SAMSON

Predicting control valve reliability

problems and troubleshooting in
petrochemical plants
Critical outlet velocities – The hidden valve enemy

Special print from

Paper 2006 Valve World Conference
November 2006

By:
Dipl. Ing. Holger Siemers, SAMSON AG
Predicting control valve reliability problems and troubleshooting in
petrochemical plants Critical outlet velocities - The hidden valve enemy
Dipl.-Ing. Holger Siemers, SAMSON AG

Keywords
Standard globe valves and rotary valves · Cost and time pressure change inquiry and quotation process · The hidden valve enemy,
critical valve outlet velocities for gas and vapors · Critical trim outlet velocity versus valve body outlet velocity · Stem vibration, a
possible reliability problem · Troubleshooting in a German refinery · Coming up with another design other than the current low-
noise cage design

Abstract
In the complex area of the prediction control valve reliability, the various aspects of the cost-driven market, which have forced valve
manufacturers to develop valves for typical market segments, have to be looked at. In the oil and gas market, a significant portion
of valves are severe service valves with high power consumption. A good balance between commercial aspects and necessary
safety requirements for the long-term has to be found. This article recommends steps for long-term control valve reliability.

1. Standard globe valves and rotary valves and their differ- advantage comes with larger sizes where rotary plug valves
ences in general regarding critical applications can be selected up to two sizes smaller than globe valves if just
Globe control valves are the first choice for general use, cover- Cv 100 is used as the selection criterion.
ing the largest part of non-critical and critical applications. In the past, all standard butterfly and ball valves were designed
Driven by increasing pressure of cost, high flow capacity rotary for on-off service. In order to minimize pressure losses, the ma-
control valves like butterfly, rotary plug or ball designs are jority of such installations were line-sized with the largest
mostly used in case of larger sizes in the areas of non-critical Cv 100 value.
applications. These are relatively free of cavitation, flashing Butterfly and ball valves with high flow capacity Cv/DN²
and choked flow conditions, within given noise limitations and, [Cv 100 x 100/DN²] can achieve Cv 100 values up to four
if proper control parameters can be achieved. sizes smaller than the required globe valves, not taking the in-
Table 1 shows the valve size relationship, comparing typical fluence of pipe reducers and high outlet velocities into consid-
Cv 100 values of rotary plug valves with globe valves. Both eration. These high outlet velocities can have a critical damage
valve types have replaceable seats and plugs as well as re- potential in case of cavitation and flashing.
duced Cv 100 values for special control tasks. The economic Globe and rotary plug valves offer a wide range of Cv values
to optimize the control parameters to the given plant parame-
ters. Butterfly and ball valves normally need smaller sizes or
Size (DN) 150 200 250 300 400
reduced Cv 100 values (i.e. smaller < 90° opening angle, split-
Cv 100 values for rotary plug valves at 70° opening angle with the
largest and smallest seat diameter range setting and mechanical travel stop to achieve similar
results).
Max Cv 100 795 1100 2223 3110 4872
Fig.1a shows the comparison of different valve types. Flow ca-
Min Cv 100 208 279 557 777 1240
pacity Cv/DN² and cavitation sensitivity are presented with the
Cv 100 values for globe valves at 100 % stroke with the largest and onset of cavitation value xFz, the key valve factor for cavitation
smallest seat and plug
and sound prediction together with the process operating con-
Max Cv 100 418 731 1116 1740 2900
dition. Fig. 1b shows the interaction of flow capacity Cv/DN²
Min Cv 100 73 186 116 186 418 with the opening angle and valve characteristic and valve de-
Table 1 sign.

2 Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006
 0.9
Globe valve
0.8 Butterfly valve
Rotary plug valve
xF z value -onset of cavitation- IEC 60534-8-4

0.7

0.6

0.5

DN 50
0.4
DN 80

DN 150
0.3 DN 200

0.2 DN 100
DN 100
DN 200
0.1 DN 200

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Globe valves Rotary plug valves
Butterfly valves (70°)
2
Specific flow capacity Cv*100/DN

Fig. 1a: Onset of cavitation versus flow capacity Fig. 1b: Flow capacity versus valve opening

The message of Figs. 1a and 1b is that high flow capacity dled with care. Detailed engineering and any open questions can
valves are more prone to cavitation than globe valves at maxi- be discussed within the given short period. The final supplier can
mum and minimum load. The cavitation intensity is approxi- get the order with a price level guarantee and the project winner
mately comparable with globe valves at the same value of can continue the project work. This will not only save resources of
Cv x 100/DN² at maximum load of the globe valve. But, at all valve manufacturers, but mainly also those of the company’s
smaller loads, globe valve are less sensitive to cavitation than own instrumentation engineering department by avoiding the
standard rotary valves. process of comparing technical quotations and pricing for the en-
tire number of “incorrectly sized” control valves submitted by nu-
2. Cost and time pressure change inquiry and quotation merous different suppliers.
process, how to avoid “quick and dirty sizing” On the other hand, cost-saving tasks change the valve ordering
Increasing time and cost pressure have changed the inquiry and process, resulting in single-source contracts, which large end users
quotation process for larger projects. On the one hand, control and consultants have established over the past couple of years
valve manufacturers are not able to offer some hundred control after auditing only one valve supplier for a huge project or for
valves for oil and gas projects with severe service applications general delivery. This also saves a lot of resources on both sides,
within just a few days, without having time to perform detailed but there is still a risk concerning selecting the right control
engineering. valves.
The result may be a kind of “quick and dirty sizing” with many In the early stage of project design, just the pipe diameters are
open questions concerning the long-term reliability objective and published, which allows the selection of the majority of line-sized
the risk of malfunctions. on-off valve products. Assuming that on average just 5 % of the
There is a better way considering the circumstances of insufficient total number of valves are for throttling service, while the great
time to select a specific range of valves from different degrees of majority are on-off valves, this much smaller quantity can only be
difficulty and send this limited percentage of 50 to 100 pieces to selected by rule of thumb for selecting the valve size versus the
the client’s valve suppliers. In this case, these valves are to be han- valve type Cv 100 value. Detailed operating conditions are not

Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006 3
published at this early stage and may change tremendously after 4. The need for limitations of valve outlet velocities
the pressure loss calculation of the process engineers. In case of cavitation and flashing which contain wet vapor,
By reducing the specific globe valve size by one up to four times missing regulations create a “hidden valve enemy” with nega-
in case of single-source contracts, rotary valves are generally se- tive impact on long-term reliability.
lected because of the unbeatable lower price compared to globe And there is also the experience of increasing damage poten-
valves. tial on comparing dry gases with less overheated vapors or
Severe problems have to be solved later when realistic operating saturated vapors like saturated steam. In contrast to the limit of
conditions from pressure loss calculations are available. In severe the average velocity Ma = 1 combined with more or less se-
service applications, this data often calls for low-noise devices, vere density shocks at the valve body outlet (Fig. 2a), the
proper control parameters and moderate outlet velocities, espe- downstream pipe expanders choke the flow at Ma > 1, which
cially if now the application shifts into the area of severe service should be avoided as it creates high-frequency sudden density
with cavitation, flashing and choked flow. shocks comparable with explosions (Fig. 12). Then extremely
If too small valve sizes are selected, taking only the calculated Cv sudden forces acting not only downstream but also upstream
value into account, then high flow capacity valves (Cv x 100/DN² may damage the valve body and the plug guiding. Such forces
> 2 ) need to be selected with care in case of critical liquid operat- can cause plug and stem rupture and a kind of “cold welding”
ing conditions. between the trim shaft and the bushing (Fig. 2b).
There are multiple parameters such as the size and pressure
3. Critical valve outlet velocities for gas and vapors rating of the valve and pipe as well as the material, fluid prop-
If valves are selected for gas or vapors, rules for limited outlet erties, corrosion and dirt potential as well as the specific instal-
velocities have been established not to operate control valves lation situation, which may call fore more complex rules.
at outlet velocities Ma > 0.3 to avoid long-term reliability prob- If measures are taken such as optimizing and protecting against
lems. This is also of interest for the calculated noise warranty, corrosion and dirt, it is surprising that sizing control valves at
especially in case of low-noise valves. outlet velocities Ma < 0.3 in general avoids most long-term dif-
Furthermore at 0.3 < Ma < = 0.7, low-noise devices lose their ficulties (only for short periods of time 0.5 < Ma < 0.7).
acoustical benefits in comparison to a standard valve. At For liquids, it takes special efforts to find comparable rules for
Ma = 0.7 there is no difference in noise between a low-noise limited outlet velocities in case of cavitation and flashing.
and a standard valve. Valves should operate at 0.3 < Ma < 0.7 In addition, web research or studying oil and gas companies’
only for short periods. Long-term operation of control valves at and manufacturers’ regulations results in some very different
Ma > 0.3 creates a reliability risk and should be generally recommendations as well as many contradictions. Nothing
avoided for the industrial standard control valve types. seems to be established.

Fig. 2a: Sonic velocity producing shock waves Fig. 2b: Bushing and stem damage (Mach theoretical >1)

4 Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006
Decades of maintenance reports demonstrate that the long- 5. Trim outlet velocity not practical for standard globe and
term reliability risk is self-evident even for liquids in case of rotary valves
cavitation and flashing if valve outlet velocities are too high. The first Valve Reliability Predicting Conference in Maastricht in
The fluid nature is wet vapor in the vena contracta (Fig. 3) December 2005 introduced a velocity model published by CCI
and if cavitation choke flow (xF > Fl²) or flashing (p2 < pv) [3] called “kinetic energy model”: The trim outlet velocity is
occurs, also wet vapor exists in the valve and downstream limited. Further publications from other manufacturers and
pipe. valve users produced many pros and cons. The company CCI
There is no doubt that limiting the liquid or wet vapor outlet stated very clearly that there is a “hidden valve enemy” in the
velocity in the same way as for vapor and gas is important in form of a too high trim outlet velocity.
days where often cost pressure is the decision maker.
Wet steam and wet vapor have a higher damage and pipe In contrast to expensive multi-stage microflow channel trims
vibration potential than saturated vapor because of the higher which can throttle high differential pressures of liquids without
density and mass weight, which unfortunately is a rarely known any cavitation, the throttling process of standard globe and
fact due to a very low sonic velocity, which can reach values rotary valves with pressure recovery convert the liquid phase
below 100 m/s [328 ft/s]. into a wet vapor phase in case of cavitation and flashing. The
“critical trim outlet velocity” cannot be detected here at the trim

Wet steam under choked flow at valve trim outlet

Fig. 3a: Flow measurements: water, 20 °C, 6 to 1 bar FTC Fig. 3b: Flow measurements: water, 20 °C, 6 to 1 bar FTO

Fig. 4a: CFD flow simulation: liquid, 10 to 9 bar FTC Fig. 4b: CFD flow simulation: liquid, 10 to 9 bar FTO

Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006 5
outlet because the velocity is not a liquid velocity anymore, Oil and gas (HPI) market power consumption of control valves
instead it is converted into the sonic velocity of wet vapor, Crude oil pumps in refineries: 1,000 to 2,000 kW
which is a property value, and causes liquid choked flow if Kc Anti-surge control valves: 1,000 to 4,000 kW
or Fl² < xF or generally in case of flashing p2 < pv (Fig. 3). Flair and start-up valves: up to 200,000 kW
SAMSON AG publishes critical valve body outlet velocities in Gas or steam pressure let down: 3,000 kW
case of cavitation and flashing. The wet vapor sonic velocity at Typical pump power 100 to 1,000 kW
valve outlet must be avoided.
In contrast to flashing (pv > p2) with a steady wet vapor Valves with top-guided parabolic plugs if developed mainly for
phase at the valve outlet, the cavitation process (pv < p2) can the mass market must be selected with care and should not be
have a wide range of operating data ranging from harmless used if excessive power (dp x flow) will overload the valve, re-
sound-producing cavitation up to absolutely severe cavita- sulting in stem vibration, unpredicted sound level and failures.
tion areas with the highest damage potential. In the same The CFD simulation software is very effective for optimizing
succession, the wet vapor phase may convert into liquid and understanding flow in control valves (Fig. 4). For a simula-
again directly at the trim downstream in the valve body or tion at p1 = 10 bar to p2 = 9 bar, the velocity profile becomes
much later in the downstream pipework as a function of the asymmetrical.
given operating data xF to the valve liquid recovery factors This effect can lead to stem vibration and unpredictable noise
xFz and Fl (Figs. 6 to 7). levels especially at xF > 0.5 and smaller loads Cv/Cv 100 < 0.25
If discussing reliability prediction and standardization, this (Fig. 5).
more or less simple rule opens up a wide field of fine tuning For seat diameters > 32 mm and xF > 0.5, valves with top-
and improvement in the long run. guided parabolic plugs should be selected with care if cavita-
tion cannot be avoided [1].

6. Valves developed to preferred market segments and pos- 7. CFD flow calculation of the rotary valve and piping system
sible reliability problems of overloaded valves High-capacity rotary valves, on the one hand, are more prone
Another reliability aspect is that under cost pressure, the to cavitation and, on the other hand, can be sized two to three
valve design has changed in the last decades from top and times smaller than globe valves (Fig. 1b), of course, at lower
body-guided or cage-guided valves to appropriate valves cost. Therefore, the main field of application is non-critical ap-
for chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage markets plications where globe valves may not be mandatory and are
as well as for biofuel applications. In this case, approxi- more expensive.
mately 80 % of all control valves are connected to smaller
pumps up to maximum 5 kW. The remaining 20 % consisting
of more sophisticated or tailor-made control valves are used
in the HPI market at upstream and downstream production
places of, amongst others oil, methanol, LNG and gas ap-
plications.
The majority of these more expensive valves are supplied by
larger, much more powerful pumps or flow machines. There
is no doubt that these valves are designed for higher perfor-
mance. Globe valves with top and bottom-guided plugs or
top and seat-guided plugs as well as cage-guided plugs are
used here more often combined with highly effective, low-
noise devices. As an alternative to globe valves, high-perfor-
mance rotary valves in butterfly, rotary plug and ball design
also updated with low noise features are available nowa-
days. Here, special process demands concerning control
quality, noise reduction, smallest seat leakage, high shut-
Fig. 5: Top-guided parabolic plug with stem vibration at smaller loads
down pressure and cost comparison open the market for detected in a water and air test rig. The sound pressure level dB(A) can
both types of valves. increase by up to 25 dB(A) higher than predicted.

6 Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006
In case of cavitation and flashing, the “hidden valve enemy” takes care of the critical outlet velocity. The price is higher than
(too high outlet velocities) is much more evident for standard for the smaller valve size of a standard rotary valve, but still
rotary valves than for globe valves. The pressure reduction lower material costs and a smaller actuator size may lead to a
process includes the valve and a more or less long section of competitive offer.
the downstream pipe system, where long-term trouble like pipe
vibration, welding ruptures and abrasion to pipe and body 8. Limited outlet velocities to avoid troubleshooting
holes are waiting. In case of partial cavitation xF > xFz, engineering rules have
The CFD simulation selected here make visible the influence of been established to limit the liquid outlet velocity to < 5 m/s
outlet velocities in the valve and downstream pipe system. [16.4 ft/s] and to < 3 m/s [9.8 ft/s] if severe cavitation
Sophisticated low-noise rotary valves are also available these xF > xFmr occurs.
days. Rotary plug valves and also butterfly and ball valve solu- Some useful approximations if other values are published:
tions can be offered with reduced Cv values and reduced diam- Kc=xFmr onset of choked flow approximately Fl³
eter of the integrated seat or disc, together with integrated and/ Note: According to ISA-RP75.23, xFz is only approximately
or outlet low-noise reducers like baffles. The larger valve size equal to 1/
1/σi and Kc is only approximately xFmr= 1/ 1/σmr
In case of flashing conditions, the average outlet velocity has to
be calculated for the mixture of liquid and wet steam or wet
Liquid CFD simulations vapor. Severe pipe vibration and valve damage can be avoid-
ed if the valve outlet diameter restricts the outlet velocity below
60 m/s [197 ft/s] (the average of 0.7 Ma sonic velocity of liq-
uid/gas and wet vapor mixture).
These initial basic rules may be modified slightly using more
reported values and experiences, meaning for example, if the

25 m/s 6.6 bar Two phase flow (water/steam) p1=60 bar , T = 200 Deg C, p2 variabel

100 1400
Fig. 6a: Too small size create a critical velocity profile of a rotary plug 90
1200
valve at 50° opening angle. Pressure profile 10 to 7.55 bar with cavita- 80
Steam mass fraction [%]

tion xF > xFz. The throttling process continued in the downstream pipe.

Sonic velocity [m/s]

70 1000
Steam mass fraction
60 Sonic velocity
800
50
600
40
30 400
20
200
10
0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Steam volume fraction [%]

Fig. 8: Case study of sonic velocity areas below 200 m/s [656 ft/sec]

16 m/s 8.6 bar

Fig. 6b: Velocity and pressure profile of a rotary plug valve at 90° open- Vapor velocity
ing angle, 10 to 9.2 bar

Liquid velocity

25-40 m/s 0.8 bar

Fig. 7: Critical velocity and pressure profile of a rotary plug valve at 50°
Average velocity
opening angle, 10 to 2 bar. The throttling process is not finished at valve
outlet. The valve upstream and downstream velocities are too high and
cause long-distance interaction with the downstream pipe. Fig. 9: Flashing research at SAMSON AG

Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006 7
 3” u2=16m/s 6” u2=4.8m/s

Fig. 10: Different body and piping stress situations due to velocity profi-
les at similar operating position for 3” and 6” valves (also see Figs. 4)

cavitation intensity is very small xFz < xF < xFz +0.1, the limited
outlet velocity could be somewhat higher. If, in addition, dirt,
solids or/and corrosive fluids occur together with cavitation,
velocity limits should be adhered to more strictly. At least com- Fig. 11: Low-noise flow divider and outlet silencer to reduce the noise
panies offering special designed valves for severe service can and control outlet Ma numbers.
apply this long-term fine-tuning process.

9. CFD flow calculation the globe valve and piping systems CFD simulations with gas
with expansion pieces Non critical flow

Fig. 10 shows a CFD comparison in case of cavitation: The Pressure profile Velocity [Ma Nb.] profile

large impact of the valve body stress situation compared under p1 = 10 bar / p2 = 7 bar

the same operating conditions with non-critical and critical out-

let velocities u2 [2]. 0.3 Ma

Critical pressure reduction with gas and vapor (steam) need

higher valve sizes because of the critical density expansion to
avoid excessive outlet Ma numbers. CFD simulations very p1 = 10 bar / p2 = 5 bar

clearly show that conical expansion pieces can create a long-

term reliability risk if the valve outlet Ma becomes > 0.7.
0.5 Ma
Also the lower velocity profile near the pipe wall of a sudden
expansion shows acoustical benefits in comparison to conical
expansion pieces. The given plant downstream pressure takes
place directly downstream of the valve and creates high Ma Critical flow: Influence of downstream piping

Pressure profile Velocity [Ma Nb.] profile

numbers with dangerous density shocks (Fig. 12). p1 = 10 bar / p2 = 2.5 bar

Larger valve sizes with reduced seat diameters can keep Ma

numbers lower and avoid the risk of damage. Apart from other 1.5 Ma
0.8 Ma

benefits, downstream silencers combine a more economic

smaller valve size with the optimum expansion outlet size for
Ma < 0.3 as well. Additional benefits are the further sound re- 1.8 Ma
ca. 0.3 Ma

duction of the silencer baffles, shifting about 70 % of the total

power from the moving valve trim parts to the very sturdy per-
forated orifice plates (baffles). In brief: just an expansion of the 1.4 Ma
ca. 0.3 Ma

pipe diameter at valve downstream is not enough. The “enemy“

is still evident when the outlet valve flange is sized too small.

8 Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006
Critical flow: Influence of downstream piping Example 1
Pressure profile Velocity [Ma Nb.] profile
Troubleshooting with replacement of an 8” rotary plug valve
p1 = 10 bar / p2 = 1 bar
with a 12” globe valve and anti-cavitation trim in 2002
The offer of an alternative of a larger rotary valve with 20
3 Ma
dB(A) noise reduction was not accepted in this case. Valve
damage and sound reduction from >100 dB(A) to 85 dB(A).
Too high outlet velocity or too small valve size lead to unpre-
dicted plant shutdown.
2 Ma

Operating data: 306 °C

Vapor pressure: 0.1 bar (a)
Fig. 12: Influence of downstream piping in case of gas pressure reduction
[2] Ma numbers > 1 are values in the expander area and will combine
Density: 796 kg/m³
sonic and supersonic velocities with density shocks at downstream pipe. Wrong sound calculation < 85 dB(A)
Measurements: >100 dB(A)

10. Troubleshooting in case of cavitation and flashing in a

Flow qmin qnorm qmax
German refinery
Flow t/hr 202 505.5 607
Three examples (presented at the Valve World valve reliability
p1 bar a 14.3 14.3 14.3
seminar in Maastricht, December 2005) underline the impor-
p2 bar a 1.3 6.0 8.3
tance of limited outlet velocities.
1) Severe cavitation damage Table 2

2) Severe flashing damage

3) Severe cavitation pipe vibration Cavitation damage occurred in a rotary plug valve as a result
of “quick and dirty” sizing (Fig. 14).
The examples here are taken from the TOTAL refinery in
Spergau formerly Leuna 2000 (Fig. 13), one of the biggest in-
vestment in Europe costing about two billion Euros. Its actual
capacity is 11 million tonnes of crude oil coming from Russia.
Around 1300 control valves contracted by LURGI and TECHNIP
are installed in the refinery.

Fig. 14: First blowout and unpredicted plant shutdown

The delivered spare rotary plug valve needed control of wall

thickness with thermographic measurements and the use of a
downstream baffle to change the plug position in order to pro-
long the service life by two months for the regular plant shut-
Fig. 13: TOTAL refinery in Spergau down (Fig. 15).
CONVAL™, a manufacturer-independent software for plant
optimization pinpoints partial, severe and maximum cavitation
with choked flow and warns against too high outlet velocities.
(CONVAL™ trademark of F.I.R.S.T GmbH).

Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006 9
Fig. 15: Spare rotary valve under operation before replacement with 12”
globe valve (just before the second blowout)

Also a 12” rotary valve may handle this application. But

85 dB(A) noise reduction is a challenge for this type of valve.
Fig. 18: Installation problems solved

Cavitation-free operation with AC trim system (Fig. 17), but

more space (and budget) is necessary to replace an 8” rotary
valve with a 12” globe valve for long-term troublefree opera-
tion (Fig. 18).

Fig. 16: Calculation of the 8” rotary plug valve. The software pinpoints
partial, severe and max. cavitation with choked flow and warns against
too high outlet velocities. Replacement with a low-noise 12” globe valve.

Fig. 17: Calculation and optimization of the 12” low-noise globe valve

10 Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006
Example 2
Severe flashing and pipe choked flow with too small rotary
valve and troubleshooting with the help of proper flashing cal-
culation and an optimum valve outlet size.

Most critical:
Flashing with boiling liquid p1 = pv
Operating data: 45 °C
Vapor pressure: 25 bar (a)
Density: 670 kg/m³

Flow qmin qnorm qmax

Flow t/hr 50.46 144.2 158.6
p1 bar a 25.1 25.1 25.1
Fig. 19: First shutdown due to corrosive fluid and incorrectly selected
p2 bar a 11.3 11.3 11.3
material combined with flashing and too high outlet velocities
Table 3

Recommendations and regulations for control valve reliability

in case of flashing conditions:
Keep valve outlet velocity below sonic velocity of wet vapor.
Recommendation u2 < 60 m/s (< 192 ft/s).
In case of boiling liquids (non-undercooled) p1 = pv: Valves
should be selected line-sized with no reducers, elbows or block
valves and should be 20 times DN at valve upstream to avoid
mixed flow at valve inlet.
For mixed hydrocarbons and liquid mixtures, new property
specifications have to be reported in the valve specification
sheet from process engineers.

a) % Mass-portion of wet vapor at downstream condition

b) Density of wet vapor at downstream condition Fig. 20: Flashing calculation and warning system. Calculation of severe
flashing conditions (p1 = pv) with 4” rotary plug valve in 8” pipe system.
Critical outlet velocity u2 = 247 m/s Ma (theoretical) > 1
The software can calculate flashing and liquid/vapor mixtures
with graphic support of installed characteristic, if wet vapor
mass part and density at p2 conditions are given. Multiple failures in installation
and valve sizing cause:
On the first occasion, a 4” globe valve failed because of corro-
sion and flashing with too high outlet velocity (after 1½ years, • Rotary valve body erosion and
body leak and unpredicted plant shutdown Fig. 19). The sec- corrosion
• Pipe wear (elbows)
ond time, a 4” rotary plug valve in Hastelloy™ failed and
• Possible vaporization at valve
caused severe pipe vibration and damage. In case of corrosive inlet, strong flashing
fluids, cavitation should be avoided, if possible, and the valve • Wear in the orifice flow meter
guidance tolerance system should be protected in the long • Tremendous costs for spare
parts, maintenance and plant
term with the lowest velocity profile. shutdown
Proper material selection is important if flashing occurs with
corrosive fluids as well as making sure that the critical outlet
velocity is not exceeded.

Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006 11
 T Temperature Outlet velocity (4“ valve)
h Enthalpy -> Mass portion of flashing 13 %
s Entropy 251 m/s! Mach (theoretical) > 1
KP Critical point if average sonic velocity is assu-
x2 Mass steam portion valve outlet med between 120 to 60 m/s
x1 Mass steam portion valve inlet

Result of wet vapor velocity cal-

culation at downstream condition
p2 for a 4” valve

Fig. 21: Analysis of the valve malfunction. Fig. 23: 8” standard globe valve delivered to German TOTAL refinery in
The complete mathematics is integrated in the SAMSON sizing software Spergau, replacing a 4” rotary plug valve to avoid plant shutdown.
as well as in the CONVAL™ plant optimization software.

The calculation shown below was performed with the software

to size an 8” globe valve with standard seat-guided contoured
plug. The globe valve is successfully in operation since 2001
(Fig. 22).
Also a 8” rotary plug valve with decreased Cv value (seat di-
ameter) if designed for flashing and carefully selected pipe-
work may handle this application.

Fig. 24: Flashing: proper material and pipework as well giving the wet
vapor space is all that’s needed.

In case of flashing (p2 < pv), expensive multi-stage trims do not

provide any advantages. It is better to use standard trims, hard-
ened material and to keep valve outlet velocity below sonic veloc-
ity of wet vapor (< 60 m/s) as well as to ensure proper pipe instal-
lation.

Fig. 22: Selecting the valve 8” to avoid critical outlet velocity u2 > 60 m/s
[197 ft/s]

12 Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006
Example 3
Severe dangerous pipe vibration of too small petrol loading
valves and successful troubleshooting

Severe pipe vibration (risk of piping/weld seam rupture) with these

rotary plug valves

High noise and pipe vibrati-

on with rotary plug valve.

Better pipe dancing on the

ground floor

Fig. 26: Operating data show

severe cavitation for standard
type of rotary valve which incre-
ase noise to 96 dB(A) and cause
severe vibration of the pipework

Fig. 27: Graphic support with root malfunction analysis of the wrong
sized valve – Calculation with 4” rotary plug valve, critical outlet velocity
Fig. 25: Petrol loading station: Too small sizes of rotary valves on first floor u2 = 10.42 m/s (33.72 ft/s) installed in 8” pipe. Warning of too high valve
cause noise and severe dangerous pipe vibration outlet velocity as root failure source.

Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006 13
 11. Coming up with another design other than the current
low-noise cage design
Finally, the author has followed growing market demands to
present a new alternative to an expensive pressure-balanced
cage globe valve design. Metal-to-metal leakage rate Class V
is required combined with higher shutdown pressure, which
called for a pressure-balanced design. Cage valves are more
dirt-sensitive and can have a higher rate of failure, which in-
creases the total cost of ownership (TCO). Today, often there is
no time for proper commissioning with a traditional long-term
flushing process, dirt filters, replacing cage valves with spool
pieces etc.
It is often wishful thinking to believe that the process fluid is
clean.
Fig. 28: Troubleshooting with 8” globe valve and anti-cavitation trim and
Five special low-noise triple-eccentric butterfly valves operate
downstream baffles – Calculation of 8” globe valve with anti-cavitation in a large petrochemical complex in Nanhai, China in critical
device and 3 downstream baffles. Replacement in 2001 with 8” globe applications, handling the fire-fighting water (Fig. 32c) and
valve u2 < 3 m. Also a low noise rotary plug anti-cavitation design at
cooling water system (Fig. 32b) at a considerably lower price
larger valve size may handle this application.
than a cage globe valve.
This latest development in high-performance butterfly technol-
Anti-cavita- ogy offers unique opportunities to reduce cost because this
tion trim
type of rotary valve can be delivered to sizes of up to 100” and
with up to
four baffles also for high-pressure applications up to Class 2500. The but-
terfly valve comply with leakage class V with metal-to-metal
sealing and even reach class VI bubble-tight requirements sim-
ilar to soft-seated seats. Combined with a powerful rotary ac-
tuator, high shutdown pressures are possible and open up very
economic possibilities to replace very expensive pressure-bal-
anced, dirt-sensitive cage globe valves, even when the applica-
Top and Cutaway model operates in the
tion calls for noise reduction in a limited area.
bottom seat- SAMSON test rig for cavitation Sixteen Type LTR 43 Butterfly Valves in size 60” work in the
guided and flashing research. Nanhai petrochemical complex [4] as start-up devices of enor-
parabolic
mous water pumps for the plant cooling water supply.
plug with
integrated Fig. 30a shows a unique picture of a dynamic test directly after
upstream the successful static leak test for leakage class V at conditions
baffles or of 8 to 1 bar. The approximately 20-m-high water fountain
downstream
baffles
produced with the small pump shows the main construction
(silencer) parameters of the triple-eccentric design.
F .I.R .S .T .
In the Nanhai petrochemical complex, a unique challenge was
Gesellschaft für technisch-wissenschaftliche 36
Softwareanwendungen mbH

to reduce cavitation noise by about 15 dB(A) to < 90 dB(A)

warranty; seat leakage class V, with high cv 100 value > 2000.
A pressure-balanced design is not recommended due to pos-
sible dirt.
Fig. 29: AC trim system (anti-cavitation design) In the design phase, special care was taken to handle the limits
of critical outlet velocities (Fig. 32a).
These valves were successfully commissioned and could be of-
fered at a significant lower price than a complicated pressure-
balanced low-noise cage globe valve [4].

14 Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006
 Fig. 31: A different design than Fig. 32a: Design draft of fire-
the common low-noise cage fighting water, low-noise valve.
design DN 1 = 16”, DN 2 = 12”,
DN 3 = 24” for outlet velocity
< 5 m/s at max. flow

Fig. 30b: Triple-eccentric butterfly

design

DN 3 = 24”----DN 2 = 12”----DN 1 = 16”

Commis- Commis-
sioning sioning
the cooling the fire-
Fig. 30a: Final inspection at water valves fighting
LEUSCH (member of the SAMSON valves
AG Group)

Fig 32b: Cooling water supply Fig 32c: Fire-fighting water pump-
12. Conclusion
valve around valve
The author, who has been active in the control valve business
for more than 35 years, has noticed that troubleshooting has
increased in all fields and occupies a significant part of his
time.
Time and cost pressure from his point of view can affect plant
reliability objectives.
The following priorities concerning valves are often specified
by end users in the HPI sector:
• Safety and reliability
• Control quality
• Environmentally aspects, trouble-free life cycles and lowest
cost of ownership.
Nowadays, the contradiction often arises as consultants are
under significant pressure to keep costs low and opt for other
priorities:
Fig. 33: Calculation of the pump around fire-fighting water control valve
• Lowest initial cost (Fig. 32c) with critical pressure letdown 13.5 bar (a) to 2 bar (a) and
• Just meeting the specification low-noise devices.
• Just meeting the warranty time
• e-bidding and e-purchasing
References
Valve sizing standards and regulations as well as safety regu- [1] 2nd International Conference on Developments in Valves and
lations seem to be complete but there are gaps with the poten- Actuators for Fluid Control, Manchester, March 1988, Paper D1
tial for unpredicted plant shutdown and disasters. DeZURIK. Plug vibrational tendencies of top guided throttling cont-
rol valves. Henry Illing
Noise prediction methods were developed in the early 1980s.
[2] Published at Control Valve Reliability Prediction Seminar,
This was only possible because competitors worked together Maastricht, 13 to 15 December 2005 by Dr. Jörg Kiesbauer
with an open mind and a common goal. The same should be SAMSON Control Valves Prediction Methods
[3] Sizing for Severe Service “Kinetic Energy Model” L. Stratton CCI
possible today concerning the reliability objectives of control
2005 Valve World CVRP Seminar
valves. [4] “Nanhai revisited” Valve World Interview with Teun Hooftman Shell
Petrochemicals Company Ltd. Valve World Edition February 2006

Special print from Paper 2006 Valve World Conference · www.valve-world.net · November 2006 15
 2007-11 DR · WA 183 EN

SAMSON AG · MESS- UND REGELTECHNIK · Weismüllerstraße 3 · 60314 Frankfurt am Main · Germany

Phone: +49 69 4009-0 · Fax: +49 69 4009-1507 · E-mail: samson@samson.de · Internet: http://www.samson.de