Improving Valve Performance: The Role of Scraper Rings in Penta Metal Seated Ball Valves
In the oil and gas industry, where operational needs are rigorous and environmental factors pose significant challenges, the integrity and longevity of ball valves are critical issues, especially when valve performance may be compromised by abrasive or corrosive applications.
Penta, a Bonomi Group company, offers solutions that safeguard valve functionality and prolong valve life, ensuring high performance even under severe operating conditions.
One example is the Penta scrapers: the adoption of this scraper technology, widely tested since the early 1980s, represents a strategic investment to optimize valve performance and mitigate operational risks in many industrial and petroleum sectors. By effectively challenging abrasion, corrosion and debris accumulation, scrapers ensure the continued reliability and longevity of valves.
This technology, consisting of two rings placed inside and outside the seat, acts as the first line of defense against the erosive forces of critical applications such as catalytic services, natural and non-natural abrasives.
The rings allow to create a protective barrier on the internal surfaces of the valves and protect the seats from the abrasive action of the solid particles contained in the fluids; reduce wear typically associated with services containing abrasive contaminants.
The constant cleaning action of the Penta scrapers, equipped with independent preloaded systems in order to guarantee constant contact with the ball, allows to extend the valve life by maintaining the ball in optimal cleanliness conditions and limiting the raising of valve operating torques during its repeated opening and closing actions.
The scrapers play a fundamental role in preventing the wedging of solid particles between the ball and the seats, the main cause of blocking of ball valves and the formation of scoring on the ball and seat which causes seal leaks. This proactive approach to dirt management is essential to maintaining plant operational efficiency and preventing costly downtime.
In addition to their protective functions, scrapers contribute to the cleanliness and overall integrity of the valves. By reducing the accumulation of dirt and contaminants within valve cavities, scrapers help mitigate the risk of scale, deposits, and corrosion, which can compromise valve performance over time.
The adoption of innovative technologies, such as those proposed by Penta, is crucial to improve operational efficiency, minimise downtime and maximise results.
