If a valve doesn’t function, your process doesn’t run, and that’s cash down the drain. Or worse, a spurious trip shuts the process down. Or worst of all, a valve malfunction results in a dangerous failure. Solenoid valves in oil and gas applications control the actuators that transfer giant course of valves, including in emergency shutdown (ESD) methods. เกจวัดแรงดันน้ำ must exhaust air to enable the ESD valve to return to fail-safe mode each time sensors detect a harmful course of situation. These valves must be quick-acting, durable and, above all, dependable to stop downtime and the associated losses that happen when a process isn’t running.
And that is much more necessary for oil and fuel operations where there may be restricted energy out there, similar to distant wellheads or satellite tv for pc offshore platforms. Here, solenoids face a double reliability challenge. First, a failure to function correctly can not solely trigger expensive downtime, however a upkeep name to a remote location also takes longer and prices greater than an area restore. Second, to scale back the demand for power, many valve producers resort to compromises that actually reduce reliability. This is bad sufficient for course of valves, however for emergency shutoff valves and different security instrumented methods (SIS), it is unacceptable.
Poppet valves are usually better suited than spool valves for distant locations as a end result of they’re much less advanced. For low-power applications, search for a solenoid valve with an FFR of 10 and a design that isolates the media from the coil. (Courtesy of Norgren Inc.)
Choosing a dependable low-power solenoid
Many elements can hinder the reliability and performance of a solenoid valve. Friction, media move, sticking of the spool, magnetic forces, remanence of electrical present and material traits are all forces solenoid valve manufacturers have to beat to construct probably the most reliable valve.
High spring drive is vital to offsetting these forces and the friction they cause. However, in low-power applications, most producers need to compromise spring pressure to allow the valve to shift with minimal power. The reduction in spring pressure results in a force-to-friction ratio (FFR) as low as 6, though the commonly accepted safety level is an FFR of 10.
Several components of valve design play into the quantity of friction generated. Optimizing each of those permits a valve to have larger spring drive whereas nonetheless maintaining a high FFR.
For example, the valve operates by electromagnetism — a current stimulates the valve to open, permitting the media to flow to the actuator and move the process valve. This media may be air, however it might also be natural gas, instrument gas and even liquid. This is particularly true in remote operations that should use no matter media is out there. This means there’s a trade-off between magnetism and corrosion. Valves in which the media comes in contact with the coil must be made from anticorrosive materials, which have poor magnetic properties. A valve design that isolates the media from the coil — a dry armature — allows the usage of highly magnetized material. As a end result, there is no residual magnetism after the coil is de-energized, which in flip permits quicker response instances. This design also protects reliability by preventing contaminants in the media from reaching the inside workings of the valve.
Another factor is the valve housing design. Usually a heavy (high-force) spring requires a high-power coil to beat the spring energy. Integrating the valve and coil into a single housing improves effectivity by stopping energy loss, allowing for the utilization of a low-power coil, leading to less power consumption with out diminishing FFR. This built-in coil and housing design also reduces heat, preventing spurious journeys or coil burnouts. A dense, thermally efficient (low-heat generating) coil in a housing that acts as a warmth sink, designed with no air gap to entice warmth across the coil, virtually eliminates coil burnout considerations and protects process availability and safety.
Poppet valves are typically higher suited than spool valves for distant operations. The lowered complexity of poppet valves increases reliability by decreasing sticking or friction points, and decreases the variety of parts that may fail. Spool valves often have giant dynamic seals and many require lubricating grease. Over time, particularly if the valves usually are not cycled, the seals stick and the grease hardens, resulting in greater friction that have to be overcome. There have been reports of valve failure because of moisture in the instrument media, which thickens the grease.
A direct-acting valve is the greatest choice wherever potential in low-power environments. Not solely is the design less complicated than an indirect-acting piloted valve, but also pilot mechanisms typically have vent ports that may admit moisture and contamination, leading to corrosion and allowing the valve to stick within the open place even when de-energized. Also, เกจปรับแรงดันแก๊ส -acting solenoids are specifically designed to shift the valves with zero minimal strain necessities.
Note that some bigger actuators require excessive circulate charges and so a pilot operation is critical. In this case, you will need to confirm that every one elements are rated to the same reliability score as the solenoid.
Finally, since most distant areas are by definition harsh environments, a solenoid installed there should have sturdy building and be in a position to stand up to and function at excessive temperatures whereas still sustaining the identical reliability and safety capabilities required in less harsh environments.
When choosing a solenoid management valve for a remote operation, it’s possible to find a valve that doesn’t compromise performance and reliability to reduce power calls for. Look for a excessive FFR, simple dry armature design, great magnetic and heat conductivity properties and robust building.
Andrew Barko is the gross sales engineer for the Energy Sector of IMI Precision Engineering, makers of IMI Norgren, IMI Maxseal and IMI Herion model parts for energy operations. He presents cross-functional expertise in application engineering and business development to the oil, gas, petrochemical and energy industries and is licensed as a pneumatic Specialist by the International Fluid Power Society (IFPS).
Collin Skufca is the important thing account manager for the Energy Sector for IMI Precision Engineering. He offers experience in new business growth and customer relationship administration to the oil, gasoline, petrochemical and energy industries and is certified as a pneumatic specialist by the International Fluid Power Society (IFPS).
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