Valve Technology News

More than 100 intelligent electric actuators have been installed at flue gas desulfurization plants operated by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) in the UK. It's all part of an upgrade to reduce the sulfur dioxide emissions from the coal-fired power stations and meet the European Union's Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD).

Recently, an Eli Lilly biotech facility used asset management software to improve control valve reliability and reduce maintenance. Previously, more than 80% of control valves removed routinely for overhaul needed no maintenance. The software allowed a radical change to the maintenance process, saving 2,000 maintenance man-hours yearly.

Winter is cold, so don't let your valves freeze. A YouTube video by Chemical Safety Board Chairman John Bresland says companies should establish formal, written winterization programs. He also notes that dead legs (no flow) are susceptible to freezing hazards and should be surveyed and then removed, isolated, or winterized.

Wait! Maybe you do want to freeze the pipe! A Saudi Arabian fertilizer plant wanted to replace a faulty 3 in. gate valve on the boiler feed water main header. But they didn't want to shut down the plant. Freezing the pipe with liquid nitrogen formed a plug, isolated the line, and allowed the valve to be replaced without shutdown.

Be careful when drinking water at home. The American Chemical Society says water stagnation in your plumbing forms chloramines and releases the disinfectants added at your water treatment plant. So, like your grandma always said, turn the valve and run the water for a minute before drinking it. And listen to the ACS podcast.

Stagnant water occurs in your city's water distribution system. Flushing methods are needed to keep it clean. But flushing can cause other problems and lose large quantities of water if not done properly. A well-designed valve and hydrant flushing program includes basic procedures that operators can easily implement.

Test for natural gas leaks with rubber-band-like flexible elastomeric polymer that can withstand temperatures up to 500 F. Just wrap it around a flange, punch a small hole in it, and sniff for gas leaks. Unlike masking, duct or aluminum tape, the band seals flanges for leak testing, but it doesn't bake on and leave nasty residue behind.

Valves from TriFlow and pneumatic actuators are being used in a coal liquefaction plant in Inner Mongolia. To survive the ultra-abrasive, high pressure application, the 24 in. Class 2500 347 stainless steel butterfly valves use hardened trim, protective seats and seals, and purging. The plant produces nearly 19,000 barrels of oil daily.

Research says corrosion of metals in the U.S. costs about $276 billion annually. About one-third of these costs can be avoided by proper use of currently existing corrosion control technology. Want to learn more? NACE International just opened a training center in Houston, TX dedicated exclusively to advancing corrosion education. Corrosion is a costly threat to assets in the energy, transportation, water, defense, and marine and shipbuilding industries.

In five years, you might be able to bury a nuclear power plant in your backyard. The reactor is about the size of a small garden shed, costs $25 million, and generates enough power for 10,000 homes — so it costs about $2500 per home. Hyperion Power Generation hopes to have a factory in New Mexico by 2012, and begin producing 4,000 reactors. They claim it is safer, smaller, cleaner, and cheaper than other methods of power generation.

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Nukes? In Your Backyard?

At $2500 per house for its five-year life ($40 per month), $25 million for a nuclear power plant isn't a bad price. Are backyard nukes the answer to the energy problem?