Blog - Post List

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Rotary Vane Actuator Valve Control

    Jim Cahill
    Rotary vane actuators are often used for automated pipeline valves and other critical ball and plug valve applications. The hydraulic-powered actuators apply hydraulic force on the rotor’s vanes away from the stationary shoes to produce rotation and perfectly balanced torque output. With no conversion of linear to rotary motion, this actuator technology is highly efficient and ideal for use in high vibration applications…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Actuator Monitoring and Control for Improved Performance

    Jim Cahill
    Valves are the workhorses of industrial processes as they control and manage the flow of fluids. Information can be collected from the actuators controlling their movement to help drive improvements in safety, reliability and efficiency. Emerson’s Knut Riegel joined me in this Emerson Automation Experts podcast to discuss motor operated valves and the information that can be extracted to improve performance. Visit…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Actuator Monitoring and Control for Improved Performance

    Jim Cahill
    Valves are the workhorses of industrial processes as they control and manage the flow of fluids. Information can be collected from the actuators controlling their movement to help drive improvements in safety, reliability and efficiency. Emerson’s Knut Riegel joined me in this Emerson Automation Experts podcast to discuss motor operated valves and the information that can be extracted to improve performance. Visit…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Valve Diagnostics Drive Improved Performance

    Jim Cahill
    As a final control element, a control valve directly touches the process and is subject to wear and tear over time. Predictive diagnostics can help detect abnormal conditions developing in time to address them before unplanned shutdowns or slow downs occur. In a Plant Engineering article, Advanced valve diagnostics drive savings , Jordan Mandernach and Emerson’s Brent Baker teamed up to share these diagnostics in digital…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Suppressing Fluid Flow Noise

    Jim Cahill
    Many industrial processes are quite loud from the flow of fluids through the piping, especially where there are changes in the flow rate. In a Hydrocarbon Engineering article, Sound Suppression , Emerson’s Bill Flowers shares ways to reduce high noise conditions caused by control valves and surrounding piping. Bill opens sharing Lighthill’s law , which states: …that aerodynamic noise varies as the eighth power of…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Control Valve Selection Criteria Considerations

    Jim Cahill
    I discovered a great new series of YouTube videos from the Emerson team managing the Fisher Valves & Instruments brand of products. Two of the three recent videos are part of the Control Valves Basics playlist which also has quite a number of other videos to quickly ramp you up the learning curve on basic knowledge of control valves. The three new videos include: What Is a Control Valve? (2:04 runtime) What Are…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Transporting Hydrogen in Natural Gas Pipelines

    Jim Cahill
    With the hydrogen demand growing globally, some challenges are arising across the supply chain to move it from production to consumption. One opportunity is blending a percentage hydrogen into the existing pipeline infrastructure. Rossella Mimmi and Attilio Lepore address the challenges of blending hydrogen into the existing pipelines such as leakage and embrittlement. To learn more about the challenges and opportunities…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Reducing Emissions in Your Sustainability Strategy

    Jim Cahill
    Across all industries, there is an increased urgency and demand to reduce emissions. Every sustainability strategy—from capturing CO 2 and using more clean energy sources and green fuels to improving energy efficiencies—directly or indirectly links to managing emissions. In earlier podcasts we focused on challenges and opportunities operators face with hydrogen production and transportation. Today, we look at emission…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Predictive Maintenance for Discrete Valves

    Jim Cahill
    Intelligence in industrial valves continues to grow. This video by Emerson’s Amit Patel and Jason Maderic shares how the TopWorx predictive valve maintenance solutions help manufacturers and producers drive Digital Transformation initiatives to improve performance around production, energy, emissions, reliability, and safety. Amit opens explaining that users today have the capability to generate large pools of data…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Driving to Zero Emissions with ECAT Valve Actuation Technology

    Jim Cahill
    Sustainability initiatives often include looking for ways to reduce emissions. Automated valves are often driven by pressurized natural gas and can be a source of methane emissions. In a Control Engineering magazine article, New hydraulic actuator designs offer zero emission options , Emerson’s John Carroll highlights new actuator designs that eliminate these emissions. John opens noting the three main type of natural…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Improving Terminal Reliability with Quality Isolation Valves

    Jim Cahill
    An InTech magazine article highlighted the statistic that only 28% of a valve’s lifecycle cost is the initial cost. This means that the majority of your total costs for valves are going towards maintenance and repair, energy consumption, asset disposal, and other costs. In this Storage Terminal Reliability podcast, Emerson’s David Leavitt discusses the challenges that you can face in the Tanks and Terminals industry…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: How to Select Valves for Molecular Sieve Switching Applications

    Jim Cahill
    As a business development manager for Emerson’s AEV C-Ball Valves , I recently published an article in the October 2021 issue of Plant Services. The article describes the unique and difficult challenges associated with molecular sieve switching valves and the new valve options available to address these issues. The article is titled How to Select Valves for Molecular Sieve Switching Applications and it is summarized below…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Digital Valve Controller Travel Control with Pressure Fallback

    Jim Cahill
    Two posts, Valve Travel Control-Pressure Fallback and More on Digital Valve Controller Travel to Pressure Fallback Mode proved to be very popular with the readers of this blog. These posts, featuring Emerson’s Riyaz Ali shared how the Fisher DVC6200 digital valve controller can detect position feedback problems and automatically revert to current-to-pressure (I/P) transducer mode to keep the valve fully operational. …

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: When is a SIL Suitability Rating Required for Final Control Elements?

    Jim Cahill
    Abstract Final Control Elements (Control valves or Safety Shut Down Valves) are the key components of any close loop control system, whether it is used for Basic Process Control Systems (BPCS) or for Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS). Financial constraints derive different constructions of valves suitable for throttling vs On-Off applications. However, due to past accidents, reliability has become a key criterion in…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: ROI Flows Through Your Valves—Why Valves Matter

    Jim Cahill
    The Valve Industry is a complex, fragmented, application-oriented category. Technology is only as good as application. Navigating the technology choices is only the starting point. Even specifying valves has become much more complex. Augmenting the specification with the right approach to digitalization, emissions compliance and other regulatory standards is a constantly evolving opportunity. Particularly as the needs…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Understanding Control Valve Choked Flow

    Jim Cahill
    We’ve heard the term “choking” when it comes to athletic performance in not being able to perform in the moment. But what about choked flow when it comes to control valves? Image taken from Product Bulletin: Understanding Choked Flow in Fisher Valves Emerson’s Katherine Bartels and Adam Harmon address this question in an International Society of Automation Intech article, Choked Flow in Control Valves . Katherine…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Reducing Tank Venting Equipment Fugitive Emissions

    Jim Cahill
    At the 4C Health, Safety & Environmental conference , Emerson’s Derek Kelly highlighted ways to reduce fugitive emissions from tank venting equipment. Here is the abstract of his presentation: Tank venting equipment such as blanketing regulators, thief hatches, pressure/vacuum relief valves and emergency vents are needed to safely operate AST’s. If these devices are not correctly sized and selected, excessive fugitive…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: More on Digital Valve Controller Travel to Pressure Fallback Mode

    Jim Cahill
    In a post last week, Valve Travel Control-Pressure Fallback , Emerson’s Riyaz Ali shared the process of how a control valve with a digital valve controller could fall back to standard pressure control upon an issue with the travel sensing mechanism. We both received a great email with some follow up questions that I thought would make a good follow on blog post. The first series of questions were, “What about friction…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Valve Travel Control-Pressure Fallback

    Jim Cahill
    Valve position feedback is critical to the operation of a control valve. A Fisher Digital Valve Controller, the DVC6200 (HART or Foundation Fieldbus) can detect position feedback problems and automatically revert to I/P [current to pressure] transducer mode to keep the valve operational. This avoids costly unplanned spurious trips, which are critical for plant operational performance. The DVC6200 can change from Travel…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: EVALUE8 Podcast-An Avoidable Danger–Non-OEM Parts

    Jim Cahill
    In today’s complex business environment, the industrial plant owners face tremendous pressure to stay competitive. In this environment, the plant owners try to strike a proper balance between risk and reward. For a process plant, the main risks are compromised safety and/or plant downtime. Despite the high risk, not all process plant owners depend solely on OEM parts for their engineered valves. Use of non-OEM parts…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: PRV Digital Transformation Byte-by-Byte

    Jim Cahill
    Marcelo Dultra , Process Industry Director at Emerson, recently published the Cover Story for the June 2021 issue of Valve World. The Cover Story describes how digital technology is being applied to pressure relief valves to reduce emissions, monitor performance, and save money. It’s titled PRV Digital Transformation Byte-by-Byte and is summarized below. Pressure relief valves (PRVs) are safe, reliable, and decidedly…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Fail-Safe Electric Actuators in Safety Applications

    Jim Cahill
    Valves used in safety shutdown applications require actuators to perform reliably on demand. In a recorded webinar, Smart Electric Valve Actuators for Critical Fail-Safe Applications , Emerson’s Knut Riegel and Umberto Bianchi share how these actuators are well-suited for emergency shutdown (ESD) applications. Knut provides background on ESD valves and their use and addresses the question on if ESD valve applications…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Pilot-Operated Pressure Relief Valves in LNG Applications

    Jim Cahill
    Liquefied natural gas (LNG) enables natural gas to be more readily transported across the global to better match supply with demand. The cryogenic process has unique requirements for safe, reliable and efficient operations. In a Valve magazine article, Enhanced Safety in LNG Applications , Emerson’s Jean-Paul Boyer highlights the importance of pressure safety valves (PSVs) in maintaining safe operations as more of these…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Pilot-Operated Safety Valves in LNG Applications

    Jim Cahill
    Liquefied natural gas (LNG) enables natural gas to be more readily transported across the global to better match supply with demand. The cryogenic process has unique requirements for safe, reliable and efficient operations. In a Valve magazine article, Enhanced Safety in LNG Applications , Emerson’s Jean-Paul Boyer highlights the importance of pressure safety valves (PSVs) in maintaining safe operations as more of these…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Tailings Valve Difficult Choices

    Jim Cahill
    Figure 1: Tailing material is viscous and abrasive, creating a very difficult application for automated valves. I recently published an article in the April 2021 issue of Global Mining Review . The article describes the difficulties of tailing disposal, and it provides suggestions for choosing the proper automated isolation valves for this service. The article is titled Making the Difficult Choices and is summarized…

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