Industrial valve selection criteria
Basic knowledge on the industrial performance requirements, is an important factor which is going to make your valve selection procedure easier. It is advisable to keep the following five points in mind, before starting the valve selection procedure, to ensure that you exactly know what you are looking for:
1. Valve Size and Type
It is to be noted that, a valve within an industrial set up performs more than one functions. This includes shut off flow, divert flow, mix flow, pressure relief, backflow prevention, and adjust flow. For example, in water supply pipelines stop valve is used for giving away connections for inserting and controlling the flow of the water. For 16 inch pipeline, full line size butterfly valves is used. The maximum velocity through valves normally limited to 12 feet per second, and should not exceed 20 feet per second.
2. Materials for Manufacture
Check the chemical compatibility requirements for your industrial unit, before getting into valve selection procedure. The materials used for the construction of valves should be compatible with the gases and other materials flowing through it. For example, valves made up of copper alloys are a popular pick by the industrialists who are into oil and gas manufacturing. Plastic valves usually resist harsh and corrosive conditions along with chemicals better than metal valves.
In a review of the selections of 8,061 engineer and other technical user search selections (2009 – 2013) using SpecSearch valve search forms, it was found that 80 percent selected corrosion resistant materials such as stainless (27.2 percent), brass or bronze (24.1 percent) or plastic (18.2 percent).
3. Performance Requirement
Pressure and temperature requirements play an important role in making valve selection procedure easier for manufacturers. Industries which generate high temperatures and pressures, metal alloys are generally advisable for them. Metal valves are also best suited for pressurized gases.
4. Check Valves have Special Requirements
Check valves most of the times perform as expected. It is still suggested to keep a check on the response time needed as well as the cracking pressure required to open the valve.
Some categories of check valves require positive downstream pressure to open. These are generally referred as closed check valves in the market, and the second category require a positive backpressure to close, and are called as open check valves. A proper choice between the two based on the industrial requirements, improves the check valve reliability.
It is suggested to make a decision for selecting this category of valve, by checking which one is more closed or open during normal system operations.
5. Maintenance
Always consider your resources you have to keep a tap on the maintenance of the valves which are functioning within your industrial unit. This is important for both valve reliability and application stability.
For example, ball valves resist clogging, jamming and malfunctioning. But at the same time, they are not suitable to adjusting flow. Installing these valves in units to control flow can lead to leaking or premature failure.
Valve connection types affects the functioning of systems and processes. Each of the connection type has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Valve Selection Guide
If you are tech savvy, and understand numbers online valve selection guide is certainly a boon for you. The online guide offers you directory of types of valves, along with its measurements and the industries in which it can be used.
One can also get their handbook on valve selection guide ordered home, by calling up any best listed valve company online or by any manufacturer in the industry.
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