Patent attributes
A singular piston included behind a valve seat within a gate valve assembly can be energized by external pressure through a hydraulic port within the valve body. When the back side of the singular piston is energized, the singular piston applies force in one direction against the adjacent valve seat, valve gate, opposing valve seat and valve seat pocket in both the valve open position and the valve closed position to block any unwanted matter from moving into the valve backside cavity. A singular piston has a pressure sealing surface and a piston pocket with an adjacent pressure sealing surface that allows the valve to seal in the closed position with the contained fluid bore pressure against the opposing valve body flow path side to the piston without the piston being energized.