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Valves cut energy waste

A Burkert Fluid Control Systems product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 5, 2008

Burkert's type 1066 valve control heads provide a decentralised method of opening and closing of process valves automatically, eliminating the need for the wasteful venting of control air.

In all process industries companies need to improve efficiency and maximise profitability at the same time as ensuring repeatable product quality.

Moreover, these objectives all have to be achieved with high hygiene standards, making clean pipework and equipment important.

In pursuit of these objectives, companies are prepared to invest heavily in new plant and equipment.

However, in many cases, real savings and improvements in efficiency can be achieved simply and at relatively low cost by focussing on cutting energy usage and reducing product wastage.

With valves, pumps and fans used widely in food and beverage production, the possibilities for energy savings are considerable.

The generation of compressed air is equivalent to about 10% of industry's total electricity usage, rising to 30% in some sectors.

This highlights why companies have compelling reasons to pursue energy saving initiatives, typically by avoiding leakage in their systems and by employing more efficient compressor installations.

However, one area that has been neglected, until now, is improved process valve control techniques, which can lead to reduced compressed air use through the adoption of on-actuator or in-actuator pneumatic solenoid valves.

At present, the majority of pneumatically piloted valves on production and process lines centralise pneumatic control around valve islands in a control cabinet or enclosure.

This arrangement means that the pipework carrying the pilot pressure to the actual valve from the valve island can travel for many metres before it reaches the valve head.

As a result, the venting cycle of the valves operation will exhaust more air than is necessary.

Burkert's type 1066 valve control heads remove this problem.

Developed for use in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, these units provide a decentralised method of opening and closing of process valves automatically, eliminating the need for the wasteful venting of control air normally associated with pneumatic tubing between the process valve and its related control solenoid valve.

The control heads integrate electrical and pneumatic control components as well as position feedback units and, optionally, field bus interfaces for AS-Interface or DeviceNet.

They are mounted directly above the valve body and, because there is little or no distance between the actuator and the valve that it is piloting, there is no air bleed.

With this system the pressure feed goes directly into the valve head and the control signal is supplied either from a local closed loop control sensor or switch, or from a PLC/machine controller via an AS-Interface or DeviceNet fieldbus interface directly into the valve.

Similarly, adopting digital positioners with integral solenoid valve control heads for regulating modulating process control valves will automatically lead to air savings, as these will normally ensure zero air use in their stable state.

Typical process valve positioners incorporate pneumatic flapper-nozzle systems, meaning that air is being bled constantly, even when the valve is at rest.

This can consume the equivalent of a 0.75kW in compressed air for every twenty valves of operation.

A large process site can therefore waste a large amount of energy.

Choosing an embedded PID process controller, working in conjunction with the positioner, provides a fast-acting, decentralised control loop in combination with the associated process sensor.

This arrangement also reduces complexity and saves unnecessary components and wiring.

Fluids wastage can be reduced by the accurate monitoring of process fluids, using innovative techniques of pH and conductivity measurement, as provided by Burkert's new 8201 and 8221 units.

The robust, enamel-based pH electrode on the 8201pH sensor, can stay in the process, even during CIP purification.

The 'fit-and-forget' design of the 8201 pH measuring system saves users both time and cost, by removing the need for sensor withdrawal, cleaning and recalibration.

The sensor also avoids the fragility of glass sensors.

Its enamelled stainless steel finish provides the highest levels of nonstick performance for maximised hygiene while pH values are measured.

Burkert's 8221 conductivity sensor provides phase detection across all transmitted mediums, including aggressive cleaning agents.

It also guarantees transparency of the process at all times.

Infrequent calibration cuts costs for users of the 8201 and 8221.

Find out more about this article. Request a brochure, download technical specifications and request samples here.
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