Optimization of Shutdown Valve Weight and Size

Abstract

Abstract Automatic Shutdown Valve also referred to as, Actuated Shutdown Valve is designed for automated protection to safeguard personnel, environment and to control hazardous or abnormal operations. Ball valves are widely used for Shutdown service, fitted with quarter turn actuator. Pneumatic Scotch-Yoke type is the preferred actuator design with single acting and spring return type configurations to meet fail-safe conditions and safety critical functions. The article stated hereby as Shutdown Valve is a general term used for the complete assembly inclusive of Valve coupled with Actuator for shutdown service. Optimization of the assembly is examined in this article through significiant emphasis on the coupled automatic actuator. Through marginal changes in the pneumatic system design and usage of appropriate variable factors in actuator torque profile, aims to evaluate optimization techniques for shutdown valve actuator weight and size / dimensions. An analysis on actuator weight and size affected through actuator design factor is carried out in this article. The details are extended to actuator sizing data, illustrations and comparisons, to outline the approaches currently followed and the possible area of improvement in the pneumatic design and actuator selection. The paper assesses the advantages on actuators types and the variance between design methods. In addition, the article analyses the air supply to actuator and feasibility for the improvement in design.