Case study – Significantly reducing stem torque in gate and choke valves
Product
Stem seals for gate and choke valves used in oil, gas, food, drink, chemical and power generation industries.
Problem
Valve stem seals must offer long life and reliable sealing capabilities. Traditional solutions result in high torque requirements on the valve stem which makes actuation more costly and in service use more difficult.
Solution
The Stem Seal criteria was to design a seal that could give long term assured sealing at high pressures over a wide temperature range, be suitable in any media, significantly reduce valve torque (reduce friction) and give >20 years life.
The careful selection of materials and consideration to design has allowed Fluorocarbon to meet these criteria at a price which remains competitive compared to traditional solutions whilst increasing reliability.
The new Fluorocarbon Stem Seal is the preferred choice for a number of leading international valve manufacturers which differentiates their product over manufacturers still using traditional sealing methods. Valves using the Fluorocarbon stem seal can meet the following criteria: -
Temperature- -100°C to +250°C (500°F) (Cryogenic on application)
Pressure - 15000psi cyclic, 22500 psi static.
Torque reductions reduced from >300 ft lbs to less than 100ft lbs.
The main valves these seals are at present being used in are Gate, Choke and Ball Valves; though Fluorocarbon can adapt designs to suit most applications and sizes. |
