In 2000 a major coal-fired power company needed to comply with EPA emission standards and the Clean Air Act if it wanted to continue to burn coal to produce power. This power company signed a contract with a leading turnkey contractor to construct wet scrubber systems for their stations.
Less than one year after start-up of the scrubber, the first plant to install this wet scrubber system began experiencing equipment problems especially with the slurry valves on the 40% solid scrubber slurry. Knife gate valves, installed for isolation were not closing tight; ceramic ball valves were breaking off shafts and balls; and inexpensive ball valves, used for flushing water, never worked. After numerous attempts to find slurry valves to hold up to the 40% solids scrubber waste, this plant installed a Flowrox PVE 4AB150-603LSX-SBRT and purchased another valve as a backup.
Less than one year after start-up of the scrubber, the first plant to install this wet scrubber system began experiencing equipment problems especially with the slurry valves on the 40% solid scrubber slurry. Knife gate valves, installed for isolation were not closing tight; ceramic ball valves were breaking off shafts and balls; and inexpensive ball valves, used for flushing water, never worked. After numerous attempts to find slurry valves to hold up to the 40% solids scrubber waste, this plant installed a Flowrox PVE 4AB150-603LSX-SBRT and purchased another valve as a backup.
The Flowrox valve was chosen to replace knife gates and another pinch valve due to its numerous benefits such as 100% tight shutoff and its ability to handle fluctuations in solids contents. The use of the Flowrox High Performance Slurry Pinch Valve has increased the overall efficiency of the wet scrubber process. Based upon the success of Flowrox valves, other stations in this organization have started to install Flowrox valves as well; the count is now 16 valves at two power plants.
