Process Control

Below you will find white papers on topics involving process control and automation.

Rotary Valves Can Prevent Stem Seal Woes

Submitted by Peter Jessee || Valin Corporation

Experienced process control engineers follow familiar, time-tested steps when presented with a new system to design and specify. Selecting a control valve for a process always requires the same information: collection of the process conditions, calculating required capacity and determining the materials that will survive in the process stream. But some process streams present more challenges than others.

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Effective Inventory Management During a Turnaround

Submitted by Kari Kohonen || Valin Corporation

Nothing will impede a successful plant turnaround like improper planning. One aspect of this planning is effective inventory management, and the keys to achieving this are properly identifying and communicating maintenance needs. Read the article below published in Hydrocarbon Processing Magazine to learn more.

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Hydrogen Production: Back to Basics

Submitted by Cory Calderon || Valin Corporation

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed on August 16, 2022, and included financial incentives that were intended to drive more investment and deployment of clean hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

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Rainwater Diversion Strategies

Submitted by Dave Molinari || Valin Corporation

Rainwater can collect oils, contaminants, and chemicals as it touches the ground. Fortunately, technology exists to treat the initial rainwater, and it has been utilized in certain parts of the country for some time. However, as more people become aware of this functionality, its applications are gaining popularity all across the country.

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What You Need to Know About Emergency Isolation Valves

Submitted by Peter Jessee || Valin Corporation

Industrial process plants are complex facilities with thousands of components that play a role in the operation of the plant. Not all these components hold the same consequences if they are improperly selected or if they fail to perform their designed function.

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Excel-Worksheet Predicts Control Valve Hydrodynamic Noise

Submitted by Jon Monsen || Valin Corporation

Most control valve manufacturers include IEC 60534-8-4:2015 in their control valve sizing and selection software to predict control valve hydrodynamic noise. However, users who want to make quick noise predictions or who want to construct valve sizing applications, programming the above noise standard can be a daunting task. 

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Simplified Methods for Liquid Control Valve Sizing

Submitted by Jon Monsen || Valin Corporation

If one wants to be able to do accurate hand calculations, or construct a simple program or Excel sheet, the method described here gives answers that agree exactly with iterative calculations using the equations in the current version of the ISA and IEC standards.

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Emergency Isolation Valves — Needs and Requirements

Submitted by Peter Jessee || Valin Corp.

EIVs are a critical safety device for fuel-burning equipment and industrial processes that use flammable ingredients. Proper selection is critical for the safety of the workers in the plant, plant equipment and the surrounding communities.

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Using Control Valve Installed Gain Calculations

Submitted by Jon Monsen || Valin Corporation

The availability of an easily constructed Excel worksheet that calculates and graphs control valve installed gain in conjunction with the users preferred control valve sizing application has prompted a new interest in the application of these calculations. Three examples are shown here.

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Fluid Handling: Pick The Proper Positioner

Submitted by Peter Jessee and Dave Fahlgren || Valin Corporation

Positioner selection deserves due diligence and consideration of several factors before making any firm decision. Theres certainly not a typical one-size-fits-all approach for positioners; an uninformed choice can lead to undesirable consequences.

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Specifying Trip Valves is Critical for LNG Service

Submitted by Peter Jessee || Valin Corporation

Appropriately specifying trip valves in the world of natural gas liquification is a critical element. Failing to do so effectively can risk the lives of operators and maintenance personnel working in close proximity to the equipment, and can sometimes cause irreparable damage to expensive turbomachinery.

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Valin’s Inventory Management Services: Providing Peace of Mind

Submitted by Rich Wilbur || Valin Corporation

By taking advantage of Valins program, customers can be confident that their inventory management function is fully optimized.  They can rest assured that the right parts will be in the right place right when they need them, while keeping the peace of mind that their transactional costs are being lowered and the KPIs are being adequately analyzed.

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Looking Beyond Globe Control Valves

Submitted by Peter Jessee || Valin Corporation

While globe control valves are still a viable solution, modern rotary control valves offer many advantages and serve as a more suitable solution in certain process applications.

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Determining Pressure Drop for Control Valve Sizing

Submitted by Peter Jessee || Valin Corporation

Most people who are familiar with control valves have seen the formula for calculating the valve capacity (Cv) required to pass a given flow rate of water. This seems fairly straightforward until you ask yourself, what is the correct value of differential pressure to use?

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Maintaining an Enclosure’s Integrity

Submitted by Fred Gridley || Valin

Maintaining a consistent internal environment for your enclosures is critical for equipment to function properly. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has defined standards for specific enclosures designed for the application and environment when correctly installed. Learn more.

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Instrumentation Fittings for Power Plants

Submitted by Greg Neneman || Valin Corporation

A lot must be reviewed before selecting the right fitting for power plant instrumentation applications. Among the choices are whether to use single- or double-ferrule designs; heat codes, lubrication, and corrosion resistance must also be considered.

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Stop Cavitation from Destroying Your Control Valve Trims

Submitted by Dr. Jon F. Monsen and Dr. Hans D. Baumann

The devastating effects cavitation can have on control valve internals are widely appreciated. In this article, the authors therefore explain the origins of cavitation, provide an easy-to-use method to estimate cavitation sound levels, and conclude with approaches to reduce or even avoid cavitation.

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