What are the most common mistakes when integrating control valves into complex systems?
Control valves are essential components of complex systems that regulate the flow of fluids, gases, or steam. They can be used for various purposes, such as pressure, temperature, level, or flow control. However, integrating control valves into complex systems is not a trivial task. It requires careful planning, design, testing, and maintenance to avoid common mistakes that can compromise the performance, safety, and reliability of the system. In this article, you will learn about some of the most common mistakes when integrating control valves into complex systems and how to avoid them.
One of the most common mistakes when integrating control valves into complex systems is mismatching the valve size and the flow rate. This can result in either over-sizing or under-sizing the valve, which can have negative consequences for the system. Over-sizing the valve can cause excessive pressure drop, cavitation, noise, vibration, and wear. Under-sizing the valve can cause insufficient flow, poor control, and instability. To avoid this mistake, you should always calculate the required valve size based on the flow rate, pressure, and fluid properties, and select a valve that matches the specifications.
Another common mistake when integrating control valves into complex systems is ignoring the valve characteristics and dynamics. Valve characteristics refer to how the valve responds to changes in the input signal, such as linear, equal percentage, or quick opening. Valve dynamics refer to how fast the valve can open or close, and how it behaves during transient conditions, such as overshoot, undershoot, or oscillation. Ignoring these factors can lead to poor control performance, instability, or oscillation. To avoid this mistake, you should always consider the valve characteristics and dynamics in relation to the system dynamics, and select a valve that provides the best control response.
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Jonathan Ricketts, P.E.
Engineering New Frontiers
When sizing a control valve, it is important to match the valve characteristic to the valve purpose. To select the proper characteristic, you can ask yourself questions such as "what percent open will the valve nominally operate at?", "do I need a low flow valve with occasional high flows or vice versa?", or "how does the flow being controlled relate to the process variable being measured?". Each of these things will affect the manner of valve selected. Many reputable manufacturers will publish tables with recommended pairings between valve function and flow characteristic.
A third common mistake when integrating control valves into complex systems is neglecting the valve interface and integration. Valve interface refers to how the valve communicates with the rest of the system, such as the controller, the actuator, the sensor, and the power supply. Valve integration refers to how the valve fits into the system layout, such as the piping, the fittings, the supports, and the accessories. Neglecting these aspects can cause communication errors, compatibility issues, leaks, misalignments, or interferences. To avoid this mistake, you should always follow the valve manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for the interface and integration of the valve.
A fourth common mistake when integrating control valves into complex systems is overlooking the valve maintenance and calibration. Valve maintenance and calibration are essential for ensuring the optimal performance, safety, and reliability of the valve and the system. Valve maintenance involves inspecting, cleaning, lubricating, repairing, or replacing the valve components as needed. Valve calibration involves adjusting, testing, or verifying the valve settings and parameters as required. Overlooking these tasks can cause valve degradation, malfunction, or failure. To avoid this mistake, you should always perform regular valve maintenance and calibration according to the valve manufacturer's guidelines and the system requirements.
A fifth common mistake when integrating control valves into complex systems is failing to document and validate the valve integration. Documentation and validation are important for ensuring the quality, traceability, and compliance of the valve integration. Documentation involves recording and storing the valve information, such as the specifications, the characteristics, the interface, the integration, the maintenance, and the calibration. Validation involves checking and confirming that the valve integration meets the system specifications, the design criteria, the regulatory standards, and the operational objectives. Failing to document and validate the valve integration can cause errors, inconsistencies, or non-conformities. To avoid this mistake, you should always document and validate the valve integration using appropriate methods and tools.
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Tomoya Ito
In activation of Open-Innovation items containing significantly important matters with social resolutions.
As known valves in the process system have important roles to determine that system quality and risk management containing emergency start or stop functions. Therefore dicumentations should have looks into system views in the functional approches then results in significant amount of documentations which can require cutting edged management approach in use of AI.
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