Control Valves

Ted Huddleston
Dept of Chemical Engineering
University of South Alabama
Fig C-7.2
page 747
Reciprocating Stem
Sliding Stem
vp
Control Valve Action
Page 201 - see Figure C-7.2 on page 747, In this figure
supply air enters the case above the diaphragm. For an
air pressure of 3 psig, the diaphragm and valve stem
are at their topmost position and the valve is wide open.
When the air pressure is 9 psig, the diaphragm and
valve stem are at their mid point and the valve is half
open. When the air pressure is 15 psig, the diaphragm
and valve stem are at their bottom position and the valve
is closed.
This is an air-to-close (ATC) valve. If control air
pressure were to fail, the spring would push the stem up
and open the valve - called a fail-open (FO valve.
ATO and ATC Actuators
ATO and ATC Actuators
Control Valve Actions
Which to select? ATC or ATO ?
Ask Which is safer if there is a malfunction
which includes loss of control air?
On fuel and steam valves, use FC.
On cooling water, and inert gas blanket lines
use FO.
On all valves perform a safety audit.
P&ID Example
Control Valve Characteristics
Describes how flow through valve varies
with stem position.
Results from the shape of the valves seat
and plug, which determines how valve
resistance changes with stem position.
Inherent valve characteristic
Installed valve characteristic
Control Valve Action
Actuators are built to either open a valve with increasing
air pressure (ATO) or to close a valve with increasing air
pressure (ATC).

See Figure C-8.1 page 750.
Plugs and Seats
Parabolic Characteristic Quick-Opening Characteristic
(Equal Percentage)

Valve Equation
f
v
v
G
p
C f =
f = liquid flow, U.S. gpm
Ap
v
= pressure drop, psi
G
f
= specific gravity of liquid
C
v
= valve coefficient
C
v
= C
v
(vp)
Eqn (5-2.1) page 203
LIQUID SERVICE
Inherent Characteristic
constant ) vp ( C f
v
=
Valve is mounted on a test stand such that vp can be
changed, changing C
v
and f, but pressures are
adjusted such that Ap
v
is held constant.
f
v
v
G
p
) vp ( C f =
Inherent Valve Characteristic
Curves
% vp
C
v,max f
max
100
v
max
C f 100
f
f
0
constant ) vp ( C f
v
=
Page 211
Inherent Valve Characteristic
Curves
Linear Characteristic:
C
v
= C
v,max
(vp) 0 < vp < 1
Equal Percentage Characteristic
C
v
= C
v,max
o
(vp-1)
0 < vp < 1
25 < o < 100
Page 211
Equal Percentage Valves
Note the shape of the inherent characteristic.
When the valve is at vp = 0.2, flow is small, and the slope
Af/Avp is small.
When the valve is at vp = 0.8, flow is large, and the
slope Af/Avp is large.
Equal Percentage Valves
The quantity
100
vp
f
f
100
f
vp
f
=
represents the percent change of flow per unit
change in valve position.
The percentage change of flow per unit change
in valve position is the same or equal for all vp.
Equal Percentage Valves
constant C f
1) (vp
max v,

=
) 1 )( ln( constant C
1) (vp
max v,
o

=
dvp
df
Equal Percentage Valves
) ln(
constant C
) 1 )( ln( constant C
1
1) (vp
max v,
1) (vp
max v,
o
o
=
=

dvp
df
f
Installed Valve Characteristics
Section starts on page 212. See diagram on page 213. A
control valve is installed in series with a heat exchanger.
Water is supplied from the left at a constant pressure, and
exhausts to the atmosphere at the right. Valve position
can vary, flow through the process can vary, pressure drop
through the exchanger, through the pipe and fittings, and
through the valve can vary. But the total pressure
drop Ap
o
is constant.
Installed Valve Characteristics
Assume flow is fully turbulent. Pressure drop through
line, fittings, and heat exchanger is
2
f L L
f G k p =
Pressure drop across valve is obtained from valve equation
2
v
2
f v
C
f
G p =
Installed Valve Characteristics
The total pressure drop is
2
f L
2
v
o
f G k
C
1
p
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
Solving for the flow f yields
Installed Valve Characteristics
f
o
2
v L
v
G
p
C k 1
C
f(vp)
+
=
Linear
=%
1) (vp
max v, v
max v, v
C C
(vp) C C

=
=
Installed Valve Characteristics
What installed valve characteristic is
desirable?
Flow rate should change by the same amount
per vp change throughout valve stroke.
Gain (flow rate change/vp change) should be
constant for all values of vp.
This is a linear installed valve characteristic.
Inherent vs Installed Characteristics
vp
flow
When a valve is installed in series with process
equipment, the installed characteristic flow curve is
shifted up and to the left of the inherent flow curve.
See Figure 5-2.7 on page 217.
Installed
Inherent
So which to choose ?
When valve takes up most ( > 80 %) of the pressure
drop use a linear valve. (Ex: Valve on a fuel gas
line between the header and the burner.)
When valve is installed in series with other
equipment and valve takes up 20 60% of the
pressure drop use =% valve.
When valve takes up 60-80% of pressure drop let
boss decide.

Valve Rangeability
f(0.05)
f(0.95)
position valve 5% at Flow
position valve 95% at Flow
ty Rangeabili
=
=
Defined on page 212. Also known as the turn-down
ratio, it is the ratio of the maximum controllable flow to
the minimum controllable flow FOR THE
INSTALLED VALVE. Flow f(vp) is computed using
EQN (5-2.14) on page 214.
Control Valve C
v
The size of a control valve is described by its C
v
.
f
v
max v,
G
p
C f =
The valve is fully open.
Ap
v
= 1 psi
G
f
= 1 (fluid is water)
f = C
v,max
gpm
Control Valve C
v
The C
v
of a control valve is the flow in gpm
of water that would flow through the fully
open valve caused by a pressure drop of 1
psi.
Control Valve Sizing
Linear Installed Characteristic
Small Pressure Drop
High Rangeability
Operates approximately half open at design
flow
Control Valve Sizing
Method One: The Overcapacity Method in which the valve
is specified so that when the valve is fully open with specified
Ap
v
, the flow is double the design flow.
1) flow = 2 x Design Flow
2
p
p
4
p
) 2
o
v
o
< <
Control Valve Sizing
4) From the manufacturers literature select the
smallest C
v
that exceeds the value of C
v,max
found in
part (3).
f
v
max v,
G
p
Flow Design 2
C ) 3

=
Control Valve Sizing
Method Two: The Design Flow Method in which the valve
will pass the design flow at valve position vp = 0.6 with the
specified Ap
v
.
1) flow = Design Flow
2
p
p
4
p
) 2
o
v
o
< <
Control Valve Sizing
f
v
max v,
G
p
vp
Flow Design
C
) 3

=
Valve Linear
Control Valve Sizing
f
v
1 vp
max v,
G
p

Flow Design
C
% ) 3

=
=

Valve
Control Valve Sizing
4) From the manufacturers literature select the
smallest C
v
that exceeds the value of C
v,max
found in
part (3).
Control Valve Sizing
We have not considered cavitation, flashing, sonic flow, the
pressure drop recovery factor, the Reynolds Number
recovery factor, piping geometry factor, noise reduction,
and other important items. The equation used here is for
liquid service. Equations for gases and vapors are more
complicated.
When buying valves from a particular
manufacturer use that manufacturers equations
and technical support.