High Performance Butterfly Valve Completes Million-Cycle Test

The Valtek Valdisk butterfly valve. Photo Credit: Flowserve Corp.

The Valtek Valdisk high-performance butterfly valve from Flowserve Corp., a provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets is licensor-approved for use in pressure swing adsorption (PSA) applications. The valve completed a one million-cycle endurance test. The company says it is well-suited for applications in chemical plants, oil refineries and other facilities requiring control valves that maintain tight shutoff amidst high cycles and bi-directional flows.

The endurance test simulates the rigorous operating conditions found in high-cycle PSA processes. Conducted in accordance with licensor criteria, it was cycled with upstream pressures of 350 psi and measured seat and stem leakage over one million open/close cycles. The valve followed a defined control ramp to demonstrate sensitivity, repeatability and linearity. By increasing valve shutoff reliability, plant operators can maintain accurate pressure in the PSA vessel and extract purer hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen (or other gases). Increased gas purity and capacities can lead to greater production and higher profits as a result.

The Valtek Valdisk valve’s soft seat is designed to provide long-lasting, Class VI shutoff in both flow directions. It also incorporates features that extend mean time between repair, Flowserve says. The double-offset disc reduces seat and disc wear as well as leakage, extends seat life and reduces maintenance costs. A high-thrust cylinder actuator coupled with an eccentric-cammed disc enables high-performance throttling. In addition, its thin body enables a smaller overall PSA skid footprint with lower weight and costs.

“Flowserve designed the Valtek Valdisk to ensure process variables remain close to the desired setpoints and improve process productivity, plant uptime and employee safety,” says Cris Sidwell, global product leader at Flowserve. 
“Its performance and reliability in PSA applications have been field-proven for over 30 years and are now validated by lab testing. Successfully completing a million-cycle test demonstrates Flowserve’s commitment to helping customers extend service life and lower total cost of ownership.”

The Valtek Valdisk butterfly valve joins the Valtek Mark One globe valve and Logix 3800 digital positioner from Flowserve, which are already licensor-approved for PSA applications. Valtek control valves and Logix automation extend equipment life and maintain purity in PSA skids, the company says.