Principles, Valves, Actuators and Steam Traps: Sizing, Selection, Operation and Maintenance - SMRP Certification

Introduction

This highly participative training course is designed to provide participants with the skills to understand how valves and actuators are sized, selected and maintained, and how they operate in the most important industrial process plants, such as oil and gas, etc. Emphasis is also place on the important topic of steam traps, and the aspects related to this. The Valves, Actuators and Steam Traps training course is interactive and encourages delegates to participate through questions and answers, along with opportunities to discuss with the presenter specific issues which may result in appropriate solutions.

Participants will learn:

• How valves operate
• Dealing with various control and other signals
• The various classifications of valves
• Different types of valves
• Additional equipment associated with valves
• Manual and software sizing of valves
• Actuators
• Valve positioners
• Cavitation and noise control
• Selection of vales, based on materials used
• Controlling valves, using 3-term controller, and valves in assorted loops and applications
• The basics of steam and steam heating
• The need for steam traps, and their functions
• The different types of steam traps
• Steam trap problems and management

Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understanding the principles, purpose and operation of valves, and valve signals
• Understanding flow conditions, CV, PV, cavitation and flashing, associated hardware (filters, regulators, etc.)
• Understanding the fundamentals of an assortment of valve types (including shutdown and pressure relief valves)
• Understanding leakage rates, valve characteristics and how inherent characteristics affect installed characteristics
• Understanding the most common and important forms of actuators
• Learning about valve maintenance and faultfinding
• Understanding the purpose, requirements and function of steam traps
• Dealing with steam trap selection, specification, safety factors, life-cycle costs, problems and management

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies and presentations on best practice and the fundamentals of shutdown and turnaround management. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations.

Who Should Attend?

Personnel who should attend are:

• Project Professionals and Engineers
• Facilities Engineers
• Process and Chemical Engineers
• Maintenance Technicians
• Design Engineers
• Mechanical, Electrical and I&C artisans
• Supervisors and foremen who supervise personnel working on this equipment

Course Outline

Day 1:  Fundamentals of Valves, Signals, Classification, and Different Types

• How control valves operate
• The purpose of the control valve
• Principles of a control valve
• Flow conditions inside a control valve
• Pressure drops inside a control valve
• Dealing with valve signals
• Laminar and turbulent flow
• Reynolds numbers
• Vortices and flow separation
• How pressures and flows vary between liquids and gasses
• Understanding Cv
• Choked flow
• Vapour pressure
• Cavitation and flashing
• Requirements of a valve
• Classification of valves by operation, function, and application
• Factors to consider in selecting the right valve
• Hardware associated with valves
• Valve guiding, including
• Cage guided valves
• Stem guided valves
• Post guided valves
• An in-depth explanation of the following valves:
• Split-body valves
• Globe valves
• Needle valves
• Angled valves
• Y-styled valves
• 3-way valves
• Diversion option
• Mixing option

Day 2:  Different Types, Additional Equipment, Valve Characteristics, and Manual Valve Sizing

• (Continuation from Day 1) An in-depth explanation of the following valves:
• Pinch valves
• Gate valves
• Slab gate
• Wedge gate
• Power-seal gate
• Choke valves
• Check valves
• Single-seated and double-seated valves
• Balanced and semi-balanced valves
• Butterfly valves
• High-performance butterfly valves
• Ball valves
• Reduced bore
• Full port
• Rotary plug valves
• Diaphragm valves
• Emergency shutdown valves
• Pressure Relief valves
• Additional hardware
• Valve flanges, bonnets and packing material
• Valves and a P&ID diagram
• Seat leakage rates
• Relationship between pressure and flow
• Equal percentage of valve characteristics
• Linear valve characteristics
• Quick opening characteristics
• Inherent vs installed characteristics
• Manually sizing for a liquid application

Day 3:  Software Sizing, Actuators, Bench Setting and Stroking, Valve Positioners, Cavitation & Noise Control, Valve Material, Valve Maintenance, Pressure Relief Valves, and SIS Valves

• Using valve sizing software
• Using actuators
• Pneumatic actuators
• Diaphragm pneumatic actuator
• Piston pneumatic actuator
• Rack and Pinion pneumatic actuator
• Rotary vane pneumatic actuator
• Hydraulic actuators
• Electric actuators
• Bench setting and stroking
• Purpose of a valve positioner
• Smart positioner
• Cavitation within a valve
• Cavitation control trims
• Disc stacks
• Noise limitation
• Low noise cages
• Diffuser plates
• Gas diffuser silencer
• Sonic chokes
• Material to use
• Control valve maintenance
• Fault finding
• Backlash
• Deadband
• Stiction
• Pressure relief devices
• Safety Instrumented System valves

Day 4:  Term Controllers and Valves, and Valves in an Assortment of Applications, and Steam Trap Introduction

• PID controllers
• Selecting valve action
• The P setting of PID control
• The I setting of PID control
• The D setting of PID control
• Open-loop tuning
• Closed-loop tuning
• Non-formulized tuning methods (trial and error)
• Assorted control loops using valves
• Cascade loops
• Ratio loops
• Dealing with long-dead times
• Dealing with non-linear responses
• Using a PLC with valves
• What is a steam trap?
• Why is it necessary to install steam traps?
• The function of steam traps

Day 5:  Continuation of Steam Traps

• Various types of steam traps
• Mechanical steam traps
• Ball float steam trap
• Inverted bucket steam trap
• Thermostatic steam traps
• Liquid expansion steam trap
• Balanced pressure steam trap
• Bi-thermostatic steam trap
• Metallic steam trap
• Thermodynamic steam traps
• Disc trap
• Impulse trap
• Orifice trap
• Venturi nozzle steam trap
• Comparison of the different types of steam traps
• Steam trap selection
• Steam trap specifications
• Steam trap safety factors and life-cycle cost
• Steam trap problems
• Steam trap management