Valves brave cold climates

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 9, 2005

Midland-ACS's Sub Zero stainless steel valves and air service units are for the food, pharmaceutical and offshore oil and gas sectors.

Midland-ACS's Sub Zero stainless steel valves and air service units are for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries, and in the offshore oil and gas sector where operating temperatures can be as low as -50C.

Made from 316 stainless steel, the Sub-Zero range suits wellhead control applications, providing corrosion resistance qualities needed by oil and gas companies operating in some of the coldest regions on earth.

The range includes air filters and regulators, combined air service units, spool and poppet valves, and ancillaries such as flow regulators, needle valves, non-return valves, quick exhaust and shuttle valves.

All operate with a range of fluids including air, inert gas and sweet (natural) gas and are rated for outdoor use, offering ingress protection against heavy seas with on-deck rating for platforms and shipping applications.

In the range is the 1500 SZ series of stainless steel spool valves in port sizes up to 0.635cm NPT, with BSP optional.

Available in 3/2 and 5/2 configurations, the spool valves have various actuator types, including solenoid pilot, air pilot, roller, lever, pad, push button and push button with lockable and removable safety key.

Some valves have latch locking with manual reset and others closed centre operation with the valve at rest.

Additional security for personnel is provided by the guarded push-button unit, with its mechanical safety interlock.

Solenoid operators for the spool valves meet the standards for safety in hazardous areas worldwide, offering Atex, UL and CSA approvals.

Enclosed in 316 stainless steel housings that offer ingress protection to IP67 (or Nema 4), the solenoids are rated EExd IIC T6 (Nema 7 and 9) and are Atex approved for Zones 1 and 2 (Nema Class 1, Groups C and D, Class II Groups E, F and G).

For higher flow applications at temperatures down to -50C are the 1750 SZ series poppet valves.

Available in port sizes from 0.635cm NPT to 3.8cm NPT (BSP optional) and offering flow rates up to 44.8klitre/min, these valves are 3/2 stainless steel units with either solenoid or air pilots.

The valves are for working pressures from 3 to 10bar on gases and liquids; they hold Atex, UL and CSA approvals and are certified for use in the same Atex zones and Nema classes as the spool valves.

Providing the filtration and regulation of compressed air for the 1500 SZ and 1750 SZ valves is the 3550 SZ stainless steel filter/regulator and regulators.

Made from 316 stainless steel, including internals, these units cover the range from 0.635 to 2.54cm NPT (BSP).

To control airflow in the filter/regulator and the pressure regulator units, a rolling element diaphragm design is used.

Both filters and filter/regulators in the Sub Zero range are rated for 20bar input; filters are offered with manual and automatic drain options, and users have the choice of regulators that are self-relieving or non-relieving.

These latter units are supported by options such as mounting brackets and hand wheel kits, and tamper-proof kits are also available.

Filter elements of 40, 5 and 2.5um are provided, and regulators have a choice of four springs, providing graduated regulation (output pressure) from 0.5 to 10bar.