Blog - Post List

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: In-Service Testing of Pressure Relief Valves

    Jim Cahill
    June DelGrosso , Sales Director for North America Nuclear and Navy at Emerson, recently published an article in the November 2022 issue of Power. It is titled “In-Service Testing of Pressure Relief Valves” and it discusses equipment that can perform accurate testing of relief valve setpoints without taking them out of operation. The article is summarized below. Pressure relief valves (PRVs) are a critical line of defense…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: How to Maintain Direct-Operated Pressure Regulator

    Jim Cahill
    Last week , I highlighted a high-capacity, direct-operated pressure regulator, the Fisher 627BM regulator . In our continuing series of “How to” videos , here is a follow-up video shared with me by Darren Mann on how to maintain and service these pressure regulators. This 3:17 video, Maintaining the Fisher 627BM Direct-Operated Pressure Regulator , guides viewers through the procedures required to maintain the new Fisher…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Specifying Severe Service Control Valves

    Jim Cahill
    Justin Goodwin , Director of the Steam Conditioning Group at Emerson, recently published an article in the November 2022 issue of InTech Focus. It is titled “Specifying Severe Service Control Valves” and it describes techniques for correctly choosing control valves for severe service applications. The article is summarized below. Choosing valves for severe service applications can be particularly challenging. The process…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: High-Capacity Direct-Operated Pressure Regulator

    Jim Cahill
    Pressure regulators help manage pressure through industrial processes. Direct-operated pressure regulators respond to changes in the pressure downstream and adjust the flow rate to maintain the desired pressure. Emerson’s Darren Mann shared a quick 2:21 YouTube video with me, Fisher 627BM High-Capacity Direct-Operated Pressure Regulator . The video highlights this addition to the Fisher 627-product family . The balanced…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: What are Bellows in Pressure Relief Valves?

    Jim Cahill
    We’ve had a couple of recent posts about pressure relief valves (PSVs), including Improving Pressure Relief Valve Safety, Reliability and Performance , and Accurately Monitoring Pressure Relief Events. In them was some discussion about conventional PSVs and ones with bellows. I wanted to learn more, so I found this great explainer video on YouTube. The video, What’s the Difference Between a Conventional and Bellows…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Identifying and Minimizing Fugitive Emissions from Control Valves

    Jim Cahill
    Control Valves would control ideally the process without any interface to the outside. Although, that’s not practical with today’s technology. Control valves are by design an interface between the process and the outside. This interface can cause some level of fugitive emissions, which are unintentional leaks from the process. Now whether the leak is below 3 ppm, which is essentially negligible, or over 500 ppm, which…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Zero Emission Well Pad of the Future

    Jim Cahill
    Ben Fletcher, Manager of Oil & Gas Industries at Fisher Control Valves, recently published an article in the October 2022 issue of World Oil. It is titled “Achieving the Zero Emission Well Pad of the Future” and it discusses the latest round of EPA regulations, and automation solutions which can be deployed to address them. The article is summarized below. World-wide government entities are targeting greenhouse…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Improving Pressure Relief Valve Safety, Reliability and Performance

    Jim Cahill
    I saw the new Crosby Balanced Diaphragm and Bellows Leak Detection pressure relief valve (PRV) solution at this past Emerson Exchange conference. The innovations in it were pretty impressive. The news came out today, Emerson Reinvents Pressure Relief Valves to Improve Performance and Reduce Emissions , which shares how this solution improves “…performance, safety, and reliability while reducing emissions”. The Balanced…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Accurately Monitoring Pressure Relief Events

    Jim Cahill
    Pressure relief valves are essential in keeping process manufacturing and production operations safe and operating reliably. But, as environmental regulations grow stricter, knowing how much fluid was vented is vital for regulatory reporting. In this under three-minute YouTube video, Anderson Greenwood & Rosemount Pilot Operated PRV Monitoring Delivers Unparalleled Accuracy , Emerson’s Ricardo Garcia shares how monitoring…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Mitigating Control Valve Noise

    Jim Cahill
    Manufacturing and production facilities tend to be noisy, especially where fluids flow through pipes. Control valves can be one of the sources of noise contributing to these conditions. In a Chemical Engineering article, Reducing the Noise from Control Valves , Emerson’s Mark Nord describes ways to reduce noise levels emitted from these control valves. He opens by describing decibels and the dBA scale in how it corrects…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Pick the Right Valves for Your LNG Applications

    Jim Cahill
    Jean-Paul Boyer , Massimiliano Franco , Nagendra Maddula , and Eugenio Sudati recently published an article in the November 2022 issue of LNG Industry. It is titled “The Key to Valve Selection for Challenging LNG Applications” and it describes key design parameters for choosing the best valves for LNG terminal operations. A summary of the article follows. Liquified natural gas (LNG) has become a mainstay of the low…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: The Chip Shortage Continues: How Semiconductor Manufacturers Are Responding

    Jim Cahill
    The global chip shortage continues to put pressure on semiconductor manufacturers, who are searching for ways to increase production yields. One solution is to modernize operations with cutting-edge automation and data analysis tools. However, this is costly. Another option is to digitize components and work toward complete digitalization of the entire process. This would allow manufacturers to monitor and control operations…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Wellhead Electrification Drives Optimization Program

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2022 Emerson Exchange conference, Prabhat Behera from Occidental (Oxy) shared insights and lessons learned from a wellhead electrification project. Puffer-Sweiven’s Jack Lee and Emerson’s Damian Trujillo joined him to provide additional context on the integrated model that brought together the application, product and services. Here is their session abstract: Shutdown valves installed at the wellhead for oil…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Reducing Emissions from Vessels, Valves, and other Equipment

    Jim Cahill
    Marcel Dultra , Dan Myers , and Emily Thomas of Emerson recently published an article in the September 2022 issue of Valve World Americas. It is titled “Greening Process Equipment One Device at a Time” and it discusses a host of recently introduced technologies designed to significantly reduce emissions. A summary of the article follows. Numerous government standards targeting greenhouse gas emission reductions, as…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Innovation in Controlling Exothermic Reactions in Biodiesel Processing

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson Impact Partner Applied Control ’s Julia Imhoff and Miranda Hunter teamed with Renaissance Technologies’ Terry Wilford to discuss a novel way to avoid catalyst damage for a high exothermic reaction. Here is their session’s abstract: When producing renewable biodiesel, a goal during the process is to produce the correct reaction between oils and catalysts. During production, if the reactor undergoes an upset condition…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Innovative Rotary Valve Trim for Severe Service Conditions

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Justin Lannin and Vinson Process Controls’ Mike Stinn teamed up to present, Hex & The City: Ponca City Refinery Reduces Maintenance with Fisher Cavitrol Hex , at the 2022 Emerson Exchange conference. Here is their session’s abstract: Phillips 66’s (P66) Ponca City Refinery, in Ponca City Oklahoma produces a full range of products and has a large blending unit where finished products are made. A severe service…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Reduce Waste & Increase Efficiency in Clean-in-Place Processes

    Jim Cahill
    While the idea of adding costs to a food and beverage or pharmaceutical industry process like Clean-in-Place/Steam-in-Place (CIP/SIP) has not traditionally been an easy decision, in today’s industrial environment that has changed. With the retirement of experts, the lack of availability of workers, the increase in materials costs and narrowness of margins, the principal way for food and beverage and pharma companies to…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Role of Intelligent Electric Valve Actuators in Digital Transformation

    Jim Cahill
    Valves play a critical role in managing the process’s flow for process manufacturers and producers. As companies look to transform their operations to drive greater safety, sustainability, and reliability, increasing the intelligence in these devices helps the overall digital transformation efforts. In a Process Industry Informer article, Flow Control – The Current State of Industrial Digital Transformation and a Look…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Avoiding Actuator Damage from Failed Components

    Jim Cahill
    Manufacturers and producers must think through their process safety on ways to mitigate risks against failure conditions in the components within a basic process control system (BPCS) or safety instrumented system (SIS). For instance, failures can occur on air filter regulators (AFRs) on valve actuators. I mention this because I connected with Emerson’s Riyaz Ali , who had a discussion with a major international oil company…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Partial Stroke Tests and Diagnostics for Emergency Shutdown Valves

    Jim Cahill
    Emergency shutdown valves perform the work of bringing the process to a safe state in the event of a hazardous condition. They must be periodically tested, because, unlike other valves, they may sit dormant for a long time. This 2:22 YouTube video, Emerson TopWorx DX PST with HART 7 , explains how this partial stroke and emergency shutdown valve controller controls and monitors these shutdown valves. To test the capability…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Actuation Solutions for Constrained Spaces

    Jim Cahill
    I recently had an article published in the August 2022 issue of Hydrocarbon Processing. It is titled “Why Compact Actuation Solutions are Ideal for Constrained Space Installations,” and it discusses how a vertical profile actuator is providing new opportunities for space-constrained applications. A summary of the article follows. Space constraints are common in the oil and gas industry. However floating production,…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Clarifying Rebuilds to Extend Valve Lifespans

    Jim Cahill
    I received a question from an earlier post, End of Life Expectancy for Final Control Elements in Safety and Control Systems , by Emerson’s Riyaz Ali . The instrument & control engineer who came upon the blog post wrote: In your article, you mention that “preventive maintenance practices play an important role in extending the life of mechanical items. Especially if they are re-built correctly each time during a shutdown…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Driving Combined Cycle Efficiency Gains

    Jim Cahill
    Combined cycle electrical power generation facilities play an essential role in providing baseload power to the grid. The principle of operation : …is that after completing its cycle in the first engine, the working fluid (the exhaust) is still hot enough that a second subsequent heat engine can extract energy from the heat in the exhaust. Usually, the heat passes through a heat exchanger so that the two engines can…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Control Valves in Safety Instrumented Functions

    Jim Cahill
    A reader of this blog came upon the post, When is a SIL Suitability Rating Required for Final Control Elements? The reader sent an email to the blog post author, Emerson’s Riyaz Ali , asking (of which I’ll paraphrase): When is it possible to use control valves like final elements for SIS [safety instrumented system] application? I am looking for other useful documents and technical requirements when it is possible to…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Valve Stem Sealing Best Practices

    Jim Cahill
    I just saw a post, Article: Proper Valve Stem Sealing Best Practices , in the Valves Forum in the Valves, Actuators & Regulators group in the Emerson Exchange 365 community. The post by Emerson’s Mark Nymeyer recaps an Intech article by Lisa Miller , Proper Valve Stem Sealing Best Practices . Here is an excerpt of the opening of the post, and I invite you to read the full summary as well as Lisa’s article. Emerson…

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