Valves costs

Note that there are three vessels (vaporizer, separator, absorber) within the gas loop where apparently pressure can also be controlled. However, these pressures actually cannot be selected arbitrarily once the compressor capacity and gas loop pressure drop are established. In fact, to minimize pressure drop in the gas loop we would open completely or remove the overhead vapor control valves on these units, saving both compressor and valve costs. 

Tight shutoff costs money. You can save on valve costs by understanding just what degree of shutoff is really needed. 

Many engineers think that a 600-pound valve is required for a 600 psi process line. According to API 600 and ANSI B16.5, the selection depends entirely on the temperature of the process fluid. If the maximum temperature is low enough, a 300-pound valve could easily meet the code requirements and save several hundred dollars in valve costs. 

Welding-end Valves are used for special applications where leakage is prohibited or, as one refiner puts it, if the valve is not replaced more often than every three to five years. Considerable savings in valve cost can be had considering weld-end valves replacing flanged or screwed-end types. 

There can be an element of maintenance costs that is fixed and an element which is variable. Fixed maintenance costs cover routine maintenance such as regular maintenance on safety valves which must be carried out irrespective of the rate of production. There also can be an element of maintenance costs which is variable. This arises from the fact that certain items of equipment can need more maintenance as the production rate increases. Also, royalties which cover the cost of purchasing another company s process technology may have different bases. Royalties may be a variable cost, since they can sometimes be paid in proportion to the rate of production. Alternatively, the royalty might be a single-sum payment at the beginning of the project. In this case, the single-sum payment will become part of the project s capital investment. As such, it will be included in the annual capital repayment, and this becomes part of the fixed cost. 

Standardisation of equipment items is an area for potential cost savings, both in terms of capital expenditure (capex) and operating expenditure (opex), and is a decision which should be taken In consultation with the production operations department at the FDP stage. Standardisation can be applied to equipment items ranging from drilling platforms to valves. The benefits of standardisation are ... 

The more effective deflvery of natural gas is being realized by the use of computerized operation centers that allow rapid responses to the variations ia gas demand. Automated valves, more precise measuting systems, and high speed communication networks make it possible to closely monitor and manage the transmission and deflvery of natural gas. This translates iato improved service and cost effectiveness. 

Vents and flares are intended to take contaminants released from safety valves away from work areas. However, if an elevated vent is at the level of an occupiable platform on the same or an adjacent unit, a worker may, under certain wind conditions, be subject to the nearly undiluted effluent of a vent. Whereas such elevated platforms may rarely be occupied, a heavy exposure from a vent could incapacitate a worker or cause a fall. Tanks that vent only when being filled are common causes of this concern. The usual solution is to raise the vent above any occupiable platform or, at greater cost, to scmb the vent effluent. 

The disk filter is similar to the dmm in operation, but filtration is conducted using a series of large diameter filter disks that carry the filter medium on both sides of the disk. They are connected to the main horizontal shaft and partly immersed in the feed slurry. The central shaft is connected by a set of valves which serve to provide vacuum and air as in dmm filters. As the disk sections submerge during rotation, vacuum is appHed to form a cake on both sides of the disk. The cycle of operation is similar to that in a dmm filter. One unit can have as many as 12 disks of up to 5-m diameter. Disk filters, both compact and cost effective, are used extensively in the iron ore industry to dewater magnetite concentrates. 

Implantable valves, particularly mechanical valves which continue to encroach on tissue valves, are unique. Methods such as valvuloplasty, mitral valve repair, or use of ultrasound are unlikely to reduce the number of valve replacements into the twenty-first century. Valve selection remains in the hands of the surgeon because of the critical nature of the procedure. If anything goes wrong, the result can be catastrophic to the patient. Cost of a valve, from 3000— 4000, is a relatively small part of the cost of open-heart surgery which can mn as high as 30,000. Growth of the cardiovascular valve market has slowed in the United States with the decline of the threat of rheumatic fever. 

The modulus of elasticity (MOE) is related to the strength and can be used as a nondestmctive quaUty control test on high cost special refractory shapes such as sHde gate valves employed in the pouring of steel (qv). The sHde gate type must be selected to ensure chemical compatibiUty and it must be used in a way to reduce thermal shock. The performance of a properly selected and used sHde gate is direcdy related to its strength and therefore predicted by its MOE. 

Parts made from fluoroelastomers ate used ia appHcations that justify their high cost, usually where the maintenance and replacement costs are high enough to offset the initial cost of the part. These include automotive appHcations such as valve stem seals, fuel injector components, radiator, crankcase and transmission seals, and carburetor needle tips. Numerous seals and gaskets in the marine, oilfield, and chemical processing industries employ fluoroelastomers. In addition, many hoses in the automotive and chemical industry are made entirely of fluoroelastomer compounds or have a veneer of the fluoroelastomer as a barrier exposed to the harsh environment. Seals and gaskets in military appHcations and the binder for flares and missile appHcations ate made with fluoroelastomers. 

---