When vital refurbishment work was required on a 1 million+ gallon sea water storage tank that feeds a fire system, engineers realized the valve which should isolate the tank from the remainder of the fire system, was seized and could not be closed.
The operators of the UK refinery needed a way to install a valve without shutting off the water supply that the plant relies on for its fire protection. Having, for several years, worked with the professionals from CSNRI who had resolved various issued using their range of engineered composite systems, they turned to the team for support. CSNRI immediately recommended they use partner company Advanced Valve Technologies’ insertion valve.
The AVT EZ Valve, a valve which can be installed without the need to shut off the water, has been used widely across the U.K. and U.S. within water authority systems but its installation in industrial applications in the U.K. is, so far, limited.
The 8” valve was installed on an exposed carbon steel line in a relatively cramped area. The EZ Valve is installed using a low-profile EM (End Milling) machine which mills a 120o slot across the top of the pipe and enables a resilient wedge gate to be inserted. The millings created, or swarf, is flushed out of the valve during the milling process by the pressure of the water in the pipe, meaning the quality of the water is maintained. This all takes place without the need to shut off the water and the small slot milled also ensures the integrity of the pipe is not affected. Jason and Lee completed the install within just two hours.
AVT has recently released a detailed animation which clearly shows just how innovative insertion valve technology works. View it here: www.AVTFittings.com
