Behind the Walls: Valves in Building Systems

Today’s building systems move many types of fluids and gases through their lines to keep operations such as HVAC, fire protection, water and waste­water functioning. Valves play a key role in keeping those systems flowing.

Technical Challenges in Valves in Oil Sand Extraction

Recent developments in heavy oil extraction technology for the Canadian oil and gas industry have created a need for new flow control solutions in steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). SAGD uses a pair of horizontal wells drilled from a central well pad to recover heavy oil.

Geothermal Energy: A Renewable With Huge Potential

The method of pulling power from the ground’s heat is receiving renewed attention because of new technologies as well as efforts by DOE and other parties to promote this clean, abundant source of energy.

Those Dam Valves and the Great Job They Do

As the nation increasingly seeks sources for renewable energy, dams and the thousands of valves they contain will only become more important.

When we see a majestic dam, with its huge face of concrete holding back acres of water, probably the last thing we think of are the valves it takes to make them operate effectively. But large dams, especially those providing hydroelectric power, are full of valves of all sizes and types. There are gates, globes, checks, balls and butterflies, along with some very special valve designs used only in the water reclamation industry.

The Biopharm Industry

This segment of the chemical processing industry must deal with levels of cleanability and sterility that will ensure the safety of those who use or make the products.

Pipeline Valves—Always Ready

This nation is crisscrossed by hundreds of thousands of miles of crucial pipelines that transport vital feedstock from sources to the places where it’s transformed into fuel and products. For the valve industry, that translates into millions of dollars of business.

The Pulp and Paper Industry

The pulp & paper industry has seen tough times, but the business will still be around for many decades; the product is too much in demand. Those involved in valves for this industry need to understand how the processes work.

The Rough-And-Tumble Oil And Gas Industry

Rugged, reliable and safe are essential characteristics to all equipment operating in this industry, and valves are certainly no exception.

Historically, the oil and gas industry has presented equipment suppliers and production personnel with difficult and demanding operating conditions. For valves, that has translated into an ever-increasing need for tougher, longer-lasting, better performing valves.

Food & Beverage Industry

The industry looks bright. But those who deal with it face issues about who regulates what, and they are starting to see competition from overseas.

According to FoodProcessing.com, budgets in 2010 for capital expenditures in the food and beverage processing industry were up more than 19% over what they were in 2009, when actual spending declined by about 8.7%. And research by Industrial Info Resources, released in late November, revealed an even more dramatic improvement when comparing U.S. and Canadian projects tracked in 2010. The number of projects increased 42.5% from 2009 (359 projects) to 2010 (510); investments increased a very healthy 53.8% from 2009 ($3.58 billion) to 2010 ($5.51 billion). The industry is clearly in the throes of recovery and does not appear to have suffered as much as some other manufacturing industries from the economic collapse.

On the Sea and Under the Ground

Today’s ships are much more than floating tanks. They are power generation and wastewater treatment plants, HVAC systems, plumbing and transmission pipelines all in one. Meanwhile, under the ground, the nation’s mines offer up a wealth of solid materials that must be tapped for use in many of this nation’s industrial processes.These two sectors present the valve industry a unique set of challenges.