PDL: Determining Valve Closure Times for Different Fluid Flow Rates

PDL are the engineering analysis experts. The team has huge breadth and depth of valve and actuator expertise combined with extensive experience spanning two decades of successfully applying advanced engineering software to deliver technical solutions to complex valve-related problems. 

The team’s methodical approach and in-depth knowledge of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) make them the ideal partner for solving the most complicated valve-related problems. 

Understanding valve closure times is critical to the safety of piping networks to ensure that the global pressures remain within system limits. The analyst team can undertake steady-state and transient analyses to determine the valve closure times for different flow rates. 

Recently, the team completed the analysis of a swing check valve, which was to be used in ultra-deep water, to understand the flow behaviour through the valve assembly and assess the possibility of contact between the flapper and the housing with continuous steady flow. PDL collaborated with their client’s engineers to investigate the transient analysis of the swing valve closure following a hypothetical pump shutdown, and evaluated the closure times for various flow rates and determined the flapper speed at contact. 

The analysis was undertaken by implementing the Fluid Structure Interaction using System Coupling and the Dynamic Mesh Model within one of the team’s core toolsets – ANSYS Fluent. A momentum source was applied in the fluid domain to force the fluid to move as the angle of the disc changes. The valve disc position was determined by balancing rigid body dynamics and fluid forces acting on the disc. The valve position under various flow rates was obtained, after which the flow was shut off to replicate valve closure, with different flow deceleration rates applied. To achieve the desired closure time, the valve flow and deceleration rates were modified.

PDL’s valve closure analyses provides their clients with a full understanding of their valve system design behaviours and can explore changes before manufacturing. The modelling can replicate fault conditions or failures to provide guidance on the right technical solution to give confidence and added value. The analysis team are able to mitigate the risks, reduce the costs of design development and verify performance to provide confidence by demonstrating compliance with industry codes and standards and allowing clients to fully understand the fluid flow behaviour and the system response.

To find out more about PDL’s proven track record with valve and actuator clients who rely on them to deliver technical solutions to complex problems visit https://pdl-group.com/valves/ or connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/pdl-solutions-europe-ltd.

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