Refurbishment of a historic disc valve

The disc valve was used for 100 years as a vacuum release valve to secure the pipeline.

A disc valve - which is used for aeration and ventilation, among other things - has been in use for around 100 years in one of the largest storage power plants in Germany. Maintenance work has now been carried out on the historic valve.

The valve was used for 100 years as a vacuum ventilation valve to protect the pipework. The system is now a listed building. Several valves of this type were sent to VAG GmbH in Mannheim as part of a refurbishment programme to restore them to their original condition.

The corrosion protection was completely renewed, the hydraulic damping was refurbished and the seat ring was completely replaced. The disc valve will now provide many more years of service. The weight-loaded disc air release valve is a safety valve that is controlled by the negative pressure in the pipeline and is primarily used to introduce large volumes of air into the pipeline. This is important, for example, in the downpipes of hydroelectric power stations.