An energy company has commissioned valve and actuator manufacturer IMI to supply seven anti surge valves worth several million euros for an offshore production facility in the North Sea.
IMI is to replace old valves in the plant with new pressure compensation valves. The aim is to increase the reliability, efficiency and environmental compatibility of the plant.
Product design with patented technology
The new valves have been manufactured using additive manufacturing and feature IMI's patented DRAG technology. To gradually reduce inlet pressure, the multi-stage, multi-port design directs fluid through a highly resistant, tortuous path. This approach limits fluid velocity at the trim and eliminates the risk of vibration, noise and erosion.
In addition, the pressure compensation valves feature IMI's SC/V actuators, which use a special piston design for smooth and precise operation, as well as the high capacity and precision SHP (Smart High Performance) digital pneumatic positioner.
Focus on environmental goals
The SHP positioner uses a control algorithm system and patented logic to achieve very short stroking times with high dynamic control. It also offers both online and offline diagnostic functions. These enable operators to monitor the valve during operation and also enable stage, valve signature and frequency tests to be carried out.
From a sustainability perspective, fugitive emissions are a major challenge for upstream offshore production platforms. For this reason, the new relief valves include IMI’s EEEasy-Seal™ stem packing solution, which provides leakage protection up to ISO class AM FE and is third-party certified to ISO 15848-1.
Giuseppe Buscemi, EMEA President of Process Automation at IMI, commented: “We are proud to once again assist our longstanding customer in the North Sea with such a critical infrastructure upgrade. Valve design has come a long way in recent years. O ur ability to match state-of-the-art additive manufactured components with the very latest in positioning and stem packing technology was crucial to a successful re-tender. With environmental targets for offshore upstream production facilities becoming increasingly stringent, it is more important than ever that every component can make a tangible contribution to a site’s emissions reduction strategy. For this customer, our anti-surge valves will do just that.”
