Improved Electric Actuator Reliability in Severe Service

As you walk onto the switching valve deck of a coker, the first thing you notice is the heat. Cokers are used in the process of upgrading bitumen to crude oil—specifically to remove the heavier hydrocarbons from the process stream.

Non-Destructive Radiographic Inspection of Steel Castings

Radiographic inspection technology has been used for industrial inspection for decades. While radiographic inspection of mission critical cast pumps and valves for nuclear power generation, offshore drilling and military applications has steadily increased since 1978, the growth rate started to change dramatically in 2010. Catastrophic failures at Fukushima and in the Gulf have caused many industries to revisit their exposure and recognize the impact and risk associated with product failure in the field.

To learn more about the actual process of ND radiographic inspection, VALVE Magazine spoke with Stan Truselo, quality assurance manager at Bradken’s Tacoma, WA facility.

What Lies Ahead for Institutional Construction?

At VMA’s annual Market Outlook event held in August 2013, Harvey Bernstein, vice president of industry insights and alliances at McGraw Hill Construction, appeared for the first time as a speaker and shared important insights into the key trends and outlook for institutional construction.

U.S. Construction Trends and Outlook

The data from which Bernstein extrapolated the industry trends came from six different sources including Dodge Construction Outlook and Forecasting Service, ENR Top Lists and the Industry Association Network.

SMRs Present Opportunities for Valve Manufacturers

In Part One of our two-part series on small modular reactors (SMRs), we introduced several projects in development, and presented a few of the situations in which SMRs could provide a reliable, economically sound solution for power production. In this final installment, we examine the challenges for these projects and the opportunities valve manufacturers could see in this sector.

Solutions to the Engineering Skills Crisis

While plans to build billions of dollars worth of petrochemical plants, gathering and transportation pipelines are set for the next decade, there is concern that labor shortages in crafts, trades and design technicians could raise costs and delay commissioning of these important projects. Among those in short supply are valve engineers, piping engineers and designers, and according to William G. Beazley, who spoke at a recent gathering of valve professionals, the shortage could be called a skills crisis.

3D Printing: Changing Industry in Many Ways

It’s known by many names: additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, layered manufacturing, direct digital manufacturing and, most often, 3D printing. Over the past couple of years, businesses and entrepreneurs, including valve and actuator manufacturers, have started using 3D printing to create prototypes, manufacture short-run products, and shave time and money off production processes.

Forensic Engineering Tracks Valve Failures

Due in part to the condominium boom, there have been a large number of suite HVAC unit isolation brass ball valve failures reported in fan coil or heat pump based heating/cooling systems high rise buildings. Due to the high density of residential suites in these buildings, each leak from a failed valve typically results in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in property damage. Furthermore, multiple valve failures have often occurred in one building, leading to the building developer or condominium corporation undertaking an effort to replace all of the valves in the building. The replacement of all valves in a building may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and result in separate lawsuits from property damage claims.

Solar-Thermal Power: A Shining Example of Clean Energy

Modern solar thermal systems are capable of producing large quantities of clean energy. One of the most impressive commercial scale projects is just outside Las Vegas, Nevada, near the home of one of the most impressive hydro plants in the country.

Noise from Cavitation: Bad for Control Valves, Bad for Equipment

Just as sound can have negative effects on the human body, certain frequencies can play havoc on industrial equipment. When control valves are not selected appropriately, there is an increased risk for cavitation, which causes high noise and vibration levels, resulting in very rapid damage to the valve's internals and/or the downstream piping. In addition, high noise levels usually cause vibration that can damage piping, instruments and other equipment.

Modular Gas Valves: An Insiders’ Guide to Technology Breakthroughs

The main line of defense in combustion devices such as burners and boilers is fuel gas shutoff valves. They are key to safe operation of equipment for nonresidential comfort heating, commercial and industrial heating, and power and steam generation applications.

While conventional modular gas valves are popular and effective, the latest gener-ation of valves has seen dramatic improvements in design. Recent technological advance¬ments offer breakthrough features and benefits. These include higher flows, more compact footprints, and greater modularity and flexibility for downsizing fuel train components. They also include broad¬er temperature ranges, higher close-off pressures, more immediate availability and reduced costs of ownership.