Novel valve design doubles up to cuts costs

Design staff from Flowserve Flow Control and distributor BSS have worked with senior mechanical engineers at BNFL, Risley to produce a new stainless-steel double block and bleed (DBB) valve.

Design staff from Flowserve Flow Control and distributor BSS have worked with senior mechanical engineers at BNFL, Risley to produce a new stainless-steel double block and bleed (DBB) valve that delivers significant cost and space savings.

The collaboration follows the introduction of new site procedures at BNFL stipulating the use of DBB valves to isolate upstream gas and liquid pressures during installation and maintenance processes.

BNFL felt that conventional isolation using three separate ball valves, or existing integrated DBB assemblies were unnecessarily complex and expensive.

It approached Flowserve with a view to using standard valve components.

The result is the Worcester Controls Series 22, which effectively integrates two Worcester 44 series, three-piece ball valves with a central draining section and meets BNFL's quality requirements for a DBB valve at significantly lower cost.

In addition, BNFL also benefits from the valve's reduced size, with a lower welding and inspection requirement and diminished spares-holding overhead.

The Worcester Series 22 has been rigorously tested by BNFL and more than 140 are to be installed within a new intermediate heat exchanger project.

Commenting, Alan Light, Senior Mechanical Engineer at BNFL said: "Flowserve responded to our suggestion with a new design of suitable quality that is almost half the cost of previously used double block and bleed valves".

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