What Is A High Performance Butterfly Valve?

high performance butterfly valve
High performance butterfly valve.
(Pratt Industrial)
Industrial process control applications can present stringent and challenging performance requirements for the physical equipment and components that comprise the process chain. The valves employed in fluid based operations need to be resistant to the impact of extreme fluid conditions, requiring careful design and selection consideration to assure proper performance and safety levels are maintained in a predictable way.

Industrial butterfly valves intended for extreme applications are generally referred to as high performance butterfly valves (HPBV). While there are plenty of published and accepted standards for industrial valves, one does not exist to precisely define what constitutes a high performance valve.

So, how do you know when to focus valve selection activities on high performance butterfly valves, as opposed to those rated for general purpose? There are a number of basic criteria that might point you in that direction:
  • Extreme media or environmental temperature or pressure
  • High pressure drop operation that may cause cavitation
  • Rapid or extreme changes to inlet pressure
  • Certain types or amounts of solids contained in the fluid
  • Corrosive media
Certainly, any of these criteria might be found in an application serviceable by a general purpose valve, but their presence should be an indicator that a closer assessment of the fluid conditions and commensurate valve requirements is in order. The key element for a process stakeholder is to recognize when conditions are contemplated that can exceed the capabilities of a general purpose valve, leading to premature failure in control performance or catastrophic failure that produces an unsafe condition. Once the possibility of an extreme or challenging condition is identified, a careful analysis of the range of operating conditions will reveal the valve performance requirements.

There are numerous manufacturers of high performance butterfly valves. Pratt Industrial manufactures high-quality resilient-seated, high performance, and triple offset butterfly valves. Construction materials include carbon steel and stainless steel. Their TE Series triple offset valve offers premium, zero-leakage seating capability even in severe service applications.

You can always get more information and discuss your special requirements with a valve specialist. They have application experience and access to technical resources that can help with selecting the right valve components to meet your severe service and high performance applications.

For more information, contact Process Control Solutions by calling (800) 462-5769 or by visiting https://processcontrolsolutions.com.

Flame Testing a WIKA Industrial Pressure Gauge vs. Competition

The video below shows the results of laboratory flame testing of the WIKA XSEL process pressure gauge against those of a competitor.

The test first exposes both gauges to a 10 second burn, followed by a 30 second burn. Then, both gauges are exposed to the flame again over an extended period of time.

You can see by the time lapse video that the WIKA gauge maintains stability, does not melt, and does not continue to burn.

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Fluid Power Applications in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants

In plants all across the Midwest, ASCO Numatics solenoid valves, cylinders, manifolds, and other fluid automation devices provide ultra-reliable service in water and wastewater treatment facilities. ASCO Numatics has a well-earned, 50 year reputation as a key supplier for OEMs, engineering contractors, valve assemblers, and end users seeking dependable treatment of potable water and wastewater.


Some of the most common applications to use ASCO Numatics products are:
  • Air Preparation
  • Aeration and Odor Control
  • Bio Refinery Solutions
  • Carrier Water Control
  • Disinfection and Filtration
  • Process Valve Piloting
  • Seal Water Control
  • Solids Dewatering
For additional information on water and wastewater treatment applications, read the document below. For assistance with any ASCO Numatics requirement, contact Process Control Solutions by calling (800) 462-5769 or visiting https://fluidpower.processcontrolsolutions.com.

The Fundamentals of Fluid Power

Fundamentals of Fluid PowerThe purpose of fluid power is to transmit power from one location to another. In the mid-1600s Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, made a very important contribution in the field of fluid motion. This contribution, known as Pascal's Law, relates the transfer of pressure through a fluid. Pascale determined that a contained, pressurized fluid will exert pressure equally in all directions. Pascal's Law states that pressure set up in a confined body of fluid acts equally in all directions and always at right angles to the containing surfaces.

Another important property of fluid mechanics was discovered in the late 1600s by Robert Boyle, an Irish physicist. Boyle's Law is an experimental gas law which describes how the pressure of a gas increases as the volume of gas decreases. A modern statement of Boyle's law is the absolute pressure of a confined body of gas varies inversely as its volume, provided it's temperature remains constant. In a physical system this means that as the volume decreases, the pressure increases. Similarly, as the volume increases, the pressure decreases. Boyle's Law can be expressed mathematically as the pressure at state 1 times the volume at state 1, is equal to the pressure at state 2 times the volume at state 2. This is true as long as both the temperature and mass, or amount of gas, remains constant.

In the late 1700s Jacques Charles, a French scientist and mathematician, discovered an important rule regarding gases under pressure. Charles's Law, also known as the Law of Volumes, is an experimental gas law which describes how gases tend to expand when heated. It states that if the pressure of a gas is constant, and it's temperature is raised, the volume will also be raised by the same ratio. Additionally, the inverse is true. If the pressure of a gas is constant, and the temperature is lowered, the volume will also lower. Charles's Law can be expressed mathematically as the ratio of the temperature at state 1 to the volume at state 1, is equal to the ratio of the temperature at state 2 to the volume at state 2. This law is true as long as the pressure and mass remain constant.

In the mid-1700s, Danielle Bernoulli discovered another very powerful rule in the field of fluid mechanics. Known as Bernoulli's Principle, this rule is related to the Theory of Conservation of Energy, which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. In this fluid system, pressure is potential energy and fluid flow is kinetic energy. Bernoulli's Principle states that an increase in the speed of an incompressible fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure.

Toward the end of the video below, this is illustrated by the flow of water through a pipe. The volume of water flow through all three sections is the same when the waters flow is restricted. In Section B, the speed of the water increases to maintain the same amount of volumetric flow. This increase of speed simultaneously causes a decrease in pressure. When the flow of water reaches section C, the inverse occurs. The water flow decreases and the pressure increases. This rule can also apply to the types of energy present in the system. As the pressure decreases in Section B, the potential energy converts into kinetic energy. This increases the speed of water flow and decreases the pressure. When the water reaches section C, the kinetic energy is converted back to potential energy. This is illustrated by the decrease in speed of the water flow and it's simultaneous increase in pressure.

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