Electric Valve Actuation

Electric Valve Actuator in Service (Limitorque)

Electric actuators use electrical power to actuate a valve. While most of the basic technology used in electric actuators has been around since the 1930s, decades of incremental improvement have significantly increased their functionality while dramatically reducing their cost. In recent years, these advances have reached a tipping point that makes electric actuators the first choice for a wide variety of applications.

Electric Valve Actuation Advantages

• Electric power is relatively inexpensive, easy to manage, and normally available to most industrial sites. The capital cost of electric actuators is typically cheaper per equivalent unit of torque/thrust output. They’re also cleaner and safer to operate.
• Electric actuators can provide superior positioning accuracy for control or modulating valve functions, which can include provisions for a high degree of process monitoring, data logging and information feedback.
• All necessary control functions are integral to electric actuators, reducing capital costs.
• Electric actuators significantly reduce control wiring costs by enabling distributed control. They simplify control logic by integrating control commands and feedback into customer SCADA or DCS systems. (Traditional electromechanical control systems require a dedicated wire for each command and feedback signal, leading to cable bundles with seven or more cores as minimum for each actuator. By contrast, a typical bus system can use one twisted pair wire in a daisy chain configuration to carry all required input and output signals.)
• As torque and thrust requirements increase, electric actuators weigh less and have smaller footprints compared to pneumatic actuators.
• Electric actuators may be combined with external gearboxes to produce extremely high output thrust and torque values.

Electric Valve Actuation Disadvantages

• With the exception of a few specific configurations, electric actuators can’t guarantee a fail-safe stroke but will “fail in the last position.” (Fail-safe stroke refers to an actuator’s ability to move a valve to a predefined safe position when power fails).
• Electric actuators have more complex and sensitive components than the mechanical parts used in other types of actuators. Electronic technology also requires periodic refreshing to keep pace with component changes and improvements.
• Beyond a certain size/torque range, electric actuators are less cost-effective and generally have limitations in operating speed when compared to pneumatic and hydraulic actuators.
• In hazardous areas with potential exposure to explosive process media, electric actuators require more specific certifications and construction features to be considered safe for use.

Recommended applications for electric actuation.

Electric actuation is the first choice for most oil and gas applications. They’re ideal for general process valve automation, non-critical applications, and light-duty modulating applications (generally up to 1200 starts per hour), although some can modulate continuously up to 3600 starts per hour.

For more information about electric valve actuation, contact Swanson Flo. Call them at 800-288-7926 or visit their web site at https://swansonflo.com.

Reprinted with permission from Flowserve Limitorque.

Dual-Seal Trunnion Mounted Ball Valves Offer Twice the Life for Pipeline, Petrochemical, and Process Industries

WOM trunnion mounted ball valves in service.

WOM (Worldwide Oilfield Machine) manufactures a dual seal ball valve is the only trunnion mounted ball valve with two independent seats on both sides of the ball. The primary seat takes the normal wear and tear when the valve is cycled. If it ever gets damaged the secondary seat takes over. This redundant sealing technology can more than double the useful life of the valve.

The only trunnion mounted
ball valve with two independent seats.

Even after the primary seat gets damaged, it will continue to work as a wiper ring. Each time the valve is cycled the primary seat will clean trash and line debris off of the ball before it can damage
the secondary seat.

WOM’s Dual Seal Ball Valve typically comes with two seats upstream and two seats downstream of the ball. But it can be configured to have the outer seat on the downstream side modified to act as a Third seal. The third seal will provide one more seal on the downstream side of the valve. The valve is still bi-direction, even with the third seal option.

The Dual-Seal was designed specifically so that it could not trap pressure in the body cavity. This is critical in hazardous liquids service, where thermal expansion can cause pressure build-up inside the body. The Dual -Seal will automatically self-relieve to the low pressure side of the valve. However, if the third seal is installed, it forces the valve to self-relieve to the upstream side. You are in control of the direction that the self-relieving seats vent to.

Redundant sealing technology, the third seal, and being able to control the direction of the thermal expansion pressure makes the Dual-Seal ball valve unsurpassed in real life performance. This combination of seats gives you a valve that will outlast typical ball or gate valves. It will lower your operational costs, add safety, and increase reliability.

For more infomration on WOM trunnion mount ball valves, contact Swanson Flo. Call them at 800-288-7926 of visit https://swansonflo.com.

Accurate Dosing of Corrosion Inhibitors Greatly Improves Corrosion Prevention and Extends Pipeline Life

Accurate dosing of corrosion inhibitors in industrial applications, especially in the chemical, process and oil and gas industry can be a real challenge. These industries cope with demanding environmental and process conditions in production and operation. In oil and gas, it is common that wells produce other products that are likely to cause corrosion, such as water and carbon dioxide. Pipelines are required to transport oil and gas products from the well, sometimes over long distances. Even though they are designed to last for decades, corrosion processes are responsible for degradation and significant losses. It is clear that the best way to combat corrosion economically is through prevention using chemical inhibitors.

A corrosion inhibitor system will add small concentrations of (bio)chemicals into the process which form a film on the interior surface of the pipe or vessel, preventing corrosive attack. The effectiveness of an inhibitor system greatly depends on the correct injection amount, and can be influenced by the environmental and process conditions; so accuracy is crucial here. A properly applied chemical corrosion inhibitor system is very effective in lowering corrosion rates, with the potential to reduce corrosion rates up to 99%.

The key in determining the overall rate of corrosion over the life of a pipeline is determined by the proportion of time for which the corrosion inhibitor is available, and the correct concentration. In order to accurately assess the availability of corrosion inhibitor, it is necessary to have some means of accurately measuring the dosage of inhibitor being injected.

Using a low flow control system containing a mass flow controller (MFC) allows for very accurate corrosion inhibitor dosing. High accuracy and high turndown ratio is achieved based on pure mass flow measurement with this type of flow meter. A device such as the Bronkhorst (mini) CORI-FLOW mass flow controller can directly control valves and pumps via it's on-board PID controller, and be further optimized with ancillary PLC and HMI controls, extending both performance and flexibility.

The application of chemical corrosion inhibitors can significantly reduce the rate of corrosion  and using a dosing system with an integrated MFC (such as the Bronkhorst (mini) CORI-FLOW) enables real-time monitoring, control and logging of injection rates. This allows online checking of flow rates and instantaneous re-setting of the required flow rate. Asset management and preventive maintenance is supported with several active diagnostics.

For more information about mass flow controllers used in chemical dosing applications, contact Swanson Flo by calling 800-288-7926 or visit https://swansonflo.com.

The ASCO FasN Connection System for the Series 212 Composite Valve: A Tutorial

The ASCO Series 212 composite valve is ideal for use in mid-size reverse osmosis water purification systems used for conditioning and distribution in commercial/ industrial markets. The valves are available in 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", and 1" pipe sizes and handles pressure up to 150 PSI at temperatures up to 180° F.

The ASCO FasN connection system makes installing and servicing the series 212 extremely easy.  The video above is a tutorial on how to install the series 212 using the ASCO FasN system for all three types of connections, namely NPT thread connection, turn and lock, and solvent bond.

For more information, contact Swanson Flo by calling 800-288-7926 or visit their web site at https://swansonflo.com.

Foxboro Schneider Electric Vortex Flow Meters

The Foxboro® intelligent, high performance vortex flowmeter transmits a 4-20 mA or digital multi-drop, and a pulse output signal (as applicable) using HART communication protocol for remote configuration, calibration, and monitoring.

Foxboro vortex flow meters have unique vortex sensing with a lifetime warranty; patented algorithms that improve performance in real-world applications; a broad offering of sizes, materials, and end connections, with the widest flow range available today; ease of configuration using FDT technology, and no moving parts ensures low operating and maintenance costs. They are ideal for applications requiring accuracy for totalizing and batching; utility metering of fluids in the process industries; fuel, air, steam, or gas metering for the measurement of energy in any high use application; or stability and repeatability for process control.

The Foxboro vortex flowmeter is perfect for applications within the upstream and downstream Oil & Gas industries, specifically on high pressure pipeline applications for both gases (and vapors) and liquids.

For more infomration, contact Swanson Flo by calling 800-288-7926 or by visiting https://swansonflo.com.

Patented Pressure Gauge Technology Eliminates Need for Liquid Fills

Pulsations caused by compressors and other machinery.
Patented technology by Ashcroft dampen pulsations
without the cost and hassle of liquid-fill.

Compressors pumps and other machinery create pulsation and vibration that can make your pointer unreadable.  Liquid-filled gauges can solve your problem, but they command a higher price.  So to keep costs down, you have to stock both dry and liquid-fill gauges.

In response, Ashcroft developed their patented PLUS!™ Performance technology. Gauges with PLUS!™ Performance employ a unique cartridge that surrounds the pinion with an engineered dampening medium. This viscous compound encapsulates and stabilizes the pinion in order to restrict the overactive pointer motion due to vibration. A throttle screw helps to neutralize pulsation by restricting the flow rate of the pressure medium into the Bourdon tube.

Pinion is stabilized by a cartridge with viscous compound.

While a standard dry gauge may become indecipherable, both liquid-filled and PLUS!™ Performance gauges continue to provide stable readings.  the liquid fill can leak, be affected by extreme ambient temperatures, and become an environmental hazard when disposed of. Ashcroft's patented PLUS!™ Performance option assures fast and easy readings so you can focus on what matters and standardizing with PLUS!™ Performance helps consolidate your SKUs, and less inventory means lower costs.

For more information, contact Swanson Flo by calling 800-288-7926 or visit their web site at https://swansonflo.com.

The Valtek® Mark Eight™ Y-Pattern Control Valve

The Valtek Mark Eight Control Valve Features
(Click for larger view)

The Valtek® Mark Eight™ control valve is designed with a unique “Y” style globe body that provides higher flow capacities and less process turbulence than conventional globe valves.

Because of its nearly straight-through flow passage, the “Y” style body is less flow restrictive than a normal globe-style body. This permits less pressure to be converted into velocity as the fluid passes through the seat, resulting in a lower valve recovery factor and higher capacity.

Mark Eight’s straight-through design generates less valve and piping turbulence which significantly reduces harmful noise and vibration levels.

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DOWNLOAD THE VALTEK MARK EIGHT TECHNICAL BROCHURE FROM THE SWANSON FLO SITE

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