Kinetrol Actuators on Power Plant Descaling Water System

Kinetrol on descale water system
Kinetrol actuator on
descale water system.
Overtime, heat exchanger tubes in power plant boilers build up mineral deposits that prevent proper heat transfer. The poorer the heat transfer, the higher the boiler tube exposure temperature. The higher the exposure temperature, the shorter the life of the boiler tubes. To remedy this, a chemical and mechanical process called descaling is used. Descaling removes these mineral deposits and restores proper heat transfer.

Kinetrol on descale water system
Wider view.
This Kinetrol actuator application is located on the descale water system at a power plant in the Midwestern United States.  Knifegate valves with pneumatic cylinder actuators were installed on the system and were failing. The knifegate valve packing material leaked and created a maintenance nightmare. The customer needed a longer term, lower maintenance solution.

The local Kinetrol Distributor recommended switching to a high performance butterfly valve (HPBV) and Kinetrol double acting actuator as the replacement. These actuators and valves are installed in a very dirty area (see picture), and during power generation, are exposed to high heat and are cycled every 30 seconds. The first installation has been in place for 20 months and operating without problem. Now, as each knifegate comes up for maintenance, they are being replaced with the Kinetrol operated butterfly valve.

For more information, contact Kinetrol USA by visiting https://kinetrolusa.com or calling 972-447-9443.

Pneumatic Valve and Damper Actuators: A Design Comparison

Industrial valve applicationIndustrial valves, dampers and louvers are operated either electrically or pneumatically. This post compares the three major categories of  pneumatic valve actuators, namely:
  1. Rotary vane
  2. Scotch-yoke
  3. Rack & pinion
All three categories provide the same basic function - converting air pressure to rotational movement intended to open, close, or position a quarter-turn valve (ball, plug, butterfly), louver or damper.

All three can be configured in either direct acting or spring return versions. Direct acting actuators use the air supply to move the actuator in both directions (open and close). Spring return actuators, as the name implies, uses springs to move the actuator back to its "resting" state. Converting from direct acting to spring return is done through simple modifications, typically just adding an external spring module, or removing the end caps from rack and pinion actuators and installing several coil springs.

Vane Actuator
Rotary Vane Actuator

Rotary Vane Actuators

Vane actuators generally provide the most space savings when comparing size-to-torque with rack and pinion and scotch yoke. They have an outstanding reputation for long life because then contain only one moving part, as opposed to rack and pinion and scotch yoke actuators that have many. They tend to withstand dirty and corrosive atmospheres better than rack and pinion and scotch yoke actuators. Vane actuators also use externally mounted, helically wound "clock springs" for their spring return mechanism.

Scotch YokeScotch Yoke

Scotch-yoke actuators use a pneumatic piston mechanism to transfer movement to a linear push rod, that in turn engages a pivoting lever arm to provide rotation. They come in a wide variety of sizes, but are very often used on larger valves because they are capable of producing very high torque output. Spring return units have a large return spring module mounted on the opposite end of the piston mechanism working directly against the pressurized cylinder.

Rack and Pinion

A rack & pinion pneumatic actuator uses opposing pistons with integral gears to engage a pinion gear shaft to produce rotation. Rack & pinion actuators (sometimes referred to as a lunch box because of their shape) tend to be more compact than scotch yoke, have standardized mounting patterns, and produce output torques suitable for small to medium sized valves. They almost always include standard bolting and coupling patterns to directly attach a valve, solenoid, limit switch or positioner. Rack and pinion actuators use several smaller coil springs mounted internally and provide the torque to return the valve to its starting position.

The practical difference between these three types of pneumatic actuators comes down to size, power, torque curve and ease of adding peripherals. For the best selection of valve actuator for any quarter turn valve application, you should seek the advice of a qualified valve automation specialist. By doing so your valve actuation package will be optimized for safety, longevity, and performance.

Scotch yoke mechanism image courtesy of Wikipedia.
Rack and pinion mechanism image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Kinetrol Blueline Actuator Stands Up to Harsh Conditions in Cheese Factory

mozzarella cheeseA very large mozzarella cheese producer in the USA had an actuator problem with their EFV’s (Enclosed Finishing Vats). The flow of the curds being blown into the EFV’s is controlled by star valves and pneumatic actuators. The actuators and valves serve (2) critical purposes: 1) The shut off of the star valve; and 2) controlling the air flow of the blower.

The cheese plant had continuous service problems with their existing actuators. Some had to be replaced within one week of installation. Failure of the actuators caused the curd line to be plugged, and when replacement of the actuator was needed, it would result in a huge mess to be cleaned up off of the production floor. With a 24/7 production timetable, a solution needed to be found to keep the EFV’s up and running.

Kinetrol Blueline vane actuators were recommended because of their 4 million operation guarantee and the new proprietary coating that meets FDA specifications and is permitted for use in food service.

The Kinetrol Blueline actuators eliminated the maintenance issues completely and the Blueline coating has held up excellently after caustic wash-down, with no signs of degradation or fading.


https://kinetrolusa.com
972-447-9443

Words Used to Describe Kinetrol Actuators

The Most Reliable 1/4 Turn Pneumatic Actuator on the Market Today. Period.

For over 50 years Kinetrol has been providing trouble-free valve and damper actuators to the chemical, biofuel, food & beverage, metal, mineral, oil, gas, pharmaceutical, power generation, paper, textile, water, wastewater, and transportation industries.

https://kinetrolusa.com
972-447-9443

The Advantages of Torsion Springs for Pneumatic Actuators

Kinetrol Spring return unit
Kinetrol uses a torsion spring
as the motive force for
their actuator spring return.
Torsion springs, or clock springs, are helical shaped springs that exert a torque or rotary force. They are one of the the oldest forms of flat springs and one of the most common type in use today because of their simplicity and reliability.

Torsion (clock) springs posses a natural tendency to expand, producing a cumulative torque that increases as the spring is wound tighter. Both ends of the torsion spring are attached to other, separate components. When one component rotates around the center point of the spring, the spring will increasingly try to return to the original state.  When a torque is applied to a spiral torsion spring, an angular displacement is created between the first and second loading points. The coil then deflects (tightens), and the spring material is placed under stress, which in turn exerts a linear rotational "output" torque.
Torsion spring
An internal view of the
 clock spring. You'll note
similarities with the
Kinetrol spring return unit.

Practically speaking, spiral torsion springs allow for lower torque loss, lower torque stress, and much greater reliability for use in valve and damper actuation.

Advantages of the torsion spring:

  • High torque delivery per unit of deflection
  • Low cost
  • Compact
  • Reliable
  • Adjustable