Our Featured articles are long reads that require more reading time than our news articles. In this section, you can find our cover stories, compelling content featuring prominent manufacturers, end-user interview with valve experts around the world, in-depth technical articles and interesting project reports from various industries, ranging from oil & gas, chemical and petrochemical to power generation, pharmaceuticals and food and beverage industries.
Large projects contain 1,000’s of valves, and on most occasions a lot of things are overlooked, such as large bore pipeline valves in gas lines. This article will explore further how the flow performance testing is conducted on specific applications on valves.
Industrial fluid systems have dozens of valves that control the flow of critical fluids from one part of the system to another.
Putting mission-critical data on tags can help prevent significant downtime.
Fossil fuels will continue to be critical for modern economies for the foreseeable future. In its latest Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) stated that petroleum and natural gas will continue to be the most-consumed energy sources in the United States until 2050. Of all fossil fuels, natural gas is the cleanest; that is, it is the one that generates the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions when burned.
Valves can be understood as dynamic devices that are inserted in a dynamic environment, as they have moving parts that wear out during use, packing and sealing that age and lose their effectiveness, and they are subject to vibration, ambient temperature fluctuations, pressure fluctuations, and media temperature fluctuations. Valves therefore need to be maintained, repaired, and sometimes replaced.
Commissioning a major industrial project is no simple task, and Peyman Naderi, a Senior Commissioning and Start-Up Engineer for SNC-Lavalin/Kent, knows this well. In order to adequately complete a project to all required specifications, Naderi must manage many moving parts, from the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) through to eventual installation.
When an industrial valve requires replacement, the amount of work involved in planning and executing the task varies enormously depending on the industry. A refinery, for example, is a complex arrangement of valves, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and pumps interconnected to change feedstock (crude oil) into a series of different, high-value end products that are critical to society.
Not many years ago, cryogenics – the production and behavior of materials at very low temperatures – was likely to be understood by a group of people with specialized knowledge in fields like aerospace. Working with cryogenic applications means working with systems and components that have very special design and performance requirements. The costs associated with manufacturing and testing can be extreme. For these reasons, relatively few manufacturers have become adept at developing and commercializing cryogenic products that can meet the performance needs of the end user, at a price point that is practical.
MRC Global, the leading distributor of pipe, valve, and fitting products to the energy and industrial end sectors, is dedicated to assisting its client base in energy transition and methane reduction processes. By leveraging advanced industry knowledge and superior services, the company has proven its ability to help customers navigate the ever-evolving landscape of the energy and industrial sectors.
Valve World Americas had the great pleasure of speaking with several MRC Global employees, including Matt Hartfiel, Vice President - Downstream, Industrial & Energy Transition Valves; Greg Peterson, Vice President - Valves Actuation Measurement and Instrumentation; Lance Lorance, Executive Director - Valves and Automation and Charles Metrailer, Executive Director - Valves and Automaton, about MRC Global’s dedication to providing valves for a better future.
As many companies and producers of energy are looking toward a cleaner future, solar energy has become a viable alternative to meet industry’s energy needs. To ensure the safe operation of the applications that harness solar energy, the valves used have to meet specific requirements. Valve World Americas had the opportunity to speak with valve expert Scott Moreland to gain more insight on this topic, including what valves are best suited for these applications, and what to expect for the future of the valve market.
