Choke Valves That Outlast Conventional Chokes 10:1

CCI is the only valve manufacturer in the world to specialize exclusively in severe service applications. All of our engineers, which make up one-third of our work force, direct their knowledge and skills to the most challenging applications in oil/gas, power and chemical industries. We devote our efforts to meet each customer’s needs on an individual basis – CCI custom designs solutions to problems.

DRAG® Technology for Severe Service Choke™ Valves

Today’s oil field environment means higher well-head pressures with aggressive fluid and entrained sand. This type of severe service can quickly debilitate a conventional choke valve. The need to maintain production rates means that frequent choke replacement and repair is no longer acceptable. CCI has responded to this need by developing the world’s first true severe service choke.

CCI has been solving severe service control valve problems in the oil and gas industry for over 30 years. The CCI severe service choke uses a combination of proven DRAG® velocity control technology and proven choke valve material technology to provide long trim life and precise process control.

The CCI severe service choke utilizes DRAG® velocity control technology and solid tungsten carbide trim to solve the world's most difficult choke problems such as erosion, excessive noise and vibration levels, while in the process reducing costly maintenance and lost production time.

Velocity Control

Fluid velocity is the predominant factor in erosion. Erosion rates will vary as a third-to-fifth power function of velocity (V3 to V5). Example: if the fluid velocity can be reduced by a factor of two, then erosion will be reduced by a factor of between eight and 32.

The fluid velocities within the trim of the CCI severe service choke are significantly lower than that of conventional single-stage chokes. Velocity control protects the trim from erosion, and increases the trim life many fold. Another benefit of velocity control is that the noise and vibration levels of a CCI severe service choke are significantly reduced compared to that of conventional single-stage chokes. The suppression of vibration eliminates common mechanical failures caused by fatigue and impact loads on the tungsten carbide parts.

Materials

Although the CCI severe service choke may be made with a variety of different trim materials, for the more erosive services, especially when entrained sand is present, CCI recommends solid tungsten carbide trim. The plug is solid tungsten carbide, not just carbide tipped. The disk stack provides for multi-stage letdown and is made from solid tungsten carbide, an industry first. The seat ring is provided with a tungsten carbide venturi, allowing for a controlled, erosion-resistant expansion into the choke outlet and downstream piping.

CCI's chokes offer reliable performance and extended trim life, with superior noise and vibration control.

The CCI severe service choke is an engineered solution to the world’s most difficult choke applications. CCI severe service chokes enhance operation profitability by dramatically reducing maintenance cost and eliminating lost production due to unscheduled shutdowns caused by failure of conventional chokes.

Published in SOLUTIONS Summer 2000