Pumps, Valves and Seals Review: Part four

Hydrocarbon Engineering provides an overview of some of the most advanced pumps, valves and seals technologies available within the downstream oil, gas and petrochemicals processing industry.

Read part three here.

Teikoku Group

The global Teikoku Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of Sealless, emission free, canned motor process centrifugal pumps. With manufacturing capability in Japan, China and the US and subsidiary offices and service centres located in major markets worldwide, Teikoku is positioned to exceed user expectations in both production and support of its pumping technology. Recent investments have been made to increased manufacturing capacity to meet growing industry demand for safe pumping solutions.

100% API compliant heat transfer fluid pump for 400OC service.

Teikoku offers the process industries a wide range of hydraulic and double containment solutions that enable users to minimise risk and enhance plant safety while, at the same time, provide a lower long term cost of operation through increased reliability. Products are available up to 600 KW (805 hp) with capacities to 2400 m³/hr (10 000 GPM) and heads to 1000 m (3300 ft).

A variety of features and enhancements are available that provide the opportunity to monitor critical operating parameters required for the handing of volatile, toxic and environmentally sensitive liquids and minimise maintenance exposure. These include:

• Rotating element position and bearing wear monitors with outputs.
• VFD capability for enhanced process control.
• Secondary containment leak monitors.
• Elimination of alignment.
• Underwriters certification for hazardous area classifications.
• Versatile mounting arrangements with small footprints.
• Full compliance to Industry design standards such as API 685, ISO and ASME/ANSI.
• High temperature motor insulation systems that eliminate cooling water needs.
• API 685, Annex D circulation systems to meet all fluid characteristics.

For refiners and petrochemical producers, Teikoku can provide products that meet the rigorous standards of API 685 to assure safe, reliable and documented operation in critical services. API enhancements to Teikoku’s standard designs are offered to the level required by users or governed by plant operating standards. All API solutions are available with the support of Teikoku and its considerable expertise in the field of Sealless pumps. With over 50 years of market leading experience, Teikoku personnel can assist plant operating personnel and process design engineers in applying canned motor pump technology for increase plant safety, operating reliability and return on investment.

Viking Pump

Refineries, petrochemical plants and their EPCs have had limited choices for positive displacement (PD) pumps that comply with API 676 design standards until recently. While many pumps claim to ‘meet the intent’ of the standard, or ‘comply, with exceptions’, Viking Pump has developed a new series of steel internal gear pumps that are engineered and manufactured to comply fully with all requirements of this critical standard. The XPD 676 Series offers capacities to 1600 GPM (360 m3/hr) on viscosities from 28 to 2 million SSU, with differential pressures to 200 psi (14 bar).

Technician conducting certified performance test on 10 in. Viking Pump in compliance with the API 676 design standard.

Some of the recent applications where Viking has recently provided API 676 compliant pumps include: hydrocarbon transfer (EU refinery), railcar unloading of crude oil (US refinery), processing rubber cement (ME petrochemical plant), fuelling on offshore platforms (EU, Asia), and processing polyols (ME petrochemical plant). These projects help illustrate the variety of liquids and viscosities that Viking pumps can handle, from thin, high vapour pressure hydrocarbons (due to very low NPSHr), to extremely viscous polymer reactor discharge at very high temperatures (due to low shear with integral jacketing and the ability to adjust clearances for viscosity).

The API standard helps reduce the risk of handling hazardous or flammable hydrocarbons by ensuring the highest quality and reliability available in a pump. Some of the requirements of the standard include use of an API 682 compliant mechanical seal with minimum 25 000 hr (three year) design life, antifriction bearings with minimum 25 000 hr L-10 life at operating conditions, additional 3 mm corrosion allowance on pressure containing parts over and above the maximum allowable casing pressure, extensive non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of steel castings and weld repairs, and much more. Together, these features that are not normally found on ‘manufacturer’s standard’ pumps ensure the ultimate in safety, by reducing chance of emissions, leakage or catastrophic failure. The standard maximises reliability by requiring the best available components, and validates that reliability through NDE and certified hydrostatic and performance testing at the specified operating conditions. Due to the extreme robustness of the pumps, Viking provides a five year warranty on the XPD 676 Series.

Zwick

Zwick is a leading manufacturer of metal seated triple offset butterfly valves known as series TRI-CON, the check valves, called TRI-CHECK and the TRI-BLOCK series, Zwick’s Double Block and Bleed Design.

30 years experience in the design and production of valves guarantee high standard products. The triple offset butterfly valves are specially designed for critical services where they are used as shut off and control valves. The in house design enables customised solutions for individual applications, such as the global industries of oil and gas, chemicals, petrochemicals, energy, offshore and steel.

TRI-CON

TRI-CON valves incorporate a third offset design with a true cone in cone seating and a reliable zero leakage performance, and allow bidirectional tightness. The number of technical attributes of the product, with the cone in cone seating design with the multiple laminations and the metal seat, makes the series TRI-CON an allrounder for many different industrial applications. Zwick valves are used for industrial and exhaust gases, liquids, hot water or steam at low temperatures, as well as temperature zones up to 815°C.

TRI-CON.

TRI-CHECK

The check valve TRI-CHECK combines all the benefits of the TRI-CON series in a non-return valve. The valve has a triple offset design with a wide seat angle and a true cone in cone; there is no rubbing while moving and zero leakage performance. The TRI-CHECK is equipped with a hydraulic damper and a counter weight. The damper can be adjusted to the actual installation conditions in which the valve will be used.

The damping system not only reduces the risk of pressure surges due to waterhammer because of its closing characteristic, it also prevents the disc from slamming in the seat. Instead, the disc closes in a smooth movement that can be adjusted, so that the valve closes slowly in the last degrees of movement to protect the sealing parts. The Check Valve Series TRI-CHECK has proved to be the ideal non-return valve for single or multiple pump protection applications for the last two decades. Another benefit of the valve is the variety of features. Aside from the nonreturn function, the valve can be used as a combined check and isolating valve or as a check valve with power assisted closing and opening.

The TRI-CHECK series uses a seat design in which the seat is not parallel to the flange facing in the body. Instead there is a certain angle between the centreline and seat in the body. As a consequence, the general free area will be increased, meaning that the fluidic resistance of the valve will be decreased. Another advantage is that the valve travel will be reduced, so that the valve reaches its ideal position in the flow much faster. Zwick also uses the latest EFD simulation technology to optimise the design of the TRI-CHECK series, and to achieve the best possible hydrodynamical characteristics.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/special-reports/09072015/pumps-valves-and-seals-review-part-four-1063/