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Technical Papers
tests, and this is now possible rather easily”.
Leakage-free and closable
AS Schneider’s valves and valve blocks have championed the load tests in a test rig. Even after extreme test conditions, the certi- ed valves not only showed them- selves leakage-free, but could also be fully operated, as well as opened and closed repeatedly without problems.
High-performance ball valves made by Hartmann Valves are another example in case. They can be operated in temperatures ranging between – 200 to +550 °C, pressure stages up to 700 bar and with aggressive media. Real- ised entirely in metal, the sealing systems between ball and seat ring ful l a leakage rate of A, or 0. Special construction features and safety-oriented functions such as DBB (double block and bleed), DIB (double isolation and bleed) and re safe create higher levels of safety. This is a necessity, as the ball valves are used with all kinds of media, from oil, natural gas, acid gas, brine, oxygen or hydrogen, steam, thermal water and abrasive or degreasing media.
Quenched below 100 °C
Ebro subjected its HP-300 valves to intensive re tests complying with ISO 10497. The valves were placed under water pressure, the ISO norm demand 75 percent of the operating pressure. “The HP 300 was pressurised with an oper- ating pressure of 37.5 bar,” states Ebro. Afterwards, the valve was
red with a propane gas, with temperatures reaching 650 to 1,000 °C. A condition which lasted 30 minutes, followed by a rst leakage test. “Subsequently, the valve was quenched to a temper- ature below 100 °C and a second leakage test was conducted”.
Ebro’s test objects were nominal diameters DN 80 and DN 200 in two different materials – CrNi steel 1.4408 and C steel 1.0619 – each with a full metal and laminated seal. “The tests were successfully completely, without any com- plaints”. Mission accomplished.
Material strength
What can increase the likelihood of a valve being certi ed as re safe? Strength is important when choosing the material, especially as far as higher temperatures are concerned. “Not only the materi- als used for the valve housing play a role, but also the material the screws are made from, and natu- rally also the material used for the seal are essential,” states Schaaf. Only then can a valve withstand its trial by re, without nding itself under re.
AS Schneider’s company practice shows: “Fire safe valves made from all common materials are in demand,” reports product manager Stefan Keller. “Exotic materials are more seldom,” he adds, as separate certi cation tests have to be made for different materi- als groups. Common and proven valves in the oil and gas industry are made from stainless steel and carbon steel.
Ball valves for power to gas
Fire safe products also let valve manufacturers score with special projects, such as power to gas plants. Such valves are success- fully used in the “WindGas Falken- hagen” plant, operated by Eon Gas Storage GmbH. Hartmann Valves supplied this German demon- stration plant with 24 metal- lic sealing ball valves, designed to meet the high requirements and safety levels for use with pure hydrogen. Power to gas is a process to change electricity from renewables into chemical energy. The technology is supposed to help feed-in management match electricity production from renew- ables to consumption, in order to prevent bottlenecks.
Fire safe a seal of quality
Fire safe has long become a seal of quality. Companies in various sectors can’t do without this seal, and sometimes even are not allowed to. “We conduct re safe tests for all new products to be used in such industrial sectors, from the ground up, in order to certify them,” states Keller. Demand, however, depends on the oil price, but is “continuing to rise”. Customers will always need re safe valves. Innovations in these elds will be presented at Valve World Expo Düsseldorf from November, 27 – 29, 2018.
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ITAtube Journal No2/July 2018
48