5 Crucial Design Elements in Severe Service Control Valves

Severe service applications place intense demands on control valves. Without the right design elements, valves can quickly wear down, leading to frequent maintenance, downtime, and costly replacements.

This article explores the essential design elements for severe service control valves. We’ll also cover some Trimteck innovations like the CVD-5B hardening process and Guardmaster Metal Bellows, both engineered to enhance valve performance in harsh conditions.

1. Specialized Trim for Severe Service

The Role of Trims in Severe Service

Trims are critical in controlling fluid flow and reducing cavitation, flashing, and erosion. Severe service applications often experience rapid pressure changes and high flow velocities, making specialized trims essential for stable, controlled fluid dynamics.

Trimteck’s Trim Designs

Trimteck engineers trims designed to handle these challenges. Our ST-2 multi-stage pressure-reducing trim gradually reduces pressure through a sequence of channels, preventing vapor bubble formation/collapse and reducing noise. For high-velocity gas applications, our ST-3 trim minimizes noise by up to 30 dBA, reducing turbulence. We tailor these trims specifically for severe service, enhancing their performance and extending valve life.

2. Durable Valve Seats for Extreme Conditions

Importance of Valve Seats

Valve seats provide a tight shutoff within the valve, protecting it from damage due to high flow rates and abrasive or corrosive fluids. In severe service, durable valve seats are critical for maintaining a strong seal and reducing erosion.

Trimteck’s Valve Seat Solutions

Trimteck designs valve seats for durability in harsh conditions. Our ST-5 Venturi seat redirects erosive effects away from critical components by guiding flow to less vulnerable areas. Our ST-4 stacked disc trim stages pressure reduction, effectively controlling high flow rates and reducing erosion. These designs extend seat life and improve reliability in severe conditions.

3. Exotic Materials for Durability

Role of Exotic Materials

Standard valves often fail in severe service environments, where conditions can quickly degrade conventional materials, leading to erosion, structural failure, and costly downtime. Using advanced materials helps severe service valves resist these challenges, maintain structural integrity, and ensure reliable operation under intense chemical and physical stress

Trimteck’s Material Selection

Trimteck incorporates exotic materials like Hastelloy, Monel, and Titanium, for their resistance to corrosion and ability to endure extreme temperatures. We select each material based on specific fluid properties and operating conditions, ensuring the valve’s durability and performance in demanding environments.

4. Hardening Processes

Advanced Surface Hardening for Increased Durability

Trimteck’s CVD-5B hardening process, originally developed for aerospace applications, enhances durability by infusing boron deep into valve surfaces, creating a wear-resistant layer. Unlike standard coatings, which can wear away over time, this process forms a metal boride layer that penetrates up to 0.015 inches, offering exceptional resistance to erosion. This advanced treatment ensures superior performance in severe service conditions, where traditional surface hardening methods often fail to provide lasting protection.

Benefits for Severe Service

The CVD-5B process makes valves more resistant to wear from abrasive particles, high temperatures, and corrosive substances. Withstanding temperatures up to 1200°F, CVD-5B-treated surfaces are ideal for high-pressure applications, extending valve life by up to tenfold. This innovative treatment helps valves endure severe service conditions with minimal degradation.

5. Zero Fugitive Emissions

Preventing Leakage with Guardmaster Metal Bellows

Severe service applications demand valves that maintain a reliable seal under fluctuating pressures and exposure to corrosive fluids. Trimteck’s proprietary Guardmaster Metal Bellows offer a robust solution by compensating for pressure changes and forming a corrosion-resistant seal that ensures long-term valve integrity and performance.

Application in Severe Service

Guardmaster Metal Bellows provide a critical safeguard in applications requiring zero fugitive emissions. They deliver consistent sealing under harsh chemical exposure and variable pressures, protecting sensitive process fluids and preventing environmental contamination. These bellows are essential for enhancing valve performance in safety-critical applications.

Severe Service Control Valves Precision-Engineered for Your Applications

To learn more about how Trimteck’s valves can meet your application’s demands, consult with a Trimteck representative today.