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    William Alexander Leon Caceres
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    The Handbook of valve lubrication & maintenance 3

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    26 views17 pages

    The Handbook of Valve Lubrication & Maintenance 3

    Uploaded by

    William Alexander Leon Caceres

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 17
    Where the sealant actually enters the seat ring becomes very important (see attached illustrations). Assuming the sealant enters upstream of the PTFE insert as with a conventional ball valve. any sealant injected into the downstream seat ring would be lost downstream of the seal face and would be ineffective. When injecting sealant into the upstream seat ring we can assume the ball has lifted away from the upstream seat ring as it is forced hard against the downstream seat ring. In order for the sealant to be effective, it must travel around the circumference of the ball in order to find the downstream seal face. It may take a considerable quantity of sealant before any results are obtained, but a seal should eventually be achieved. to be accessing the body much the same way. In this instance less sealant will be In cases where there is just one sealant injection fitting and it appears cavity, the seal will be achieved required because the injection point is closer to the downstream seal face. If the valve continues to leak, it may be because the valve seal faces require cleaning. Inject the Valve Cleaner into the sealant fittings. Substanti face. The best results are achieved by allowing the cleaner to soak for a few hours to overnight ly more will be required upstream of the seal in problem valves. Again, considerable quantities will be required in order to have any effect. Displace the cleaner by cycling the valve a few times. The cleaner will be washed downstream. The cycling action should scrape the softened buildup away from the seal face area. Follow up by injecting your regular lubricant/sealant into the upstream fitting. If the regular sealant is not effective, cycle the valve a few times, then inject a heavier sealing compound such as Sealweld 5050 Ball Valve Sealant. Three Piece Bolted Body Ball Valves es 0 ; oT] eo 3+ Seat Sealant Fitting og oe fi Wy) Y ‘Body Vent Fitting Oe ean Pug I a ee ee ee ee EE 5050 Ball Valve Sealant is very effective at obtaining a reliable seal when the regular lubricany/sealant is no longer effective. If the valve leak does not diminish after injecting 5050 it may be that the seat ring is not aligning against the ball properly. This is occurrence on valves with o-rings as opposed to valves with ridged PTFE or Nylon se: Occasionally one hard blow with a rubber mallet against the top of the upstream flange will cause the seal ring to realign properly. a more common. s. It can be confusing when there is equal pressure both upstream and downstream of the valve being serviced. When the valve is closed and the body cavity is vented, then both seat rings act the same as the upstream seat ring. Internal Check at Valve mga Seat Ring Passage Seal Face Passage Zz Seat Ring LZ, A Seat Sealing O-Rings It is possible to “lock-up” the valve after venting the body cavity, This is caused by the line Pressure pushing both seat rings hard against the ball. This is a more common problem on high Pressure or large diameter valves. To unlock the seat rings, equalize the pressure in the body cavity by introducing line pressure into the body cavity through an auxiliary inlet. It is possible to “jack” the seats off the ball by injecting grease into the body cavity. In will take a substantial quantity because the hole in the ball must be filled as well. Be very careful not to over pressure the body cavity as it could rupture the body cas SS SE —— Three piece bolted body ball valves are usually trunion mounted as illustrated on the previous page. The seat sealing principles are identical to that of a welded body ball valve as detailed in the previous section of this manual. Bolted body ball valves rely on o-rings and other types of elastomers to seal the body segments. These elastomers can break down over time and lead to body leakage. Make sure the proper grade of elastomer is ordered for the service condition. Quite often strong chemicals such as ‘methanol (to eliminate hydrates), corrosion inhibitors and sulphur dispersing chemicals (DMDS) are introduced after the valves are installed. These strong chemicals can effect the o-rings by shrinking, swelling or cracking and lead to seat ring and body leakage. The major advantage of the bolted body design is that the valve can be taken apart and repaired when required. The addition of a lower trunion eliminated the torque problems associated with the floating ball style, The seat rings are spring loaded and allowed to float. This means the ball seals against the upstream seat ring. Most three piece bolted body valves have the “double block and bleed” feature so the seats can be tested with the valve in the full open or full closed position. Grove ball valves must be cycled closed to test the seat seals. ‘One of the more common problems with the smaller sizes of trunion mounted ball valves comes from not ordering a seat sealant system. Many manufacturers install this provision only by special order. Some manufacturers install a buttonhead sealant injection fitting into the body cavity only. On a trunion mounted valve this is almost useless because the sealant must enter upstream of the upstream seat ring to be effective. By injecting downstream of the upstream seat ring it is very difficult to make the sealant travel upstream. Being trunion mounted with floating seats, the downstream seat is designed to self-relieve when the pressure in the valve body exceeds line pressure by more than approximately 200 psi. This means that as the sealant fills the body cavity, any excess is relieved downstream, not upstream where it is required. It is possible to force a small amount of sealant upstream by injecting very quickly and cycling the valve at the same time. While this is not an effective method, it has been known to work on occasion. Be sure to inject lots of sealant, operate the valve quickly and keep trying. Valves with sealant injection fittings accessing each seat ring should also be equipped with a body vent fitting for seal testing. When leaks develop and topping up is not effective, inject Valve Cleaner and allow it to soak inside the valve for a few hours to overnight on problem valves. The quantities required are the same as other ball valves, one ounce of cleaner per inch of valve size into each seat ring. Cycle the valve a few times to ensure complete coverage. Displace the cleaner by injecting equal amounts of an insoluble lubrican/sealant. CR Fe TT aT ET Gate Valve Maintenance ‘The gate valve is an old proven design. Many of the smaller/simpler gate valves require stem seal maintenance only. Some of the more elaborate and larger diameter gate valves in high pressure and/or sour service have provisions for seat sealant injection. ‘The simplest design is the typical forged steel gate valve as illustrated below. Periodic maintenance consists of inspecting the stem for leakage and tightening the gland nut as required, Keep the threaded stem oiled to prevent rusting and clean up any dirt or sand which adheres to the stem. Cycle the valve (if possible) to keep the valve from seizing in one position. Keep paint away from the stem threads, as it can build up and increase torque and may keep the valve from seating properly. Typical Forged Steel Gate Valve Packing Gland Nut Stem Packing Stem Forged and cast steel gate valves are generally simple and inexpensive. Most styles are designed so that the gate and seats can be easily replaced. This style of valve does not have any provision for seat sealant injection. Stem packing can be made from braided rope packing or soft plastic type packing such as Sealweld Slick Sticks or Pack - King compound. Should stem leaks develop after the packing gland has been fully compressed it is possible to have professional “leak sealers” come in and effect repairs. It is done simply by “hot tapping” into the packing chamber and injecting Sealweld Pack-King compounds. aS. ED 7 a Wellhead Gate Valves The wellhead gate valve illustrated below is the most copied gate valve in industry today. At last count there were over turers of varying quality. The working principles are all identical; the seat rings are fixed to the body and the gate is split and held together with a strong spring. ‘opy-cat™ manuf Typical Wellhead Style Gate Valve Bearing $53) stem Zork Nipple — | Packing Injector — G8 ‘Segment — |\—Gate Guide Body es |—Seat Ring Fittings | L_ insert Spring Cross Section Seat Assembly Maintenance on this style of valve consists of adding more plastic stem packing putty sticks as stem leaks develop. Be careful while removing the bolt or “stinger” of the packing injector. Occasionally the ball check in the body of the packing injector will not seat properly and gas or liquid can e: one or two tums if there is no pressure behind it. There is a small vent hole near the top of the packing injector body which should vent leakage as the bolt is unscrewed if the ball check has failed. Exercise extreme caution while injecting stem packing. The fine threads on the bolt portion of the packing injector can generate up to 30,000 psi without much effort with a short wrench. Tum the screw in slowly until the leakage stops. Do not over tighten or the valve may become difficult to operate. pe under high pressure. Remove the bolt slowly, it should unscrew by hand after The body cavity is often filled with body filler grease to lubricate the gate and seats, prevent internal corrosion and keep hydrates from collecting in the valve body. Always consult the proper manufacturers manual for advice on body filling instructions before starting. Quantities required to fill the body are approximately one pound of grease per inch of valve size, a 2” gate valve requires about two pounds of body filler grease. For best results select a grease which is C2) a aT insoluble in the solution flowing through the valve. Extreme care must be taken NOT to exceed the maximum working pressure of the valve being serviced when filling the body cavity. Attach the SO-BV Tool to one of the two body grease fittings to vent leakage and to prevent over pressuring the body cavity while filling. The stem bearing should be lubricated periodically with a high quality water resistant bearing compound such as Sealweld Eterna-Lube 1000. Care should be taken not to over lubricate the stem bearings. In order to get this style of gate valve to seal properly, it may be necessary to operate the valve several times. Use of heavy sealing compound is generally NOT recommended due to the large quantities which must be injected. The seat design does not have provision for seat sealant injection; however, in an emergency, filling the body cavity with an insoluble seat sealant may achieve the desired results. Three Fitting Style Gate Valves The three fitting style gate valve is considered by many to be the “Cadillac” of wellhead gate valves. It is designed for many years of rugged reliable service. It has many design features which make it ideal for severe service such as high pressure and corrosive conditions. Because it is a more expensive valve, extra care should be taken to ensure many years of reliable service. at sealant ‘The main advantage of the three fitting design is the provision for automatic s injection. Every time the valve is operated, the sealant reservoir discharges a small amount of sealant into each seat ring. There is sufficient quantity of sealant for approximately 100 operations. The sealant reservoir is refilled via the two capped fittings adjacent to each seat ring. Because the valve seats feed from a reservoir, use of Valve Cleaner is generally not recommended except in an emergency. There is no assurance that the Valve Cleaner can be completely displaced from the reservoir unless the reservoir is emptied by operating the valve over 100 times. ‘The smaller capped fitting located near the bottom of the valve body is used for the injection of a body filler grease. As with other wellhead gate valves, the body filler grease will lower operating torque, prevent corrosion and prevent hydrates from collecting in the valve body. Stem packing consists of a series of chevron packing rings in the bonnet assembly. The packing and stem bearing can be replaced with the valve under pressure by following the instructions as detailed in the owners manual. The bleeder plug can be removed to check if the stem back- seating was successful. The stem bearing should be lubricated periodically with a high quality water proof lubricant such as Sealweld Eternal-Lube 1000. As with any valve, the valve should be cycled at least once or twice a year to keeping from seizing in one position. SO a Three Fitting Style Gate Valve > — Bearing Lube Zerk Nipple Packing Vent Hole 1-~Seat Assembly Sealant Injection Fitting, + Sealant Injection Fitting fine? — Body Cavity Fitting Ee we — ‘Stem bearing Lubrication Internal Sealing Components | 3— Stem Packing Stem Seat Back of Seat Seals i Trash Ring, t Gate Springs mm a2 Sl aaa Pipeline Gate Valves Pipeline gate valves are designed so that the gate is in a fixed position and the seats are spring loaded and allowed to “float”. The seat sealing principles are very similar to pipeline ball valves. Gate valves in liquids service are usually equipped with a body relief valve. The relief valve will prevent the body from rupturing as a result of liquids expansion with the valve in the closed position There are many different manufacturers of pipeline gate valves. The working principles are generally the same. Where they differ is in the seat sealing and stem packing areas. The attached king designs. Some valves use different page illustrates many of the most common stem pa combinations of the these designs. Each style has its advantages depending on the service conditions. Because of the long travel of the valve stem, pipeline gate valves are prone to stem leakage. In the case of o-ring seals, the o-rings will roll as the stem rises which can lead to pinching and tearing of the o-ring. Valves with o-ring type stem seals generally use a buttonhead fitting to allow for the injection of valve sealant such as Sealweld 5050 if leakage develops, Care should be taken when injecting sealants into a valve stem. Because it is a enclosed chamber there is no where for excess sealant to go. Continued high pressure injection may extrude the o-ring stem seals out of their recess and make the leakage worse. Usually one or two strokes of the gun handle is sufficient to put a small amount of pressure (2,000 psi to 3,000 psi) into the stem gland in order to “charge” the seals. Valve Cleaner should never be injected into a buttonhead fitting ona valve stem with o-ring type seals because there is no way to displace the cleaner. In the case of plastic putty type packing, the long travel of the stem shaft has a tendency to pull some of the packing out as well. This means additional packing must be added on a regular basis to replace the lost packing. Chevron ring type packings are available in a wide variety of exotic grades for valves in extreme services such as hard to hold liquids and gasses. When chevron packing fails. it may require a system shut down to replace the packing rings safely. Valves equipped with chevron rings with an emergency sealant backup (either buttonhead or packing injector) are generally more reliable. With the dual system, most leakage can at least be slowed considerably if not stopped completely Stem bearings and weather seals are generally lubricated with a light weight water resistant grease such as Sealweld Eterna-Lube 1000. The grease provides a protective coating over metal parts which would otherwise rust and corrode. Be careful not to over lubricate or build excess pressure with the grease gun as this could “pop” the weather seals. Some valve manufacturers use a zerk fitting with a relief slot to ensure excess pressure can not be built up. Oil seeping from EE | 2 en the stem or gearbox may indicate that the stem seal has failed and that the lubricating grease has broken down back into its oil base. If this occurs, tag the valve for stem seal or gearbox seal replacement during the next shut down, Make sure all the old grease residue is removed before replacing with fresh grease, Eterna-Lube 1000 is effective in this application because of its resistance to breakdown as a result of temperature fluctuations. Weather seals can often be replaced safely with the valve under pressure. Always consult the owners manual before attempting any repair procedure. ‘The body cavity should be drained periodically to get rid of contaminants which may have collected in the bottom of the valve. Many pipeline valves are designed with seat seals that will allow for body draining with the line under pressure and the valve in the open or closed position. Block and Bleed” is described as closing the valve and draining the body cavity. “Double Block and Bleed” is described as being able to drain the body cavity with the valve in the full open or full closed position. If the valve does not operate properly. it may be as a result of contaminants which have collected in the bottom of the valve. ‘Seat sealing systems vary from one manufacturer to another. In principle they are very similar to a typical pipeline ball valve. The sealant does not generally travel the circumference of the seat ring like most ball valves. Rather, it enters through only one or two small holes near the seal/face area. It is essential to operate the valve several times to ensure complete coverage of the Valve Cleaner or lubricant/sealant being injected. Quantities of lubricant/sealant required to fill the seat sealant system are 25% to 50% less than similarly sized ball valves. Use approximately 0.50 Ounces to 0.75 ounces per inch of valve size into each seat ring. A 10” gate valve will require 5 to 7 ounces to completely fill the seat sealant system. Quantities required to top up the seat sealant system will be considerably less as well Valves with “double block and bleed” provisions should have their seat seals tested as part of maintenance routines. Always cycle the valve several times before switching to heavier sealants. ane Bearing Lube — “

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