Fireproof Assurance: Severn’s OCT TOV Butterfly Valves Exceptional Fire Safety Design and Testing Credentials
As part of a safety-first approach Severn incorporates into its innovative Oblique Cone Technology (OCT) Triple Offset (TOV) Butterfly valve, fire safety is a critical part of that safety first objective. Fire testing standards state the minimum requirements the valve must achieve in order to receive fire safe certification. The standards dictate the setup & parameters required to simulate the conditions a valve may be subjected to during a fire, and test to ensure the valve can operate satisfactorily afterwards.
To summarise, the test consists of a valve being mounted in a fire test rig to flow water through the valve, and measure leakage both internally past the seal as well as externally through the packings and gaskets. The valves are then pressure tested at ambient temperature, once the valve has passed this element of the test, any leakage is recorded. The valve is then subject to a simulated fire by use of gas burners, with average temperatures of between 750°C & 1000°C recorded by thermocouples for the 30-minute burn time. Once complete, the flames are extinguished, and the valve is subjected to a forced cooldown using water to simulate the fire being extinguished on site.
The leakage during fire is measured and recorded. The valve is then subject to a re-ambient temperature and operational test, with the maximum leakage requirements being defined within the relevant standard. The tests are carried out in both the preferred and reverse directions and are witnessed by a 3rd party approval body to give added confidence that the valve will perform as required in either flow direction.
By investing in and developing their own on-site fire test facility, Severn can understand and interpret the results to re-design & develop the fire safe valve technology for the OCT TOV Butterfly Valve, to further exceed the requirements set out in the standard. By doing this, Severn have been able to achieve up to Zero seat leakage, even after fire testing, giving further confidence to the capabilities of the valves when installed and further ensuring safety first is achieved for the end user and their operations.
The key to Severn’s success lies in their patented Oblique Cone Technology (OCT), which received approval from the UK Intellectual Property Office in 2018. This innovative design uses an ‘infinite circle’ geometry that allowed the research and development team to develop the circular sealing geometry, which gives the flexibility to use the valve for both isolation and control duties with the option of interchangeable seals and control trims.
Utilising its over 60 years of engineering heritage, Severn have designed and developed the innovative OCT TOV Butterfly Valve, a valve that meets the requirements of API 6FA, API 607, and ISO 10497 fire testing standards. These bi-directional isolation & control valves offer repeatable zero leakage, providing peace of mind for operators while ensuring safety is at the forefront.
Severn’s certification for fire test covers the OCT Laminate, Hybrid (OCT-HS) and Seawater (OCT-SW) seals, achieving the required leakage rates in accordance with the relevant international standards. By designing, developing, and testing the hybrid seal (OCT-HS) Severn have been able to understand how the hybrid polymer metallic seal acts under extreme temperatures, which has enabled them to develop a graphite free, firesafe seal, that works even after being exposed to the extremes of a fire test. By using this knowledge, the OCT-SW utilises the hybrid seal technology and prevents any graphite from contacting with the line media, therefore on seawater service eliminates galvanic effects and extends the service life of the valve.
By meeting stringent fire test standards, they have provided customers with a reliable and efficient solution to fire safety. With their patented oblique cone technology, Severn have set a new benchmark for future valve designs and innovative technology and further ensure the end user achieves its core remit of safe operations and reduced downtime.
Explore the design that has been inspired by engineering heritage and excellence to create a product that master’s isolation and control applications.
From the outset, Severn wanted the Oblique Cone Technology (OCT) to be unique in the Triple Offset valve market. Severn wanted to develop a product that not only solves an extensive range of issues for the customer with our “standard” product range, but to break tradition, and to design and manufacture a technically superior Butterfly Valve.
By utilising their comprehensive history with specialist butterfly valve design and manufacture, Severn have been able to develop a Triple Offset Butterfly Valve that performs both control and isolation duty in a single package. A valve designed from the outset to be re-used, upgraded, and provide an increased level of safety to the end user.
Severn have utilised its years of experience in manufacturing both the concentric and double offset Butterfly Valves to create innovative technology that pushes the boundaries of Triple Offset Butterfly Valve design. By looking at the traditional elliptical sealing concepts of Triple offset valves and combining this with circular sealing principals, Severn created its patented Oblique Cone Technology (OCT). In its most simplistic form, the geometry can be compared to a circular cone, by moving the point of the cone along one axis, this creates two different angles to the cone sides (forming an oblique cone), by taking a slice of this cone, it forms the sealing geometry of the OCT valve.
The benefit of this method means we maintain the principals of circular seals, thus providing an even seat load all-round the disc, therefore providing increased flexibility within the design to allow Severn to add different sealing options to the valve as well as specialist control trims such as anti-cavitation / low noise trims.
By understanding the foundational principals of Butterfly Valve design, Severn have a detailed knowledge of the interaction between each and every Butterfly Valve component. This combined with Severn’s Repair Intelligence philosophy and over 60 years of engineering excellence, customer solutions and end user feedback, problems can be anticipated and resolved before they occur and therefore increasing the lifecycle of the product and reducing costly unplanned downtime.
Severn additionally want to break the cycle of Butterfly Valves being a “throw away’’ commodity items. The OCT TOV Butterfly Valve is designed to be re-used, repaired, or upgraded on site with only basic tools. The robustness of the design means that the main components can be cleaned, soft goods replaced, and the valve can be reinstalled to provide extended years of reliable service. This not only reduces long term cost of ownership for the end user, but also reduces the environmental impact of the plant operations. Severn also install Fugitive Emission certified packing as standard in the OCT to further reduce the plant emission.
Flexibility and reliability come as standard in the OCT TOV Butterfly Valve. By using the principals of a Control Valve, Severn have streamlined and reduced the disc thickness to impede the flow as little as possible and maximise valve Cv. Fasteners have been removed from the disc, to eliminate the risk of them coming loose due to vibration and falling into the pipeline. The seal has also been mounted in the body rather than on the disc. This not only protects the seal by removing it from the direct flow path, but means the disc is thinner as well as giving Severn the option to add anti cavitation / low noise trims onto the disc when process conditions dictate.
The OCT principle has been installed and operating in the field for over 10 years without issues, this coupled with countless amounts of testing and validation including fire testing, pressure testing, temperature testing and cycle testing, provide the end user with confidence in the robustness and reliability of the OCT Triple Offset Butterfly valve range and ultimately minimise down time and plant costs.
With over 60 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of Butterfly Valves, Severn launches a range built on decades of learnings and innovative engineering.
In the dynamic landscape of industrial engineering, innovation often stems from a rich heritage of expertise and an unyielding commitment to excellence. Severn Glocon, a renowned name in the world of valve design and manufacturing, have once again proven this statement true with the unveiling of the superior Oblique Cone Technology (OCT) Triple Offset (TOV) Butterfly Valve. This development represents Severn’s commitment to innovation in the realm of process and industrial energy markets, promising enhanced performance, reliability, and efficiency.
Engineering Heritage: The Foundation of Excellence
Severn’s journey to engineering eminence is woven with a tapestry of innovation and dedication stemming back over 60 years. With an engineering history extending back to 1957 and the design and manufacturing of Globe Control Valves, Severn has continuously pushed the boundaries of valve technology and design, earning a reputation for precision engineering and unmatched quality. Drawing from this extensive engineering heritage, Severn has consistently delivered solutions that exceed industry standards and address the evolving needs of diverse sectors.
Unveiling the Oblique Cone Technology (OCT)
At the heart of Severn’s latest engineering triumph lies the OCT TOV Butterfly valve, a revolutionary advancement in Butterfly valve design and performance. Unlike traditional Butterfly valves, which often suffer from limitations in sealing performance and durability, the OCT TOV Butterfly Valve introduces circular sealing geometry.
Unlike traditional triple offset designs that use an ellipse. The benefit of circular geometry is that it provides a uniform sealing load around the circumference of the sealing diameter, providing a reliable and repeatable shut-off. By using circles rather than ellipses, it allows Severn to use proven circular sealing knowledge and incorporate this into the TOV.
Incorporating Severn’s ‘Repair Intelligence’ knowledge which involves providing real market feedback from extensive in-depth analysis from failed valves. Severn have designed each facet of this valve to provide the most accurate, reliable, and robust service capability possible whether managing critical processes in Oil & Gas refineries, Chemical Plants, or Power Generation facilities, the OCT TOV Butterfly valve ensures the end user achieves their core remit of safe operations and minimum downtime.
Advantages for Process and Industrial Energy Markets
The introduction of the innovative OCT TOV Butterfly Valve designed by Severn signifies a paradigm shift in valve technology, offering a host of benefits to the Process & Industrial Energy markets
Enhanced Performance: Severn have designed each facet of this valve to provide the most accurate, reliable, and robust service capability possible to help the end user achieve their core remit of safe operations and minimum downtime.
Extended Lifecycle: Process conditions can change with time. Severn have ensured the interchangeability of the seal, should the sealing requirement not become as critical, or process conditions become more arduous.
Increased Safety: At Severn, safety is paramount to the design of our products and ensured that whilst adhering to the strictest industry standards, have incorporated shaft blowout prevention as a vital addition to the design of the valve to increase suitability for end users and the wider industry.
Versatility: Utilising Severn’s extended history of engineering excellence, the OCT TOV Butterfly valve has been designed for both superior control in both throttling and modulating services, whilst additionally providing a repeatable seal for isolation duties.
Environmental Sustainability: To further the commitment to reducing fugitive emissions and reduce the burden on end users to meet tightening specifications, all Severn’s OCT triple offset butterfly range offer the fugitive emissions packing sets as standard fitment on all standard valves in the range.
Severn’s relentless pursuit of engineering excellence has culminated in the development of the OCT Triple Offset Butterfly Valve – a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. As industries worldwide seek ever-improving solutions to their operational challenges, Severn Glocon stands ready to lead the way, setting new benchmarks for performance, reliability, and efficiency in valve technology.
Severn makes ice-road deadline.
An ice-road waits for no one, so Brighouse engineers had their work cut out ensuring six butterfly valves were ready to reach a north Russian LNG plant before the spring melt.
The order comprised four 20” ASME 300 and two 16” ASME 900 double flanged short pattern triple offset butterfly valves.
To ensure Severn makes the ice-road deadline, the Brighouse team designed, manufactured, assembled and tested the valves in-house, comfortably shipping them by the mid-March deadline.
Manufactured in CF8M with electric actuators, these control valves surpassed the customer’s Class IV leakage requirement, achieving the more challenging ‘Class VI or better’ standard.
Severn manufactures and supports high quality valves for the energy industries. Its control, choke and small bore subsea valves are pre-eminent in the global market, underpinning the reliability and high performance of business-critical client infrastructure.
Severn’s global reach, technical prowess, and collaborative approach – all founded upon a heritage of British engineering excellence – help to assure production continuity for clients and reduce the prospect of costly downtime.
Its understanding of the life-cycle of assets positions Severn to offer end-to-end engineering solutions, enabling clients to meet their core imperatives: safe operations and minimum downtime.