Valves are Key Elements in Steam and Cooling Systems - Hot Topic Hour July 17 Afternoon

Thousands of valves are used in a big coal-fired power plant. Many are used in steam generation and cooling. Yesterday four experts provided some of the details. The speakers were

Mark Bober, SPX

Mike Mashburn, Cameron

Steve Freitas, IMI/CCI

Mark Nord, Emerson Process Management

Mark Bober, SPX, traced the history of the SPX Copes Vulcan valves. It began in 1903 as the Copes Company and the Vulcan Company. After several transitions over the years the company was acquired by SPX in 2000. Globe, gate, ball, butterfly, and swing check valves are available for both general and severe service. Uses include condensate, feedwater, fuel, main steam and heater drains. For nuclear reactors there are additional uses for reactor coolant.

Mike Mashburn, Cameron, explained the uses of the Cameron Demco butterfly valves in power plant cooling systems. Sizes up to 36” diameter are available. A positively oriented disc enhances tight sealing and prolongs service life.

Steve Freitas, IMI/CCI, discussed the use of IMI/ CCI valves for severe service. Typically CCI is chosen where there is the potential for a system shutdown, lost production, poor control, high maintenance, downstream pipe corrosion, noise, pipe vibration or trim and bodywear. CCI engineers work with plant engineers and operators to make selections. On-site training is also provided.

Mark Nord, Emerson, said there is a “New Way” to install and operate valves. Control valve design specifications are loaded into an AMS Device Manager at the factory. The smart positioner is calibrated and configured to provide meaningful alerts. A set of baseline diagnostics are gathered at the factory and send by export file to the plant AMS Manager prior to the valve arriving on site. The data is used to compare actual valve performance with the expected performance. So valves which are not operating properly are quickly identified. In one case where one third of the valves were routinely replaced each year there is now the opportunity to replace just those that are not performing. Mark used the analogy of your car warning lights. There is now a yellow and a red light for each operating valve.