Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

SC-GCM-95 CM Issue 2 Copyright 2005 Spirax-Sarco Limited

Module 12.2
Isolation Valves Rotary Movement

The Steam and Condensate Loop

12.2.1

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

Rotary Movement Valves

Rotary movement valves, often called quarter-turn valves, include ball valves and butterfly valves. Regardless of the type of rotary movement valve, the obturator rotates about an axis perpendicular to the direction of flow. Fluid may flow through the obturator, as is the case with ball valves, or around it, as with butterfly valves. Rotary movement valves tend to have a simple operating mechanism and are therefore easy to automate and maintain.

Ball valves
Ball valves were developed during World War II and were initially intended for use in aircraft fuel systems, where weight and space are at a premium. They consist of a body which houses a rotating ball which has an orifice or bore machined directly through it. The ball is located in the body by two sealing rings. Rotation of the ball through 90 opens and closes the valve and allows fluid to flow directly through the orifice. In the closed position, the blank sides of the ball block the inlet and the outlet preventing any flow. There are two basic designs of ball valves the floating ball design, which relies on the valve seats to support the ball, and the trunnion mounted ball, which uses a trunnion to support the ball. Trunnion mounting is used on larger valves, as it can reduce the operating torque to about two-thirds of that provided by a floating ball. Conventionally, the handle that is attached to the ball is in-line with the axis of the pipe when the valve is open; conversely, if it is at right angles to the pipe axis, this indicates that the valve is closed.

End view of the ball within the valve at different stages of rotation Stem seals Stem Valve fully open Valve open Valve fully closed

Ball

Seals Fig. 12.2.1 Ball valve (shown in its open position)

Fluid passes freely through the orifice

Ball valves are available as reduced bore or full bore. Full bore valves have an orifice that is the same size as the diameter of the pipe, whereas in reduced bore valves, the orifice diameter is less than that of the pipe. Full bore valves cost more than reduced bore valves, and they should be used where the pressure drop across the valve is critical or where ball valves are used upstream of flowmeters. Full bore valves can be used in flowmeter applications to minimise fluid turbulence upstream of the measuring device. In order to insert the ball into the body, three different types of assembly exist. Not only does the type affect the ease of assembly, but it also influences the maintainability of the valve.

12.2.2

The Steam and Condensate Loop

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

Two and three piece valves - The body of the valve is split in one or two places in the same plane as the valve flange, and these pieces are bolted together. This has the advantage of simplified, in-line maintenance. Top entry valves - The ball is inserted through a bonnet in the top of the valve. This facilitates in-line maintenance. Single piece valves - The ball is enclosed in the body by an insert fitted along the valves axis. This eliminates the possibility of body joint leakage and any chance of disconnection whilst in service, but when maintenance is required, the whole valve has to be removed from the pipeline.

(a) Single piece ball valve

(b) Three piece ball valve

(c) Two piece ball valve

Fig. 12.2.2 Single piece (a) three piece (b) two piece (c) ball valves
The Steam and Condensate Loop

12.2.3

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

The choice of seat material determines the conditions for which a particular ball valve is most suited. Although new seat materials are continually being developed, Table 12.2.1 lists some of the more common materials in use today.
Table 12.2.1 Common ball valve seat materials Application Seat material PTFE Low temperatures Carbon reinforced PTFE High pressures Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) High temperatures Metal Maximum operating temperature 200C 230C 250C 1 000C

Ball valve options

Ball valves can be produced with a number of options to meet the demands of a wide variety of applications:
o

Actuators - Ball valves, and indeed all rotary valves, are suitable for automation. This is usually accomplished by using either an electrically or pneumatically operated actuator. The actuator is connected to the valve through a linkage kit. Although not essential, an ISO standard mounting pad enables the linkage kit to be installed without dismantling the valve, which maintains valve integrity. Refer to Module 6.6 for more information on actuators. Firesafe - As ball valves are commonly used in gas and oil pipelines, it is essential that the valves used in such applications are firesafe. A valve is considered firesafe if, when exposed to fire conditions, it will continue to provide minimal leakage through the seat and stem, and provide effective shut-off during or following a fire or exposure to excessive temperatures. Standards relating to fire-safety are set out in BS 6755 and API RP 6FA. The main concern is that burning temperatures will destroy soft seats and seals; a number of methods have been developed to overcome this. One approach is to include secondary metal sealing surfaces behind the polymeric seats as an integral part of the body. When exposed to burning temperatures, the seat begins to deform and the pressure of the process media displaces the ball so that it extrudes the polymeric seat (Figure 12.2.3(b)). When the seat has been completely destroyed, the ball will seat against the body metal sealing surface, providing a tight shut-off (Figure 12.2.3(c)).

Body Ball (a) PTFE seal intact

PTFE seal

(b) PTFE seal melting Fig. 12.2.3 Operation of a firesafe ball valve

(c) PTFE seal destroyed and a metal-to-metal seal is established

In addition to the inherent safety of the seating mechanism, the stem seal must also be capable of preventing leakage to atmosphere under fire conditions. This can be achieved by using high temperature seals made from flexible graphite or Grafoil; alternatively, a bellows sealed arrangement can be used (see Figure 12.2.4).

12.2.4

The Steam and Condensate Loop

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

Flexible linkage from drive to valve

Bellows

Fig. 12.2.4 A bellows sealed ball valve

o

Clean steam valves - A number of applications exist that require the valve to be of a clean design; these include steam applications where there is direct injection of steam into the product and process fluid lines in the biotechnology, food and electronics industries. The main area of concern in such applications is the space between the body and the ball; process fluid may accumulate in these spaces leading to contamination and corrosion. This can be overcome by inserting cavity fillers in these spaces. The cavity filler may be an integral part of the seat or a separate component in the valve assembly. Furthermore, ball valves used in clean steam applications should be made from stainless steel with a good surface finish (less than 81 microns Ra is recommended). Throttling applications - When ball valves are used in throttling applications, high velocity flow can impinge against a localised area of the ball and seals, causing premature deterioration of the seating material. Modifications to the standard design are required for ball valves to be used for throttling; these include the use of metal seats, hard coatings and, sometimes, modifications to the ball, to give a characterised flow pattern.

The Steam and Condensate Loop

12.2.5

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

Butterfly valves
Although there are many different designs of butterfly valve, they all consist of a disc that rotates on a shaft at right angles to the fluid flow. When open, the disc is edge-on to the flow and the fluid passes around it, offering limited resistance. In the closed position, the disc is rotated against a seat in the body of the valve. Butterfly valves usually take up little more room than a pair of pipe flanges, and are therefore an attractive alternative to the ball valve where space is limited. In fact, some butterfly valves are designed specifically for insertion between pipe flanges, these are known as wafer butterfly valves.

Fig. 12.2.5 Butterfly valves

The main disadvantage of butterfly valves is that the shut-off is not as tight as that achieved by other valve types. This can be alleviated to an extent by offsetting the axis of rotation of the disc and using pressure assisted seats. By using an offset axis of rotation, a camming action is generated, which means that the disc creates a tight seal with the seat during the last few degrees of shut-off. These high performance or eccentric-type butterfly valves have improved shut-off capabilities and their design enables them to be used for throttling. For steam applications, butterfly valves have largely been superseded by ball valves. Butterfly valves are more commonly used in liquid systems or where space is limited. The compactness of butterfly valves means less material is required and they are therefore ideal where the application specifies the use of costly materials, for example, in seawater applications where nickel is specified.

12.2.6

The Steam and Condensate Loop

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

Selection and sizing of isolation valves

A process fluid must be fully contained in a properly designed piping system to avoid endangering personnel and the environment, and contamination of the fluid itself. The pipeline system can have many potential leak paths, such as pipe joints, seams, equipment connections and, most importantly, valves. Valves can be one of the biggest contributors to plant problems if they are wrongly selected or are poorly designed or manufactured. Furthermore, a valve, when selected correctly for the application should last at least the life of the plant, if maintained properly. When selecting an isolating valve for a particular application, a number of factors need to be considered; these are shown in Table 12.2.2, along with the valve selection parameter that is affected.
Table 12.2.2 Factors affecting the selection of an isolation valve Factors affecting the selection Areas of concern of an isolation valve Fluid liquid or gas Pressure Temperature Process medium Flowrate Corrosive Abrasion Speed of operation Fails safe Functional requirements Frequency of operation Emission loss to atmosphere Manual Pneumatic Method of operation Electric Electropneumatic Hydraulic Pipeline material Pipeline size Pressure loss Firesafe Free draining Antistatic Affected parameter Type of valve Material of construction Maintainability Valve size

Type of valve

Type of valve Type of actuator Valve size End connections Type of valve Material of construction Availability Cost Type of valve

Pipeline

Special requirements

Table 12.2.3 summarises the main characteristics of the different types of isolation valve.
Table 12.2.3 Typical sizes and operating ranges of isolation valves Pressure Temperature Size range range Valve type Min. Max. Min. Max. Min. Max. (mm) (mm) (bar) (bar) ( C) ( C) Gate 3 2 250 >0 700 -196 675 Globe 3 760 >0 700 -196 650 Diaphragm 3 610 >0 21 -50 175 Ball (full bore) 6 1 220 >0 525 -55 300 Butterfly 50 1 830 >0 102 -30 538
1 Note:

Pressure drop1 bar 0.007 0.590 0.021 0.007 0.120

Typical values for a DN150 bore valve passing saturated steam at 24 bar, flowing at 40 m / s.

The Steam and Condensate Loop

12.2.7

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

Table 12.2.4 summarises the applications of the most common isolating valve types in use today.
Table 12.2.4 Applications of isolating valve types Valve type General applications Shut-off/ regulation of liquid / gas flow. Steam and condensate applications. Used fully open or fully closed for on /off regulation on steam, gas and other fluid services. Typically used on fluids that cause excessive seat wear. Normally used fully open or fully closed for on /off regulation on water, oil, gas, steam and other fluid services. Shut-off and regulation in larger pipelines in waterworks, process industries, HPI, power generation. Wide range of applications in all sizes, including HPI. Steam and condensate applications. Actuation Usually manual, but may be: - Electric - Manual - Hydraulic - Pneumatic Usually manual, but may be: - Electric - Manual - Hydraulic Remarks Usually applied to higher pressure or high volume systems, due to cost. Less suitable for viscous or contaminated fluids. Usually used where the valve body is to be permanently installed and maintenance needs to be minimised. Not recommended as a throttling valve. Solid wedge gate is free from chatter and jamming. Parallel slide valve used in steam systems. Relatively simple construction. Can be produced in very large sizes. Eccentric design essential for steam systems. Typically used on liquid systems. Can handle all fluid types. Limited maximum pressure rating.

Globe valve

Piston valve

Gate valve

Usually manual, but may be: - Electric - Manual - Hydraulic

Butterfly valve

Handwheel Electric motor Pneumatic actuator Hydraulic actuator Air motor Handwheel Electric motor Pneumatic actuator Hydraulic actuator

Ball Valve

Table 12.2.5 is a generalised guide to the selection of isolation valves for particular steam and condensate applications. It should be noted that the choice of isolation valve is subjective and different industries and those in different geographical regions have their own unique preferences.
Table 12.2.5 Selection of valves for steam/ condensate isolation purposes Note: In this table, bellows sealed refers to a bellows sealed globe valve and globe refers to a standard, gland packed globe valve. Standard Dead tight Energy and Application Choice Zero emissions application shut-off maintenance savings <DN50 Ball < DN25 Piston < DN25 Piston Bellows sealed 1st >DN50 Globe >DN25 Ball >DN25 Ball Globe Trap sets < DN50 Ball up to 100 mm < DN25 Piston >DN50 Bellows Bellows sealed Bellows sealed 2nd >DN25 Ball sealed Mains and 1st Globe Ball Piston Bellows sealed equipment 2nd Ball Piston Bellows sealed Piston < 50 mm Mains and equipment 50 mm - 100 mm Mains and equipment > 100 mm Automated mains and equipment 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd Bellows sealed Globe Bellows sealed Globe Bellows sealed Globe Bellows sealed Ball Bellows sealed Globe Bellows sealed Ball Bellows sealed Ball Bellows sealed Globe Bellows sealed Ball Bellows sealed Ball Bellows sealed Globe Bellows sealed Ball

12.2.8

The Steam and Condensate Loop

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

Once the most suitable type of valve has been chosen, it is necessary to choose the correct size. Valves are typically sized according to the pipeline size. It is however advisable to check that the pressure drop across the valve (when it is fully open) is within acceptable limits. The pressure drop is a function of the valve flow coefficient (or Kvs value), the flowrate and the inlet pressure. Specification sheets usually contain data about the Kvs value when the valve is fully opened. With knowledge of the typical operating pressure, and the mass flowrate, it is possible to determine the pressure drop across a chosen valve. Alternatively, if the maximum acceptable pressure drop is known, it is possible to select a suitable valve size. Although there are many formulae and charts available to predict the relationship between flowrate and pressure drop, the following simplified empirical formula (Equation 3.21.1) produces reliable results for steam and is therefore commonly used:

V . Y 3  F

Equation 3.21.2

Where:

ms = Mass flowrate in kg / h Kv = Valve flow coefficient c = Pressure drop ratio

P1 - P2 P1 P1 = Upstream pressure in bar absolute P2 = Downstream pressure in bar absolute =

This formula forms the basis of the chart shown in Figure 12.2.7, which was first introduced in Block 3, Module 21. If the isolating valve is to be used in a liquid system, the pressure drop across the valve is determined using the following equation:

* . Y ' 3
Where: Kv V G DP = = = = Valve flow coefficient (m / h bar) Flowrate in m / h (m / h) Relative density of liquid (non-dimensional) Pressure drop across the valve in bar (bar)

Equation 6.3.1

Rearranging the formula gives:

'3 * .Y

Equation 12.2.1

The Steam and Condensate Loop

12.2.9

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

This sizing chart is empirical and should not be used for critical applications

Inlet pressure bar a (absolute)

0.8 1

2 3 4 5 8 10

Cr

itic

Pr es su re dr op ba r

al

pre

ss

ure

dro

pl

ine

20

0.

0.

3 0. 2

0. 1

30 40 50 80

10
20

30

20

Steam flow kg/h ( 3 600 = kg/s)

30 40 50 80 100

0.4

Kv =
200 300 400 500

1.0

1.6 2.5 4.0

800 1 000

Kv =
16 25

6.3
10

2 000 3 000 4 000 5 000 8 000 10 000

40
Kv =
63

10 0

16 0 25 40 0 0

20 000 30 000 40 000 50 000 80 000 100 000

Fig. 12.2.6 Saturated steam sizing chart

12.2.10

The Steam and Condensate Loop

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries 1 000

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

5) ) In what book of the Bible do you y find these words, I am the living bread which came down from heaven
Kv 0 0 10 5000 40 300

200 100

500 400 300 200

50 40 30 20

100

by y a whirlwind? 200
100

50 40 30 20

10

50 40

30 20

5 4 3

10

Water flow m /h

10
5 4 3 2

Water flow l/s

5 4

3 2 1 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 5 0.0 4 0.0 3 0.0

0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2

0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2

0.1

0.05 0.04 0.03 0.02

0.1

0.05 0.04 0.03 0.02

2 0.0 1 0.0
0.01

0.005 0.004 0.003 1 2 3 4 5 10 20 30 40 50 100 200 300 500 1 000 2 000 4 000

0.01

Pressure drop kPa Fig. 12.2.7 Water sizing chart

The Steam and Condensate Loop

12.2.11

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

Questions
1. Which of the following situations would warrant the use of a full bore ball valve? a| Upstream of a flowmeter b| For isolation of plant when cost is an important consideration c| After a steam trap set d| The end of a steam main 2. What is the main advantage of a three piece ball valve over a one piece ball valve? a| Eliminates the chance of disconnections whilst in service b| Each piece can be selected individually to customise the valve to suit a unique application c| Higher valve integrity d| Easier in-line maintenance 3. Which application would a standard butterfly valve be most suitable for? a| Temperature control b| In small mains applications c| Automated isolation of a large steam jacket d| In hazardous gas applications that require a dead tight seal

4. What would be the Kv value of a steam isolation valve with a pressure drop of 0.3 bar? Given that it is to be used upstream of a heat exchanger with a steam demand of 3 000 kg / h and a supply pressure of 5 bar g. a| 70 b| 88 c| 100 d| 420 5. A bellows sealed globe valve is available in sizes DN25, DN32, DN40 and DN50 and the table below shows the corresponding Kvs values? Size Kvs value DN25 12 DN32 20 DN40 30 DN50 47

Choose the correct size globe valve if it is to be used downstream of a pressure reducing station passing 500 kg / h of steam at 10 bar a, given that the pressure drop across the chosen globe valve must be less than 0.1 bar. a| DN25 b| DN32 c| DN40 d| DN50

12.2.12

The Steam and Condensate Loop

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

6. Using selection tables determine the most suitable types of valve for use on a 150 mm steam main to give a dead tight shut-off? a| Bellows sealed globe valve / globe valve b| Ball valve / bellows sealed valve c| Ball valve / piston valve d| Bellows sealed globe valve / eccentric butterfly valve

The Steam and Condensate Loop

1: a, 2: d, 3: c, 4: b, 5: b, 6: a

Answers

12.2.13

Block 12 Pipeline Ancillaries

Isolation Valves - Rotary Movement Module 12.2

12.2.14

The Steam and Condensate Loop