Abstract—Designing of control valves of the tortuous path employing at right angles turns and multiple paths are presented here with improved efficiency with additional features and with past experiences and on field. The main feed pump recirculation valve is the most difficult and severe service application in a central power station. The valve must provide a controlled letdown of the pressure without excessive noise, cavitations or erosion while maintaining leak-free service when shut off. A valve design and its performance in the field is described. The design has evolved from many years of application feedback. The result is a valve which has provided trouble free and economical performance for periods in excess of two years. This compares with some plant experiences which require valve rebuilding every three to six months. The tortuous flow path takes the energy out of the fluid or gas and reduces its velocity in a controlled way, ensuring that velocities never exceeds the threshold that could impair system performance or damage valve components.

Index Terms—Cavitations, Tortuous path, Shut off valve, Feed pump

Cite: Sachin Jadhav and Sandip B Patil, "Sever Service Valve with Improved Efficiency," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 367-373, January 2015.