Turbine bypass valves are one of the tough functions in an influence plant. Keeping these valves working effectively and avoiding unexpected failures is critical for plant operation.
When engineers are asked to record essentially the most difficult management valve applications, turbine bypass valves are invariably talked about. Frequent thermal cycles, high strain drops, and the need for tight shutoff push these valves to the limit. Unfortunately, many crops tend to ignore these valves till they fail, creating unplanned outages, misplaced production, and excessive costs for reactive upkeep. This article offers advised methods of inspection to anticipate and mitigate points beforehand, and it presents improve alternatives should a valve need to be repaired or replaced.
Strictly Severe Service
Severe service management valves are used in essentially the most difficult installations within course of plants. These installations generally embrace cavitating, erosive, corrosive, noisy, excessive stress, excessive temperature, high stress drop, or excessive velocity media. Turbine bypass valves are exposed to many of these course of situations; but, they must reply flawlessly and stay leak free when closed.
As their identify suggests, turbine bypass valves are used to bypass steam generators during plant startup and shutdown, in addition to when a turbine trips off-line (Figure 1). In normal operation the valves are utterly closed, forcing all of the steam via a turbine. During startup, bypass valves divert steam away from the turbine till the properties and situations of the steam are applicable for sending it to the turbine. This course of happens in reverse at shutdown. Using bypass valves at startup and shutdown helps to guard the turbine by diverting probably wet steam, and by making certain only applicable steam situations and flows make their method to the turbine itself.
1. Depending on the ability plant design, several turbine bypass valves may be employed to immediately shunt steam round a turbine should it trip offline. Courtesy: Emerson
Should a turbine journey, the steam should proceed flowing to avoid tools damage as a result of overpressure and high temperature, so the turbine bypass valve immediately opens to maintain flow via the system.
As it operates, a turbine uses steam to perform work, lowering outlet steam temperature and strain. When a turbine bypass valve opens, it will drop the pressure, but the exit steam will stay fairly superheated, probably destroying downstream equipment. To keep away from that situation, turbine bypass valves both incorporate a water injection system in the valve physique, or make use of a separate water injection desuperheater simply downstream, in both case to lower the exit steam temperature.
As a end result, turbine bypass valves face a perfect storm of extreme service conditions. While pressure gauge วัด แรง ดัน is in operation, these valves should stay tightly closed to keep away from wasting vitality. When a turbine journey occurs, the bypass valves must respond instantly, exposing them to speedy temperature changes and requiring them to move very high flows at excessive stress drops, creating excessive noise and potentially extreme vibration.
Getting Ahead of the Game
Given the punishing service, the reality is that just about each turbine bypass valve will in the end fail in some way. Unfortunately, many of these valves are installed in difficult-to-access locations, are usually welded in place, and are usually closely insulated. As a result, they are usually ignored till issues start to surface. Steam leakage via the valve is usually the first symptom noticed, but rather more vital and potentially dangerous injury can happen.
The excessive strain drops invariably generate excessive noise and excessive vibration. Over time these vibrations, coupled with frequent temperature adjustments, fatigue the metal within the valve, water connections, and the piping itself (Figure 2). Such metal fatigue can lead to catastrophic failure beneath pressure.
2. Over time, the high vibrations and thermal shock skilled by turbine bypass valves will fatigue the metallic and create cracks in each the valve itself and the encompassing piping. Courtesy: Emerson
To keep away from this drawback, every turbine bypass valve and its associated piping ought to be routinely inspected. Some sort of non-destructive examination ought to be periodically employed to detect metallic fatigue problems that could be growing however aren’t yet visually obvious. If a plant lacks the data or gear to carry out these inspections, the valve vendor or authorized consultant could also be utilized to perform turbine bypass well being verify services (Figure 3).
3. A routine turbine bypass valve health check and full inspection is strongly advised. Metal fatigue can develop in numerous welds located on the valve itself, and in the inlet, outlet, and water provide piping (circled areas). Courtesy: Emerson
Fabrication welds on the body and water manifold, customer connection welds, diffuser welds, and surrounding piping could be inspected to determine any growing issues earlier than the equipment is compromised. Water injection nozzles and desuperheaters must be appropriately inspected and maintained to keep away from problems associated to quenching and cracking.
There are additionally threats to trim components, corresponding to seat floor erosion. One frequent expression of such erosion, particularly on the plug, is often referred to as “gear toothing.” This occurs more generally in circulate down valves, where the steam accelerates through the cage holes after which strikes the trim/seat area instantly, inflicting excessive put on and lowering service life. Over time, this high-velocity steam, which may comprise water during startup situations and magnetite throughout any condition, will erode and harm the valve seat and trim (Figure 4).
four. Flow down valve body designs are prone to trim harm as the moist, erosive steam passes via the cage and impacts the seat. Courtesy: Emerson
Common maintenance gadgets like gentle items and spray nozzles can often be replaced relatively simply and at minimal price. Trim parts that must be changed due to heavy put on, similar to gear toothing, can be quite pricey, especially if their delivery needs to be expedited. The worst-case situation for a turbine bypass valve is metal fatigue developing within the valve body or diffuser, with extreme restore procedures, or even a full valve replacement, required.
Upgrade Opportunities
Many of the turbine bypass valves at present in service had been installed through the heyday of mixed cycle plant building from 1998 to 2004. Most of these valves and piping systems are showing their age and often have significant indicators of metallic fatigue. Others have loads of life left in them however could benefit from upgrades in expertise. Technology and practices have improved, and upgrading to the latest sealing technology might inject new life into the valve.
Another instance of a technology improve is when there have been repeated failures with a welded diffuser. In this instance, a removable two-in-one seat diffuser will reduce required upkeep.
If a turbine bypass valve have to be changed, plant personnel are strongly encouraged to look past a direct alternative and evaluate potential improvements. pressure gauge trerice ราคา to contemplate when taking a glance at replacement and enchancment opportunities is valve orientation.
Downward Flowing Valves with Horizontal Actuators. Historically, most turbine bypass valves employed a circulate down trim design paired with a horizontal actuator (Figure 5, left). This association is good for places with low overhead clearance, and it locations the actuator closer to the deck or floor for straightforward access, but it creates a selection of long-term operational problems. Gravity tends to result in elevated and uneven wear on trim elements, and the side-mounted actuator is susceptible to response issues.
5. Downward flowing valves with horizontal actuators (left) had been the primary possibility a couple of a long time in the past for turbine bypass valves. New flow up valve designs (right) could also be put in without piping modifications in most cases, offering prolonged service life and improved efficiency. Courtesy: Emerson
Downward Flowing Valves with Vertical Actuators. A superior possibility for move down is vertical mounting of the actuator. This association leads to decreased and extra even put on, longer runs between maintenance outages, and improved actuator response. The challenge with this orientation is that replacement opportunities are sometimes for horizontally mounted actuators, and the 2 designs usually are not readily interchangeable with out significant piping modifications.
Upward Flowing Turbine Bypass Valves. When enough overhead area is available with existing horizontal actuator flow down designs, a circulate up design can easily meet the existing face-to-face requirements of the old valve, whereas decreasing a few of the put on widespread to flow down designs with a horizontal actuator, similar to gear toothing. Because the trim simply switches from flow down to move up, this modification may be made without modifications to current piping.
Flow up valves (Figure 5, right) considerably extend seat and trim service life as a result of the steam is transferring comparatively slowly because it passes over the plug and seat (Figure 6). As the steam strikes via the small holes of the cage, it accelerates considerably, however that power dissipates into the big physique cavity of the valve as an alternative of hanging the seating floor.
6. Downward flowing valves topic the seat to erosive high-velocity steam. Upward flowing steam velocities are much lower as a outcome of they cross over the seat and speed up later as the steam strikes through the small trim holes, tremendously extending trim service life. Courtesy: Emerson
Notice how the circulate up trim (Figure 7) is actually showing erosion, but when in comparability with the circulate down trim proven above (Figure 4 right), the seating surface on the seat ring and plug remain comparatively undamaged, allowing the valve to close off utterly, the required mode in regular operation.
7. These pictures of move up trim clearly present the erosive influence of high-velocity steam, however unlike the flow down trim damage shown beforehand, this valve has no injury to the seating surface and might nonetheless shut off tightly. Courtesy: Emerson
The flow up valve fashion design still provides the same control responsiveness and move capability, however the brand new circulate arrangement dramatically extends the working life of the seals, seat, and valve internals.
Consult an Expert
Turbine bypass valves are extremely specialised items of engineered tools that must be rigorously specified, installed, and maintained. It is therefore clever to be proactive by reaching out to trusted experts prior to buy as they’ll help with valve sizing and specs primarily based on particular operating circumstances.
For existing installations where unplanned turbine bypass valve failures are bedeviling your facility, or if it has been a while because the plant turbine bypass valves have been totally inspected, it will be wise to seek the advice of your turbine bypass valve vendor for help and assist.
Many of these distributors provide full inspection and well being examine companies to establish areas where metallic fatigue and stress cracking are creating. Ideally the valve can be repaired, but if a valve alternative is warranted, the seller can even provide steerage in evaluating bypass valve design kinds and selecting the greatest option for the particular software.
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