Oxford Flow has announced that its ES axial flow isolation valve for the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors has excelled in fugitive emissions testing – offering a viable option to eliminate fugitive emissions from valves in critical processes.
The flow control equipment specialist for oil, gas, water, and industrial process industries, performed ISO 15848-1 testing, performed at the Score Cowdenbeath laboratory, Scotland, demonstrated the ES valve had a leakage rate of 100x less than allowed by level AH C03, which is currently the highest ISO performance level for isolation valves.
Notably, most valve manufacturers test in Class B, which allows for 10 times more leakage than Class A.
Using helium as a test medium, the results indicated that helium levels around the valve and hydraulics were not exceeding those normally found in the atmosphere. Thus, the ES provides dramatically better fugitive emission performance than the industry-standard for isolation valves.
Unlike traditional valve designs that utilise a mechanical drive train, the ES valve does not have an external stem and is instead operated by an integral hydraulic power unit.
By removing the mechanical drive train and linkages, the ES design significantly enhances the long-term mechanical integrity and reliability of the valve and eliminates maintenance costs related to stem packing. Ideal for severe service applications, the valve provides repeatable tight shutoff across a wide range of processes.
