Patent ID: 8720854

Claim:
A valve comprising: a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a valve interior in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet; a bonnet removably secured to a top portion of the valve body; a ball element pivotably mounted in the valve interior, an exterior surface of the ball element defining a portion of a sphere, wherein all points on the exterior surface of the ball element are not equidistant from a central pivot point of the ball element disposed along a rotational axis of the ball element; a seal ring disposed within the valve interior and biased toward the ball element, wherein the seal ring is adapted to sealingly engage the ball element; an anchor ring disposed within the valve interior and secured to the valve body; a seal carrier disposed in the valve interior between the seal ring and the valve body, the seal carrier being removably secured to the anchor ring by a plurality of bolts that are both disposed within the valve interior and adapted to be inserted and removed from within the valve interior, wherein a primary leak path exists between the seal ring and the seal carrier and a secondary leak path exists between the seal carrier and the valve body, the primary leak path and the secondary leak path being exposed to fluid pressure within the valve, wherein a spring engages the seal carrier and the seal ring to bias the seal ring towards the ball element; a first auxiliary seal disposed between the seal ring and the seal carrier, the first auxiliary seal preventing fluid flow through the primary leak path, wherein the first auxiliary seal disposed between the seal ring and the seal carrier is a C-seal disposed in a recess formed in the seal ring; and a second auxiliary seal disposed between the seal carrier and the valve body, the second auxiliary seal preventing fluid flow through the secondary leak path, wherein an alignment gap is formed between the seal ring and the seal carrier, the alignment gap defining a portion of the primary leak path, the alignment gap providing a space between the seal carrier and the seal ring that allows the seal ring to radially move relative to the seal carrier such that the seal ring self-aligns when the ball element sealingly engages the seal ring.