Blog - Post List

  • 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…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Smart Electric Valve Actuators for Improved Performance

    Jim Cahill
    The 2022 Industrial Valve Summit took place this week in Bergamo, Italy. It is a leading international event for oil & gas valve technologies and flow control solutions. At this event, Emerson’s Knut Riegel shared in this video how smart electric valve actuators accelerate connectivity with plant information systems to support digital transformation initiatives. The electric actuators support electrification efforts and…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Engineering Renewable Natural Gas Solutions

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson pressure management business development manager Isaac Droessler , and pressure management director, Arrchana Lakshmanan , recently published an article in the April 2022 edition of Pipeline & Gas Journal . It’s titled Engineering Renewable Natural Gas Solutions , and it describes straightforward solutions to handling the numerous engineering challenges associated with customized biogas processing and biomethane…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Get Expert Operating Analysis with Remote Valve Condition Monitoring

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Lifecycle Services Business Development Manager John Carlow recently published an article in the March/April 2022 edition of Process Instrumentation. The article is titled Get Expert Operating Analysis with Remote Valve Condition Monitoring . It describes how plants can unleash the power of their installed equipment to avoid unplanned outages by utilizing remote monitoring services. A summary of the article…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Protecting Industrial Tank Integrity

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Earl Richard presented What’s Going On Up There? How To Control and Reduce Tank Vent Fugitive Emissions and Maintenance at the 2022 4C HSE conference. Here is his presentation abstract: 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: Pressure Relief Valve Continuous Monitoring for Affirmative Defense

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Marcio Donnangelo and Marcelo Dultra presented Reducing Data Complexity on Affirmative Defense Claims with PRV Monitoring System at the 2022 4C HSE Conference. Here is their presentation abstract: Despite the efforts to stay compliance, operation isn’t totally free from unauthorized events to happen. If that happens, Affirmative Defense should be considered. However, not knowing the frequency of emissions…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Valve Packing Selection for Fugitive Emissions Reduction

    Jim Cahill
    As oil and gas producers balance the demands for greater production and more sustainable operations, reducing fugitive emissions is one area of focus. The packing in valves is one area to drive improvements. In a Processing article, Simplifying control valve packing selection , Emerson’s Sarah Witte and Wade Helfer highlight the importance of valve packing selection for more sustainable production. Sarah and Wade…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Reliable and Maintainable Intelligent Electric Actuators

    Jim Cahill
    Electric valve actuators help solve fugitive emission challenges in industries where natural gas has powered the pneumatic actuators. While this is one case for their use, they also provide excellent controllability for challenging valve automation demands in the oil & gas, power, municipal, and process industries. In this 3:35 YouTube video, Bettis XTE3000 Electric Actuator , Emerson Impact Partner, Puffer-Sweiven…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Eliminating Methane Emissions and Improving Control Performance

    Jim Cahill
    For many oil & gas producing sites, the traditional way to power valve actuators has been from the natural gas pressure from the well. The issue with this approach is the venting of methane into the atmosphere. In an Oilfield Technology article, Switching on to Electric Control Valves’ Potential (pp. 54-59), Emerson’s Scott Losing and Andrew Prusha describe how electric valve actuators have advanced to replace pneumatic…

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

    Jim Cahill
    The three key components in a safety instrumented function (SIF)—sensor, logic solver and final element—each have their own probabilities of how they will perform, or not perform, when called upon to bring the process to a safe state. Of these three components, the final element is more like to fail on demand due to its role in touching the process and mechanically operating. In a Hydrocarbon Engineering article, Improving…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Improving Tailings Management in Mining Operations

    Jim Cahill
    The effective management of tailings in mining operations is critical to the overall performance of the mine site. Managing the slurry flow reliably and efficiently requires valves that can withstand this difficult and abrasive process. Emerson’s Andy Coxall joins me in this podcast to discuss the challenges in tailings management, the problems with valves not suited for this severe-service application, and why severe…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Electro-Hydraulic Valve Actuator Operation

    Jim Cahill
    Last week, we shared an educational video about how rotary vane actuators work . Another great video was also just recently released, Electro Hydraulic Operator Bettis EHO Schematic Overview (runtime 2:54). Like the rotary vane actuator video, this video provides an overview of the principle of operation for Bettis Electro-Hydraulic Operator (EHO) . These self-contained actuators are designed to actuate quarter-turn…

  • Valves, Actuators & Regulators Blog: Smart Devices Drive Performance Improvements

    Jim Cahill
    Whether you collect data manually or continuously monitoring with sensors, you need this data to analyze the performance of your industrial assets. In a Process Instrumentation article, Smart valves and pneumatics improve plant performance from the asset up , Emerson’s Jason Maderic and Gabe Boltniew share how connectivity technologies enable greater continuous monitoring to drive safety, reliability and optimization…

  • 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: 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…

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