The valves, 78 and 84 inches (1.9 and 2.1 meters) in diameter, were the largest the manufacturer had ever produced.
01/21/2015
In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the oil and gas market is highly competitive. Petrochemical plants must provide services with as little disruption as possible to maintain production and meet market demands. These facilities handle hazardous materials that require constant monitoring, and the equipment in these challenging environments is typically difficult to access and maintain. Unplanned plant shutdowns delay and disrupt production, resulting in substantial financial losses. Shutdowns often result from failures in system components, such as valves. As plant infrastructure evolves, specialized valve engineering promises reliable performance in challenging applications, such as chemical and petrochemical handling.
Design Specifications
An integrated petrochemical facility in the Middle East needed to install large valves for wet flare applications. The installation had to occur by a strict deadline without disrupting plant operations. The plant operator required a complete valve solution that included design and engineering support, valve casting and testing to stringent standards, and delivery and installation at the facility.Each component was machined separately according to available data and as part of the entire valve construction.(Images courtesy of Pentair Valves & Controls)
The valves measured 78 and 84 inches (1.9 and 2.1 meters) in diameter—the largest wedge gate valves the manufacturer had ever produced. The manufacturer had to develop a complete valve design, including all components, in accordance to its internal finite element analysis (FEA). The design needed to contain the valve as a whole as well as every component to make sure each detail was considered during the process.
The components were machined separately during production according to this extensive data and as part of the entire valve construction. The project took about 11 months to complete, from receiving the approval from the plant operator to manufacturing, benchmarking and delivering the valves to the Middle Eastern plant. The large-diameter valves were delivered on schedule without any delays.
Bolted bonnet-flanged wedge gate valves are the preferred valve design for petrochemical plants. Wet flare applications require high performance and tight shutoff. Wedge gate valves drain excess gases and operate in critical safety systems to provide emergency shutdown and prevent leaks.