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Machinery and equipment for testing of valves

Volkmar Fu and Jakob Wst

Global industrial valve production totals more than $40 billion annually. These valves are used in conventional and nuclear power-generating plants, in chemicals and petrochemicals installations, in the sugar and paper industries, at shipyards and in a vast range of other industrial facilities, in all of which valve maintenance and valve testing are increasingly gaining in importance. The test systems described in the following article are suitable for testing to national and international standards of safety valves, gate valves, seat valves, butterfly valves, control valves and tank venting valves, for example, and also vessels, housings, pipes and other elements.

Basics
The leak tightness/leakiness of a test object is determined by means of a pressure test. This is usually carried out using manually screwed-on blind flanges and a provided pressure generation unit, measuring instruments or using modern testing technology. The faster clamping/unclamping of a test subject and faster test pressure build-up

and reduction that this makes possible can make the test system pay for itself quickly. The products that are available range from manually operated systems (Figure 1) to automatic systems (Figure 2). These systems are used in valve maintenance and valve manufacture for intermediate and final inspections or for received goods checking in power sta-

tions, chemical and petrochemical systems, refineries, shipyards and in the paper industry. Robust, reliable structures that are easy and safe to use are the basis of all of these systems. An expansive standard product range is available. Special customer requests can also be dealt with. Safety valves, gate valves, seat valves,

Fig. 1:: Test facility for manual valve testing

Fig. 2: Test facility for automated valve testing

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Fig. 3: Valve-clamping arrangements

butterfly valves, control valves, tank venting valves, vessels, housings, pipes and other units can be checked in accordance with national and international standards using the test systems. Test pressures from vacuum to 3,000 bar and above can be generated. Water, oil, air and nitrogen are the main test media that are used. The majority of EFCO test systems can be divided into two main components: the control desk and the clamping device. The control desk contains the necessary control/regulation/pressure generation and measuring elements for actuating the clamping hydraulics and performing the testing. The clamping devices, which can be horizontal or vertical for

holding the test objects, generate clamping force of 5 t (50 kN) to 1,000 t (10,000 kN). Clamping the test object vertically (vertical flow axis) makes it easier to vent of the test subject when filling with water. However, handling or transportation problems, particularly with extremely large test objects with heavy actuators attached or due to structural issues, often mean that a horizontally designed clamping device has to be used. In these cases the test system is equipped with a vacuum pump for venting the test object before filling with water. The test subjects can be clamped to the test subject flange at one or two sides using clamping claws (Figures 3a/b) or between two test plates Figures 3c/d). All large EFCO testing systems are equipped with a safety locking mechanism that prevents the test object clamp from releasing while the test object is under test pressure. The operator can also be protected by an optional safety wall.

(set pressure = test pressure) in order to protect the pipeline system in which the safety valve is installed from excessive pressure. The other opening characteristic is design-dependent. On the other hand, the safety valve has to be tight under standard operating conditions. Both situations can be set up and checked on EFCO valve test bench (Figure 4).

Set pressure test with air/nitrogen or water

Once the safety valve has been clamped to the bottom test plate of the clamping device using the clamping claws and the relevant sealing plates, the test pressure must be gradually increased until the activation pressure is reached. Different methods are used to determine the actual activation point. The main methods are testing after a manometer pressure drop when testing with water, or alternatively the creation of an air bubble string in the bubble inspection glass when testing with air or nitrogen, measured at the safety valve outlet.

Valve testing procedure

The way in which a valve is tested mainly depends on the type of valve, national/international standards and special user requirements. However, depending on the type of valve the following main tests can be generalised:

Seat leakage test (seat tightness) with air/nitrogen or water approx. 10 percent below activation pressure
After the set pressure test, the test pressure must be gradually lowered to the required test pressure for seat leakage testing, or increased to the required test pressure for seat leakage testing after a complete test pressure reduction. A possible leak at the valve seat can now be determined after a manometer pressure drop when testing with water, or alternatively on the basis of exiting air bubbles in the bubble inspection glass if

Valve type: Safety valve

Fig. 4: Testing of a safety valve on a small valve test bench

Safety valves have to start opening the closing element at a certain pressure

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Fig. 5: Testing of a shut-off valve on a horizontal test bench

testing with air or nitrogen, measured at the safety valve outlet.

checked on EFCO valve test bench (Figure 5).

manometer pressure drop that may have occurred.

Valve type: Shut-off/control valve

Shut-off valves have to interrupt the flow and guarantee that a certain tightness is provided in a pipeline system. Control valves, on the other hand, are used for regulating flow quantities and are not generally used for interrupting the flow and maintaining tightness. For safety reasons, both types of valve also have to withstand an operating pressure that may exceed the permissible operating pressure without leaking out externally. Both situations can be set up and

Shell test (tightness of housing) with water (usually at 1.5 times the nominal pressure (PN))
After the shut-off/control valve has been clamped between the two test plates of the clamping device with the aid of the relevant seals, the applied test pressure must be gradually increased until the prescribed test pressure has been reached. Once the prescribed test pressure has been reached, the test system must be blocked in. The strength of the housing is tested on the basis of a

Seat leakage test (tightness of connection) with air (usually maximum of 6 bar) or with water (usually at simple nominal pressure (PN))
After the shell test (tightness of housing), the test pressure must be gradually lowered to the required test pressure for

Fig. 6: Test facility for steam traps

Fig. 7: Test bench for steel expansion bellows

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seat leakage testing, or increased to the required test pressure for seat leakage testing after a complete test pressure reduction. A possible leak at the valve seat can now be determined after a manometer pressure drop when testing with water, or alternatively on the basis of exiting air bubbles in the bubble inspection glass if testing with air, measured at the valve outlet. The tests that are described or tests that go beyond the scope thereof can be carried out manually or automatically using appropriate test systems, depending on the configuration. An appropriate documentation and management system is available for documenting (test certificate production) and archiving test results. Each test system is tested before delivery and provided with an acceptance report.

Stationary test systems are available for use in the workshop, and mobile versions for use on site. The options include fully equipped trucks, small transporters or containers designed as mobile workshops.

As well as constructing test benches for valve testing, test benches for testing other products are developed and manufactured. Just a few of these products: Electric motor housings, steam traps (Figure 6), refrigerant pumps, fittings and steel expansion bellows (Figure 7).

The Authors

The Company
The core competence of EFCO Maschinenbau GmbH, established in Dren/Germany in 1978, is the construction of machines and devices for the machining, repair and testing of valves, flanges and pipes of all kinds. Within the 30 years of its existence, EFCO has developed into the international market leader regarding both the market share and the advanced technology. The products are being sold to over 60 countries. The majority of customers are in the following areas; valve manufacture, pump/housing manufacture, power stations, chemical industry, petrochemical industry, refineries, shipyards, pipeline manufacture, paper industry, public utilities, valve overhauling service companies.

Volkmar Fu Testing equipment EFCO GmbH Tel. +49 (0)2421 989-114 volkmar.fuss@efcodueren.de

Jakob Wst Technical manager EFCO GmbH Tel. +49 (0)2421 989-172 jakob.wuest@efcodueren.de

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