As part of a safety-first approach Severn incorporates into its innovative Oblique Cone Technology (OCT) Triple Offset (TOV) Butterfly valve, fire safety is a critical part of that safety first objective. Fire testing standards state the minimum requirements the valve must achieve to receive fire safe certification. The standards dictate the setup and parameters required to simulate the conditions a valve may be subjected to during a fire, and test to ensure the valve can operate satisfactorily afterwards.
The test consists of a valve being mounted in a fire test rig to flow water through the valve, and measure leakage both internally past the seal as well as externally through the packings and gaskets. The valves are then pressure tested at ambient temperature, once the valve has passed this element of the test, any leakage is recorded. The valve is then subject to a simulated fire by use of gas burners, with average temperatures of between 750°C & 1000°C recorded by thermocouples for the 30-minute burn time. Once complete, the flames are extinguished, and the valve is subjected to a forced cooldown using water to simulate the fire being extinguished on site.
Courtesy of Severn.