Media such as ammonia, methane, propane, butane, ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide tend to expand rapidly in volume as the temperature rises. If the medium remains in the dead space of the valve, the expansion can lead to a rapid increase in pressure above its nominal design pressure (PN), which can cause considerable damage to the components and impair correct functionality. This results in sources of danger, leaks and system failures. When handling expanding media, choosing the right ball valve design is therefore crucial in order to minimize safety risks and ensure efficient process control.
Unidirectional use
Depending on the nominal size and pressure rating, floating ball valve designs are used, as this design offers good sealing performance, compact construction and ease of operation, as well as being cost-efficient. To relieve the cavity, this design has a relief bore in the inflow side of the ball, for example. As a result, the ball valve can only be used unidirectionally.
Contacts mentioned in the article:
Marcel Gossmann, Managing Director of KLINGER Schöneberg
Bidirectional use for increased safety
The floating version INTEC K220-S-FS-DE developed by KLINGER Schöneberg has a unique design. By means of both sides spring loaded seat rings the pressure within the cavity escapes to the upstream side as soon as it is 2 bars higher than Delta P within the cavity. This design ensures automatic pressure relief. In addition, the INTEC K220-S-FS-DE offers the following advantages:
- Bidirectional use, which eliminates the risk of incorrect installation during service and maintenance work, thereby reducing potential safety hazards.
- Reliable relief of the cavity, even with critical and expanding media
- Field-proven design in almost all industries
- Reliable sealing and optimum process control
The INTEC K220-S-FS-DE ball valve is available in the following versions:
- DN15 to DN200 (NPS ½” to NPS 8”)
- PN16 to PN100 (Class 150 to Class 600)
- -10 °C to +400 °C
- Stainless steel 1.4408 (ASTM A351 CF8M), carbon steel 1.0619 (ASTM A216 WCB) and special materials such as Duplex, Super Duplex, Hastelloy B2/C4/C276, titanium, zirconium, Monell, nickel, etc.
Visit the KLINGER Group at ACHEMA 2024 and learn more about ball valve designs for expanding media. By carefully considering the process parameters, KLINGER Schöneberg can ensure safe and efficient handling.
