Hunt Valve
This company’s new proportional poppet valve (photo) for descaling applications is said to last three to five times longer than traditional poppet valves. By eliminating the effects of waterhammer and system shock, this poppet-valve technology promotes safety in the plant and cuts operating costs in half, says the manufacturer. The valve can be programmed to eliminate damaging waterhammer, which can lead to burst pipes and cracked welds. Typically, the speed is only reduced for the last 10 to 20% of the stroke, just before completely shutting off flow to the descale header. This slow rate of closure can be fine-turned via the integrated local control interface or programmable logic controller (PLC). To combat the high-velocity fluid flow created by the valve’s slow rate of closure, the valve incorporates ceramic seating surfaces that prevent wear from the fluid flow. The full ceramic seat is more durable than conventional seat materials, such as heat-treated stainless steel. — Hunt Valve, Salem, Ohio