jackson

The vent cap system for a suction pile includes a top plate, a center stem assembly, a bottom plate, a flange assembly, and perimeter stem assemblies. The bottom plate moves between an opened position and a closed position. The center stem assembly is in direct threaded engagement with the top plate, and the perimeter stem assemblies and stem retainer cooperate to maintain alignment of the bottom plate. A pipe plug to test the sealing engagement is placed on the bottom plate, instead of the flange assembly. There is a closing lip of the bottom plate so that a sealing diameter can be the smallest diameter of the flange assembly, which reduces force on the bottom plate from under the bottom plate. There is a connection portion of the flange assembly to attach the system to the suction pile so that weld deformation does not affect the entire flange assembly.

Vent cap system

A method of forming a ball valve element for a rotary ball valve assembly, the method comprising the steps of: (a) inserting an impedance element through an insertion opening of a ball valve element into a bore; (b) forming a fluid opening in the ball valve element which is non-rectilinearly aligned with the insertion opening and which communicates with the bore; and (c) sealing the insertion opening. A ball valve element for a rotary ball valve assembly formed using such a method; and a rotary ball valve assembly comprising a ball valve element formed using such a method are also provided.

Rotary ball valve assembly

A rotary ball valve assembly for a rotary ball valve comprises a rotary closure element and an impedance assembly. The closure element is rotatable about a rotational axis, and has a through-bore defining a flow inlet and a flow outlet. The impedance assembly is positioned, at least in part, within the bore of the closure element. The impedance assembly includes a plurality of flow passages therethrough. An inlet and/or outlet of two or more of the flow passages is elongate and arcuate so that, in use, as the closure element rotates, the arcuate elongate inlet and/or outlet of each flow passage which is exposed is fully or substantially fully opened.

A ball valve of the floating ball variety is provided. Improved sealing subassemblies each comprising a floating seat retainer and a corresponding flexible metallic seat ring provide reliable sealing engagement with both upstream and downstream surfaces of the ball. Each seat retainer moves with the floating ball to maintain annular contact therewith, and retains its corresponding seat ring in constant concentricity with the ball. The seat ring is sealed against the ball by line pressure acting directly on the seat ring on the upstream side, and by line pressure acting on the ball on the downstream side to transmit movement to the seat retainer which then causes the seat ring to perfect a seal against the ball. Each of the seat rings and seat retainers thus independently floats with respect to the valve body. The same sealing subassemblies are utilized on both the upstream and downstream sides of the valve, allowing any side of the valve to be used in any location and making the valve highly versatile. The metallic seat rings are continually in contact with the ball, thereby rendering the valve particularly suitable for handling abrasive fluids.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

James W Mohrfeld