Slow-opening valve brings fast savings

An automatic slow-opening valve has helped textile dyer Bulmer and Lumb to halve the cost of the steam it uses for processing and space heating at its Bradford site.

An automatic slow-opening valve from Spirax Sarco has helped textile dyer Bulmer and Lumb to halve the cost of the steam it uses for processing and space heating at its Bradford site.

The GBP 6500 valve installation has paid for itself in just a few weeks.

Fitted on the output from the site's two boilers, rated at 16,000 and 4500kg/h and supplying steam at 10bar(g), the valve automatically closes off the steam supply at weekends and overnight.

This simple measure is saving the company thousands of pounds per month.

"Since the valve was installed in November 2002, we have halved the boiler's gas consumption by shutting off the steam supply at weekends and during holidays", says Darrell McNulty, Maintenance Manager at Bulmer and Lumb.

"In April we went further and set the valve to close at midnight and re-open at 5am, an hour before the day's production starts".

Previously, the steam lines into the factory were kept open to allow steam at reduced pressure to keep the factory warm and prevent freezing during cold spells, even when production was closed.

Now, when the temperature falls below 2C, an externally mounted thermostatic control opens the new valve a small amount to provide frost protection.

The installation comprises a 200mm electrically actuated valve linked to a pulsed output timer to control the rate of opening.

Slow-opening ensures that the steam system is gently warmed and prevents water hammer, a potential concern for McNulty.

"Some of our engineers thought the build up of water in the pipes during the shutoff period would result in water hammer when the valve opened.

But this has never happened thanks to the valve's slow-opening ability".

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