Technology is a DRAG® at Dakota

At the Dakota Gasification Company, an existing valve was experiencing erosion of the trim. This resulted in high maintenance for the company, and required a solution to handle the process conditions of the Dakota Gasification.

Typical problems caused by incorrect technology in severe service valves include premature trim and body erosion due to lack of velocity control along the flow path. Trim damage reduces the trim’s ability to control spraywater flow, which is why it’s important to avoid high velocity areas. Avoiding this occurrence allows for the life of the trim to increase considerably.

To address this issue, Dakota Gasification is replacing the valve with a 1-in. (25-mm) globe valve, specifically designed to handle Dakota’s application requirements. By utilizing DRAG® technology, the risk of uncontrolled fluid velocity is eliminated through the unique tortuous path trim design. This controls fluid velocity by forcing the pressure drop to occur in several stages, reducing it as it passes through each channel and stage. The replacement valve will have design pressures of up to 1500 psig (103 bar) with temperatures up to 300 F (150 C).

CCI’s unique DRAG® design produces a highly reliable and precise level of flow control to eliminate the possibility of erosion problems.

Published in SOLUTIONS Summer 2002