Valves:-

Valves are the mechanical devices that are involved in control of flow and pressure of fluids
within a system or process by following 02 functions, firstly stopping or regulating the flow and
secondly by varying the flow of fluid by means of exerting pressure through Diaphragm or relaxing
it.
There are various types of Valves but following were under consideration due to their significant
role in operating and sustaining Plants :

Control Valves
A control valve is a mechanical device used to regulate the flow of fluids, such as gases or liquids,
in a process system. It plays a crucial role in controlling the process variables, such as pressure,
temperature, level, or flow rate.
The significance of this valve in Plant 01 and 02 can easily be determined that unfortunately if they
fail to operate (detail is mentioned in C-702 Section) , consequently every system would fail
causing huge problems in order to run Plant and ultimately resulting to shut down the Plant.
Every control valve is either controlled by Board men (Manual mode or automatic mode) or by
operator (hand jack mode). While both Manual mode and automatic mode are under the control of
board man but the question arises: how does that works without any physical presence of a person.
Answer to the question is via “Control Loop”.
Before understanding the concept of Control loop, instrumentation of control valve will be crucial
to precede, parts of control valve are entailed below :
I/P or E/P converter : An I/P (current-to-pressure) converter is an electronic device that converts
an electrical current signal into a pneumatic pressure output The I/P converter receives the
electrical signal from the controller and converts it into a corresponding air pressure, which is then
supplied to the actuator, by which air exerts pressure on a diaphragm. This allows precise control
of the valve's position, as the pressure output determines the actuator's movement.

Positioner: A positioner is a device located below the diaphragm casing used in control valve
systems to accurately position the valve based on the control signal received from the controller. It
acts as an intermediary between the control signal and the actuator, ensuring that the valve's
position aligns with the desired set point. The positioner receives the control signal and compares
it to the valve's actual position. It then adjusts the air pressure supplied to the actuator to position
the valve accordingly. Positioners are essential in achieving precise control and improving the
reaction of control valves.

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Air Regulator: An air regulator, also known as a pneumatic regulator, is a device used to control
the air pressure supplied to pneumatic devices, such as control valves and actuators. It ensures
that a consistent and stable air pressure is maintained. The air regulator receives the air supply
and adjusts the output pressure by either restricting or allowing more air flow.

On the other hand control valves are distinguished in to two further categories based on the feed of
instrumental air (Moisture free air) i.e. if the high pressure instrumental air is fed on the top of
diaphragm , it is known to be Direct Acting control valve. While if the high pressure instrumental
air is fed on the bottom of diaphragm, it is known to be Reverse Acting control valve. In Direct
Acting the valve is closed which means more pressure is applied to fluid, however in Reverse
Acting the valve gets opened i.e. less pressure is applied on the fluid. The figure below illustrates
the difference between both actors:

In the WT post, no reverse acting control valves were observed, while two were identified in the
Gas Turbine post.

Control Loop:

The control loop of a control valve typically involves several components that work together to
regulate the flow of fluid or gas. Here is a general overview of the control loop for a control valve:
Process Variable (PV) Transmitter: The process variable is the actual value of the parameter being
controlled, such as pressure, flow rate, or level. It is transmitted to Controller and is installed
before fluid entering to control valve.
Controller: The controller receives the feedback signal from the Transmitter and compares it to the
set point. It calculates the error to generate a control signal, gives a set point in accordance to
desired outcome.

I/P or E/P converter: The job of I/P (current-to-pressure) converter is to convert an electrical
current signal into a proportional pneumatic (air) pressure signal. The I/P converter plays a crucial
role by converting electrical current signals into pneumatic pressure signals by the guidance of
Boardman according to set point.

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Positioner: The pneumatic signal from the converter is sent to positioner, which then feeds
instrumental air to actuator that adjusts the position of the control valve. The actuator moves the
valve's position based on the electrical signal it receives by E/P converter.

This control loop operates in a continuous feedback manner, with the controller continuously
adjusting the control valve's position based on the feedback from the process variable. The goal is
to minimize the error between the set point and the actual process variable, achieving stable and
precise control of the system and to lower the labour force and cost of labour through
mechanization.
The Figure below is pictorial demonstration of Control Loop:

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