What is a valve manifold and where are valve manifolds used?

Valve manifold configurations for diverse industrial plant applications.

Valve manifolds are flow management devices of ever-growing interest for operators, maintainers, and design teams worldwide. Even under today’s landscape of ongoing innovations, they continue to be a go-to technical solution for fluid control in systems. When two or more valves are involved, that is.

Since their deployment extends across diverse processes in several industries, it is only fitting to seize the opportunity to offer knowledge on them.

What are valve manifolds? When to use them? What configurations are available?

These are some of the questions to address in this introduction feature. Please, continue reading below to get the details.

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Challenge of Design Verification Test (DVT/TAT)

Challenge of Design Verification Test (DVT/TAT).

In my professional career I have found that in practice there is often misinterpretation in understanding Design Verification Test (DVT). DVT is formerly known as TAT (Type Acceptance Test) – a Shell Specification (MESC SPE 77/300A).

In the industry, there are many different manufacturers offering valves meeting Shell requirements. Users should also find out if these valves also meet the full Shell MESC SPE 77/300A Specification. This misinterpretation made me write this post.

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Cryogenic valves for LNG application – Part 2

Cryogenic valves - LNG application.

In our second part of the cryogenic valve series I would like to responsive on questions like “What are the challenges of using cryogenic?”, “Selecting a valve for cryogenic service.”, “How can engineers ensure tightness of cryogenic valves?” and “What should engineers pay attention to during assembly of cryogenic valves?”.

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Cryogenic valves for LNG application – Part 1

Cryogenic valves - LNG application.

One of our customers needed a primary isolation valve for a pressure measurement on a container ship. The ship uses natural gas power. The valve had to meet the Fire Safe API requirements. It also had to pass a cryogenic test with liquid nitrogen (-196 ° C). The container ship rides under the American flag. Thus, an independent examiner had to administer the test. This examiner came from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the US Coast Guard.

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Valves in extreme cold: 3 criteria are decisive

Arctic operation valves for extreme cold.

Whether in Alaska, Norway or Russia: Industrial valves, such as those used in chemical plants or the oil industry, are exposed to extreme cold as low as -55°C in some regions. However, not all industrial valves are suitable for operation in extreme cold. Three criteria are decisive.

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