Our Featured articles are long reads that require more reading time than our news articles. In this section, you can find our cover stories, compelling content featuring prominent manufacturers, end-user interview with valve experts around the world, in-depth technical articles and interesting project reports from various industries, ranging from oil & gas, chemical and petrochemical to power generation, pharmaceuticals and food and beverage industries.
Getting out more of an existing asset and its valve park is a challenge. This also rings true for Marty van Tilburg, valve specialist at Sitech Services. “It is a matter of continuous improvement and more efficient maintenance. If we can transform an unplanned stop into a planned one, we already have earned our pay check.”
Spare parts management will become a more crucial factor in the coming years as end users aim to reduce inventory cost while still maintaining production targets. Equipment suppliers who are able to incorporate speed and agility into their operations, would assist plant managers in their quest for more efficient operations.
The market in oil and gas has forced the industry to rationalize in terms of CAPEX and OPEX for new and existing projects, including valves. This especially applies to off the shelf products. For more demanding applications, however, quality remains key. “The cost factor remains important but we tend to look more at the TCO for these critical applications.”
During a career spanning nearly 40 years, I have worked in - and visited - many machine shops. These ranged from small subcontractors to valve OEM’s and commercial aircraft manufacturers. Everyone is looking to improve their operations. Those who aren’t are either going out of business or already out of business. The real question is how and where does one start?
Earlier this year the first phase of the Southern Gas Corridor was launched. This 40+ billion USD project is intended to decrease the EU’s dependency mon Russian gas for its energy needs. The final part of the megaproject, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), still needs to be constructed in the following years.
Often, site maintenance engineers are getting tired of all those problems with valves. Issues such as leakages and/or blocked valves are common. Often the problems start before installation, namely at the selection stage. In short, selecting the right valve for the given application and process conditions.
Fluctuations and variations in demand and the need for short cycles and lead times are putting pressure on the valve and actuator industry. What should suppliers do? Increasing stocks impact the bottom line. The way out of this dilemma is to invest in supply chain management and engage both the internal and external supply bases.
Impeller valves are (increasingly) used in bulk solid processes. These valve types are relatively easy to install in existing facilities and have several advantages compared to classical line-ups. Jamming and/or crushing of valuable bulk items does not happen with impeller valves.
What if power stations would reuse CO2 and produce water instead of respectively producing and using these resources? The American company NET Power has achieved first fire of the combustor at a demonstration plant. The heart of the so-called supercritical CO2 plant has been designed using the so-called Allam cycle, effectively producing water and (partly) reusing CO2.
What is severe service? I think most would probably answer: sour service, sandy service, high velocity or cryogenic, only to mention a few. And yes, those are examples of severe service, but could low-pressure water be severe service? My answer would be, “yes it could.”
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