Flowserve Butterfly Valve Completes Stress Test

Flowserve announced that its butterfly valve, the Valtek Valdisk, has obtained licensor approval for use in pressure swing adsorption (PSA) applications following a 1 million-cycle endurance test. The butterfly valve is ideal for chemical plants, oil refineries, and similar facilities requiring control valves.

The Valtek Valdisk butterfly valve complements Flowserve's offerings for PSA applications, joining the Valtek Mark One globe valve and Logix 3800 digital positioner. Valtek control valves and Logix automation contribute to equipment longevity and maintain gas purity in PSA skids.

The endurance test was conducted following licensor standards to replicate the harsh operating conditions of high-cycle PSA processes. The valve underwent 1 million open/close cycles with upstream pressures of 350 psi while monitoring seat and stem leakage. The test also evaluated the valve's sensitivity, repeatability, and linearity by following a defined control ramp. The valve shutoff reliability allows plant operators to maintain precise pressure in the PSA vessel and extract purer hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (or other gases).

Several key features of the valve include a double-offset disc that mitigates seat and disc wear, a high-thrust cylinder actuator and an eccentric-cammed disc. Its streamlined body design allows for a more compact overall PSA skid footprint.

"Flowserve designed the Valtek Valdisk to ensure process variables remain close to the desired setpoints and improve process productivity, plant uptime and employee safety,” said Global Product Leader at Flowserve, Cris Sidwell. "Successfully completing a million-cycle test demonstrates Flowserve’s commitment to helping customers extend service life and lower total cost of ownership."