Heavy gas valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steier, L [Vereinigte Armaturen Gesellschaft m.b.H., Mannheim (Germany, F.R.)

1979-01-01

Heavy gas valves must comply with special requirements. Apart from absolute safety in operation there are stringent requirements for material, sealing and ease of operation even in the most difficult conditions. Ball valves and single plate pipe gate valves lateral sealing rings have a dual, double sided sealing effect according to the GROVE sealing system. Single plate gate valves with lateral protective plates are suitable preferably for highly contaminated media. Soft sealing gate valves made of cast iron are used for low pressure applications.

A study on a characteristic of stem friction coefficient for motor operated flexible wedge gate valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dae-Woong; Park, Sung-Geun; Lee, Sang-Guk; Kang, Shin-Cheul

2009-01-01

Stem friction coefficient is a coefficient that represents friction between thread leads of the stem and stem nut. It is an important factor to determine output thrust delivered from the actuator to the valve stem in assessing performance of motor operated valves. This study analyzes the effects of changes in differential pressure on stem friction coefficient, and determines the bounding value of stem friction coefficient. A dynamic test was conducted on multiple flexible wedge gate valves in various differential pressure conditions, and the test data was statistically analyzed to determine the bounding value. The results show that stem friction coefficient in middle and high differential pressure is influenced by fluid pressure, while stem friction coefficient in low differential pressure is almost not affected by fluid pressure. In addition, it is found that the bounding value of stem friction coefficient is higher in a closing stroke than in an opening stroke.

The effects of load-sensitive behavior on the operability margins of motor-operated gate valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steele, R. Jr.; Russell, M.J.; DeWall, K.G.; Watkins, J.C.

1993-01-01

Testing of motor-operated gate valves at various loads has produced a phenomenon we call load-sensitive behavior. This phenomenon has a significant effect on the accuracy of the methods used (and proposed) in the nuclear industry for determining that these valves can perform their design basis function. A valve subjected to tests with low flow and pressure loadings may achieve a stem thrust (at seating) analytically determined to be adequate for design basis flows and pressures, but this is no guarantee that the valve will achieve the same stem thrust when actually subjected to those design basis loads. This is because the friction at the interface between the stem and the stem nut is higher in tests with higher flow and pressure loadings, and this loss to friction is outside the control of the motor-operator's torque switch. This paper identifies a tentative method for determining, a stable, useful value for the stem/stem-nut coefficient of friction, one that can possibly be extrapolated and used in calculations to accurately estimate the design basis thrust requirements of these valves

Study of strength of Dsub(y)150 gate valve case, manufactured by centrifugal casting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umanskaya, L.G.; Semenov, P.V.; Tinyakov, V.G.; Babkina, R.I.; Khatuntsev, Eh.V.

1982-01-01

A process for manufacturing centrifugal-cast gate valve body is developed. Structural strength of such items, homogeneity, ductile and strength properties over the cross section as well as the metal susceptibility to embrittlement have been investigated. Three cast gate valve bodies have been taken: one - of 20GSL steel - for hydraulic testing, and two - of 15Kh1MFL steel - for investigation into the metal properties across the valve thickness. The strength properties of the centrifugal-cast gate valve body of 15Kh1M1FL steel are stated to meet the specifications. The gate valve metal ductility (delta and PSI) is twice as high as that of a sand-cast valve. The microstructure, strength and ductility are uniform both over wall thickness and over different body cross sections

NRC test results and operations experience provide insights for a new gate valve stem force correlation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watkins, John C.; Steele, Robert Jr.; DeWall, Kevin G.; Weidenhamer, G.H.; Rothberg, O.O.

1994-01-01

This paper presents the results of testing sponsored by the NRC to assess valve and motor operator performance under varying pressure and fluid conditions. This effort included an examination of the methods used by the industry to predict the required stem force of a valve, and research to provide guidelines for the extrapolation of in situ test results to design basis conditions.Years ago, when most of these valves were originally installed, the industry used a set of equations to determine analytically that the valves' motor-operators were large enough and the control switches were set high enough to close the valves at their design basis conditions. Our research has identified several inconsistencies with the industry's existing gate valve stem force equation and has challenged the overly simplistic assumptions inherent in its use. This paper discusses the development of the INEL correlation, which serves as the basis for a method to bound the stem force necessary to close flexwedge gate valves whose operational characteristics have been shown to be predictable. As utilities undertake to provide assurance of their valves' operability, this ability to predict analytically the required stem force is especially important for valves that cannot be tested at design basis conditions. For such valves, the results of tests conducted at less severe conditions can be used with the INEL correlation to make the necessary prediction. ((orig.))

NRC valve performance test program - check valve testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeanmougin, N.M.

1987-01-01

The Valve Performance Test Program addresses the current requirements for testing of pressure isolation valves (PIVs) in light water reactors. Leak rate monitoring is the current method used by operating commercial power plants to survey the condition of their PIVs. ETEC testing of three check valves (4-inch, 6-inch, and 12-inch nominal diameters) indicates that leak rate testing is not a reliable method for detecting impending valve failure. Acoustic emission monitoring of check valves shows promise as a method of detecting loosened internals damage. Future efforts will focus on evaluation of acoustic emission monitoring as a technique for determining check valve condition. Three gate valves also will be tested to evaluate whether the check valve results are applicable to gate type PIVs

Regulatory standpoints on the design-basis capability of safety-related motor-operated valves(MOVs) and power-operated gate valves(POGVs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, W. T.; Kum, O. H.

1999-01-01

The weakness in the design-basis capability of Motor-Operated Valves(MOVs) and the susceptibility to Pressure Locking and Thermal Binding phenomena of Power-Operated Gate Valves(POGVs) have been major concerns to be resolved in the nuclear society in and abroad since Three Mile Island accident occurred in the USA in 1979. Through detailed analysis of operating experience and regulatory activities, some MOVs and POGVs have been found to be unreliable in performing their safety functions when they are required to do so under certain conditions, especially under design-basis accident conditions. Further, it is well understood that these safety problems may not be identified by the typical valve in-service testing(IST). USNRC has published three Generic Letters, GL 89-10, GL 95-07, and GL 96-05, requiring nuclear plant licensees to take appropriate actions to resolve the problems mentioned above. Korean nuclear regulatory body has made public an administration measure called 'Regulatory recommendation to verify safety functions of the safety-related MOVs and POGVs' on June 13, 1997, and in this administration measure Korean utility is asked to submit written documents to show how it assure design-basis capability of these valves. The following are among the major concerns being considered from a regulation standpoint. Program scope and implementation priority, dynamic tests under differential pressure conditions, accuracy of diagnostic equipment, torque switch setting and torque bypass percentage, weak link analysis, motor actuator sizing, corrective actions taken to resolve pressure locking and thermal binding susceptibility, and a periodic verification program for the valves once design-basis capability has been verified

The use of valves in the SAGD process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romano, Michael A. [Global Marketing, Oil and Gas, Tyco Valves and Controls (United States)

2011-07-01

Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is a developing technology, the aim of which is to increase production of bitumen while minimizing its environmental footprint. Valves must meet the process conditions of the operations, which depend on weel depth: deeper reservoirs of bitumen require higher steam injection pressure. A wide range of valves is used throughout the SAGD process. In the water softening plant, butterfly and process lined valves are used. HP gate valves are used for isolation, globe valves for vents/drains/bypasses, along with ARC valves for steam and booster pump projection with steam traps on injection lines in steam injection. Isolation valves are used throughout the low pressure process including ball, gate and triple-offset valves. Pressure management is carried out on all pressure vessels and lines. Control and choke valves are installed on well pads and production. Instrumentation, actuation and controls are installed throughout. In the ideal situation, suppliers and process engineers would work together in the early stages of a project.

Performance testing of prototype live loaded packed stem seals for large gate valves in pressurized hot water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pothier, N.E.

1976-01-01

Prototype live loaded packed stem seals for large gate valves have been tested in a laboratory. The test fluid was demineralized water at 547 K, 8.27 MPa and pH 10. Nine packing configurations were tested; three different commercial brands of asbestos/graphite valve packings and three different sizes for each packing brand. Conventional and live loaded packed stem seals are briefly described. Stem leakage, packing consolidation and stem friction data are given. For all tests, leakage rates of less than 10 g d -1 were observed. It was also observed that stem friction was significantly affected by thermal expansion of the stem. (author)

Wedge gate valves selecting essentials in pipeline systems designing based on permissible operation parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Zakirnichnaya, M. M.; Kulsharipov, I. M.

2017-10-01

Wedge gate valves are widely used at the fuel and energy complex enterprises. The pipeline valves manufacturers indicate the safe operation resource according to the current regulatory and technical documentation. In this case, the resource value of the valve body strength calculation results is taken into consideration as the main structural part. However, it was determined that the wedge gate valves fail before the assigned resource due to the occurrence of conditions under which the wedge breaks in the hooks and, accordingly, the sealing integrity is not ensured. In this regard, it became necessary to assess the conditions under which the resource should be assigned not only to the valve body, but also to take into account the wedge durability. For this purpose, wedge resource calculations were made using the example of ZKL2 250-25 and ZKL2 300-25 valves using the ABAQUS software package FE-SAFE module under the technological parameters influence on the basis of their stressstrain state calculation results. Operating conditions, under which the wedge resource value is lower than the one set by the manufacturer, were determined. A technique for limiting the operating parameters for ensuring the wedge durability during the wedge gate valve assigned resource is proposed.

Valve testing for UK PWR safety applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, P.T.; Bryant, S.

1989-01-01

Extensive testing and development has been done by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) to support the design, construction and operation of Sizewell B, the UK's first PWR. A Blowdown Rig for the Assessment of Valve Operability - (BRAVO) has been constructed at the CEGB Marchwood Engineering Laboratory to reproduce PWR Pressurizer fluid conditions for the full scale testing of Pressurizer Relief System (PRS) valves. A full size tandem pair of Pilot Operated Safety Relief Valves (POSRVs) is being tested under the full range of pressurizer fluid conditions. Tests to date have produced important data on the performance of the valve in its Cold Overpressure protection mode of operation and on methods for the in-service testing of the valve. Also, a full size pressurizer safety valve has been tested under full PRS fluid conditions to develop a methodology for the pre-service testing of the Sizewell valves. Further work will be carried out to develop procedures for the in-service testing of the valve. In the Main Steam Safety Valve test program carried out at the Siemens-KWU Test Facilities, a single MSSV from three potential suppliers was tested under full secondary system conditions. The test results have been analyzed and are reflected in the CEGB's arrangements for the pre-service and in-service testing of the Sizewell MSSVs. Valves required to interrupt pipebreak flow must be qualified for this duty by testing or a combination of testing and analysis. To obtain guidance on the performance of such tests gate and globe valves have been subjected to simulated pipebreaks under PWR primary circuit conditions. In the light of problems encountered with gate valve closure under these conditions, further tests are currently being carried out on the BRAVO facility on a gate valve, in preparation for the full scale flow interruption qualification testing of the Sizewell main steam isolation valve

Early results of gate valve flow interruption blowdown tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeWall, K.G.

1988-01-01

The preliminary results of the USNRC/INEL high-energy BWR line break flow interruption testing are presented. Two representative nuclear valve assemblies were cycled under design basis Reactor Water Cleanup pipe break conditions to provide input for the technical basis for resolving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Generic Issue 87. The effects of the blowdown hydraulic loadings on valve operability, especially valve closure stem forces, were studied. The blowdown tests showed that, given enough thrust, typical gate valves will close against the high flow resulting from a line break. The tests also showed that proper operator sizing depends on the correct identification of values for the sizing equation. Evidence exists that values used in the past may not be conservative for all valve applications. The tests showed that improper operator lock ring installation following test or maintenance can invalidate in-situ test results and prevent the valve from performing its design function. 2 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs

Hydraulic High Pressure Valve Controller Using the In-Situ Pressure Difference

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Hall, Jeffery L. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A hydraulic valve controller that uses an existing pressure differential as some or all of the power source for valve operation. In a high pressure environment, such as downhole in an oil or gas well, the pressure differential between the inside of a pipe and the outside of the pipe may be adequately large to drive a linear slide valve. The valve is operated hydraulically by a piston in a bore. When a higher pressure is applied to one end of the bore and a lower pressure to the other end, the piston moves in response to the pressure differential and drives a valve attached to it. If the pressure differential is too small to drive the piston at a sufficiently high speed, a pump is provided to generate a larger pressure differential to be applied. The apparatus is conveniently constructed using multiport valves, which can be rotary valves.

Valve monitoring ITI-MOVATS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moureau, S.

1993-01-01

ITI-MOVATS provides a wide range of test devices to monitor the performance of valves: motor operated gate or globe valve, butterfly valve, air operated valve, and check valve. The ITI-MOVATS testing equipment is used in the following three areas: actuator setup/baseline testing, periodic/post-maintenance testing, and differential pressure testing. The parameters typically measured with the MOVATS diagnostic system as well as the devices used to measure them are described. (Z.S.)

Light water reactor pressure isolation valve performance testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neely, H.H.; Jeanmougin, N.M.; Corugedo, J.J.

1990-07-01

The Light Water Reactor Valve Performance Testing Program was initiated by the NRC to evaluate leakage as an indication of valve condition, provide input to Section XI of the ASME Code, evaluate emission monitoring for condition and degradation and in-service inspection techniques. Six typical check and gate valves were purchased for testing at typical plant conditions (550F at 2250 psig) for an assumed number of cycles for a 40-year plant lifetime. Tests revealed that there were variances between the test results and the present statement of the Code; however, the testing was not conclusive. The life cycle tests showed that high tech acoustic emission can be utilized to trend small leaks, that specific motor signature measurement on gate valves can trend and indicate potential failure, and that in-service inspection techniques for check valves was shown to be both feasible and an excellent preventive maintenance indicator. Life cycle testing performed here did not cause large valve leakage typical of some plant operation. Other testing is required to fully understand the implication of these results and the required program to fully implement them. (author)

Glovebox pressure relief and check valve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blaedel, K.L.

1986-03-17

This device is a combined pressure relief valve and check valve providing overpressure protection and preventing back flow into an inert atmosphere enclosure. The pressure relief is embodied by a submerged vent line in a mercury reservior, the releif pressure being a function of the submerged depth. The pressure relief can be vented into an exhaust system and the relieving pressure is only slightly influenced by the varying pressure in the exhaust system. The check valve is embodied by a ball which floats on the mercury column and contacts a seat whenever vacuum exists within the glovebox enclosure. Alternatively, the check valve is embodied by a vertical column of mercury, the maximum back pressure being a function of the height of the column of mercury.

Glovebox pressure relief and check valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaedel, K.L.

1986-01-01

This device is a combined pressure relief valve and check valve providing overpressure protection and preventing back flow into an inert atmosphere enclosure. The pressure relief is embodied by a submerged vent line in a mercury reservior, the releif pressure being a function of the submerged depth. The pressure relief can be vented into an exhaust system and the relieving pressure is only slightly influenced by the varying pressure in the exhaust system. The check valve is embodied by a ball which floats on the mercury column and contacts a seat whenever vacuum exists within the glovebox enclosure. Alternatively, the check valve is embodied by a vertical column of mercury, the maximum back pressure being a function of the height of the column of mercury

Stem thrust prediction model for W-K-M double wedge parallel expanding gate valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eldiwany, B.; Alvarez, P.D. [Kalsi Engineering Inc., Sugar Land, TX (United States); Wolfe, K. [Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA (United States)

1996-12-01

An analytical model for determining the required valve stem thrust during opening and closing strokes of W-K-M parallel expanding gate valves was developed as part of the EPRI Motor-Operated Valve Performance Prediction Methodology (EPRI MOV PPM) Program. The model was validated against measured stem thrust data obtained from in-situ testing of three W-K-M valves. Model predictions show favorable, bounding agreement with the measured data for valves with Stellite 6 hardfacing on the disks and seat rings for water flow in the preferred flow direction (gate downstream). The maximum required thrust to open and to close the valve (excluding wedging and unwedging forces) occurs at a slightly open position and not at the fully closed position. In the nonpreferred flow direction, the model shows that premature wedging can occur during {Delta}P closure strokes even when the coefficients of friction at different sliding surfaces are within the typical range. This paper summarizes the model description and comparison against test data.

Stem thrust prediction model for W-K-M double wedge parallel expanding gate valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eldiwany, B.; Alvarez, P.D.; Wolfe, K.

1996-01-01

An analytical model for determining the required valve stem thrust during opening and closing strokes of W-K-M parallel expanding gate valves was developed as part of the EPRI Motor-Operated Valve Performance Prediction Methodology (EPRI MOV PPM) Program. The model was validated against measured stem thrust data obtained from in-situ testing of three W-K-M valves. Model predictions show favorable, bounding agreement with the measured data for valves with Stellite 6 hardfacing on the disks and seat rings for water flow in the preferred flow direction (gate downstream). The maximum required thrust to open and to close the valve (excluding wedging and unwedging forces) occurs at a slightly open position and not at the fully closed position. In the nonpreferred flow direction, the model shows that premature wedging can occur during ΔP closure strokes even when the coefficients of friction at different sliding surfaces are within the typical range. This paper summarizes the model description and comparison against test data

Selection and evaluation of an ultra high vacuum gate valve for Isabelle beam line vacuum system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foerster, C.L.; McCafferty, D.

1980-01-01

A minimum of eighty-four (84) Ultra High Vacuum Gate Valves will be utilized in ISABELLE to protect proton beam lines from catastrophic vacuum failure and to provide sector isolation for maintenance requirements. The valve to be selected must function at less than 1 x 10 -11 Torr pressure and be bakeable to 300 0 C in its open or closed position. In the open position, the valve must have an RF shield to make the beam line walls appear continuous. Several proposed designs were built and evaluated. The evaluation consisted mainly of leak testing, life tests, thermal cycling, mass spectrometer analysis, and 10 -12 Torr operation. Problems with initial design and fabrication were resolved. Special requirements for design and construction were developed. This paper describes the tests on two final prototypes which appear to be the best candidates for ISABELLE operation

Substitution of cobalt alloying in PWR primary circuit gate valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cachon, L.; Sudreau, F.; Brunel, L.

1995-01-01

The object of this study is qualify cobalt-free alternative alloys for valve applications. This paper focus on tribological characterization of numerous coatings is done by using the first one, of a classical type. Then tests are performed with the second one which simulates solicitations supported by gate valves in primary circuit of PWR. 35% Ni-Cr - 65% Cr 3 C 2 coating, deposited by detonation gun technology, gives us hope to find a substitute of Stelite 6. (author). 5 refs., 16 figs., 2 tabs

Pressure locking test results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeWall, K.G.; Watkins, J.C.; McKellar, M.G.; Bramwell, D. [Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)] [and others

1996-12-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, is funding the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in performing research to provide technical input for their use in evaluating responses to Generic Letter 95-07, {open_quotes}Pressure Locking and Thermal Binding of Safety-Related Power-Operated Gate Valves.{close_quotes} Pressure locking and thermal binding are phenomena that make a closed gate valve difficult to open. This paper discusses only the pressure locking phenomenon in a flexible-wedge gate valve; the authors will publish the results of their thermal binding research at a later date. Pressure locking can occur when operating sequences or temperature changes cause the pressure of the fluid in the bonnet (and, in most valves, between the discs) to be higher than the pressure on the upstream and downstream sides of the disc assembly. This high fluid pressure presses the discs against both seats, making the disc assembly harder to unseat than anticipated by the typical design calculations, which generally consider friction at only one of the two disc/seat interfaces. The high pressure of the bonnet fluid also changes the pressure distribution around the disc in a way that can further contribute to the unseating load. If the combined loads associated with pressure locking are very high, the actuator might not have the capacity to open the valve. The results of the NRC/INEL research discussed in this paper show that the relationship between bonnet pressure and pressure locking stem loads appears linear. The results also show that for this valve, seat leakage affects the bonnet pressurization rate when the valve is subjected to thermally induced pressure locking conditions.

Pressure locking test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeWall, K.G.; Watkins, J.C.; McKellar, M.G.; Bramwell, D.

1996-01-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, is funding the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in performing research to provide technical input for their use in evaluating responses to Generic Letter 95-07, open-quotes Pressure Locking and Thermal Binding of Safety-Related Power-Operated Gate Valves.close quotes Pressure locking and thermal binding are phenomena that make a closed gate valve difficult to open. This paper discusses only the pressure locking phenomenon in a flexible-wedge gate valve; we will publish the results of our thermal binding research at a later date. Pressure locking can occur when operating sequences or temperature changes cause the pressure of the fluid in the bonnet (and, in most valves, between the discs) to be higher than the pressure on the upstream and downstream sides of the disc assembly. This high fluid pressure presses the discs against both seats, making the disc assembly harder to unseat than anticipated by the typical design calculations, which generally consider friction at only one of the two disc/seat interfaces. The high pressure of the bonnet fluid also changes the pressure distribution around the disc in a way that can further contribute to the unseating load. If the combined loads associated with pressure locking are very high, the actuator might not have the capacity to open the valve. The results of the NRC/INEL research discussed in this paper show that the relationship between bonnet pressure and pressure locking stem loads appears linear. The results also show that for this valve, seat leakage affects the bonnet pressurization rate when the valve is subjected to thermally induced pressure locking conditions

Bicuspid aortic valves: Diagnostic accuracy of standard axial 64-slice chest CT compared to aortic valve image plane ECG-gated cardiac CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, David J., E-mail: david.murphy@st-vincents.ie [Department of Radiology, St Vincent' s University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4 (Ireland); McEvoy, Sinead H., E-mail: s.mcevoy@st-vincents.ie [Department of Radiology, St Vincent' s University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4 (Ireland); Iyengar, Sri, E-mail: sri.iyengar@nhs.net [Department of Radiology, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Plymouth Devon PL6 8DH (United Kingdom); Feuchtner, Gudrun, E-mail: Gudrun.Feuchtner@i-med.ac.at [Department of Radiology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Cury, Ricardo C., E-mail: r.cury@baptisthealth.net [Department of Radiology, Baptist Cardiac and Vascular Institute, 8900 North Kendall Drive, Miami, FL 33176 (United States); Roobottom, Carl, E-mail: carl.roobottom@nhs.net [Department of Radiology, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Plymouth Devon PL6 8DH (United Kingdom); Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry (United Kingdom); Baumueller, Stephan, E-mail: Hatem.Alkadhi@usz.ch [Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091 Zurich (Switzerland); Alkadhi, Hatem, E-mail: stephan.baumueller@usz.ch [Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091 Zurich (Switzerland); Dodd, Jonathan D., E-mail: jonniedodd@gmail.com [Department of Radiology, St Vincent' s University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4 (Ireland)

2014-08-15

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of standard axial 64-slice chest CT compared to aortic valve image plane ECG-gated cardiac CT for bicuspid aortic valves. Materials and methods: The standard axial chest CT scans of 20 patients with known bicuspid aortic valves were blindly, randomly analyzed for (i) the appearance of the valve cusps, (ii) the largest aortic sinus area, (iii) the longest aortic cusp length, (iv) the thickest aortic valve cusp and (v) valve calcification. A second blinded reader independently analyzed the appearance of the valve cusps. Forty-two age- and sex-matched patients with known tricuspid aortic valves were used as controls. Retrospectively ECG-gated cardiac CT multiphase reconstructions of the aortic valve were used as the gold-standard. Results: Fourteen (21%) scans were scored as unevaluable (7 bicuspid, 7 tricuspid). Of the remainder, there were 13 evaluable bicuspid valves, ten of which showed an aortic valve line sign, while the remaining three showed a normal Mercedes-Benz appearance owing to fused valve cusps. The 35 evaluable tricuspid aortic valves all showed a normal Mercedes-Benz appearance (P = 0.001). Kappa analysis = 0.62 indicating good interobserver agreement for the aortic valve cusp appearance. Aortic sinus areas, aortic cusp lengths and aortic cusp thicknesses of ≥3.8 cm{sup 2}, 3.2 cm and 1.6 mm respectively on standard axial chest CT best distinguished bicuspid from tricuspid aortic valves (P < 0.0001 for all). Of evaluable scans, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of standard axial chest CT in diagnosing bicuspid aortic valves was 77% (CI 0.54–1.0), 100%, 100% and 70% respectively. Conclusion: The aortic valve is evaluable in approximately 80% of standard chest 64-slice CT scans. Bicuspid aortic valves may be diagnosed on evaluable scans with good diagnostic accuracy. An aortic valve line sign, enlarged aortic sinuses and elongated, thickened valve cusps are specific CT

Fast-acting valve actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Nakwon

1980-01-01

A fast-acting valve actuator utilizes a spring driven pneumatically loaded piston to drive a valve gate. Rapid exhaust of pressurized gas from the pneumatically loaded side of the piston facilitates an extremely rapid piston stroke. A flexible selector diaphragm opens and closes an exhaust port in response to pressure differentials created by energizing and de-energizing a solenoid which controls the pneumatic input to the actuator as well as selectively providing a venting action to one side of the selector diaphragm.

Prosthetic Aortic Valve Fixation Study: 48 Replacement Valves Analyzed Using Digital Pressure Mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Candice Y; Wong, Joshua K; Ross, Ronald E; Liu, David C; Khabbaz, Kamal R; Martellaro, Angelo J; Gorea, Heather R; Sauer, Jude S; Knight, Peter A

Prostheses attachment is critical in aortic valve replacement surgery, yet reliable prosthetic security remains a challenge. Accurate techniques to analyze prosthetic fixation pressures may enable the use of fewer sutures while reducing the risk of paravalvular leaks (PVL). Customized digital thin film pressure transducers were sutured between aortic annulus models and 21-mm bioprosthetic valves with 15 × 4-mm, 12 × 4-mm, or 9 × 6-mm-wide pledgeted mattress sutures. Simulating open and minimally invasive access, 4 surgeons, blinded to data acquisition, each secured 12 valves using manual knot-tying (hand-tied [HT] or knot-pusher [KP]) or automated titanium fasteners (TFs). Real-time pressure measurements and times were recorded. Two-dimensional (2D) and 3D pressure maps were generated for all valves. Pressures less than 80 mm Hg were considered at risk for PVL. Pressures under each knot (intrasuture) fell less than 80 mm Hg for 12 of 144 manual knots (5/144 HT, 7/144 KP) versus 0 of 288 TF (P prosthetic valve security.

Stem thrust prediction model for Westinghouse wedge gate valves with linkage type stem-to-disk connection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.K.; Sharma, V.; Kalsi, M.S.

1996-01-01

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) conducted a comprehensive research program with the objective of providing nuclear utilities with analytical methods to predict motor operated valve (MOV) performance under design basis conditions. This paper describes the stem thrust calculation model developed for evaluating the performance of one such valve, the Westinghouse flexible wedge gate valve. These procedures account for the unique functional characteristics of this valve design. In addition, model results are compared to available flow loop and in situ test data as a basis for evaluating the performance of the valve model

Stem thrust prediction model for Westinghouse wedge gate valves with linkage type stem-to-disk connection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, J.K.; Sharma, V.; Kalsi, M.S. [Kalsi Engineering, Inc., Sugar Land, TX (United States)] [and others

1996-12-01

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) conducted a comprehensive research program with the objective of providing nuclear utilities with analytical methods to predict motor operated valve (MOV) performance under design basis conditions. This paper describes the stem thrust calculation model developed for evaluating the performance of one such valve, the Westinghouse flexible wedge gate valve. These procedures account for the unique functional characteristics of this valve design. In addition, model results are compared to available flow loop and in situ test data as a basis for evaluating the performance of the valve model.

Discharge models through the pressurizer valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madeira, A.A.

1985-01-01

A reliable estimate of discharge through the pressurizer relief and safety valves is of concern to adequately predict the behaviour of RCS pressure during transients. It's investigated the discharge models used by the ALMOD code, and to implement alternative models from the available literature, which are recommended for different conditions of flow that shall exist during transients requiring discharge through the relief and safety valves. (Author) [pt

LOFT pressurizer safety: relief valve reliability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, E.S.

1978-01-18

The LOFT pressurizer self-actuating safety-relief valves are constructed to the present state-of-the-art and should have reliability equivalent to the valves in use on PWR plants in the U.S. There have been no NRC incident reports on valve failures to lift that would challenge the Technical Specification Safety Limit. Fourteen valves have been reported as lifting a few percentage points outside the +-1% Tech. Spec. surveillance tolerance (9 valves tested over and 5 valves tested under specification). There have been no incident reports on failures to reseat. The LOFT surveillance program for assuring reliability is equivalent to nuclear industry practice.

LOFT pressurizer safety: relief valve reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, E.S.

1978-01-01

The LOFT pressurizer self-actuating safety-relief valves are constructed to the present state-of-the-art and should have reliability equivalent to the valves in use on PWR plants in the U.S. There have been no NRC incident reports on valve failures to lift that would challenge the Technical Specification Safety Limit. Fourteen valves have been reported as lifting a few percentage points outside the +-1% Tech. Spec. surveillance tolerance (9 valves tested over and 5 valves tested under specification). There have been no incident reports on failures to reseat. The LOFT surveillance program for assuring reliability is equivalent to nuclear industry practice

An analytical investigation on the valve and centrifugal pump speed control with a constant differential pressure across the valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, B. R.; Joo, K. I.; Lee, B. J.; Baek, S. J.; Noh, T. S.

2003-01-01

A valve opening and centrifugal pump speed control was investigated analytically in a simple pumping system where the differential pressure across the control valve is maintained constant over the required flow range. The valve control program was derived analytically only as a function of the required flow rate to maintain the constant differential pressure across the valve. The centrifugal pump speed control program was also derived analytically for the required flow rate for the constant differential pressure across the control valve. These derivations theoretically show that the independent control is possible between the valve and pump speed in a system with a constant valve pressure drop. In addition, it was shown that a linear pump speed control is impossible in maintaining the constant valve pressure drop

How Heart Valves Evolve to Adapt to an Extreme-Pressure System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amstrup Funder, Jonas; Christian Danielsen, Carl; Baandrup, Ulrik

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Heart valves which exist naturally in an extreme-pressure system must have evolved in a way to resist the stresses of high pressure. Giraffes are interesting as they naturally have a blood pressure twice that of humans. Thus, knowledge regarding giraffe heart valves may aid...... in developing techniques to design improved pressure-resistant biological heart valves. METHODS: Heart valves from 12 giraffes and 10 calves were explanted and subjected to either biomechanical or morphological examinations. Strips from the heart valves were subjected to cyclic loading tests, followed...... in giraffes than in calves, which would make giraffe valves more resistant to the high-pressure forces. However, collagen also stiffens and thickens the valves. The mitral leaflets showed similar (but mostly insignificant) trends in strength, stiffness, and collagen content....

Numerical investigation on cavitation in pressure relief valve for coal liquefaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ou, G F; Li, W Z; Xiao, D H; Zheng, Z J; Dou, H S; Wang, C

2015-01-01

The pressure relief valve for regulating the level of the high-pressure separator works under a pressure difference up to 15 MPa in the temperature of 415 °C. Severe cavitation erosion and particle impact lead to the valve disc's mass loss. In this paper, three-dimensional turbulent cavitating flows in the pressure relief valve are numerically simulated to reveal the mechanism of mass loss at valve disc. The RNG k-ε turbulence model and the mixture model with a mass transfer for cavitation are employed to simulate the cavitating flow in the pressure relief valve. The result shows that there is phase change in the pressure relief process and cavitation bubbles would be transported by high-velocity backflow to the head of valve disc. For the local pressure higher than the saturated vapor pressure, the bubbles collapse at the head of disc and cavitation erosion is formed at the head of the disc. By comparing the cases of opening of 40%, 50%, and 60%, backflow velocity and cavitation region in front of the disc decrease with the opening increase. Therefore, during the actual operation, the pressure relief valve should be kept to a relatively large opening

AVARIS. An innovative process to repair seal seat surfaces in gate and check valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herzing, Karl-Heinz; Breitenberger, Ulf; Grieser, Armin

2011-01-01

AREVA Valve Repair in situ - AVARIS in short - is an innovative process for valve repair developed by AREVA. Its main benefit is that valves no longer need to be cut out but can be machined in situ, i.e. within the piping system. AVARIS saves the plant operators time and money, as complete exchanges of valves and the ensuing complex measures become dispensable. AVARIS is of high interest in the worldwide maintenance market, as it can be applied in both nuclear and conventional power plants. Moreover, AVARIS retrofits valves in the secondary and primary circuit which even saves complex nuclear transports. AVARIS fulfills the quality requirements of 3. party authorities in national and international markets. Valves repaired with AVARIS correspond to their original condition with regard to the sealing function. The successful first application on 2 gate valves in a German nuclear power plant proves that this repair technology is very reliable and flexible. Follow-up orders for AVARIS will be realized in several nuclear power plants in 2011. (orig.)

Fast Flux Test Facility primary sodium valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabe, G.B.; Ezra, B.C.

1977-01-01

The design and development of the valves used in the primary sodium coolant loop of the Fast Flux Test Facility is described. One tilting-disk check valve is used in the cold leg of the coolant loop. It is designed to limit flow reversal in the loop while maintaining a low pressure drop during forward flow. Two isolation valves are used in each coolant loop--one in the cold leg and one in the hot leg. They are of the motor-operated swinging-gate type. The design, analysis, and testing programs undertaken to develop and qualify these valves are described

EPRI flow-loop/in situ test program for motor-operated valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosler, J.F.; Dorfman, L.S.

1994-01-01

The Electric Power Research Institute is undertaking a comprehensive research program to develop and validate methods for predicting the performance of common motor-operated gate, global, and butterfly valves. To assess motor-operated valve (MOV) performance characteristics and provide a basis for methods validation, full-scale testing was conducted on 62 MOVs. Tests were performed in four flow-loop facilities and in nine nuclear units. Forty-seven gate, five globe, and 10 butterfly valves were tested under a wide range of flow and differential pressure conditions. The paper describes the test program scope, test configurations, instrumentation and data acquisition, testing approach, and data analysis methods. Key results are summarized

SOLA-LOOP analysis of a back pressure check valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travis, J.R.

1984-01-01

The SOLA-LOOP computer code for transient, nonequilibrium, two-phase flows in networks has been coupled with a simple valve model to analyze a feedwater pipe breakage with a back-pressure check valve. Three tests from the Superheated Steam Reactor Safety Program Project (PHDR) at Kahl, West Germany, are analyzed, and the calculated transient back-pressure check valve behavior and fluid dynamics effects are found to be in excellent agreement with the experimentally measured data

Development of Proportional Pressure Control Valve for Hydraulic Braking Actuator of Automobile ABS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Che-Pin Chen

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This research developed a novel proportional pressure control valve for an automobile hydraulic braking actuator. It also analyzed and simulated solenoid force of the control valves, and the pressure relief capability test of electromagnetic thrust with the proportional valve body. Considering the high controllability and ease of production, the driver of this proportional valve was designed with a small volume and powerful solenoid force to control braking pressure and flow. Since the proportional valve can have closed-loop control, the proportional valve can replace a conventional solenoid valve in current brake actuators. With the proportional valve controlling braking and pressure relief mode, it can narrow the space of hydraulic braking actuator, and precisely control braking force to achieve safety objectives. Finally, the proposed novel proportional pressure control valve of an automobile hydraulic braking actuator was implemented and verified experimentally.

Root cause evaluation of pressurizer relief valve leakage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, D.E.; Voll, B.J.

1996-01-01

Pressurizer relief valves at two pressurized water reactor units experienced unacceptable leakage during plant heatup. The leakage was suspected to be caused by excessive pipe loads on the valves. This paper describes how monitoring via hard-wired transducers and a digital data acquisition system was used to quantify the pipe loads on the valves, and assist in determining the root cause of the pipe loads and appropriate corrective actions. The selection of the parameters monitored, how the monitoring was accomplished and interpretation of the results is discussed. The corrective actions implemented based on the monitoring results are also discussed

Sliding pressure control valve for pneumatic hammer drill

Science.gov (United States)

Polsky, Yarom [Albuquerque, NM

2011-08-30

A pneumatic device control apparatus and method comprising a ported valve slidably fitted over a feed tube of the pneumatic device, and using a compliant biasing device to constrain motion of the valve to provide asymmetric timing for extended pressurization of a power chamber and reduced pressurization of a return chamber of the pneumatic device. The pneumatic device can be a pneumatic hammer drill.

Vibration measurements at the main gate valves of WWER-440 nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rybak, M.; Matal, O.; Urbanek, M.

1990-01-01

The paper summarizes some results of studies concerned with the vibrations of the main gate valves DN 500 during operation of the Dukovany NPP. A diagnostic system for vibration measurements is described. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of the measuring results. Statistical signal analysis is the starting point of deriving parameters for diagostics of impact effects. (author)

Commonwealth Edison Company pressure locking test report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bunte, B.D.; Kelly, J.F.

1996-12-01

Pressure Locking is a phenomena which can cause the unseating thrust for a gate valve to increase dramatically from its typical static unseating thrust. This can result in the valve actuator having insufficient capability to open the valve. In addition, this can result in valve damage in cases where the actuator capability exceeds the valve structural limits. For these reasons, a proper understanding of the conditions which may cause pressure locking and thermal binding, as well as a methodology for predicting the unseating thrust for a pressure locked or thermally bound valve, are necessary. This report discusses the primary mechanisms which cause pressure locking. These include sudden depressurization of piping adjacent to the valve and pressurization of fluid trapped in the valve bonnet due to heat transfer. This report provides a methodology for calculating the unseating thrust for a valve which is pressure locked. This report provides test data which demonstrates the accuracy of the calculation methodology.

Commonwealth Edison Company pressure locking test report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunte, B.D.; Kelly, J.F.

1996-01-01

Pressure Locking is a phenomena which can cause the unseating thrust for a gate valve to increase dramatically from its typical static unseating thrust. This can result in the valve actuator having insufficient capability to open the valve. In addition, this can result in valve damage in cases where the actuator capability exceeds the valve structural limits. For these reasons, a proper understanding of the conditions which may cause pressure locking and thermal binding, as well as a methodology for predicting the unseating thrust for a pressure locked or thermally bound valve, are necessary. This report discusses the primary mechanisms which cause pressure locking. These include sudden depressurization of piping adjacent to the valve and pressurization of fluid trapped in the valve bonnet due to heat transfer. This report provides a methodology for calculating the unseating thrust for a valve which is pressure locked. This report provides test data which demonstrates the accuracy of the calculation methodology

A study on the improvement of the load pressure feedback mechanism of the proportional pressure control valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, In Ho; Jang, Ji Seong; Lee, Ill Yeong; Chung, Dai Jong; Cho, Sung Hyun

1999-01-01

The proportional pressure control valve having versatile functions and higher performance is an essential component in the open loop controlled rear wheel steering gear of the four wheel steering system on a passenger car. In this study, the authors suggest a new type of load pressure feedback mechanism which can make it easy change the control range of load pressure without changing the capacity of solenoid. The concept of the suggested mechanism, composed of the pressure chamber with throttles in series, was described. The mathematical model was derived from the rear wheel steering gear system consisting of a valve and a cylinder for the purpose of analyzing the valve characteristics. And the programme for computing the characteristic of the valve was developed. Experiments were carried out to confirm the performance of the valve and computations were performed to ascertain the usefulness of the developed programme. The results from the computations fairly coincide with those from the experiments. The results from the experiments and computations show that the performance of new valve is as good as that of the already developed one and the new valve has an advantage in the easiness in varying the control range of load pressure

CFD simulation of flow-pressure characteristics of a pressure control valve for automotive fuel supply system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Dazhuan; Li, Shiyang; Wu, Peng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Direct CFD method for flow-pressure characteristic of a pressure control valve. • Fitted and interpreted the constants of the spool hydraulic force equation. • Established a flow coefficient function of both valve opening and pressure drop. • Developed an indirect CFD method based on the valve-governing equations. - Abstract: This study aims to elaborate on specific computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation methods for fitting the flow-pressure curve of a pressure control valve, which is spring-load valve widely used in the automotive fuel supply system. Given that the couple mechanism exists between the flow field in the valve and the spring system, numerous researchers chose to fit the characteristic curve with experimental approaches but scarcely focused on CFD methods. A direct CFD method is introduced in this study to solve this problem. Two evaluation criteria are used to determine whether the internal flow is physically real. An experiment is conducted to verify the simulation results, and the accuracy of this CFD method is proved. However, it is designed to solve one operating condition with fixed spring parameters and the accuracy depends on the amount of operating conditions. Thus, an indirect CFD method is developed based on the well-elaborated valve-governing equations to improve the efficiency and broaden the application extension. This method aims to simulate the exact value of the equation constants to uncouple the flow by numerical method. It is capable of dealing with changed operating conditions and varied spring parameters, and the results are also verified. The visualization of the internal flow provides a better understanding of the flow fields in the valve. The valve gap directly influences the hydraulic force distribution on the spool and causes most pressure loss. The physical meaning of the function constants are explained based on the flow analysis

Valleytronics in merging Dirac cones: All-electric-controlled valley filter, valve, and universal reversible logic gate

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Yee Sin; Yang, Shengyuan A.; Zhang, C.; Ma, Zhongshui; Ang, L. K.

2017-12-01

Despite much anticipation of valleytronics as a candidate to replace the aging complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) based information processing, its progress is severely hindered by the lack of practical ways to manipulate valley polarization all electrically in an electrostatic setting. Here, we propose a class of all-electric-controlled valley filter, valve, and logic gate based on the valley-contrasting transport in a merging Dirac cones system. The central mechanism of these devices lies on the pseudospin-assisted quantum tunneling which effectively quenches the transport of one valley when its pseudospin configuration mismatches that of a gate-controlled scattering region. The valley polarization can be abruptly switched into different states and remains stable over semi-infinite gate-voltage windows. Colossal tunneling valley-pseudomagnetoresistance ratio of over 10 000 % can be achieved in a valley-valve setup. We further propose a valleytronic-based logic gate capable of covering all 16 types of two-input Boolean logics. Remarkably, the valley degree of freedom can be harnessed to resurrect logical reversibility in two-input universal Boolean gate. The (2 +1 ) polarization states (two distinct valleys plus a null polarization) reestablish one-to-one input-to-output mapping, a crucial requirement for logical reversibility, and significantly reduce the complexity of reversible circuits. Our results suggest that the synergy of valleytronics and digital logics may provide new paradigms for valleytronic-based information processing and reversible computing.

Development of linear flow rate control system for eccentric butter-fly valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwak, K. K.; Cho, S. W.; Park, J. S.; Cho, J. H.; Song, I. T.; Kim, J. G.; Kwon, S. J.; Kim, I. J.; Park, W. K.

1999-12-01

Butter-fly valves are advantageous over gate, globe, plug, and ball valves in a variety of installations, particularly in the large sizes. The purpose of this project development of linear flow rate control system for eccentric butter-fly valve (intelligent butter-fly valve system). The intelligent butter-fly valve system consist of a valve body, micro controller. The micro controller consist of torque control system, pressure censor, worm and worm gear and communication line etc. The characteristics of intelligent butter-fly valve system as follows: Linear flow rate control function. Digital remote control function. guard function. Self-checking function. (author)

Three-dimensional thoracic aorta principal strain analysis from routine ECG-gated computerized tomography: feasibility in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Satriano, Alessandro; Guenther, Zachary; White, James A; Merchant, Naeem; Di Martino, Elena S; Al-Qoofi, Faisal; Lydell, Carmen P; Fine, Nowell M

2018-05-02

Functional impairment of the aorta is a recognized complication of aortic and aortic valve disease. Aortic strain measurement provides effective quantification of mechanical aortic function, and 3-dimenional (3D) approaches may be desirable for serial evaluation. Computerized tomographic angiography (CTA) is routinely performed for various clinical indications, and offers the unique potential to study 3D aortic deformation. We sought to investigate the feasibility of performing 3D aortic strain analysis in a candidate population of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Twenty-one patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) referred for TAVR underwent ECG-gated CTA and echocardiography. CTA images were analyzed using a 3D feature-tracking based technique to construct a dynamic aortic mesh model to perform peak principal strain amplitude (PPSA) analysis. Segmental strain values were correlated against clinical, hemodynamic and echocardiographic variables. Reproducibility analysis was performed. The mean patient age was 81±6 years. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 52±14%, aortic valve area (AVA) 0.6±0.3 cm 2 and mean AS pressure gradient (MG) 44±11 mmHg. CTA-based 3D PPSA analysis was feasible in all subjects. Mean PPSA values for the global thoracic aorta, ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending aorta segments were 6.5±3.0, 10.2±6.0, 6.1±2.9 and 3.3±1.7%, respectively. 3D PSSA values demonstrated significantly more impairment with measures of worsening AS severity, including AVA and MG for the global thoracic aorta and ascending segment (panalysis is clinically feasible from routine ECG-gated CTA. Appropriate reductions in PSSA were identified with increasing AS hemodynamic severity. Expanded study of 3D aortic PSSA for patients with various forms of aortic disease is warranted.

Pressure tracking control of vehicle ABS using piezo valve modulator

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Juncheol; Choi, Seung-Bok

2011-03-01

This paper presents a wheel slip control for the ABS(anti-lock brake system) of a passenger vehicle using a controllable piezo valve modulator. The ABS is designed to optimize for braking effectiveness and good steerability. As a first step, the principal design parameters of the piezo valve and pressure modulator are appropriately determined by considering the braking pressure variation during the ABS operation. The proposed piezo valve consists of a flapper, pneumatic circuit and a piezostack actuator. In order to get wide control range of the pressure, the pressure modulator is desired. The modulator consists of a dual-type cylinder filled with different substances (fluid and gas) and a piston rod moving vertical axis to transmit the force. Subsequently, a quarter car wheel slip model is formulated and integrated with the governing equation of the piezo valve modulator. A sliding mode controller to achieve the desired slip rate is then designed and implemented. Braking control performances such as brake pressure and slip rate are evaluated via computer simulations.

Analysis of pressure losses in the diffuser of a control valve

Science.gov (United States)

Turecký, Petr; Mrózek, Lukáš; Tajč, Ladislav; Kolovratník, Michal

The pressure loss in the diffuser of a control valve is evaluated by using CFD computations. Pressure ratios and lifts of a cone for the recommended flow characteristics of an experimental turbine are considered. The pressure loss in a valve is compared with the pressure loss in a nozzle, i.e. the embodiment of the valve without a cone. Computations are carried out for the same mass flow. Velocity profiles are evaluated in both versions of computations. Comparison of computed pressure losses, with the loss evaluated by using relations for diffusers with the ideal velocity conditions in the input cross-section, is carried out.

Analysis of pressure losses in the diffuser of a control valve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Turecký Petr

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The pressure loss in the diffuser of a control valve is evaluated by using CFD computations. Pressure ratios and lifts of a cone for the recommended flow characteristics of an experimental turbine are considered. The pressure loss in a valve is compared with the pressure loss in a nozzle, i.e. the embodiment of the valve without a cone. Computations are carried out for the same mass flow. Velocity profiles are evaluated in both versions of computations. Comparison of computed pressure losses, with the loss evaluated by using relations for diffusers with the ideal velocity conditions in the input cross-section, is carried out.

Adjustable valves in normal-pressure hydrocephalus: a retrospective study of 218 patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zemack, G.; Rommer, Bertil Roland

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the value of adjusting shunt valve opening pressure, complications, and outcomes with the use of an adjustable shunt valve in the treatment of patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). METHODS: In a single-center retrospective study, 231 adjustable valves...

On discharge from poppet valves: effects of pressure and system dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Winroth, P. M.; Ford, C. L.; Alfredsson, P. H.

2018-02-01

Simplified flow models are commonly used to design and optimize internal combustion engine systems. The exhaust valves and ports are modelled as straight pipe flows with a corresponding discharge coefficient. The discharge coefficient is usually determined from steady-flow experiments at low pressure ratios and at fixed valve lifts. The inherent assumptions are that the flow through the valve is insensitive to the pressure ratio and may be considered as quasi-steady. The present study challenges these two assumptions through experiments at varying pressure ratios and by comparing measurements of the discharge coefficient obtained under steady and dynamic conditions. Steady flow experiments were performed in a flow bench, whereas the dynamic measurements were performed on a pressurized, 2 l, fixed volume cylinder with one or two moving valves. In the latter experiments an initial pressure (in the range 300-500 kPa) was established whereafter the valve(s) was opened with a lift profile corresponding to different equivalent engine speeds (in the range 800-1350 rpm). The experiments were only concerned with the blowdown phase, i.e. the initial part of the exhaustion process since no piston was simulated. The results show that the process is neither pressure-ratio independent nor quasi-steady. A measure of the "steadiness" has been defined, relating the relative change in the open flow area of the valve to the relative change of flow conditions in the cylinder, a measure that indicates if the process can be regarded as quasi-steady or not.

Bioprosthetic Valve Fracture to Facilitate Transcatheter Valve-in-Valve Implantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Keith B; Chhatriwalla, Adnan K; Cohen, David J; Saxon, John T; Aggarwal, Sanjeev; Hart, Anthony; Baron, Suzanne; Davis, J Russell; Pak, Alex F; Dvir, Danny; Borkon, A Michael

2017-11-01

Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement is less effective in small surgical bioprostheses. We evaluated the feasibility of bioprosthetic valve fracture with a high-pressure balloon to facilitate valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement. In vitro bench testing on aortic tissue valves was performed on 19-mm and 21-mm Mitroflow (Sorin, Milan, Italy), Magna and Magna Ease (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA), Trifecta and Biocor Epic (St. Jude Medical, Minneapolis, MN), and Hancock II and Mosaic (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN). High-pressure balloons Tru Dilation, Atlas Gold, and Dorado (C.R. Bard, Murray Hill, NJ) were used to determine which valves could be fractured and at what pressure fracture occurred. Mitroflow, Magna, Magna Ease, Mosaic, and Biocor Epic surgical valves were successfully fractured using high-pressures balloon 1 mm larger than the labeled valve size whereas Trifecta and Hancock II surgical valves could not be fractured. Only the internal valve frame was fractured, and the sewing cuff was never disrupted. Manufacturer's rated burst pressures for balloons were exceeded, with fracture pressures ranging from 8 to 24 atmospheres depending on the surgical valve. Testing further demonstrated that fracture facilitated the expansion of previously constrained, underexpanded transcatheter valves (both balloon and self-expanding) to the manufacturer's recommended size. Bench testing demonstrates that the frame of most, but not all, bioprosthetic surgical aortic valves can be fractured using high-pressure balloons. The safety of bioprosthetic valve fracture to optimize valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement in small surgical valves requires further clinical investigation. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gate-tunable large magnetoresistance in an all-semiconductor spin valve device.

Science.gov (United States)

Oltscher, M; Eberle, F; Kuczmik, T; Bayer, A; Schuh, D; Bougeard, D; Ciorga, M; Weiss, D

2017-11-27

A large spin-dependent and electric field-tunable magnetoresistance of a two-dimensional electron system is a key ingredient for the realization of many novel concepts for spin-based electronic devices. The low magnetoresistance observed during the last few decades in devices with lateral semiconducting transport channels between ferromagnetic source and drain contacts has been the main obstacle for realizing spin field effect transistor proposals. Here, we show both a large two-terminal magnetoresistance in a lateral spin valve device with a two-dimensional channel, with up to 80% resistance change, and tunability of the magnetoresistance by an electric gate. The enhanced magnetoresistance is due to finite electric field effects at the contact interface, which boost spin-to-charge conversion. The gating scheme that we use is based on switching between uni- and bidirectional spin diffusion, without resorting to spin-orbit coupling. Therefore, it can also be employed in materials with low spin-orbit coupling.

Developing an optimal valve closing rule curve for real-time pressure control in pipes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazarganlari, Mohammad Reza; Afshar, Hossein [Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kerachian, Reza [University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Bashiazghadi, Seyyed Nasser [Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-01-15

Sudden valve closure in pipeline systems can cause high pressures that may lead to serious damages. Using an optimal valve closing rule can play an important role in managing extreme pressures in sudden valve closure. In this paper, an optimal closing rule curve is developed using a multi-objective optimization model and Bayesian networks (BNs) for controlling water pressure in valve closure instead of traditional step functions or single linear functions. The method of characteristics is used to simulate transient flow caused by valve closure. Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithms-II is also used to develop a Pareto front among three objectives related to maximum and minimum water pressures, and the amount of water passes through the valve during the valve-closing process. Simulation and optimization processes are usually time-consuming, thus results of the optimization model are used for training the BN. The trained BN is capable of determining optimal real-time closing rules without running costly simulation and optimization models. To demonstrate its efficiency, the proposed methodology is applied to a reservoir-pipe-valve system and the optimal closing rule curve is calculated for the valve. The results of the linear and BN-based valve closure rules show that the latter can significantly reduce the range of variations in water hammer pressures.

Fluid-structure interaction dynamic simulation of spring-loaded pressure relief valves under seismic wave

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Dongwei; Zhang, Jian; Yu, Xinhai

2018-05-01

In this paper, a fluid-structure interaction dynamic simulation method of spring-loaded pressure relief valve was established. The dynamic performances of the fluid regions and the stress and strain of the structure regions were calculated at the same time by accurately setting up the contact pairs between the solid parts and the coupling surfaces between the fluid regions and the structure regions. A two way fluid-structure interaction dynamic simulation of a simplified pressure relief valve model was carried out. The influence of vertical sinusoidal seismic waves on the performance of the pressure relief valve was preliminarily investigated by loading sine waves. Under vertical seismic waves, the pressure relief valve will flutter, and the reseating pressure was affected by the amplitude and frequency of the seismic waves. This simulation method of the pressure relief valve under vertical seismic waves can provide effective means for investigating the seismic performances of the valves, and make up for the shortcomings of the experiment.

A Study of System Pressure Transients Generated by Isolation Valve Open/Closure in Orifice Manifold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, M. [KEPCO, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Bae, S. W.; Kim, J. I.; Park, S. J. [KHNP, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

2016-05-15

In this study, we explore the effects of pressure transients on peak and minimal pressures caused by the actuation of isolation valve and control valve reacting to the combined orifice operation of orifice manifold with motor-operated valve installed in the rear of the orifice. We then use the collected data to direct our effort towards cause analysis and propose improvements to efficiency and safety of operation. This formation is used to by domestic and foreign nuclear power plants as a mean to control flow rate, producing required flow rate jointly together by combination of the orifices. No significant impacts on the internals of manifold orifice due to peak pressure has been observed, although chance of cavitation at the outlet of control valve is significant. Considering the peak pressure, as well as minimum pressure occurs in low flow rate conditions, the pressure transient is more so affected by the characteristics (modified equal percentage) of control valve. Isolation valve of the orifice and control valve operate organically, therefore stroke time for valves need to be applied in order for both valves to cooperatively formulate an optimized operation.

Enhancement of pressurizer safety valve operability by seating design improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moisidis, N.T.; Ratiu, M.D.

1995-01-01

Operating conditions specific to pressurizer safety valves (PSVs) have led to numerous problems and have caused industry and NRC concerns regarding the adequacy of spring-loaded self-actuated safety valves for reactor coolant system (RCS) overpressure protection. Specific concerns are: setpoint drift, spurious actuations, and pressure protection. Specific concerns are: setpoint drift, spurious actuations, and leakage. Based on testing and valve construction analysis of a Crosby model 6M6 PSV (Moisidis and Ratiu, 1992), it was established that the primary contributor to the valve problems is a susceptibility to weak seating. To eliminate spring instability, a new spring washer was designed, which guides the spring and precludes its rotation from the reference installed position. Results of tests performed on a prototype PSV equipped with the modified upper spring washer has shown significant improvements in valve operability and a consistent setpoint reproducibility to less than ±1% of the PSV setpoint (testing of baseline, unmodified valve, resulted in a setpoint drift of ± 2%). Enhanced valve operability will result in a significant decrease in operating and maintenance costs associated with valve maintenance and testing. In addition, the enhanced setpoint reproducibility will allow the development of a nitrogen to steam correlation for future in-house PSV testing which will result in further reductions in costs associated with valve testing

Prospective ECG triggering reduces prosthetic heart valve-induced artefacts compared with retrospective ECG gating on 256-slice CT

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Symersky, P.; Habets, J.; Westers, P.; Mol, de B.A.J.M.; Prokop, M.; Budde, R.P.J.

2012-01-01

Objectives Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has diagnostic value for the evaluation of prosthetic heart valve (PHV) dysfunction but it is hampered by artefacts. We hypothesised that image acquisition using prospective triggering instead of retrospective gating would reduce artefacts related

Rankine cycle condenser pressure control using an energy conversion device bypass valve

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, Timothy C; Nelson, Christopher R; Zigan, James A

2014-04-01

The disclosure provides a waste heat recovery system and method in which pressure in a Rankine cycle (RC) system of the WHR system is regulated by diverting working fluid from entering an inlet of an energy conversion device of the RC system. In the system, an inlet of a controllable bypass valve is fluidly coupled to a working fluid path upstream of an energy conversion device of the RC system, and an outlet of the bypass valve is fluidly coupled to the working fluid path upstream of the condenser of the RC system such that working fluid passing through the bypass valve bypasses the energy conversion device and increases the pressure in a condenser. A controller determines the temperature and pressure of the working fluid and controls the bypass valve to regulate pressure in the condenser.

Development of hard-seal gate valve and fast shutter for JT-60 neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuribayashi, S.; Minami, M.; Matsuoka, T.; Takeshita, K.; Morita, H.; Kuriyama, M.; Matsuda, S.; Shirakata, H.

1983-01-01

A 600 mm hard-seal valve and a fast shutter for the JT-60 Neutral Beam Injector were developed. The 600 mm hard-seal gate valve was fabricated and tested for 500 cycles at various temperatures of up to 250 0 C. In consequence, requirements of the endurance and vacuum tightness were satisfied. Major components of the fast shutter, i.e., swing action bellows and a high-speed pneumatic cylinder, were tested for 30,000 cycles, and their reliability was confirmed. Then the fast shutter was fabricated and tested. The test result indicated that the fast shutter fully satisfied the requirements of the molecular gas flow conductance and opening/closing speed. (author)

Fracturing mechanics before valve-in-valve therapy of small aortic bioprosthetic heart valves.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansen, Peter; Engholt, Henrik; Tang, Mariann; Nybo, Rasmus F; Rasmussen, Per D; Nielsen-Kudsk, Jens Erik

2017-10-13

Patients with degraded bioprosthetic heart valves (BHV) who are not candidates for valve replacement may benefit from transcatheter valve-in-valve (VIV) therapy. However, in smaller-sized surgical BHV the resultant orifice may become too narrow. To overcome this, the valve frame can be fractured by a high-pressure balloon prior to VIV. However, knowledge on fracture pressures and mechanics are prerequisites. The aim of this study was to identify the fracture pressures needed in BHV, and to describe the fracture mechanics. Commonly used BHV of small sizes were mounted on a high-pressure balloon situated in a biplane fluoroscopic system with a high-speed camera. The instant of fracture was captured along with the balloon pressure. The valves were inspected for material protrusion and later dissected for fracture zone investigation and description. The valves with a polymer frame fractured at a lower pressure (8-10 atm) than those with a metal stent (19-26 atm). None of the fractured valves had elements protruding. VIV procedures in small-sized BHV may be performed after prior fracture of the valve frame by high-pressure balloon dilatation. This study provides tentative guidelines for expected balloon sizes and pressures for valve fracturing.

Critical size of defaults inducing fast fracture of deposit stellite on a valve gate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boneh, B.; Gilles, P.; Champomier, F.; Abisror, A.

1986-10-01

The present study has been made to determine if, in the case of a valve gate, transversal cracks are the result of fatigue propagation or the result of fast fracture. The author shows that only a transversal crack, with a size up to 0.7 mm, induces a fast fracture and shows also that, at equal size, a crack located under the stellite is not also injurious than a transversal crack [fr

Analysis of high-pressure safety valves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beune, A.

2009-01-01

In presently used safety valve sizing standards the gas discharge capacity is based on a nozzle flow derived from ideal gas theory. At high pressures or low temperatures real gas effects can no longer be neglected, so the discharge coefficient corrected for flow losses cannot be assumed constant

Orthogonal optimization of a water hydraulic pilot-operated pressure-reducing valve

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Xuyao; Wu, Chao; Li, Bin; Wu, Di

2017-12-01

In order to optimize the comprehensive characteristics of a water hydraulic pilot-operated pressure-reducing valve, numerical orthogonal experimental design was adopted. Six parameters of the valve, containing diameters of damping plugs, volume of spring chamber, half cone angle of main spool, half cone angle of pilot spool, mass of main spool and diameter of main spool, were selected as the orthogonal factors, and each factor has five different levels. An index of flowrate stability, pressure stability and pressure overstrike stability (iFPOS) was used to judge the merit of each orthogonal attempt. Embedded orthogonal process turned up and a final optimal combination of these parameters was obtained after totally 50 numerical orthogonal experiments. iFPOS could be low to a fairly low value which meant that the valve could have much better stabilities. During the optimization, it was also found the diameters of damping plugs and main spool played important roles in stability characteristics of the valve.

Transport properties in GaTe under hydrostatic pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gouskov, L.; Carvalho, M.

1980-01-01

First results of the resistivity rho(perpendicular) and rho(parallel)(perpendicular and parallel to the normal to the cleavage plane) under hydrostatic pressure (1 bar <= P <= 3 kbar) on GaTe grown by the Bridgman method, are given and discussed. The analysis of electrical transport properties of GaTe under pressure, indicates a complex nature of the acceptor level in this material. The activation energy Esub(a) has a negative pressure coefficient which is sample dependent. The comparison of the variations of rho(parallel) and rho(perpendicular) versus pressure shows that the activation energy E of the rho(parallel)/rho(perpendicular) ratio has also a negative pressure coefficient which can be justified in the frame of a one-dimensional disorder model proposed by Maschke and Schmid, in order to explain the transport properties in the direction of the normal to the cleavage plane. (author)

Resistance calculation of un-fully developed two-phase flow through high differential pressure regulating valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Mingyang; Wang Wenran; Wang Jiaying

1999-01-01

To reduce the flow velocity in the high differential pressure regulating valve with labyrinth. A type of complicated valve core structure were designed with tortuous flow path made from reversal double elbows. It is very difficult to calculate the pressure-drop of the un-fully developed two-phase flow under high temperature and pressure which flow through the valve core. A calculation method called 'constant (varing) pressure-drop progressing step by step design method' was developed. The complicated flow path was disintegrated into a series of independent resistance units and with the valve stem end progressing step by step the dimensions of the flow path were designed in accordance with the principle that in every position the total pressure-drop of the valve should amount to that required by the design goal curve. In the course of calculating the total pressure-drop, the valve flow path was also divided into a series of independent resistance units. The experiment results show that design flow characteristics are approximately consistent with the flow characteristics measured in the test

ECG-gated computed tomography: a new role for patients with suspected aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fagman, Erika; Flinck, Agneta; Lamm, Carl [Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Gothenburg (Sweden); Perrotta, Sossio [Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Anaesthesia, Gothenburg (Sweden); Bech-Hanssen, Odd [Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Physiology, Gothenburg (Sweden); Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Gothenburg (Sweden); Olaison, Lars [Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Gothenburg (Sweden); Svensson, Gunnar [Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Anaesthesia, Gothenburg (Sweden); The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Gothenburg (Sweden)

2012-11-15

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the agreement in findings between ECG-gated CT and transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). Twenty-seven consecutive patients with PVE underwent 64-slice ECG-gated CT and TEE and the results were compared. Imaging was compared with surgical findings (surgery was performed in 16 patients). TEE suggested the presence of PVE in all patients [thickened aortic wall (n = 17), vegetation (n = 13), abscess (n = 16), valvular dehiscence (n = 10)]. ECG-gated CT was positive in 25 patients (93 %) [thickened aortic wall (n = 19), vegetation (n = 7), abscess (n = 18), valvular dehiscence (n = 7)]. The strength of agreement [kappa (95 % CI)] between ECG-gated CT and TEE was very good for thickened wall [0.83 (0.62-1.0)], good for abscess [0.68 (0.40-0.97)] and dehiscence [0.75 (0.48-1.0)], and moderate for vegetation [0.55 (0.26-0.88)]. The agreement was good between surgical findings (abscess, vegetation and dehiscence) and imaging for ECG-gated CT [0.66 (0.49-0.87)] and TEE [0.79 (0.62-0.96)] and very good for the combination of ECG-gated CT and TEE [0.88 (0.74-1.0)]. Our results indicate that ECG-gated CT has comparable diagnostic performance to TEE and may be a valuable complement in the preoperative evaluation of patients with aortic PVE. (orig.)

ECG-gated computed tomography: a new role for patients with suspected aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fagman, Erika; Flinck, Agneta; Lamm, Carl; Perrotta, Sossio; Bech-Hanssen, Odd; Olaison, Lars; Svensson, Gunnar

2012-01-01

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the agreement in findings between ECG-gated CT and transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). Twenty-seven consecutive patients with PVE underwent 64-slice ECG-gated CT and TEE and the results were compared. Imaging was compared with surgical findings (surgery was performed in 16 patients). TEE suggested the presence of PVE in all patients [thickened aortic wall (n = 17), vegetation (n = 13), abscess (n = 16), valvular dehiscence (n = 10)]. ECG-gated CT was positive in 25 patients (93 %) [thickened aortic wall (n = 19), vegetation (n = 7), abscess (n = 18), valvular dehiscence (n = 7)]. The strength of agreement [kappa (95 % CI)] between ECG-gated CT and TEE was very good for thickened wall [0.83 (0.62-1.0)], good for abscess [0.68 (0.40-0.97)] and dehiscence [0.75 (0.48-1.0)], and moderate for vegetation [0.55 (0.26-0.88)]. The agreement was good between surgical findings (abscess, vegetation and dehiscence) and imaging for ECG-gated CT [0.66 (0.49-0.87)] and TEE [0.79 (0.62-0.96)] and very good for the combination of ECG-gated CT and TEE [0.88 (0.74-1.0)]. Our results indicate that ECG-gated CT has comparable diagnostic performance to TEE and may be a valuable complement in the preoperative evaluation of patients with aortic PVE. (orig.)

Infusion of the solid coal using pressure independent valves to regulate flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goretz, H G; Betting, K

1979-01-01

In order to improve infusion into the solid coal, attempts were made to effect this through several holes using a single pump; however, the regulation of the quantity of water directed into each hole by a ball-valve tap connected to the injection pump was shown to lack precision - gives the causes of this defect. Satisfactory regulation was obtained by means of pressure- independent flow valves which operate on the principle of hydrodynamic pressure balance; describes method of operation. Underground tests proved satisfactory even with large pressure variations. The problem of dirt penetration during down times was eliminated by installing a check valve. The system proves economical to run.

Effects on fatigue life of gate valves due to higher torque switch settings during operability testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richins, W.D.; Snow, S.D.; Miller, G.K.; Russell, M.J.; Ware, A.G.

1995-12-01

Some motor operated valves now have higher torque switch settings due to regulatory requirements to ensure valve operability with appropriate margins at design basis conditions. Verifying operability with these settings imposes higher stem loads during periodic inservice testing. These higher test loads increase stresses in the various valve internal parts which may in turn increase the fatigue usage factors. This increased fatigue is judged to be a concern primarily in the valve disks, seats, yokes, stems, and stem nuts. Although the motor operators may also have significantly increased loading, they are being evaluated by the manufacturers and are beyond the scope of this study. Two gate valves representative of both relatively weak and strong valves commonly used in commercial nuclear applications were selected for fatigue analyses. Detailed dimensional and test data were available for both valves from previous studies at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Finite element models were developed to estimate maximum stresses in the internal parts of the valves and to identity the critical areas within the valves where fatigue may be a concern. Loads were estimated using industry standard equations for calculating torque switch settings prior and subsequent to the testing requirements of USNRC Generic Letter 89--10. Test data were used to determine both; (1) the overshoot load between torque switch trip and final seating of the disk during valve closing and (2) the stem thrust required to open the valves. The ranges of peak stresses thus determined were then used to estimate the increase in the fatigue usage factors due to the higher stem thrust loads. The usages that would be accumulated by 100 base cycles plus one or eight test cycles per year over 40 and 60 years of operation were calculated

System for detecting operating errors in a variable valve timing engine using pressure sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Wiles, Matthew A.; Marriot, Craig D

2013-07-02

A method and control module includes a pressure sensor data comparison module that compares measured pressure volume signal segments to ideal pressure volume segments. A valve actuation hardware remedy module performs a hardware remedy in response to comparing the measured pressure volume signal segments to the ideal pressure volume segments when a valve actuation hardware failure is detected.

Development of nuclear quality high pressure valve bellows in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janzen, P.; Astill, C.J.

1978-06-01

Concurrent with the decision to use bellows stem sealed nuclear valves where feasible in commercial-scale CANDU plants, AECL undertook to develop an indigenous high pressure valve bellows technology. This program included developing the capability to fabricate improved high pressure valve bellows in conjunction with a Canadian manufacturer. This paper describes the evolution of a two-stage bellows fabrication process involving: (1) manufacture of discrete lengths of precision thin wall telescoping tubes - from preparation of strip blanks through edge grinding and edge forming to longitudinal welding; (2) forming of bellows from tube assemblies using a novel combination of mechanical inward forming followed by hydraulic outward forming. Bellows of Inconel 600 and Inconel 625 have been manufactured and evaluated. Test results indicate comparable to improved performance over alternative high quality bellows. (author)

NRC staff review of licensee responses to pressure-locking and thermal-binding issue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rathbun, H.J.

1996-12-01

Commercial nuclear power plant operating experience has indicated that pressure locking and thermal binding represent potential common mode failure mechanisms that can cause safety-related power-operated gate valves to fail in the closed position, thus rendering redundant safety-related systems incapable of performing their safety functions. In Generic Letter (GL) 95-07, {open_quotes}Pressure Locking and Thermal Binding of Safety-Related Power-Operated Gate Valves,{close_quotes} the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff requested that nuclear power plant licensees take certain actions to ensure that valves susceptible to pressure locking or thermal binding are capable of performing their safety functions within the current licensing bases of the facility. The NRC staff has received summary information from licensees in response to GL 95-07 describing actions they have taken to prevent the occurrence of pressure locking and thermal binding. The NRC staff has developed a systematic process to help ensure uniform and consistent review of licensee submittals in response to GL 95-07.

Assessment of right ventricular afterload in mitral valve diseases with radionuclide angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, Mitsuharu; Nakagawa, Tomio; Kohno, Yoshihiro; Kuroda, Masahiro; Takeda, Yoshihiro; Hiraki, Yoshio; Nagaya, Isao; Senoh, Yoshimasa; Teramoto, Shigeru

1991-01-01

Right ventricular function at rest and during exercise was studied in 33 patients with mitral valve disease by equilibrium gated radionuclide angiography using 99m Tc in vivo labeled red blood cells. Radionuclide measurements of right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) were correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP). RVEF decreased significantly with exercise. There was no significant correlation between RVEF at rest and mPAP. However, mPAP showed significant negative correlation with RVEF during exercise and with the changes of RVEF from rest to exercise. It is concluded that RVEF during exercise in mitral valve disease is affected by right ventricular afterload, and the measurements of RVEF at rest and during exercise by equilibrium gated radionuclide angiography is useful to assess right ventricular afterload. (author)

Flow induced vibration of the large-sized sodium valve for MONJU

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, K [Sodium Engineering Division, O-arai Engineering Centre, Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation, Nariata-cho, O-arai Machi, Ibaraki-ken (Japan)

1977-12-01

Measurements have been made on the hydraulic characteristics of the large-sized sodium valves in the hydraulic simulation test loop with water as fluid. The following three prototype sodium valves were tested; (1) 22-inch wedge gate type isolation valve, (2) 22-inch butterfly type isolation valve, and (3) 16-inch butterfly type control valve. In the test, accelerations of flow induced vibrations were measured as a function of flow velocity and disk position. The excitation mechanism of the vibrations is not fully interpreted in these tests due to the complexity of the phenomena, but the experimental results suggest that it closely depends on random pressure fluctuations near the valve disk and flow separation at the contracted cross section between the valve seat and the disk. The intensity of flow induced vibrations suddenly increases at a certain critical condition, which depends on the type of valve and is proportional to fluid velocity. (author)

Flow induced vibration of the large-sized sodium valve for MONJU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, K.

1977-01-01

Measurements have been made on the hydraulic characteristics of the large-sized sodium valves in the hydraulic simulation test loop with water as fluid. The following three prototype sodium valves were tested; (1) 22-inch wedge gate type isolation valve, (2) 22-inch butterfly type isolation valve, and (3) 16-inch butterfly type control valve. In the test, accelerations of flow induced vibrations were measured as a function of flow velocity and disk position. The excitation mechanism of the vibrations is not fully interpreted in these tests due to the complexity of the phenomena, but the experimental results suggest that it closely depends on random pressure fluctuations near the valve disk and flow separation at the contracted cross section between the valve seat and the disk. The intensity of flow induced vibrations suddenly increases at a certain critical condition, which depends on the type of valve and is proportional to fluid velocity. (author)

A piezoelectric micro control valve with integrated capacitive sensing for ambulant blood pressure waveform monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Groen, Maarten S.; Wu, Kai; Brookhuis, Robert A.; van Houwelingen, Marc J.; Brouwer, Dannis M.; Lötters, Joost C.; Wiegerink, Remco J.

2014-12-01

We have designed and characterized a MEMS microvalve with built-in capacitive displacement sensing and fitted it with a miniature piezoelectric actuator to achieve active valve control. The integrated displacement sensor enables high bandwidth proportional control of the gas flow through the valve. This is an essential requirement for non-invasive blood pressure waveform monitoring based on following the arterial pressure with a counter pressure. Using the capacitive sensor, we demonstrate negligible hysteresis in the valve control characteristics. Fabrication of the valve requires only two mask steps for deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and one release etch.

A piezoelectric micro control valve with integrated capacitive sensing for ambulant blood pressure waveform monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groen, Maarten S; Wu, Kai; Brookhuis, Robert A; Lötters, Joost C; Wiegerink, Remco J; Van Houwelingen, Marc J; Brouwer, Dannis M

2014-01-01

We have designed and characterized a MEMS microvalve with built-in capacitive displacement sensing and fitted it with a miniature piezoelectric actuator to achieve active valve control. The integrated displacement sensor enables high bandwidth proportional control of the gas flow through the valve. This is an essential requirement for non-invasive blood pressure waveform monitoring based on following the arterial pressure with a counter pressure. Using the capacitive sensor, we demonstrate negligible hysteresis in the valve control characteristics. Fabrication of the valve requires only two mask steps for deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and one release etch. (paper)

Pressure driven digital logic in PDMS based microfluidic devices fabricated by multilayer soft lithography.

Science.gov (United States)

Devaraju, Naga Sai Gopi K; Unger, Marc A

2012-11-21

Advances in microfluidics now allow an unprecedented level of parallelization and integration of biochemical reactions. However, one challenge still faced by the field has been the complexity and cost of the control hardware: one external pressure signal has been required for each independently actuated set of valves on chip. Using a simple post-modification to the multilayer soft lithography fabrication process, we present a new implementation of digital fluidic logic fully analogous to electronic logic with significant performance advances over the previous implementations. We demonstrate a novel normally closed static gain valve capable of modulating pressure signals in a fashion analogous to an electronic transistor. We utilize these valves to build complex fluidic logic circuits capable of arbitrary control of flows by processing binary input signals (pressure (1) and atmosphere (0)). We demonstrate logic gates and devices including NOT, NAND and NOR gates, bi-stable flip-flops, gated flip-flops (latches), oscillators, self-driven peristaltic pumps, delay flip-flops, and a 12-bit shift register built using static gain valves. This fluidic logic shows cascade-ability, feedback, programmability, bi-stability, and autonomous control capability. This implementation of fluidic logic yields significantly smaller devices, higher clock rates, simple designs, easy fabrication, and integration into MSL microfluidics.

Application of signature analysis for determining the operational readiness of motor-operated valves under blowdown test conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haynes, H.D.

1988-01-01

In support of the NRC-funded Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has carried out a comprehensive aging assessment of Motor-Operated Valves (MOVs). As part of this work, ORNL participated in the Gate Valve Flow Interruption Blowdown (GVFIB) tests carried out in Huntsville, Alabama. The GVFIB tests were intended primarily to determine the behavior of motor-operated gate valves under the temperature, pressure, and flow conditions expected to be experienced by isolation valves in Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) during a high energy line break (blowdown) outside of containment. In addition, the tests provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate signature analysis methods for determining the operational readiness of the MOVs under those accident conditions. ORNL acquired motor current and torque switch shaft angular position data on two test MOVs during various times of the GVFIB tests. The reduction in operating ''margin'' of both MOVs due to the presence of additional valve running loads imposed by high flow was clearly observed in motor current and torque switch angular position signatures. In addition, the effects of differential pressure, fluid temperature, and line voltage on MOV operations were observed and more clearly understood as a result of utilizing signature analysis techniques. 1 ref.; 16 figs

Pressure Regulators as Valves for Saving Compressed Air and their Influence on System Dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dvořák Lukáš

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Pressure regulators in the field of pneumatic mechanisms can be used as valves for saving compressed air. For example it can be used to reduce the pressure when the piston rod is retracting unloaded and thus it is possible to save some energy. However the problem is that saving valve can significantly affect the dynamics of the pneumatic system. The lower pressure in the piston rod chamber causes extension of time for retraction of the piston rod. This article compare the air consumption experimentally determined and calculated, measured curves of pressure in cylinder chambers and piston speed when saving valve is set up differently.

Pressure Regulators as Valves for Saving Compressed Air and their Influence on System Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Dvořák, Lukáš; Fojtášek, Kamil

2015-05-01

Pressure regulators in the field of pneumatic mechanisms can be used as valves for saving compressed air. For example it can be used to reduce the pressure when the piston rod is retracting unloaded and thus it is possible to save some energy. However the problem is that saving valve can significantly affect the dynamics of the pneumatic system. The lower pressure in the piston rod chamber causes extension of time for retraction of the piston rod. This article compare the air consumption experimentally determined and calculated, measured curves of pressure in cylinder chambers and piston speed when saving valve is set up differently.

Pressure Control of a Pneumatic Actuator Using On/O Solenoid Valves

OpenAIRE

Jeddi Tehrani, Maisam

2008-01-01

Nowadays a very important aspect in heavy duty vehicles is the braking system. The braking system can be divided into EBS brakes, exhaust brake and retarder, where the latter is of interest in the present Master's Thesis. This thesis presents an investigation whether it is possible to substitute today's concept, i.e. controlling the air pressure to the retarder using a proportional-valve, with two so-called on/o®-valves and a pressure sensor, which will reduce expenses and contingently hyster...

Development of high pressure-high vacuum-high conductance piston valve for gas-filled radiation detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, D N; Ayyappan, R; Kamble, L P; Singh, J P; Muralikrishna, L V; Alex, M; Balagi, V; Mukhopadhyay, P K

2008-01-01

Gas-filled radiation detectors need gas filling at pressures that range from few cms of mercury to as high as 25kg/cm 2 at room temperature. Before gas-filling these detectors require evacuation to a vacuum of the order of ∼1 x 10 -5 mbar. For these operations of evacuation and gas filling a system consisting of a vacuum pump with a high vacuum gauge, gas cylinder with a pressure gauge and a valve is used. The valve has to meet the three requirements of compatibility with high-pressure and high vacuum and high conductance. A piston valve suitable for the evacuation and gas filling of radiation detectors has been designed and fabricated to meet the above requirements. The stainless steel body (80mmx160mm overall dimensions) valve with a piston arrangement has a 1/2 inch inlet/outlet opening, neoprene/viton O-ring at piston face and diameter for sealing and a knob for opening and closing the valve. The piston movement mechanism is designed to have minimum wear of sealing O-rings. The valve has been hydrostatic pressure tested up to 75bars and has Helium leak rate of less than 9.6x10 -9 m bar ltr/sec in vacuum mode and 2x10 -7 mbar ltr/sec in pressure mode. As compared to a commercial diaphragm valve, which needed 3 hours to evacuate a 7 litre chamber to 2.5x10 -5 mbar, the new valve achieved vacuum 7.4x10 -6 mbar in the same time under the same conditions

Ten years of clinical experience in the use of fixed-pressure versus programmable valves: a retrospective study of 159 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Mpakopoulou, Maria; Brotis, Alexandros G; Gatos, Haralampos; Paterakis, Konstantinos; Fountas, Kostas N

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to present our 10-year experience with the use of fixed-pressure and programmable valves in the treatment of adult patients requiring cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. Patients (n = 159; 89 male and 70 female) suffering from hydrocephalus of various causes underwent CSF shunt implantation. Forty fixed-pressure and 119 programmable valves were initially implanted. The observed revision rate was 40% in patients with fixed-pressure valves. In 20% of these patients, a revision due to valve mechanism malfunction was undertaken, and the initial valve was replaced with a programmable one. The revision rate in the adjustable-pressure valve subgroup was 20%. The infection rate for the fixed-pressure and programmable valve subgroups were 3%, and 1.7%, respectively. Similarly, subdural fluid collections were noticed in 17% and 4% of patients with fixed-pressure valves and programmable valves, respectively. The revision and over-drainage rates were significantly lower when using programmable valves, and thus, this type of valve is preferred whenever CSF has to be diverted.

Enhancement of pressurizer safety valve operability by seating design improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moisidis, N.T.; Ratiu, M.D.

1994-01-01

Operating conditions specific to Pressurizer Safety Valves (PSVs) have led to numerous problems and have caused industry and NRC concerns regarding the adequacy of spring loaded self-actuated safety valves for Reactor Coolant System (RCS) overpressure protection. Specific concerns are: setpoint drift, spurious actuations and leakage. Based on testing and valve construction analysis of a Crosby model 6M6 PSV, it was established that the primary contributor to the valve problems is a susceptibility to weak seating. To eliminate spring instability, a new spring washer was designed, which guides the spring and precludes its rotation from the reference installed position. Results of tests performed on a prototype PSV equipped with the modified upper spring washer has shown significant improvements in valve operability and a consistent setpoint reproducibility to less than ±1% of the PSV setpoint (testing of baseline, unmodified valve, resulted in a setpoint drift of ±2%). Enhanced valve operability will result in a significant decrease in operating and maintenance costs associated with valve maintenance and testing. In addition, the enhanced setpoint reproducibility will allow the development of a nitrogen to steam correlation for future in-house PSV testing which will result in further reductions in costs associated with valve testing

Bioprosthetic Valve Fracture Improves the Hemodynamic Results of Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Chhatriwalla, Adnan K; Allen, Keith B; Saxon, John T; Cohen, David J; Aggarwal, Sanjeev; Hart, Anthony J; Baron, Suzanne J; Dvir, Danny; Borkon, A Michael

2017-07-01

Valve-in-valve (VIV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) may be less effective in small surgical valves because of patient/prosthesis mismatch. Bioprosthetic valve fracture (BVF) using a high-pressure balloon can be performed to facilitate VIV TAVR. We report data from 20 consecutive clinical cases in which BVF was successfully performed before or after VIV TAVR by inflation of a high-pressure balloon positioned across the valve ring during rapid ventricular pacing. Hemodynamic measurements and calculation of the valve effective orifice area were performed at baseline, immediately after VIV TAVR, and after BVF. BVF was successfully performed in 20 patients undergoing VIV TAVR with balloon-expandable (n=8) or self-expanding (n=12) transcatheter valves in Mitroflow, Carpentier-Edwards Perimount, Magna and Magna Ease, Biocor Epic and Biocor Epic Supra, and Mosaic surgical valves. Successful fracture was noted fluoroscopically when the waist of the balloon released and by a sudden drop in inflation pressure, often accompanied by an audible snap. BVF resulted in a reduction in the mean transvalvular gradient (from 20.5±7.4 to 6.7±3.7 mm Hg, P valve effective orifice area (from 1.0±0.4 to 1.8±0.6 cm 2 , P valves to facilitate VIV TAVR with either balloon-expandable or self-expanding transcatheter valves and results in reduced residual transvalvular gradients and increased valve effective orifice area. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Indigeneous design and development of differential pressure reducing valves for PHWRs (Paper No. 055)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soni, N.L.; Agrawal, R.C.; Chandra, Rajesh

1987-02-01

On load fuelling of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) is being achieved with the help of Fuelling Machine (F/M). Various actuations are to be carried out inside the F/M magazine pressure housing with the help of high pressure water hydraulic actuators. A constant differential pressure is required to be maintained between pressurized magazine housing and the actuators-supply line for proper operation of the actuators which are to be located inside it. This is achieved with the help of the Differential Pressure Reducing Valve (DPRV). So far these valves have been procured only from a single foreign supplier. In March 1980, the price of each valve was US dollars 3100.00. Dependence on a single foreign supplier may create problems of timely procurement. An effort was made to design and manufacture the DPRV indigensouly meeting the stringent specifications. Theoretical study of single acting DPRV was carried out and design criteria were established. The valve was tested for its performance and was found satisfactory. (author). 8 figs

Pressure control valve using proportional electro-magnetic solenoid actuator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, So Nam; Ham, Young Bog; Park, Pyoung Won

2006-01-01

This paper presents an experimental characteristics of electro-hydraulic proportional pressure control valve. In this study, poppet and valve body which are assembled into the proportional solenoid were designed and manufactured. The constant force characteristics of proportional solenoid actuator in the control region should be independent of the plunger position in order to be used to control the valve position in the fluid flow control system. The stroke-force characteristics of the proportional solenoid actuator is determined by the shape (or parameters) of the control cone. In this paper, steady state and transient characteristics of the solenoid actuator for electro-hydraulic proportional valve are analyzed using finite element method and it is confirmed that the proportional solenoid actuator has a constant attraction force in the control region independently on the stroke position. The effects of the parameters such as control cone length, thickness and taper length are also discussed

Hydrodynamic characterization of a passive shape memory alloy valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waddell, A M; Punch, J; Stafford, J; Jeffers, N

2014-01-01

Next generation high-performance electronics will have large heat fluxes (>10 2 W/cm 2 ) and an alternative approach to traditional air cooling is required. An attractive solution is micro-channel cooling and micro-valves will be required for refined flow control in the supporting micro-fluidic systems. A NiTi Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) micro-valve design was hydrodynamically characterized in this work to obtain the valve loss coefficient (K) from pressure measurements. The hydrodynamic characterization was important as in the flow regime of the micro-fluidic system K is sensitive to Reynolds number (Re) and geometry. Static replicas of the SMA valve geometry were studied for low Reynolds numbers (110 – 220) in a 1x1 mm CSA miniature channel. The loss coefficients were found to be sensitive to flow rate and decreased rapidly with an increase in Re. The SMA valve was compared to a similar gate micro-valve and loss across both valves was of the same order of magnitude. The valve loss coefficients obtained in this work are important parameters in the modeling and design of micro-fluidic cooling systems.

Optimization of a pressure control valve for high power automatic transmission considering stability

Science.gov (United States)

Jian, Hongchao; Wei, Wei; Li, Hongcai; Yan, Qingdong

2018-02-01

The pilot-operated electrohydraulic clutch-actuator system is widely utilized by high power automatic transmission because of the demand of large flowrate and the excellent pressure regulating capability. However, a self-excited vibration induced by the inherent non-linear characteristics of valve spool motion coupled with the fluid dynamics can be generated during the working state of hydraulic systems due to inappropriate system parameters, which causes sustaining instability in the system and leads to unexpected performance deterioration and hardware damage. To ensure a stable and fast response performance of the clutch actuator system, an optimal design method for the pressure control valve considering stability is proposed in this paper. A non-linear dynamic model of the clutch actuator system is established based on the motion of the valve spool and coupling fluid dynamics in the system. The stability boundary in the parameter space is obtained by numerical stability analysis. Sensitivity of the stability boundary and output pressure response time corresponding to the valve parameters are identified using design of experiment (DOE) approach. The pressure control valve is optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm with the stability boundary as constraint. The simulation and experimental results reveal that the optimization method proposed in this paper helps in improving the response characteristics while ensuring the stability of the clutch actuator system during the entire gear shift process.

Guidelines for Properly Adjustning Pressure Feedback in Systems with Over-Centre Valves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Henrik Clemmensen; Andersen, Torben O.; Hansen, Michael R.

2016-01-01

this problem is to use an over centre valve with a sufficiently low pilot ratio and/or include various damping orifices in the system. Both of these solutions are energy consuming and may decrease the control performance. An alternative approach is to use (electronic) pressure feedback — also referred...... to as active damping — to stabilise the system and damp pressure pulsations. This is not a new method, but the effect and adjustment of the filters is often misunderstood leading to incorrectly adjusted filters and degraded system performance. The focus of the current paper is therefore to explain and derive...... a set of guidelines for how to properly adjust a standard pressure feedback in system with an over centre valve when also considering model uncertainties, un-modelled dynamics and parameter variations. The paper takes its basis in a standard cylinder drive with an inertia load, over centre valve...

Research design and improvement of high temperature high pressure solenoid valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Yongtang

1987-12-01

A process for development of the pilot type high temperature high pressure solenoid valve used in a PWR power plant is described. The whole development process might be divided into two phases: research design and improvement. In the former phase the questions had chiefly been approached in the following several aspects: the principle construction design, the determination of values for the constructionally key elements, the valve seal design and the solenoid actuator design, and made such valve's successful design in the main. In the latter phase an improvement had been made upon such valve against the problems during the testing use of the valve for a period of time, i.e. the unsatisfactory leak tightness, and achieved satisfactory results. The consummate success in this development not only has met the needs of the engineering project, but also made us obtain a valuable experience useful to design the similar valves

Pressure control of hydraulic servo system using proportional control valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Kyong Uk; Oh, In Ho; Lee, Ill Yeong

1999-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a control scheme for the hydraulic servo system which can rapidly control the pressure in a hydraulic cylinder with very short stroke. Compared with the negligible stroke of the cylinder in the system, the flow gain of the proportional pressure control valve constituting the hydraulic servo system is relatively large and the time delay on the response of the valve is quite long. Therefore, the pressure control system, in this study tends to get unstable during operations. Considering the above mentioned characteristics of the system, a two-degree-of-freedom control scheme, composed of the I-PDD 2 ... feedback compensator and the feedforward controller, is proposed. The reference model scheme is used in deciding the parameters of the controllers. The validity of the proposed control scheme is confirmed through the experiments

Bubble gate for in-plane flow control.

Science.gov (United States)

Oskooei, Ali; Abolhasani, Milad; Günther, Axel

2013-07-07

We introduce a miniature gate valve as a readily implementable strategy for actively controlling the flow of liquids on-chip, within a footprint of less than one square millimetre. Bubble gates provide for simple, consistent and scalable control of liquid flow in microchannel networks, are compatible with different bulk microfabrication processes and substrate materials, and require neither electrodes nor moving parts. A bubble gate consists of two microchannel sections: a liquid-filled channel and a gas channel that intercepts the liquid channel to form a T-junction. The open or closed state of a bubble gate is determined by selecting between two distinct gas pressure levels: the lower level corresponds to the "open" state while the higher level corresponds to the "closed" state. During closure, a gas bubble penetrates from the gas channel into the liquid, flanked by a column of equidistantly spaced micropillars on each side, until the flow of liquid is completely obstructed. We fabricated bubble gates using single-layer soft lithographic and bulk silicon micromachining procedures and evaluated their performance with a combination of theory and experimentation. We assessed the dynamic behaviour during more than 300 open-and-close cycles and report the operating pressure envelope for different bubble gate configurations and for the working fluids: de-ionized water, ethanol and a biological buffer. We obtained excellent agreement between the experimentally determined bubble gate operational envelope and a theoretical prediction based on static wetting behaviour. We report case studies that serve to illustrate the utility of bubble gates for liquid sampling in single and multi-layer microfluidic devices. Scalability of our strategy was demonstrated by simultaneously addressing 128 bubble gates.

Relief valve testing study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BROMM, R.D.

2001-01-01

Reclosing pressure-actuated valves, commonly called relief valves, are designed to relieve system pressure once it reaches the set point of the valve. They generally operate either proportional to the differential between their set pressure and the system pressure (gradual lift) or by rapidly opening fully when the set pressure is reached (pop action). A pop action valve allows the maximum fluid flow through the valve when the set pressure is reached. A gradual lift valve allows fluid flow in proportion to how much the system pressure has exceeded the set pressure of the valve (in the case of pressure relief) or has decreased below the set pressure (vacuum relief). These valves are used to protect systems from over and under pressurization. They are used on boilers, pressure vessels, piping systems and vacuum systems to prevent catastrophic failures of these systems, which can happen if they are under or over pressurized beyond the material tolerances. The construction of these valves ranges from extreme precision of less than a psi tolerance and a very short lifetime to extremely robust construction such as those used on historic railroad steam engines that are designed operate many times a day without changing their set pressure when the engines are operating. Relief valves can be designed to be immune to the effects of back pressure or to be vulnerable to it. Which type of valve to use depends upon the design requirements of the system

Development of main steam safety valve set pressure evaluating system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oketani, Koichiro; Manabe, Yoshihisa.

1991-01-01

A main steam safety valve set pressure test is conducted for all valves during every refueling outage in Japan's PWRs. Almost all operations of the test are manually conducted by a skilled worker. In order to obtain further reliability and reduce the test time, an automatic test system using a personnel computer has been developed in accordance with system concept. Quality assurance was investigated to fix system specifications. The prototype of the system was manufactured to confirm the system reliability. The results revealed that this system had high accuracy measurement and no adverse influence on the safety valve. This system was concluded to be applicable for actual use. (author)

Modeling, Parameters Identification, and Control of High Pressure Fuel Cell Back-Pressure Valve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fengxiang Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The reactant pressure is crucial to the efficiency and lifespan of a high pressure PEMFC engine. This paper analyses a regulated back-pressure valve (BPV for the cathode outlet flow in a high pressure PEMFC engine, which can achieve precisely pressure control. The modeling, parameters identification, and nonlinear controller design of a BPV system are considered. The identified parameters are used in designing active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC. Simulations and extensive experiments are conducted with the xPC Target and show that the proposed controller can not only achieve good dynamic and static performance but also have strong robustness against parameters’ disturbance and external disturbance.

Pressure disequilibria induced by rapid valve closure in noble gas extraction lines

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Leah; Davidheiser-Kroll, Brett

2015-01-01

Pressure disequilibria during rapid valve closures can affect calculated molar quantities for a range of gas abundance measurements (e.g., K-Ar geochronology, (U-Th)/He geochronology, noble gas cosmogenic chronology). Modeling indicates this effect in a system with a 10 L reservoir reaches a bias of 1% before 1000 pipette aliquants have been removed from the system, and a bias of 10% before 10,000 aliquants. Herein we explore the causes and effects of this problem, which is the result of volume changes during valve closure. We also present a solution in the form of an electropneumatic pressure regulator that can precisely control valve motion. This solution reduces the effect to ∼0.3% even after 10,000 aliquants have been removed from a 10 L reservoir.

Pressure disequilibria induced by rapid valve closure in noble gas extraction lines

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Leah E.; Davidheiser-Kroll, Brett

2015-06-01

Pressure disequilibria during rapid valve closures can affect calculated molar quantities for a range of gas abundance measurements (e.g., K-Ar geochronology, (U-Th)/He geochronology, noble gas cosmogenic chronology). Modeling indicates this effect in a system with a 10 L reservoir reaches a bias of 1% before 1000 pipette aliquants have been removed from the system, and a bias of 10% before 10,000 aliquants. Herein we explore the causes and effects of this problem, which is the result of volume changes during valve closure. We also present a solution in the form of an electropneumatic pressure regulator that can precisely control valve motion. This solution reduces the effect to ˜0.3% even after 10,000 aliquants have been removed from a 10 L reservoir.

Leak test method for radioactive material packagings without pressure valve connections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, S.F.; Stenbaeck, A.

1976-01-01

A leak test method has been developed at Studsvik which provides the possibility of testing Type B packagings unequipped with valves for evacuation or pressurizing. Even large packagings with pressure valve connections can be leak tested by this method. The method is a pressure test method. The test gas comprises a mixture of helium and nitrogen or helium and air. Excess pressure in a valveless packaging is achieved by vaporization of liquid nitrogen. All parts of the packaging or package where leaks might be expected are covered by plastic sheet. Samples of the gas accumulated under the plastic sheets are taken using evacuated glass ampoules which are initially sealed off to a breakable point. The gas samples are measured with a He-mass spectrometer. The sensitivity of this method of leak testing is, in practice, of the order of 10 -7 atmcm 3 s -1 . (author)

Analysis of fatigue reliability for high temperature and high pressure multi-stage decompression control valve

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Long; Xu, Juanjuan; Zhang, Lifang; Xu, Xiaogang

2018-03-01

Based on stress-strength interference theory to establish the reliability mathematical model for high temperature and high pressure multi-stage decompression control valve (HMDCV), and introduced to the temperature correction coefficient for revising material fatigue limit at high temperature. Reliability of key dangerous components and fatigue sensitivity curve of each component are calculated and analyzed by the means, which are analyzed the fatigue life of control valve and combined with reliability theory of control valve model. The impact proportion of each component on the control valve system fatigue failure was obtained. The results is shown that temperature correction factor makes the theoretical calculations of reliability more accurate, prediction life expectancy of main pressure parts accords with the technical requirements, and valve body and the sleeve have obvious influence on control system reliability, the stress concentration in key part of control valve can be reduced in the design process by improving structure.

Partial Pressures of Te2 and Thermodynamic Properties of Ga-Te System

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Ching-Hua; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The partial pressures of Te2 in equilibrium with Ga(1-x)Te(x) samples were measured by optical absorption technique from 450 to 1100 C for compositions, x, between 0.333 and 0.612. To establish the relationship between the partial pressure of Te, and the measured optical absorbance, the calibration runs of a pure Te sample were also conducted to determine the Beer's Law constants. The partial pressures of Te2 in equilibrium with the GaTe(s) and Ga2Te3(s)compounds, or the so-called three-phase curves, were established. These partial pressure data imply the existence of the Ga3Te4(s) compound. From the partial pressures of Te2 over the Ga-Te melts, partial molar enthalpy and entropy of mixing for Te were derived and they agree reasonable well with the published data. The activities of Te in the Ga-Te melts were also derived from the measured partial pressures of Te2. These data agree well with most of the previous results. The possible reason for the high activity of Te measured for x less than 0.60 is discussed.

Blood Pressure and Arterial Load After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindman, Brian R; Otto, Catherine M; Douglas, Pamela S; Hahn, Rebecca T; Elmariah, Sammy; Weissman, Neil J; Stewart, William J; Ayele, Girma M; Zhang, Feifan; Zajarias, Alan; Maniar, Hersh S; Jilaihawi, Hasan; Blackstone, Eugene; Chinnakondepalli, Khaja M; Tuzcu, E Murat; Leon, Martin B; Pibarot, Philippe

2017-07-01

After aortic valve replacement, left ventricular afterload is often characterized by the residual valve obstruction. Our objective was to determine whether higher systemic arterial afterload-as reflected in blood pressure, pulsatile and resistive load-is associated with adverse clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Total, pulsatile, and resistive arterial load were measured in 2141 patients with severe aortic stenosis treated with TAVR in the PARTNER I trial (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valve) who had systolic blood pressure (SBP) and an echocardiogram obtained 30 days after TAVR. The primary end point was 30-day to 1-year all-cause mortality. Lower SBP at 30 days after TAVR was associated with higher mortality (20.0% for SBP 100-129 mm Hg versus 12.0% for SBP 130-170 mm Hg; P <0.001). This association remained significant after adjustment, was consistent across subgroups, and confirmed in sensitivity analyses. In adjusted models that included SBP, higher total and pulsatile arterial load were associated with increased mortality ( P <0.001 for all), but resistive load was not. Patients with low 30-day SBP and high pulsatile load had a 3-fold higher mortality than those with high 30-day SBP and low pulsatile load (26.1% versus 8.1%; hazard ratio, 3.62; 95% confidence interval, 2.36-5.55). Even after relief of valve obstruction in patients with aortic stenosis, there is an independent association between post-TAVR blood pressure, systemic arterial load, and mortality. Blood pressure goals in patients with a history of aortic stenosis may need to be redefined. Increased pulsatile arterial load, rather than blood pressure, may be a target for adjunctive medical therapy to improve outcomes after TAVR. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00530894. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

An air-pressure-free elastomeric valve for integrated nucleic acid analysis by capillary electrophoresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Wooseok; Barrett, Matthew; Brooks, Carla; Zenhausern, Frederic; Rivera, Andrew; Birdsell, Dawn N; Wagner, David M

2015-01-01

We present a new elastomeric valve for integrated nucleic acid analysis by capillary electrophoresis. The valve functions include metering to capture a designated volume of biological sample into a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) chamber, sealing to preserve the sample during PCR cycling, and transfer of the PCR-products and on-chip formamide post-processing for the analysis of DNA fragments by capillary gel electrophoresis. This new valve differs from prior art polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) valves in that the valve is not actuated externally by air-pressure or vacuum so that it simplifies a DNA analysis system by eliminating the need for an air-pressure or vacuum source, and off-cartridge solenoid valves, control circuit boards and software. Instead, the new valve is actuated by a thermal cycling peltier assembly integrated within the hardware instrument that tightly comes in contact with a microfluidic cartridge for thermal activation during PCR, so that it spontaneously closes the valve without an additional actuator system. The valve has bumps in the designated locations so that it has a self-alignment that does not require precise alignment of a valve actuator. Moreover, the thickness of the new valve is around 600 μm with an additional bump height of 400 μm so that it is easy to handle and very feasible to fabricate by injection molding compared to other PDMS valves whose thicknesses are around 30–100 μm. The new valve provided over 95% of metering performance in filling the fixed volume of the PCR chamber, preserved over 97% of the sample volume during PCR, and showed very comparable capillary electrophoresis peak heights to the benchtop assay tube controls with very consistent transfer volume of the PCR-product and on-chip formamide. The new valve can perform a core function for integrated nucleic acid analysis by capillary electrophoresis. (paper)

The online sealing performance test of the primary circuit pressure boundary check valve in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yunfei; Huang Huimin

2013-01-01

The primary circuit pressure boundary check valves of 320 MW pressurized water reactor is a nuclear grade I key equipment. The sealing demand is very high, which is directly related to the internal leakage rate of the primary circuit system. After the welding check valve is repaired, the sealing performance is judged by color printing checks. If there is water or humid vapor in the pipe, it will affect the accuracy of the color printing checks. For the particularity of the online check valve tightness test, online detecting device is designed by the hydraulic pressure drop method in other nuclear power plants, but the method has some shortcomings and restrictions. In this paper, we design a reliable and portable test equipment by the low-pressure gas seal test flow measurement, which make accurate and quantitative judgment of sealing property after the pressure boundary check valves are repaired. (authors)

Evaluation of prosthetic valve obstruction on electrocardiographically gated multidetector-row computed tomography--identification of subprosthetic pannus in the aortic position.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueda, Tomohiro; Teshima, Hideki; Fukunaga, Shuji; Aoyagi, Shigeaki; Tanaka, Hiroyuki

2013-01-01

This study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic role of electrocardiographically gated multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) for prosthetic valve obstruction (PVO) in the aortic position. Between 2002 and 2006, 9 patients were diagnosed with PVO of an aortic bileaflet mechanical valve based on echocardiographic and cineradiographic criteria. These 9 patients were examined using MDCT before replacement of the mechanical valve, and intraoperative findings were compared to morphologic periprosthetic abnormalities observed on MDCT. CT attenuation (Hounsfield units; HU) of the periprosthetic abnormalities was measured to investigate the underlying cause of the PVO. MDCT showed subprosthetic masses extending beyond the prosthetic ring into the orifice of the valve. At reoperation, presence of subprosthetic pannus was confirmed in all of the 9 patients, but no periprosthetic thrombus was found. The mean CT attenuation of the subprosthetic pannus was 170 HU, and it was significantly greater than that obtained from the interventricular septum (108 HU; Ppannus causing PVO and the mean CT attenuation of subprosthetic pannus is significantly higher than that of the interventricular septum on MDCT.

Strength and water-tightness of the closure head and valves of a model cask under high external pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terada, O.; Kumada, M.; Hayakawa, T.; Mochizuki, S.; Ohrui, K.

1978-01-01

This paper describes experimental research on the strength and water-tightness of the closure head and attached valves of a model cask under high external pressure, in simulation of its having been accidentally lost in the deep sea. Both the external pressure tests and the corrosion tests were carried out using scale models of the closure head of an 80-ton spent-fuel shipping cask, and the full size pressure relief valves and drain valves which were to be attached to the actual cask. Based on the results of the above tests, evaluations were made, and new information was obtained on the pressure-proof strength and water-tightness of the closure head of the cask and the valves. Lastly, research which is being carried on in Japan on the pressure equalizer is also introduced

Computational fluid dynamic simulation of pressurizer safety valve loop seal purge phenomena in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jong Woon

2012-01-01

In Korean 3 Loop plants a water loop seal pipe is installed containing condensed water upstream of a pressurizer safety valve to protect the valve disk from the hot steam environment. The loop seal water purge time is a key parameter in safety analyses for overpressure transients, because it delays valve opening. The loop seal purge time is uncertain to measure by test and thus 3-dimensional realistic computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed in this paper to predict the seal water purge time before full opening of the valve which is driven by steam after water purge. The CFD model for a typical pressurizer safety valve with a loop seal pipe is developed using the computer code of ANSYS CFX 11. Steady-state simulations are performed for full discharge of steam at the valve full opening. Transient simulations are performed for the loop seal dynamics and to estimate the loop seal purge time. A sudden pressure drop higher than 2,000 psia at the tip of the upper nozzle ring is expected from the steady-state calculation. Through the transient simulation, almost loop seal water is discharged within 1.2 second through the narrow opening between the disk and the nozzle of the valve. It can be expected that the valve fully opens at least before 1.2 second because constant valve opening is assumed in this CFX simulation, which is conservative because the valve opens fully before the loop seal water is completely discharged. The predicted loop seal purge time is compared with previous correlation. (orig.)

Computational fluid dynamic simulation of pressurizer safety valve loop seal purge phenomena in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jong Woon [Dongguk Univ., Gyeongju (Korea, Republic of). Nuclear and Energy Engineering Dept.

2012-11-15

In Korean 3 Loop plants a water loop seal pipe is installed containing condensed water upstream of a pressurizer safety valve to protect the valve disk from the hot steam environment. The loop seal water purge time is a key parameter in safety analyses for overpressure transients, because it delays valve opening. The loop seal purge time is uncertain to measure by test and thus 3-dimensional realistic computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed in this paper to predict the seal water purge time before full opening of the valve which is driven by steam after water purge. The CFD model for a typical pressurizer safety valve with a loop seal pipe is developed using the computer code of ANSYS CFX 11. Steady-state simulations are performed for full discharge of steam at the valve full opening. Transient simulations are performed for the loop seal dynamics and to estimate the loop seal purge time. A sudden pressure drop higher than 2,000 psia at the tip of the upper nozzle ring is expected from the steady-state calculation. Through the transient simulation, almost loop seal water is discharged within 1.2 second through the narrow opening between the disk and the nozzle of the valve. It can be expected that the valve fully opens at least before 1.2 second because constant valve opening is assumed in this CFX simulation, which is conservative because the valve opens fully before the loop seal water is completely discharged. The predicted loop seal purge time is compared with previous correlation. (orig.)

Technical and dosimetric aspects of respiratory gating using a pressure-sensor motion monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, X. Allen; Stepaniak, Christopher; Gore, Elizabeth

2006-01-01

This work introduces a gating technique that uses 4DCT to determine gating parameters and to plan gated treatment, and employs a Siemens linear accelerator to deliver the gated treatment. Because of technology incompatibility, the 4DCT scanner (LightSpeed, GE) and the Siemens accelerator require two different motion-monitoring systems. The motion monitoring system (AZ-773V, Anzai Med.) used for the gated delivery utilizes a pressure sensor to detect the external respiratory motion (pressure change) in real time. Another system (RPM, Varian) used for the 4DCT scanner (LightSpeed, GE) is based on an infrared camera to detect motion of external markers. These two motion monitoring systems (RPM and Anzai systems) were found to correlate well with each other. The depth doses and profile measured for gated delivery (with a duty cycle of 25% or 50%) were found to agree within 1.0% with those measured for ungated delivery, indicating that gating did not significantly alter beam characteristics. The measurement verified also that the MU linearity and beam output remained unchanged (within 0.3%). A practical method of using 4DCT to plan a gated treatment was developed. The duty cycle for either phase or amplitude gating can be determined based on 4DCT with consideration of set-up error and delivery efficiency. The close-loop measurement involving the entire gating process (imaging, planning, and delivery) showed that the measured isodose distributions agreed with those intended, validating the accuracy and reliability of the gating technique. Based these observations, we conclude that the gating technique introduced in this work, integrating Siemens linear accelerator and Anzai pressure sensor device with GE/Varian RPM 4DCT, is reliable and effective, and it can be used clinically to account for respiratory motion during radiation therapy

The clinical application and nursing experience of adjustable shunt valve in treatment for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YANG Li-rong

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Objective To introduce the application of adjustable shunt valve in treatment for patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus. Methods Twenty-four patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus implanted adjustable shunt valve underwent ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery and nursing care. Results After operation, cerebrospinal pressure was regulated for 0-6 (1.88 ± 1.52 times. Clinical symptoms were improved, especially in gait disturbance. Conclusion Treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus with adjustable shunt valve can alleviate symptoms of hydrocephalus. It is especially suitable for patients with short course and secondary normal hydrocephalus patients.

Influence of safety vlave pressure on gelled electrolyte valve-regulated lead/acid batteries under deep cycling applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Sang Hyub; Kim, Myung Soo; Lee, Jin Bok; Lee, Heung Lark

2002-01-01

Cycle life tests have been carried out to evaluate the influence of safety valve pressure on vlave regulated lead/acid batteries under deep cycling applications. Batteries were cycled at 5 hour rates at 100 % DOD, and safety valve pressure was set to 1.08 and 2.00 bar, respectively. The batteries lost 248.3 g of water for each case after about 1,200 cycles, but the cyclic performances of the batteries were comparable. Most of the gas of the battery during discharging was hydrogen, and the oxygen concentration increased to 18 % after 3 hours of charging. The micro structure of the positive active materials was completely changed and the corrosion layer of the positive grid was less than 50 μm, regardless of the pressure of the safety valve after cycle life tests. The cause of discharge capacity decrease was found to water loss and the shedding of the positive active materials. The pressure of safety valve does not give little effect to the cyclic performance and the failure modes of the gelled electrolyte valve-regulated lead acid batteries

Remote monitoring of vacuum and valve status using LabVIEW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozario, C.; Pal, S.; Nanal, V.; Pillay, R.G.

2015-01-01

For remote monitoring of vacuum status in LINAC and associated beam transport lines, a LabVIEW based interface through RS232 communication is developed. All vacuum stations in LINAC are equipped with Pfeiffer pressure measurement units, namely, TPQ 262 (for 2 no.s) and TPG256 (for 6 no.s). The communication to the unit is done via RS232 with the Serial Device Server. The electro-pneumatic gate valves separating beam line sections and cryostats are fitted with limit switches for indicating open/close status. A modular unit based on PIC 18F4520 microcontroller is developed to read the limit switch positions of up to 10 valves. Both the vacuum readout unit and the gate valve monitor unit act as a server to the client PC on the console. Each unit is assigned a unique IP address and connected to the TCP/IP Ethernet bus. The LabVIEW Virtual Instrument based TCP/IP is used for communication through the distributed LAN. It is possible to connect additional client PCs using the LabVIEW Remote Console features. During the accelerator operation the vacuum reading of the gauge and the status of valves can be monitored from the control room console. All the vacuum parameters like gauge value and status at different physical locations are scanned and logged approximately every second. The LabVIEW GUI has helped in making the system user friendly and can be expanded easily. (author)

A computational method to predict fluid-structure interaction of pressure relief valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, S. K.; Lee, D. H.; Park, S. K.; Hong, S. R. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2004-07-01

An effective CFD (Computational fluid dynamics) method to predict important performance parameters, such as blowdown and chattering, for pressure relief valves in NPPs is provided in the present study. To calculate the valve motion, 6DOF (six degree of freedom) model is used. A chimera overset grid method is utilized to this study for the elimination of grid remeshing problem, when the disk moves. Further, CFD-Fastran which is developed by CFD-RC for compressible flow analysis is applied to an 1' safety valve. The prediction results ensure the applicability of the presented method in this study.

Evaluation and compensation of steady gas flow force on the high-pressure electro-pneumatic servo valve direct-driven by voice coil motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Baoren; Gao, Longlong; Yang, Gang

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A novel energy saving high-pressure electro-pneumatic servo valve is presented. ► An evaluated method for steady gas flow forces on pneumatic valves is proposed. ► Gas jet angles at the orifices for the valve are larger than 69° commonly used. ► The steady gas flow force is strongly nonlinear with valve opening. ► The steady gas flow force is compensated and the aim at energy saving is realized. - Abstract: A novel voice coil motor (VCM) direct drive single stage high-pressure pneumatic servo valve is designed, and then the steady gas flow force acting on the spool of the servo valve is investigated by numerical simulation and experimental methods in this paper. At present, many studies about flow force are concentrated mainly on hydraulic valves, but rarely on pneumatic valves. However, the velocity of gas is up to sonic when high-pressure gas flows through the servo valve orifice. And therefore, the steady gas flow force, generated by high pressure and high speed gas flow, cannot be neglected and is an important disturbance for the VCM direct-drive single stage high-pressure pneumatic servo valve. Consequently, the numerical simulation with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is adopted to analyze the flow filed, jet angles, and steady gas flow forces for the servo valve with different valve openings and inlet pressures. The experimental study is performed to evaluate and confirm the numerical analysis. Then the compensated approach is proposed to reduce the steady gas flow force for the servo valve, changing the angle of non-metering port designed in the valve sleeve to the spool axis. The results demonstrate that the presented numerical analysis method is validated, the gas jet angle for the servo valve orifice is more than 69° and varies with different spool openings, and the steady gas flow force is nonlinear with valve opening and linear with inlet pressure when the outlet boundary is atmospheric pressure. Moreover, the steady gas

Experience with valves for PHWR reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayan, K.; Mhetre, S.G.

1977-01-01

Material specifications and inspection and testing requirements of the valves meant for use in nuclear reactors are mentioned. In the heavy water systems (both primary and moderator) of a PHWR type reactor, the valves used are gate valves, globe valves, diaphragm valves, butterfly valves, check valves and relief valves. Their locations and functions they perform in the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit-1 are described. Experience with them is given. The major problems encountered with them have been : (1) leakage from the stem seals and body bonnet joint, (2) leakage due to failure of diaphragm and/or washout of the packing and (3) malfunctioning. Measures taken to solve these are discussed. Finally a mention has been made of improved versions of valves, namely, metal diaphragm valve and inverted relief valve. (M.G.B.)

Multifunctional four-port directional control valve constructed from logic valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisowski, E.; Czyżycki, W.; Rajda, J.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Directional valve with standard ISO 440-08 has been constructed from logic valves. • Only one innovative valve may replace whole family of the standard valves. • CFD analysis and bench tests of the innovative valve has been carried. • Parameters of the innovative valve are equaling or surpassing the standard ones. • The innovative valve has additional possibilities of pressure and flow control. - Abstract: The paper refers to four-port solenoid pilot operated valves, which are subplate mounted in a hydraulic system in accordance with the ISO 4401 standard. Their widespread use in many machines and devices causes a continuing interest in the development of their design by both the scientific centers and the industry. This paper presents an innovative directional control valve based on the use of logic valves and a methodology followed for the design of it by using Solid Edge CAD and ANSYS/Fluent CFD software. The valve design methodology takes into account the need to seek solutions that minimize flow resistance through the valve. For this purpose, the flow paths are prepared by means of CAD software and pressure-flow curves are determined as a result of CFD analysis. The obtained curves are compared with the curves available in the catalogs of spool type directional control valves. The new solution allows to replace the whole family of spool type four-port directional control valves by one valve built of logic valves. In addition, the innovative directional control valve provides leak-proof shutting the flow paths off and also it can control flow rate and even pressure of working liquid. A prototype of the valve designed by the presented method has been made and tested on the test bench. The results quoted in the paper confirm that the developed logic type directional control valve is able to meet all designed connection configurations, and the obtained pressure-flow curves show very good conformity with the results of CFD analysis

Importance of pressure reducing valves (PRVs) in water supply networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Signoreti, R. O. S.; Camargo, R. Z.; Canno, L. M.; Pires, M. S. G.; Ribeiro, L. C. L. J.

2016-08-01

Challenged with the high rate of leakage from water supply systems, these managers are committed to identify control mechanisms. In order to standardize and control the pressure Pressure Reducing Valves (VRP) are installed in the supply network, shown to be more effective and provide a faster return for the actual loss control measures. It is known that the control pressure is while controlling the occurrence of leakage. Usually the network is sectored in areas defined by pressure levels according to its topography, once inserted the VRP in the same system will limit the downstream pressure. This work aims to show the importance of VRP as loss reduction for tool.

Intracranial Pressure-Guided Shunt Valve Adjustments with the Miethke Sensor Reservoir.

Science.gov (United States)

Antes, Sebastian; Stadie, Axel; Müller, Simon; Linsler, Stefan; Breuskin, David; Oertel, Joachim

2018-01-01

Telemetric intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring seems to be a promising therapy-supporting option in shunt-treated patients. Benefits become obvious when headaches are unspecific and clinical symptoms cannot be related to possible overdrainage or underdrainage. In this study, we evaluated a new telemetric device to individually adjust shunt valves according to ICP measurements. Between December 2015 and November 2016, 25 patients with suspected suboptimal shunt valve settings underwent insertion of a telemetric ICP sensor (Sensor Reservoir; Christoph Miethke, Potsdam, Germany). Over a 1-year period, a total of 183 telemetric ICP measurements and 85 shunt valve adjustments were carried out. Retrospective statistic analyses focused on valve adjustments, ICP values, and clinical outcomes. ICP-guided valve adjustments positively changed the clinical state in 18 out of 25 patients. Clinical improvement over time was associated with significant changes of the valve settings and ICP values. Interestingly, a therapeutically normalized ICP profile was not automatically associated with clinical improvement. The Sensor Reservoir is an important and valuable tool for shunt-treated patients suffering from drainage-related problems. The possibility to simultaneously recognize and solve shunt problems represents the decisive advantage. Nevertheless, measurements with the Sensor Reservoir did not allow for the determination of default valve settings or universal target ICP values. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors for ultra-sensitive pressure detection

Science.gov (United States)

Zang, Yaping; Zhang, Fengjiao; Huang, Dazhen; Gao, Xike; di, Chong-An; Zhu, Daoben

2015-03-01

The utilization of organic devices as pressure-sensing elements in artificial intelligence and healthcare applications represents a fascinating opportunity for the next-generation electronic products. To satisfy the critical requirements of these promising applications, the low-cost construction of large-area ultra-sensitive organic pressure devices with outstanding flexibility is highly desired. Here we present flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors (SGOTFTs) as a model platform that enables ultra-sensitive pressure detection. More importantly, the unique device geometry of SGOTFTs allows the fine-tuning of their sensitivity by the suspended gate. An unprecedented sensitivity of 192 kPa-1, a low limit-of-detection pressure of <0.5 Pa and a short response time of 10 ms were successfully realized, allowing the real-time detection of acoustic waves. These excellent sensing properties of SGOTFTs, together with their advantages of facile large-area fabrication and versatility in detecting various pressure signals, make SGOTFTs a powerful strategy for spatial pressure mapping in practical applications.

Solenoid Driven Pressure Valve System: Toward Versatile Fluidic Control in Paper Microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Taehoon H; Hahn, Young Ki; Lee, Jungmin; van Noort, Danny; Kim, Minseok S

2018-02-20

As paper-based diagnostics has become predominantly driven by more advanced microfluidic technology, many of the research efforts are still focused on developing reliable and versatile fluidic control devices, apart from improving sensitivity and reproducibility. In this work, we introduce a novel and robust paper fluidic control system enabling versatile fluidic control. The system comprises a linear push-pull solenoid and an Arduino Uno microcontroller. The precisely controlled pressure exerted on the paper stops the flow. We first determined the stroke distance of the solenoid to obtain a constant pressure while examining the fluidic time delay as a function of the pressure. Results showed that strips of grade 1 chromatography paper had superior reproducibility in fluid transport. Next, we characterized the reproducibility of the fluidic velocity which depends on the type and grade of paper used. As such, we were able to control the flow velocity on the paper and also achieve a complete stop of flow with a pressure over 2.0 MPa. Notably, after the actuation of the pressure driven valve (PDV), the previously pressed area regained its original flow properties. This means that, even on a previously pressed area, multiple valve operations can be successfully conducted. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an active and repetitive valve operation in paper microfluidics. As a proof of concept, we have chosen to perform a multistep detection system in the form of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with mouse IgG as the target analyte.

Fluid mechanics of needle valves with rounded components Part III: Pressure distributions on walls

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tesař, Václav

2016-01-01

Roč. 248, September (2016), s. 138-147 ISSN 0924-4247 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-23046S Institutional support: RVO:61388998 Keywords : needle valves * pressure measurements * valves Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 2.499, year: 2016 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924424716303417

Analysis of end-systolic pressure-volume relation by gated radionuclide angiocardiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adachi, Haruhiko; Sugihara, Horoki; Katsume, Hiroshi; Ijichi, Hamao; Miyanaga, Hajime

1982-01-01

Left ventricular end-systolic pressure-volume relation has been proved experimentally to b e an useful index of left ventricular contractility relatively independent of preload or afterload. But less clinical application has been reported because of its invasive nature, and we evaluated this relationship non-invasively using gated radionuclide angiocardiography as volume determination and cuff sphyngomanometer in the arm as pressure measurement. Gated equilibrium blood pool scintigrams were obtained at rest and during intravenous infusion of angiotensin or nitrate. Ventricular volumes were derived from ventricular activity and peripheral blood volume and activity. The peak systolic pressure (PSP) by cuff method to end-systolic volume index (ESVI) relations showed good linearity (r gt .930 in 84% of consecutive 50 cases) and were gentler in the groups with more impaired left ventricular function. Emax was related exponentially to ejection fraction (EF) and hyperbolically to end-diastolic volume index. The dead volume (VoI) was unfixed and fell into positive or negative value, and was not related to EF under control condition. PSP/ESVI in each loading condition was less variable with the alteration of blood pressure than EF. The linear relation was found between PSP/ESVI under control condition and Emax (PSP/ESVI = 0.651.Emax + 0.958, r = 0.841, p lt .001). Thus in measuring ventricular volume, gated radionuclide angiocardiography is a non-invasive method less affected by the geometry of the left ventricle. Non-invasive determination of end-systolic pressure-volume relation using the volume by radionuclide and the blood pressure by cuff method is clinically useful in the assessment of left ventricular contractility. (author)

Magnetoresistance effect of heat generation in a single-molecular spin-valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Feng; Yan, Yonghong; Wang, Shikuan; Yan, Yijing

2016-01-01

Based on non-equilibrium Green's functions' theory and small polaron transformation's technology, we study the heat generation by current through a single-molecular spin-valve. Numerical results indicate that the variation of spin polarization degree can change heat generation effectively, the spin-valve effect happens not only in electrical current but also in heat generation when Coulomb repulsion in quantum dot is smaller than phonon frequency and interestingly, when Coulomb repulsion is larger than phonon frequency, the inverse spin-valve effect appears by sweeping gate voltage and is enlarged with bias increasing. The inverse spin-valve effect will induce the unique heat magnetoresistance effect, which can be modulated from heat-resistance to heat-gain by gate voltage easily. - Highlights: • Spin-valve effect of heat generation happens when Coulomb repulsion in quantum dot is less than phonon frequency. • When Coulomb repulsion is larger than phonon frequency, inverse spin-valve effect appears and is enlarged with bias increasing. • The variation of spin polarization degree can change heat generation effectively. • The heat magnetoresistance can be modulated from heat-resistance to heat-gain by gate voltage easily.

Flow oscillations on the steam control valve in the middle opening condition. Clarification of the effects of valve body and valve seat by steam experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morita, Ryo; Inada, Fumio

2007-01-01

A steam control valve might cause vibrations of piping when the valve opening is in a middle condition. For rationalization of maintenance and management of the plant, the valve should be improved, but it is difficult to understand flow characteristics in detail by experiment because flow around the valve is complex 3D structure and becomes supersonic (M>1). Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the cause of the vibrations and to develop the countermeasures by CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) technology. In previous researches, we clarified a mechanism of the pressure fluctuations in the middle opening condition and suggested the new valve shape (named 'Extended Valve') that can suppress the pressure fluctuations by air experiments and CFD calculations. Then, we also conducted steam experiments and CFD calculations to understand the differences between air and the steam, and found that the pressure fluctuations in the middle opening condition also occurred in the steam tests and the differences between the air and steam were not remarkable. In this report, to clarify the effects of valve and valve seat shape in steam flow condition, we conduct the steam experiments with various valve and seat shape. As a result, we find the change of the valve seat can decrease the amplitude of pressure fluctuations, but can not quite suppress the pressure fluctuations in the middle opening condition. Then, we apply the 'Extended Valve' to clarify the valve shape effect, and find that the extended valve suppresses the pressure fluctuations in the middle opening condition completely and decreases the pressure amplitude drastically. (author)

Modelling and analysis of a compensator burst after a check valve slam with the pressure surge code DYVRO mod. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuhaus, Thorsten; Schaffrath, Andreas

2009-01-01

In this contribution the analysis and calculation of a compensator burst after a pump start and check valve slam with the pressure surge code DYVRO mod. 3 are presented. The compensator burst occurred in the essential service water system (ESWS) of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) in a deviant operation mode. Due to lack of knowledge about the causes a systematic investigation has been performed by TUV NORD SysTec GmbH and Co. KG. The following scenario was identified as most likely: Because of maintenance a heat exchanger was shut off from the ESWS by a closed valve. Due to the hydrostatic pressure profile air had been sucked in through this leaky closed valve forming an air bubble. After the pump start the water was accelerated against the closed valve where the air bubble was compressed. The subsequent backflow resulted in a fast closing of a check valve and a pressure surge that caused the compensator burst. Calculations have been performed with the self developed and validated pressure surge computer code DYVRO mod. 3. The present paper is focussed on the modelling of the pipe system, the pump, the check valve and the behaviour of the air bubble as well as the simulation of the incident. The calculated maximum pressure in the ESWS is above 3 MPa, which is approx. four times higher than the design pressure of 0.7 MPa. This pressure increase has led most likely to the abrupt compensator failure. (author)

Analysis of flow induced valve operation and pressure wave propagation for single and two-phase flow conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagel, H.

1986-01-01

The flow induced valve operation is calculated for single and two-phase flow conditions by the fluid dynamic computer code DYVRO and results are compared to experimental data. The analysis show that the operational behaviour of the valves is not only dependent on the condition of the induced flow, but also the pipe flow can cause a feedback as a result of the induced pressure waves. For the calculation of pressure wave propagation in pipes of which the operation of flow induced valves has a considerable influence it is therefore necessary to have a coupled analysis of the pressure wave propagation and the operational behaviour of the valves. The analyses of the fast transient transfer from steam to two-phase flow show a good agreement with experimental data. Hence even these very high loads on pipes resulting from such fluid dynamic transients can be calculated realistically. (orig.)

Design and performance characteristic analysis of servo valve-type water hydraulic poppet valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Hwan

2009-01-01

For water hydraulic system control, the flow or pressure control using high-speed solenoid valve controlled by PWM control method could be a good solution for prevention of internal leakage. However, since the PWM control of on-off valves cause extensive flow and pressure fluctuation, it is difficult to control the water hydraulic actuators precisely. In this study, the servo valve-type water hydraulic valve using proportional poppet as the main valve is designed and the performance characteristics of the servo valve-type water hydraulic valve are analyzed. Furthermore, it is demonstrated through experiments that a decline in control chamber pressure that follows the change of pilot flow is caused by the occurrence of cavitation around the proportional poppet, and that fundamental characteristics of the developed valve remain unaffected by the occurrence of cavitation

Acoustic control of sodium leakage in valve gates of NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trykov, E.L.; Kovtun, S.N.; Anan'ev, A.A.; Yugov, S.I.

2014-01-01

Short description of sodium bench and acoustic investigation results on leakage monitoring of valves DN10 and DN40 are given. It is shown that acoustic method can be used successfully to control the leakages of sodium valves. Leakages on both type of valves increase the acoustic signal dispersion by 2-3 orders. For each type of valve acoustic system of leakage determination allows to conduct the preliminary graduation of signal dispersion on the sodium discharge rate. It make possible not only to record the leakage presence but also to determine the sodium discharge rate through the valve during the leakage [ru

Effects of ambient temperature and water vapor on chamber pressure and oxygen level during low atmospheric pressure stunning of poultry.

Science.gov (United States)

Holloway, Paul H; Pritchard, David G

2017-08-01

The characteristics of the vacuum used in a low atmospheric pressure stunning system to stun (render unconscious) poultry prior to slaughter are described. A vacuum chamber is pumped by a wet screw compressor. The vacuum pressure is reduced from ambient atmospheric pressure to an absolute vacuum pressure of ∼250 Torr (∼33 kPa) in ∼67 sec with the vacuum gate valve fully open. At ∼250 Torr, the sliding gate valve is partially closed to reduce effective pumping speed, resulting in a slower rate of decreasing pressure. Ambient temperature affects air density and water vapor pressure and thereby oxygen levels and the time at the minimum total pressure of ∼160 Torr (∼21 kPa) is varied from ∼120 to ∼220 sec to ensure an effective stun within the 280 seconds of each cycle. The reduction in total pressure results in a gradual reduction of oxygen partial pressure that was measured by a solid-state electrochemical oxygen sensor. The reduced oxygen pressure leads to hypoxia, which is recognized as a humane method of stunning poultry. The system maintains an oxygen concentration of air always reduces the oxygen concentrations to a value lower than in dry air. The partial pressure of water and oxygen were found to depend on the pump down parameters due to the formation of fog in the chamber and desorption of water from the birds and the walls of the vacuum chamber. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

Study on the Fluid Leak Diagnosis for Steam Valve in Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang-Guk; Park, Jong-Hyuck; Yoo, Keun-Bae; Lee, Sun-Ki; Hong, Sung-Yull

2006-01-01

This study aims to estimate the applicability of acoustic emission(AE) method for the internal fluid leak from the valves. In this study, 4 inch gate steam valve leak tests were performed in order to analyze AE properties when leaks arise in valve seat. As a result of leak test for valve seat in a secondary system of power plant, we conformed that leak sound level increased in proportion to the increase of leak rate, and leak rates were compared to simulated tests. The resulting plots of leak rate versus peak frequency and AE signal level were the primary basis for determining the feasibility of quantifying leak acoustically. Previously, the large amount of data attained also allowed a favorable investigation of the effects of different leak paths, leak rates, pressure differentials through simulated test. All results of application tests are compared with results of simulated test. From the application tests, it was suggested that the AE method for diagnosis of steam leak was applicable. This paper presents quantitative measurements of fluid valve leak conditions by the analysis of AE parameter, FFT(fast fourier transform) and RMS(root mean square) level. Test apparatus were fabricated to accept a variety of leaking steam valves in order to determine what characteristics of AE signal change with leak conditions. The data for each valve were generated by varying the leak rate and recording the averaged RMS level versus time and frequency versus amplitude(FFT). Leak rates were varied by the valve differential pressure and valve size and leaking valves were observed in service. Most of the data analysis involved plotting the leak rate versus RMS level at a specific frequency to determine how well the two variables correlate in terms of accuracy, resolution, and repeatability

Safety valve opening and closing operation monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodama, Kunio; Takeshima, Ikuo; Takahashi, Kiyokazu.

1981-01-01

Purpose: To enable the detection of the closing of a safety valve when the internal pressure in a BWR type reactor is a value which will close the safety valve, by inputting signals from a pressure detecting device mounted directly at a reactor vessel and a safety valve discharge pressure detecting device to an AND logic circuit. Constitution: A safety valve monitor is formed of a pressure switch mounted at a reactor pressure vessel, a pressure switch mounted at the exhaust pipe of the escape safety valve and a logic circuit and the lide. When the input pressure of the safety valve is raised so that the valve and the pressure switch mounted at the exhaust pipe are operated, an alarm is indicated, and the operation of the pressure switch mounted at a pressure vessel is eliminated. If the safety valve is not reclosed when the vessel pressure is decreased lower than the pressure at which it is to be reclosed after the safety valve is operated, an alarm is generated by the logic circuit since both the pressure switches are operated. (Sekiya, K.)

A new methodological approach to assess cardiac work by pressure-volume and stress-length relations in patients with aortic valve stenosis and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Alter, P; Rupp, H; Rominger, M B; Klose, K J; Maisch, B

2008-01-01

In experimental animals, cardiac work is derived from pressure-volume area and analyzed further using stress-length relations. Lack of methods for determining accurately myocardial mass has until now prevented the use of stress-length relations in patients. We hypothesized, therefore, that not only pressure-volume loops but also stress-length diagrams can be derived from cardiac volume and cardiac mass as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and invasively measured pressure. Left ventricular (LV) volume and myocardial mass were assessed in seven patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS), eight with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and eight controls using electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated CMR. LV pressure was measured invasively. Pressure-volume curves were calculated based on ECG triggering. Stroke work was assessed as area within the pressure-volume loop. LV wall stress was calculated using a thick-wall sphere model. Similarly, stress-length loops were calculated to quantify stress-length-based work. Taking the LV geometry into account, the normalization with regard to ventricular circumference resulted in "myocardial work." Patients with AS (valve area 0.73+/-0.18 cm(2)) exhibited an increased LV myocardial mass when compared with controls (Pwork of AS was unchanged when compared with controls (0.539+/-0.272 vs 0.621+/-0.138 Nm, not significant), whereas DCM exhibited a significant depression (0.367+/-0.157 Nm, Pwork was significantly reduced in both AS and DCM when compared with controls (129.8+/-69.6, 200.6+/-80.1, 332.2+/-89.6 Nm/m(2), Pmethodological approach of using CMR and invasive pressure measurement. Myocardial work was reduced in patients with DCM and noteworthy also in AS, while stroke work was reduced in DCM only. Most likely, deterioration of myocardial work is crucial for the prognosis. It is suggested to include these basic physiological procedures in the clinical assessment of the pump function of the heart.

AREVA's innovative solutions for valve diagnostics and in-situ valve repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damies, H.; Breitenberger, U.; Munoz, L.; Kostroun, F.

2012-01-01

Optimized maintenance strategies are a key aspect for safe and undisturbed plant operation. Innovative valve service solutions can support that in an efficient way. The ADAM®/SIPLUG® valve monitoring system allows full online monitoring of valves and actuators with automatic evaluation and assessment. Especially for safety-related and operation-related valves this provides valuable information on components condition to ensure proper function and contribute to optimization of maintenance strategies as well as effective maintenance performance. More than 25 years of experience in various plants worldwide show that application of ADAM®/SIPLUG® valve diagnostics solution leads to increased plant safety and availability. With the innovative AVARIS technology an in-situ valve repair is possible. It has the unique ability to conduct several steps in-situ, to maintain the sealing seat of gate or check valves. By applying AVARIS, the valve is restored in its original state, the system remains unchanged. Thus, all original documents remain valid and applicable. In comparison to previous procedures like cutting valves out of the pipeline and repairing hard facings or damaged seal seats in a separate workshop or alternatively replacement by a new valve body the new AVARIS technology avoids costs, risk and effort. (author)

Analysis of water hammer in a penstock in the case of valve closure. Part 2: Pressure losses concentrated downstream

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hocine HAMMOUM

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In our previous study (Part 1; by using the graphic of Bergeron, we have drawn the relationships which allow calculating flows and pressures at the valve and the reservoir, considering that pressure losses are negligible. Now, we assume in this second contribution that these pressure losses are concentrated downstream of the pipe, just at the entry of the valve. The study will focus on water hammer-induced by a slow closing of the valve. A practical example will be presented at the end of this work in order to illustrate the exposed method.

Low radiation dose non-contrast cardiac CT: is it of value in the evaluation of mechanical aortic valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazeed, Mohamed Fayez; Moselhy, Mohamed Saleh; Rezk, Ahmad Ibrahim; Al-Murayeh, Mushabab Ayedh

2012-01-01

Background: Prosthetic bileaflet mechanical valve function has been traditionally evaluated using echocardiography and fluoroscopy. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is a novel technique for cardiac evaluation. Purpose: To evaluate bileaflet mechanical aortic valves using a low-milliampere (mA), non-contrast MDCT protocol with a limited scan range. Material and Methods: Forty patients with a bileaflet mechanical aortic valve were evaluated using a non-contrast, low-mA, ECG-gated 64 MDCT protocol with a limited scan range. MDCT findings of opening and closing valve angles were correlated to fluoroscopy and echocardiography. Also, the valve visibility was evaluated on MDCT and fluoroscopy according to a 3-point grading scale. Results: The visualization score with the MDCT was significantly superior to the fluoroscopy (3 vs. 2.7). A strong correlation was noted between the opening (r = 0.82) and closing (r = 0.96) valve angles with MDCT and fluoroscopy without a statistically significant difference (P = 0.31 and 0.16, respectively). The mean effective radiation dose of the suggested protocol was 4 ± 0.5 mSv. Five valves were evaluated using transesophageal echocardiography because the valves were difficult to evaluate with transthoracic echocardiography, and all of these valves were evaluated optimally with MDCT. A high-pressure gradient was noted in nine valves, and the MDCT showed that seven of these valves inadequately opened, and two valves opened well, which resulted in patient valve mismatch. Incomplete valve closure was noted in five valves, and the echocardiography showed significant transvalvular regurgitation in all five valves. Conclusion: MDCT can provide a precise measurement of valve function and can potentially evaluate high-pressure gradients and transvalvular regurgitation

Low radiation dose non-contrast cardiac CT: is it of value in the evaluation of mechanical aortic valve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazeed, Mohamed Fayez (Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura Univ. (Egypt)), email: m_bazeed@yahoo.com; Moselhy, Mohamed Saleh (Cardiology Dept. Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal Univ. (Egypt)); Rezk, Ahmad Ibrahim (Dept. of Cardiac Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Aim Shams Univ. (Egypt)); Al-Murayeh, Mushabab Ayedh (Dept. of Cardiac Services, Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region (Saudi Arabia))

2012-05-15

Background: Prosthetic bileaflet mechanical valve function has been traditionally evaluated using echocardiography and fluoroscopy. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is a novel technique for cardiac evaluation. Purpose: To evaluate bileaflet mechanical aortic valves using a low-milliampere (mA), non-contrast MDCT protocol with a limited scan range. Material and Methods: Forty patients with a bileaflet mechanical aortic valve were evaluated using a non-contrast, low-mA, ECG-gated 64 MDCT protocol with a limited scan range. MDCT findings of opening and closing valve angles were correlated to fluoroscopy and echocardiography. Also, the valve visibility was evaluated on MDCT and fluoroscopy according to a 3-point grading scale. Results: The visualization score with the MDCT was significantly superior to the fluoroscopy (3 vs. 2.7). A strong correlation was noted between the opening (r = 0.82) and closing (r = 0.96) valve angles with MDCT and fluoroscopy without a statistically significant difference (P = 0.31 and 0.16, respectively). The mean effective radiation dose of the suggested protocol was 4 +- 0.5 mSv. Five valves were evaluated using transesophageal echocardiography because the valves were difficult to evaluate with transthoracic echocardiography, and all of these valves were evaluated optimally with MDCT. A high-pressure gradient was noted in nine valves, and the MDCT showed that seven of these valves inadequately opened, and two valves opened well, which resulted in patient valve mismatch. Incomplete valve closure was noted in five valves, and the echocardiography showed significant transvalvular regurgitation in all five valves. Conclusion: MDCT can provide a precise measurement of valve function and can potentially evaluate high-pressure gradients and transvalvular regurgitation

Space Vehicle Valve System

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor); Lindner, Jeffrey L. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

The present invention is a space vehicle valve system which controls the internal pressure of a space vehicle and the flow rate of purged gases at a given internal pressure and aperture site. A plurality of quasi-unique variable dimension peaked valve structures cover the purge apertures on a space vehicle. Interchangeable sheet guards configured to cover valve apertures on the peaked valve structure contain a pressure-activated surface on the inner surface. Sheet guards move outwardly from the peaked valve structure when in structural contact with a purge gas stream flowing through the apertures on the space vehicle. Changing the properties of the sheet guards changes the response of the sheet guards at a given internal pressure, providing control of the flow rate at a given aperture site.

Thermal-structural Analysis and Fatigue Life Evaluation of a Parallel Slide Gate Valve in Accordance with ASME B and PVC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Tae Ho; Han, Jeong Sam [Andong Nat’l Univ., Andong (Korea, Republic of); Jae Seung Choi [Key Valve Technologies Ltd., Siheung (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-15

A parallel slide gate valve (PSGV) is located between the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and the steam turbine in a combined cycle power plant (CCPP). It is used to control the flow of steam and runs with repetitive operations such as startups, load changes, and shutdowns during its operation period. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the fatigue damage and the structural integrity under a large compressive thermal stress due to the temperature difference through the valve wall thickness during the startup operations. In this paper, the thermal-structural analysis and the fatigue life evaluation of a 16-inch PSGV, which is installed on the HP steam line, is performed according to the fatigue life assessment method described in the ASME B and PVC VIII-2; the method uses the equivalent stress from the elastic stress analysis.

Compact UHV valve with field replaceable windows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, E.D.; Freeman, J.; Powell, F.

1991-01-01

There are many applications in synchrotron radiation research where window valves can be usefully employed. Examples include gas cells for monochromator calibration, filters for high order light rejection, and as vacuum isolation elements between machine and experimental vacua. Often these devices are fairly expensive, and have only fixed (ie non-removable) windows. The development of a new type of seal technology by VAT for their series 01 valves provides a gate surface which is free from obstructions due to internal mechanical elements. This feature allows a threaded recess to be machined into the gate to receive a removable window frame which can carry standard size Luxel thin film windows. The combination of these features results in a DN 40 (2.75in. conflat flange) valve which provides a clear aperture of 21mm diameter for the window material. 8 refs., 2 figs

Nuclear reactor steam depressurization valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, G.L.

1991-01-01

This patent describes improvement in a nuclear reactor plant, an improved steam depressurization valve positioned intermediate along a steam discharge pipe for controlling the venting of steam pressure from the reactor through the pipe. The improvement comprises: a housing including a domed cover forming a chamber and having a partition plate dividing the chamber into a fluid pressure activation compartment and a steam flow control compartment, the valve housing being provided with an inlet connection and an outlet connection in the steam flow control compartment, and a fluid duct in communication with a source of fluid pressure for operating the valve; a valve set mounted within the fluid flow control compartment comprising a cylindrical section surrounding the inlet connection with one end adjoining the connection and having a radially projecting flange at the other end with a contoured extended valve sealing flange provided with an annular valve sealing member, and a valve cylinder traversing the partition plate and reciprocally movable within an opening in the partition plate with one terminal and extending into the fluid pressure activation compartment and the other terminal end extending into the steam flow control compartment coaxially aligned with the valve seat surrounding the inlet connection, the valve cylinder being surrounded by two bellow fluid seals and provided with guides to inhibit lateral movement, an end of the valve cylinder extending into the fluid flow control compartment having a radially projecting flange substantially conterminous with the valve seat flange and having a contoured surface facing and complimentary to the contoured valve seating surface whereby the two contoured valve surfaces can meet in matching relationship, thus providing a pressure actuated reciprocatable valve member for making closing contact with the valve seat and withdrawing therefrom for opening fluid flow through the valve

Performance of balanced bellows safety relief valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, Y.S.

1992-01-01

By the nature of its design, the set point and lift of a conventional spring loaded safety relief valve are sensitive to back pressure. One way to reduce the adverse effects of the back pressure on the safety relief valve function is to install a balanced bellows in a safety relief valve. The metallic bellows has a rather wide range of manufacturing tolerance which makes the design of the bellows safety relief valve very complicated. The state-of-the-art balanced bellows safety relief valve can only substantially minimize, but cannot totally eliminate the back pressure effects on its set point and relieving capacity. Set point change is a linear function of the back pressure to the set pressure ratio. Depending on the valve design, the set point correction factor can be either greater or smaller than unity. There exists an allowable back pressure and critical back pressure for each safety relief valve. When total back pressure exceeds the R a , the relieving capacity will be reduced mainly resulting from the valve lift being reduced by the back pressure and the capacity reduction factor should be applied in valve sizing. Once the R c is exceeded, the safety relief valve becomes unstable and loses its over pressure protection capability. The capacity reduction factor is a function of system overpressure, but their relationship is non-linear in nature. (orig.)

Magnetic scanning gate microscopy of CoFeB lateral spin valve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Héctor Corte-León

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Devices comprised of CoFeB nanostructures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and non-magnetic Ta channel were operated in thermal lateral spin valve (LSV mode and studied by magnetotransport measurements and magnetic scanning gate microscopy (SGM. Due to the short spin diffusion length of Ta, the spin diffusion signal was suppressed, allowing the study of the contribution from the anomalous Nernst (ANE and anomalous Hall effects (AHE. The magnetotransport measurements identified the switching fields of the CoFeB nanostructures and demonstrated a combination of AHE and ANE when the devices were operated in thermally-driven spin-injection mode. Modified scanning probe microscopy probes were fabricated by placing a NdFeB magnetic bead (MB on the apex of a commercial Si probe. The dipole magnetic field distribution around the MB was characterized by using differential phase contrast technique and direct measurement of the switching field induced by the bead in the CoFeB nanodevices. Using SGM we demonstrate the influence of localized magnetic field on the CoFeB nanostructures near the non-magnetic channel. This approach provides a promising route towards the study of thermal and spin diffusion effects using local magnetic fields.

Magnetic scanning gate microscopy of CoFeB lateral spin valve

Science.gov (United States)

Corte-León, Héctor; Scarioni, Alexander Fernandez; Mansell, Rhodri; Krzysteczko, Patryk; Cox, David; McGrouther, Damien; McVitie, Stephen; Cowburn, Russell; Schumacher, Hans W.; Antonov, Vladimir; Kazakova, Olga

2017-05-01

Devices comprised of CoFeB nanostructures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and non-magnetic Ta channel were operated in thermal lateral spin valve (LSV) mode and studied by magnetotransport measurements and magnetic scanning gate microscopy (SGM). Due to the short spin diffusion length of Ta, the spin diffusion signal was suppressed, allowing the study of the contribution from the anomalous Nernst (ANE) and anomalous Hall effects (AHE). The magnetotransport measurements identified the switching fields of the CoFeB nanostructures and demonstrated a combination of AHE and ANE when the devices were operated in thermally-driven spin-injection mode. Modified scanning probe microscopy probes were fabricated by placing a NdFeB magnetic bead (MB) on the apex of a commercial Si probe. The dipole magnetic field distribution around the MB was characterized by using differential phase contrast technique and direct measurement of the switching field induced by the bead in the CoFeB nanodevices. Using SGM we demonstrate the influence of localized magnetic field on the CoFeB nanostructures near the non-magnetic channel. This approach provides a promising route towards the study of thermal and spin diffusion effects using local magnetic fields.

The Analysis of Loop Seal Purge Time for the KHNP Pressurizer Safety Valve Test Facility Using the GOTHIC Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Ae; Kim, Chang Hyun; Kweon, Gab Joo; Park, Jong Woon [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-10-15

The pressurizer safety valves (PSV) in Pressurized Water Reactors are required to provide the overpressure protection for the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) during the overpressure transients. Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) plans to build the PSV test facility for the purpose of providing the PSV pop-up characteristics and the loop seal dynamics for the new safety analysis. When the pressurizer safety valve is mounted in a loop seal configuration, the valve must initially pass the loop seal water prior to popping open on steam. The loop seal in the upstream of PSV prevents leakage of hydrogen gas or steam through the safety valve seat. This paper studies on the loop seal clearing dynamics using GOTHIC-7.2a code to verify the effects of loop seal purge time on the reactor coolant system overpressure.

Plasma extraction by centrifugo-pneumatically induced gating of flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burger, Robert; Ducrée, Jens; Reis, Nuno; Da Fonseca, João Garcia

2013-01-01

We present a novel valving mechanism to implement plasma extraction from whole blood on a centrifugal microfluidic ‘lab-on-a-disc’ platform. The new scheme is based on pressure-induced deflection of a liquid membrane which gates the centrifugally driven flow through a microfluidic structure. Compared to conventional concepts such as capillary burst valves, siphons or sacrificial materials, the valving structure presented here is represented by a compact, small-footprint design which obviates the need for (local) surface functionalization or hybrid materials integration, thus significantly reducing the complexity (and hence cost) of manufacture. As a pilot study of this new centrifugal flow control element, we demonstrate here the efficient separation of metered plasma from whole blood. While the flow is stopped, blood is separated into plasma and its cellular constituents by centrifugally induced sedimentation. After completion, the flow resumes by elevating the spinning frequency, providing up to 80% of the original plasma content to an overflow chamber within a short, 2 min interval. The amount of residual cells in the plasma amounts to less than 20 cells μl −1 . (paper)

An Analysis of the Impact of Valve Closure Time on the Course of Water Hammer

Science.gov (United States)

Kodura, Apoloniusz

2016-06-01

The knowledge of transient flow in pressure pipelines is very important for the designing and describing of pressure networks. The water hammer is the most common example of transient flow in pressure pipelines. During this phenomenon, the transformation of kinetic energy into pressure energy causes significant changes in pressure, which can lead to serious problems in the management of pressure networks. The phenomenon is very complex, and a large number of different factors influence its course. In the case of a water hammer caused by valve closing, the characteristic of gate closure is one of the most important factors. However, this factor is rarely investigated. In this paper, the results of physical experiments with water hammer in steel and PE pipelines are described and analyzed. For each water hammer, characteristics of pressure change and valve closing were recorded. The measurements were compared with the results of calculations perfomed by common methods used by engineers - Michaud's equation and Wood and Jones's method. The comparison revealed very significant differences between the results of calculations and the results of experiments. In addition, it was shown that, the characteristic of butterfly valve closure has a significant influence on water hammer, which should be taken into account in analyzing this phenomenon. Comparison of the results of experiments with the results of calculations? may lead to new, improved calculation methods and to new methods to describe transient flow.

Controllable valve in a nuclear reactor system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schabert, H.P.; Laurer, E.

1980-01-01

The quick-acting gate valve of the PWR is opened and closed by means of two pistons and live steam. One of the pistons is connected to the valve disk by a piston rod which is concentrically lead into another hollow piston rod being connected to the second piston. Stops limit the strokes of the two pistons. (GL) [de

Structural analysis strategies of the pressurized relief and safety valves discharge piping of NPP Angra 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, Maria Ines Prates de; Kuramoto, Edson; Suanno, Rodolfo

2002-01-01

The pressurizer relief and safety valve system provides the reactor coolant system overpressure protection and, therefore, it is fundamental for the security of a nuclear plant. This paper discusses the safety valve loop seal strategies adopted by others nuclear power plants over the world in order to attend the recommendations of NUREG-0578 (TMI-2 Lessons Learned Task Force Status Report and Short Term Recommendations). The technical option adopted for Angra 1 consists in making specific modifications on the original piping and support configuration of the pressurizer relief and safety valve system. These modifications were proposed in order to reduce the high stress levels induced by the thermal-hydrodynamic loads caused by the discharge of the sub-cooled water during the opening of the relief or the safety valves. Several thermal-hydraulic models were tested to assess the influence of the seal water heating and the simultaneous opening of the valves in order to minimize the thermal hydrodynamic loads effects. The piping structural analysis was performed, using the computer program system KWUROHR, to satisfy the requirements of the appropriate equations of the code ASME Section III, Subsections NB3650 and NC3650. (author)

Suppression of Squeal Noise Excited by the Pressure Pulsation from the Flapper-Nozzle Valve inside a Hydraulic Energy System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng Chen

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Squeal noise often occurs in a two-stage electrohydraulic servo-valve, which is an unfavorable issue of modern hydraulic energy systems. The root causes of such noise from the servo-valve are still unclear. The objective of this paper is to explore the noise mechanism in a servo-valve excited by the pressure pulsations from the hydraulic energy system perspective. The suppressing capability of squeal noise energy is investigated by changing the pressure pulsation frequency and natural frequency of the flapper-armature assembly. The frequencies of the pressure pulsations are adjusted by setting different speeds of the hydraulic pump varying from 10,400–14,400 rpm, and two flapper-armature assemblies with different armature lengths are used in the tested hydraulic energy system. The first eight vibration mode shapes and natural frequencies of the flapper-armature assembly are obtained by numerical modal analysis using two different armature lengths. The characteristics of pressure pulsations at the pump outlet and in the chamber of the flapper-nozzle valve, armature vibration and noise are tested and compared with the natural frequencies of the flapper-armature assembly. The results reveal that the flapper-armature assembly vibrates and makes the noise with the same frequencies as the pressure pulsations inside the hydraulic energy system. Resonance appears when the frequency of the pressure pulsations coincides with the natural frequency of the flapper-armature assembly. Therefore, it can be concluded that the pressure pulsation energy from the power supply may excite the vibration of the flapper-armature assembly, which may consequently cause the squeal noise inside the servo-valve. It is verified by the numerical simulations and experiments that setting the pressure pulsation frequencies different from the natural frequencies of the flapper-armature assembly can suppress the resonance and squeal noise.

Standard Practice for Installation, Inspection, and Maintenance of Valve-body Pressure-relief Methods for Geothermal and Other High-Temperature Liquid Applications

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2003-01-01

1.1 This practice covers installation, inspection, and maintenance of valve body cavity pressure relief methods for valves used in geothermal and other high-temperature liquid service. The valve type covered by this practice is a design with an isolated body cavity such that when the valve is in either the open or closed position pressure is trapped in the isolated cavity, and there is no provision to relieve the excess pressure internally. 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

The Impact of Vacuum Gate Valves on the LHC Beam

CERN Document Server

Appleby, R B; Cerutti, F; Ferrari, A; Mauri, M; Vlachoudis, V

2009-01-01

The LHC vacuum sector valves are located in the straight sections of the LHC ring, and designed to sectorize the LHC vacuum. The valves are interlocked and should trigger a beam dump request if they close on a circulating beam. This report studies the impact on the machine if this request is not made and the valve scrapes the LHC beam halo. Cascade calculations are made using a model of IR7, with several different valve locations, to calculate the downstream energy deposition in superconducting magnet coils and the corresponding signal in beam loss monitors at the quench level. The calculations are done at 7, 5, and 3.5 TeV. It is found that when a downstream magnet reaches the quench level, the neighbouring BLMs see a signal well above the detection threshold. Furthermore, the BLM signal is consistent with the BLM applied threshold settings and a signal is seen in the time domain before the quench level is reached. Therefore the report concludes that the BLMs can see the closing valve and trigger a beam dump...

VALIDATION OF SPRING OPERATED PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE TIME TO FAILURE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF STATISTICALLY SUPPORTED MAINTENANCE INTERVALS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gross, R; Stephen Harris, S

2009-02-18

The Savannah River Site operates a Relief Valve Repair Shop certified by the National Board of Pressure Vessel Inspectors to NB-23, The National Board Inspection Code. Local maintenance forces perform inspection, testing, and repair of approximately 1200 spring-operated relief valves (SORV) each year as the valves are cycled in from the field. The Site now has over 7000 certified test records in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS); a summary of that data is presented in this paper. In previous papers, several statistical techniques were used to investigate failure on demand and failure rates including a quantal response method for predicting the failure probability as a function of time in service. The non-conservative failure mode for SORV is commonly termed 'stuck shut'; industry defined as the valve opening at greater than or equal to 1.5 times the cold set pressure. Actual time to failure is typically not known, only that failure occurred some time since the last proof test (censored data). This paper attempts to validate the assumptions underlying the statistical lifetime prediction results using Monte Carlo simulation. It employs an aging model for lift pressure as a function of set pressure, valve manufacturer, and a time-related aging effect. This paper attempts to answer two questions: (1) what is the predicted failure rate over the chosen maintenance/ inspection interval; and do we understand aging sufficient enough to estimate risk when basing proof test intervals on proof test results?

Rotary pneumatic valve

Science.gov (United States)

Hardee, Harry C.

1991-01-01

A rotary pneumatic valve which is thrust balanced and the pneumatic pressure developed produces only radial loads on the valve cylinder producing negligible resistance and thus minimal torque on the bearings of the valve. The valve is multiplexed such that at least two complete switching cycles occur for each revolution of the cylinder spindle.

Low noise control valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christie, R.S.

1975-01-01

Noise is one of the problems associated with the use of any type of control valve in systems involving the flow of fluids. The advent of OSHA standards has prompted control valve manufacturers to design valves with special trim to lower the sound pressure level to meet these standards. However, these levels are in some cases too high, particularly when a valve must be located in or near an area where people are working at tasks requiring a high degree of concentration. Such locations are found around and near research devices and in laboratory-office areas. This paper describes a type of fluid control device presently being used at PPL as a bypass control valve in deionized water systems and designed to reduce sound pressure levels considerably below OSHA standards. Details of the design and construction of this constant pressure drop variable flow control valve are contained in the text and are shown in photographs and drawings. Test data taken are included

Leak-thight seals got high pressure testing of pipes, tanks, valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estrade, J.

1985-01-01

Leak-tight seals ensure quick, safe and efficient testing of pipes with plain-ended or flanged openings, valves with flanged or welded edges, manifields, recipients, etc. They are inserted into the pipe end manually then simply a slight turn of the seal treated wheel commences the pressure test. Hydraulic pressure is supplied by a pump through the inlet seal and air is purged through the outlet seal which then closes. The higher the pressure, the greater the sealing strength of the seal which prevents accidental unplugging. There are different types of seals: for interior plain-ended openings, for pipes with plain-ended opening, for flanged pipes. (author)

Study on a linear relationship between limited pressure difference and coil current of on/off valve and its influential factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junzhi; Lv, Chen; Yue, Xiaowei; Li, Yutong; Yuan, Ye

2014-01-01

On/off solenoid valves with PWM control are widely used in all types of vehicle electro-hydraulic control systems respecting to their desirable properties of reliable, low cost and fast acting. However, it can hardly achieve a linear hydraulic modulation by using on/off valves mainly due to the nonlinear behaviors of valve dynamics and fluid, which affects the control accuracy significantly. In this paper, a linear relationship between limited pressure difference and coil current of an on/off valve in its critical closed state is proposed and illustrated, which has a great potential to be applied to improve hydraulic control performance. The hydraulic braking system of case study is modeled. The linear correspondence between limited pressure difference and coil current of the inlet valve is simulated and further verified experimentally. Based on validated simulation models, the impacts of key parameters are researched. The limited pressure difference affected by environmental temperatures is experimentally studied, and the amended linear relation is given according to the test data. © 2013 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CFD simulation on flow induced vibrations in high pressure control and emergency stop turbine valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindqvist, H.

2011-01-01

During the refuelling outage at Unit 2 of Forsmark NPP in 2009, the high pressure turbine valves were replaced. Three month after recommissioning, an oil pipe connected to one of the actuators was broken. Measurements showed high-frequency vibration levels. The pipe break was suspected to be an effect of highly increased vibrations caused by the new valve. In order to establish the origin of the vibrations, investigations by means of CFD-simulations were made. The simulations showed that the increased vibrations most likely stems from the open cavity that the valves centre consists of. (author)

Hybrid ECG-gated versus non-gated 512-slice CT angiography of the aorta and coronary artery: image quality and effect of a motion correction algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji Won; Kim, Chang Won; Lee, Geewon; Lee, Han Cheol; Kim, Sang-Pil; Choi, Bum Sung; Jeong, Yeon Joo

2018-02-01

Background Using the hybrid electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated computed tomography (CT) technique, assessment of entire aorta, coronary arteries, and aortic valve can be possible using single-bolus contrast administration within a single acquisition. Purpose To compare the image quality of hybrid ECG-gated and non-gated CT angiography of the aorta and evaluate the effect of a motion correction algorithm (MCA) on coronary artery image quality in a hybrid ECG-gated aorta CT group. Material and Methods In total, 104 patients (76 men; mean age = 65.8 years) prospectively randomized into two groups (Group 1 = hybrid ECG-gated CT; Group 2 = non-gated CT) underwent wide-detector array aorta CT. Image quality, assessed using a four-point scale, was compared between the groups. Coronary artery image quality was compared between the conventional reconstruction and motion correction reconstruction subgroups in Group 1. Results Group 1 showed significant advantages over Group 2 in aortic wall, cardiac chamber, aortic valve, coronary ostia, and main coronary arteries image quality (all P ECG-gated CT significantly improved the heart and aortic wall image quality and the MCA can further improve the image quality and interpretability of coronary arteries.

Can postoperative mean transprosthetic pressure gradient predict survival after aortic valve replacement?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koene, Bart M.; Hamad, Mohamed A. Soliman; Bouma, Wobbe; Mariani, Massimo A.; Peels, Kathinka C.; van Dantzig, Jan-Melle; van Straten, Albert H.

In this study, we sought to determine the effect of the mean transprosthetic pressure gradient (TPG), measured at 6 weeks after aortic valve replacement (AVR) or AVR with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on late all-cause mortality. Between January 1998 and March 2012, 2,276 patients (mean age

Utilization of a pressure sensor guidewire to measure bileaflet mechanical valve gradients: hemodynamic and echocardiographic sequelae.

Science.gov (United States)

Doorey, Andrew J; Gakhal, Mandip; Pasquale, Michael J

2006-04-01

Suspected prosthetic valve dysfunction is a difficult clinical problem, because of the high risk of repeat valvular surgery. Echocardiographic measurements of prosthetic valvular dysfunction can be misleading, especially with bileaflet valves. Direct measurement of trans-valvular gradients is problematic because of potentially serious catheter entrapment issues. We report a case in which a high-fidelity pressure sensor angioplasty guidewire was used to cross prosthetic mitral and aortic valves in a patient, with hemodynamic and echocardiographic assessment. This technique was safe and effective, refuting the inaccurate non-invasive tests that over-estimated the aortic valvular gradient.

Pulmonary abnormalities in mitral valve disease. Comparison between pulmonary wedge pressure, regional pulmonary blood flow and chest films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersen, L H; Andersen, Jr, P E [Odense Univ. (Denmark)

1978-01-01

Chest films, right sided heart catheterization, and measurement of the regional lung perfusion, using /sup 133/Xe, were carried out 31 times on patients with mitral valve disease. A relationship was found between the radiologic evaluation in 3 grades, and the values of pulmonary wedge pressure and the apical and basal perfusion. Changes in flow distribution as reflected in altered appearance of the vessels and the presence of interstitial edema were found to be the most sensitive factors in the evaluation of pulmonary wedge pressure. Chest radiography was thus found suitable for the evaluation of pulmonary wedge pressure in mitral valve disease.

Analysis of liquid relief valves opening demand during pressure increase abnormal scenarios at Embalse nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedrossian, Gustavo C.; Gersberg, Sara

2000-01-01

Two hypothetical scenarios have been analyzed where, after an initiating event, Embalse nuclear power plant primary heat transport system could undergo a pressure increase. These abnormal events are a loss of feedwater to the steam generators and a loss of Class IV power supply with Class III restoration. This analysis focuses on primary system liquid relief valves action, specially on their opening demand. Calculation results show that even when these valves are expected to open during the transient, primary system maximum allowable pressure would not be exceeded if they failed to open. System response was also studied in case that one of these relief valves did not close once primary system pressure decreases. For the scenario of loss of feedwater to steam generators, if the degasser-condenser could not be bottled-up, Emergency Cooling Injection conditions would be reached due to a continuos loss of coolant. In case of loss of Class IV -and assuming degasser-condenser bottling-up as service water would not be available- it was observed that primary system should remain pressurized, and with core cooled by thermo siphoning mechanism. (author)

Electric actuator for the sempell gate valve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herbstritt, E.C.

1996-12-01

The automation of valves has a primary importance in the scope of central control and regulation of power generation processes in power plants and especially in nuclear power plants. AUMA WERNER RIESTER GmbH & Co. KG is considered a leading manufacturer of electric actuators for the automation of valves. More than 30 years experience in designing, developing, and manufacturing provide a sound basis for offering reliable products, especially for nuclear applications. The quality assurance system of AUMA was developed according to 10 CFR 50, Appendix B and has been consistently accomplished. The program was certified by the TUV Germany (Technical Authorized Inspection Agency), according to ISO-9001, in 1994. AUMA offers two actuator type ranges for application in nuclear power plants. The range SAI is qualified according to IEEE 382-1978 and is designed for inside containment. The range SAN is qualified according to IEEE 382-1985 and KTA 3504-1988 for use in non-radioactive applications in the nuclear power plants.

A correlative study of aortic valve rotation angle and thoracic aortic sizes using ECG gated CT angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saremi, Farhood, E-mail: fsaremi@usc.edu; Cen, Steven; Tayari, Nazila; Alizadeh, Houman; Emami, Amir; Lin, Leah; Fleischman, Fernando

2017-04-15

Objective: Various degrees of aortic valve rotation may be seen in individuals with no history of congenital cardiovascular malformations, but its association with aortic sizes has not been studied. Methods: Gated computed tomographic (CT angiograms in 217 patients were studied (66.7 ± 15; 22–97 years old)). Aortic diameters were determined at 5 anatomic locations. The length of the aorta from sinus to left subclavian artery was measured. The angle of valve rotation was recorded by measuring the angle between a line connecting the midpoint of the non-coronary sinus to the anterior commissure and another line along the interatrial septum. Rotation angles were correlated with aortic measurements. Patients were separated into two groups based on aortic sizes and into three groups based on age. The threshold for aortic dilatation was set at maximum ascending aorta diameter ≥40 mm (≥21 mm body surface area [BSA] indexed). Results: No significant difference in rotation angles was seen between the three age groups or between genders. Rotation angles were significantly correlated with maximal, average, and BSA adjustment of the aortic root and ascending aortic measurements. The aortic root angles were significantly different between the dilated versus nondilated aortas. There was no significant association between the rotation angles and age, length of ascending aorta, or diameters of descending aorta. Multivariate adaptive regression splines showed 25° of aortic root rotation as the diagnostic cut off for ascending aorta dilation. Above the 25° rotation, every 10° of increasing rotation was associated with a 3.78 ± 0.87 mm increase in aortic diameter (p < 0.01) and a 1.73 ± 0.25 times increased risk for having a dilated aorta (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Rotation angles of the aortic valve may be an independent non-invasive imaging marker for dilatation of the ascending aorta. Patients with increased rotation angle of the aortic valve may have higher risk for

Double-reed exhaust valve engine

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Charles L.

2015-06-30

An engine based on a reciprocating piston engine that extracts work from pressurized working fluid. The engine includes a double reed outlet valve for controlling the flow of low-pressure working fluid out of the engine. The double reed provides a stronger force resisting closure of the outlet valve than the force tending to open the outlet valve. The double reed valve enables engine operation at relatively higher torque and lower efficiency at low speed, with lower torque, but higher efficiency at high speed.

Surge-damping vacuum valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bullock, J.C.; Kelley, B.E.

1977-01-01

A valve for damping out flow surges in a vacuum system is described. The surge-damping mechanism consists of a slotted, spring-loaded disk adjacent to the valve's vacuum port (the flow passage to the vacuum roughing pump). Under flow surge conditions, the differential pressure forces the disk into a sealing engagement with the vacuum port, thereby restricting the gas flow path to narrow slots in the disk's periphery. The increased flow damps out the flow surge. When pressure is equalized on both sides of the valve, the spring load moves the disk away from the port to restore full flow conductance through the valve

Ultra-low-pressure sputtering to improve exchange bias and tune linear ranges in spin valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, XiaoLi, E-mail: tangtang1227@163.com; Yu, You; Liu, Ru; Su, Hua; Zhang, HuaiWu; Zhong, ZhiYong; Jing, YuLan

2017-05-01

A series of CoFe/IrMn exchange bilayers was grown by DC-sputtering at different ultra-low argon pressures ranging from 0.008 to 0.1 Pa. This pressure range was one to two orders lower than the normal sputtering pressure. Results revealed that the exchange bias increased from 140 to 250 Oe in CoFe(10 nm)/IrMn (15 nm) bilayers of fixed thickness because of the improved crystalline structure and morphological uniformity of films. Since ferromagnetic /antiferromagnetic (FM/AF) bilayers are always used in linear magnetic sensors as detection layers, the varying exchange bias can successfully achieve tunable linear range in a crossed pinning spin valve. The linear range could be adjustable from −80 Oe – +80 Oe to −150 Oe – +150 Oe on the basis of giant magnetoresistance responses. Therefore, this method provides a simple method to tune the operating range of magnetic field sensors. - Highlights: • Increasing exchange bias was achieved in bilayer at ultra-low-pressure sputtering. • The low void density and smooth surface were achieved in low pressure. • Varying exchange bias achieved tunable linear range in spin valve.

Mitral Valve Prolapse

Science.gov (United States)

... valve syndrome . What happens during MVP? Watch an animation of mitral valve prolapse When the heart pumps ( ... our brochures Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Assessing Optimal Blood Pressure in Patients With Asymptomatic Aortic Valve Stenosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Olav W; Sajadieh, Ahmad; Sabbah, Muhammad

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Evidence for treating hypertension in patients with asymptomatic aortic valve stenosis is scarce. We used data from the SEAS trial (Simvastatin Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis) to assess what blood pressure (BP) would be optimal. METHODS: A total of 1767 patients with asymptomatic aortic...... stenosis and no manifest atherosclerotic disease were analyzed. Outcomes were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, heart failure, stroke, myocardial infarction, and aortic valve replacement. BP was analyzed in Cox models as the cumulative average of serially measured BP and a time-varying covariate.......039). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal BP seems to be systolic BP of 130 to 139 mm Hg and diastolic BP of 70 to 90 mm Hg in these patients with asymptomatic aortic stenosis and no manifest atherosclerotic disease or diabetes mellitus. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT...

A novel implantable glaucoma valve using ferrofluid.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleftherios I Paschalis

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To present a novel design of an implantable glaucoma valve based on ferrofluidic nanoparticles and to compare it with a well-established FDA approved valve. SETTING: Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Boston, USA. METHODS: A glaucoma valve was designed using soft lithography techniques utilizing a water-immiscible magnetic fluid (ferrofluid as a pressure-sensitive barrier to aqueous flow. Two rare earth micro magnets were used to calibrate the opening and closing pressure. In-vitro flow measurements were performed to characterize the valve and to compare it to Ahmed™ glaucoma valve. The reliability and predictability of the new valve was verified by pressure/flow measurements over a period of three months and X-ray diffraction (XRD analysis over a period of eight weeks. In vivo assessment was performed in three rabbits. RESULTS: In the in vitro experiments, the opening and closing pressures of the valve were 10 and 7 mmHg, respectively. The measured flow/pressure response was linearly proportional and reproducible over a period of three months (1.8 µl/min at 12 mmHg; 4.3 µl/min at 16 mmHg; 7.6 µl/min at 21 mmHg. X-ray diffraction analysis did not show oxidization of the ferrofluid when exposed to water or air. Preliminary in vivo results suggest that the valve is biocompatible and can control the intraocular pressure in rabbits. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed valve utilizes ferrofluid as passive, tunable constriction element to provide highly predictable opening and closing pressures while maintaining ocular tone. The ferrofluid maintained its magnetic properties in the aqueous environment and provided linear flow to pressure response. Our in-vitro tests showed reliable and reproducible results over a study period of three months. Preliminary in-vivo results were very promising and currently more thorough investigation of this device is underway.

Redo mitral valve surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Redoy Ranjan

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study is based on the findings of a single surgeon’s practice of mitral valve replacement of 167 patients from April 2005 to June 2017 who developed symptomatic mitral restenosis after closed or open mitral commisurotomy. Both clinical and color doppler echocardiographic data of peri-operative and six months follow-up period were evaluated and compared to assess the early outcome of the redo mitral valve surgery. With male-female ratio of 1: 2.2 and after a duration of 6 to 22 years symptom free interval between the redo procedures, the selected patients with mitral valve restenosis undergone valve replacement with either mechanical valve in 62% cases and also tissue valve in 38% cases. Particular emphasis was given to separate the adhered pericardium from the heart completely to ameliorate base to apex and global contraction of the heart. Besides favorable post-operative clinical outcome, the echocardiographic findings were also encouraging as there was statistically significant increase in the mitral valve area and ejection fraction with significant decrease in the left atrial diameter, pressure gradient across the mitral valve and pulmonary artery systolic pressure. Therefore, in case of inevitable mitral restenosis after closed or open commisurotomy, mitral valve replacement is a promising treatment modality.

Valving for controlling a fluid-driven reciprocating apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, John C.

1995-01-01

A pair of control valve assemblies for alternately actuating a pair of fluid-driven free-piston devices by using fluid pressure communication therebetween. Each control valve assembly is switched by a pressure signal depending on the state of its counterpart's piston. The communication logic is arranged to provide overlap of the forward strokes of the pistons, so that at least one of the pair will always be pressurized. Thus, uninterrupted pumping of liquid is made possible from a pair of free-piston pumps. In addition, the speed and frequency of piston stroking is entirely dependent on the mechanical power load applied. In the case of a pair of pumps, this enables liquid delivery at a substantially constant pressure over the full range of flow rates, from zero to maximum flow. Each of the valve assemblies uses an intake-exhaust valve and a signal valve with the signal valve of one pump being connected to be pressure responsive to the piston of the opposite cylinder or pump.

Cyclonic valve test: preliminary results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monteiro, Andre Sampaio; Moraes, Carlos Alberto C.; Marins, Luiz Philipe M.; Soares, Fabricio; Oliveira, Dennis; Lima, Fabio Soares de; Airao, Vinicius [Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (PETROBRAS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Ton, Tijmen [Twister BV, Rijswijk (Netherlands)

2012-07-01

For many years, the petroleum industry has been developing a valve that input less shear to the flow for a given required pressure drop and this can be done using the cyclonic concept. This paper presents a comparison between the performances of a cyclonic valve (low shear) and a conventional globe valve. The aim of this work is to show the advantages of using a cyclonic low shear valve instead of the commonly used in the primary separation process by PETROBRAS. Tests were performed at PETROBRAS Experimental Center (NUEX) in Aracaju/SE varying some parameters: water cut; pressure loss (from 4 kgf/cm2 to 10 kgf/cm2); flow rates (30 m3/h and 45 m3/h). Results indicates a better performance of the cyclonic valve, if compared with a conventional one, and also that the difference of the performance, is a function of several parameters (emulsion stability, water content free, and oil properties). The cyclonic valve tested can be applied as a choke valve, as a valve between separation stages (for pressure drop), or for controlling the level of vessels. We must emphasize the importance to avoid the high shear imposed by conventional valves, because once the emulsion is created, it becomes more difficult to break it. New tests are being planned to occur in 2012, but PETROBRAS is also analyzing real cases where the applications could increase the primary process efficiency. In the same way, the future installations are also being designed considering the cyclonic valve usage. (author)

Refuge alternatives relief valve testing and design with updated test stand.

Science.gov (United States)

Lutz, T J; Bissert, P T; Homce, G T; Yonkey, J A

2018-03-01

Underground refuge alternatives require an air source to supply breathable air to the occupants. This requires pressure relief valves to prevent unsafe pressures from building up within the refuge alternative. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) mandates that pressure relief valves prevent pressure from exceeding 1.25 kPa (0.18 psi), or as specified by the manufacturer, above mine atmospheric pressure when a fan or compressor is used for the air supply. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) tested a variety of pressure relief valves using an instrumented test fixture consisting of data acquisition equipment, a centrifugal blower, ductwork and various sensors to determine if the subject pressure relief valves meet the MSHA requirement. Relief pressures and flow characteristics, including opening pressure and flow rate, were measured for five different pressure relief valves under a variety of conditions. The subject pressure relief valves included two off-the-shelf modified check valves, two check valves used in MSHA-approved built-in-place refuge alternatives, and a commercially available valve that was designed for a steel refuge alternative and is currently being used in some built-in-place refuge alternatives. The test results showed relief pressures ranging from 0.20 to 1.53 kPa (0.03 to 0.22 psi) and flow rates up to 19.3 m 3 /min (683 scfm). As tested, some of the pressure relief valves did not meet the 1.25 kPa (0.18 psi) relief specification.

Characterization of a bioprosthetic bicuspid venous valve hemodynamics: implications for mechanism of valve dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Tien, W-H; Chen, H Y; Berwick, Z C; Krieger, J; Chambers, S; Dabiri, D; Kassab, G S

2014-10-01

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) of the lower extremities is a common clinical problem. Although bioprosthetic valves have been proposed to treat severe reflux, clinical success has been limited due to thrombosis and neointima overgrowth of the leaflets that is, in part, related to the hemodynamics of the valve. A bioprosthetic valve that mimics native valve hemodynamics is essential. A computational model of the prosthetic valve based on realistic geometry and mechanical properties was developed to simulate the interaction of valve structure (fluid-structure interaction, FSI) with the surrounding flow. The simulation results were validated by experiments of a bioprosthetic bicuspid venous valve using particle image velocimetry (PIV) with high spatial and temporal resolution in a pulse duplicator (PD). Flow velocity fields surrounding the valve leaflets were calculated from PIV measurements and comparisons to the FSI simulation results were made. Both the spatial and temporal results of the simulations and experiments were in agreement. The FSI prediction of the transition point from equilibrium phase to valve-closing phase had a 7% delay compared to the PD measurements, while the PIV measurements matched the PD exactly. FSI predictions of reversed flow were within 10% compared to PD measurements. Stagnation or stasis regions were observed in both simulations and experiments. The pressure differential across the valve and associated forces on the leaflets from simulations showed the valve mechanism to be pressure driven. The flow velocity simulations were highly consistent with the experimental results. The FSI simulation and force analysis showed that the valve closure mechanism is pressure driven under the test conditions. FSI simulation and PIV measurements demonstrated that the flow behind the leaflet was mostly stagnant and a potential source for thrombosis. The validated FSI simulations should enable future valve design optimizations that are needed for

Motor operated valves problems tests and simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinier, D.; Haas, J.L.

1996-12-01

An analysis of the two refusals of operation of the EAS recirculation shutoff valves enabled two distinct problems to be identified on the motorized valves: the calculation methods for the operating torques of valves in use in the power plants are not conservative enough, which results in the misadjustement of the torque limiters installed on their motorizations, the second problem concerns the pressure locking phenomenon: a number of valves may entrap a pressure exceeding the in-line pressure between the disks, which may cause a jamming of the valve. EDF has made the following approach to settle the first problem: determination of the friction coefficients and the efficiency of the valve and its actuator through general and specific tests and models, definition of a new calculation method. In order to solve the second problem, EDF has made the following operations: identification of the valves whose technology enables the pressure to be entrapped: the tests and numerical simulations carried out in the Research and Development Division confirm the possibility of a {open_quotes}boiler{close_quotes} effect: determination of the necessary modifications: development and testing of anti-boiler effect systems.

Motor operated valves problems tests and simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinier, D.; Haas, J.L.

1996-01-01

An analysis of the two refusals of operation of the EAS recirculation shutoff valves enabled two distinct problems to be identified on the motorized valves: the calculation methods for the operating torques of valves in use in the power plants are not conservative enough, which results in the misadjustement of the torque limiters installed on their motorizations, the second problem concerns the pressure locking phenomenon: a number of valves may entrap a pressure exceeding the in-line pressure between the disks, which may cause a jamming of the valve. EDF has made the following approach to settle the first problem: determination of the friction coefficients and the efficiency of the valve and its actuator through general and specific tests and models, definition of a new calculation method. In order to solve the second problem, EDF has made the following operations: identification of the valves whose technology enables the pressure to be entrapped: the tests and numerical simulations carried out in the Research and Development Division confirm the possibility of a open-quotes boilerclose quotes effect: determination of the necessary modifications: development and testing of anti-boiler effect systems

Application of signature analysis for determining the operational readiness of motor-operated valves under blowdown test conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haynes, H.D.

1990-01-01

In support of the NRC-funded Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has carried out a comprehensive aging assessment of motor-operated valves (MOVs). As part of this work, ORNL participated in the gate valve flow interrruption blowdown (GVFIB) tests carried out in Huntsville, Alabama. The tests provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate signature analysis methods for determining the operability of MOVs under accident conditions. ORNL acquired motor current and torque switch shaft angular position signatures on two test MOVs during several GVFIB tests. The reduction in operating ''margin'' of both MOVs due to the presence of additional valve running loads imposed by high flow was clearly observed in motor current and torque switch angular position signatures. In addition, the effects of differential pressure, fluid temperature, and line voltage on MOV operations were observed and more clearly understood as a result of utilizing the signature analysis techniques. (orig.)

Application of RELAP5/MOD3.3 to Calculate Thermal Hydraulic Behavior of the Pressurizer Safety Valve Performance Test Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Chang Hyun; Kim, Young Ae; Oh, Seung Jong; Park, Jong Woon [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-10-15

The increase of the acceptance tolerance of Pressurizer Safety Valve (PSV) test is vital for the safe operation of nuclear power plants because the frequent tests may make the valves decrepit and become a cause of leak. Recently, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) is building a PSV performance test facility to provide the technical background data for the relaxation of the acceptance tolerance of PSV including the valve pop-up characteristics and the loop seal dynamics (if the plant has the loop seal in the upstream of PSV). The discharge piping and supports must be designed to withstand severe transient hydrodynamic loads when the safety valve actuates. The evaluation of hydrodynamic loads is a two-step process: first the thermal hydraulic behavior in the piping must be defined, and then the hydrodynamic loads are calculated from the thermal hydraulic parameters such as pressure and mass flow. The hydrodynamic loads are used as input to the structural analysis.

A correlation for safety valve blowdown and ring settings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, A.; Shak, D.

1982-01-01

The blowdown of a spring loaded safety valve is defined as the difference between the pressure at which the valve opens and the pressure at which the valve fully closes under certain fluid flow conditions. Generally, the blowdown is expressed in terms of percentage of the opening pressure. An extensive series of tests carried out in the EPRI/PWR Utilities Valve Test Program has shown that the blowdown of safety valves can in general be strongly dependent upon the valve geometry and other parameters such as ring adjustments, spring stiffness, backpressure etc. In the present study, correlations have been developed using the EPRI safety valve test data to predict the expected blowdown as a function of adjustment ring settings for geometrically similar valves under steam discharge conditions. The correlation is validated against two different size Dresser valves

The dilemma of complicated shunt valves: How to identify patients with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus after aneurysmatic subarachnoid hemorrhage who will benefit from a simple valve?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian von der Brelie

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Sophisticated shunt valves provide the possibility of pressure adjustment and antisiphon control but have a higher probability of valve dysfunction especially in a posthemorrhagic setting. The aim of the present study is to analyze the clinical outcome of patients with shunt dependent posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus after aneurysmatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH in order to identify patients who would benefit from a simple differential pressure valve. Methods: From 2000 to 2013, 547 patients with aneurysmatic SAH were treated at our institution, 114 underwent ventricular shunt placement (21.1%. 47 patients with available pre- and post-operative computed tomography scans, and an available follow-up of minimum 6 months were included. In order to measure the survival time which a nonprogrammable differential pressure valve would have had in an individual patient we defined the initial equalized shunt survival time (IESS. IESS is the time until surgical revisions of fixed differential pressure or flow-regulated valves for the treatment of over- or under-drainage as well as re-programming of adjustable valves due to over- or under-drainage. Results: Twenty patients were treated with fixed differential pressure valves, 15 patients were treated with flow-regulated valves, and 12 underwent ventriculoperitoneal (VP shunt placement with differential pressure valves assisted by a gravitational unit. Patients who reacted with remarkable changes of the ventricular width after the insertion of external ventricular drainage (EVD, before shunt placement, showed a significantly longer IESS. Conclusions: Decline of the ventricular width after EVD placement was a predictor for successful VP shunt therapy in the later course of disease. Possibly, this could allow identifying patients who benefit from a simple differential pressure valve or a flow-regulated valve, and thus could possibly avoid valve-associated complications of a programmable valve in the

Valve selection handbook engineering fundamentals for selecting the right valve design for every industrial flow application

CERN Document Server

Smith, Peter

2004-01-01

Valves are the components in a fluid flow or pressure system that regulate either the flow or the pressure of the fluid. They are used extensively in the process industries, especially petrochemical. Though there are only four basic types of valves, there is an enormous number of different kinds of valves within each category, each one used for a specific purpose. No other book on the market analyzes the use, construction, and selection of valves in such a comprehensive manner.-Covers new environmentally-conscious equipment and practices, the most important hot-button issue in the p

Problem: Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Science.gov (United States)

... each time the left ventricle contracts. Watch an animation of mitral valve regurgitation A leaking mitral valve ... Not Alone Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Problem: Heart Valve Regurgitation

Science.gov (United States)

... should be completely closed For example: Watch an animation of mitral valve regurgitation A leaking mitral valve ... Not Alone Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Cavitation noise from butterfly valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahmeyer, W.J.

1982-01-01

Cavitation in valves can produce levels of intense noise. It is possible to mathematically express a limit for a design level of cavitation noise in terms of the cavitation parameter sigma. Using the cavitation parameter or limit, it is then possible to calculate the flow conditions at which a design level of cavitation noise will occur. However, the intensity of cavitation increases with the upstream pressure and valve size at a constant sigma. Therefore, it is necessary to derive equations to correct or scale the cavitation limit for the effects of different upstream pressures and valve sizes. The following paper discusses and presents experimental data for the caviation noise limit as well as the cavitation limits of incipient, critical, incipient damage, and choking cavitation for butterfly valves. The main emphasis is on the design limit of caviation noise, and a noise level of 85 decibels was selected as the noise limit. Tables of data and scaling exponents are included for applying the design limits for the effects of upstream pressure and valve size. (orig.)

Reduced-impact sliding pressure control valve for pneumatic hammer drill

Science.gov (United States)

Polsky, Yarom [Oak Ridge, TN; Grubelich, Mark C [Albuquerque, NM; Vaughn, Mark R [Albuquerque, NM

2012-05-15

A method and means of minimizing the effect of elastic valve recoil in impact applications, such as percussive drilling, where sliding spool valves used inside the percussive device are subject to poor positioning control due to elastic recoil effects experienced when the valve impacts a stroke limiting surface. The improved valve design reduces the reflected velocity of the valve by using either an energy damping material, or a valve assembly with internal damping built-in, to dissipate the compression stress wave produced during impact.

Ball check valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bevilacqua, F.

1978-01-01

A pressurized nuclear reactor having an instrument assembly sheathed in a metallic tube which is extended vertically upward into the reactor core by traversing a metallic guide tube which is welded to the wall of the vessel is described. Sensors in each instrument assembly are connected to instruments outside the vessel to manifest the conditions within the core. Each instrument assembly probe is moved into position within a metallic guide channel. The guide channel penetrates the wall of the vessel and forms part of the barrier to the environment within the pressure vessel. Each channel includes a ball check valve which is opened by the instrument assembly probe when the probe passes through the valve. A ball valve element is moved from its seat by the probe to a position lateral of the bore of the channel and is guided to its seat along a sloped path within the valve body when the probe is removed. 5 claims, 3 figures

Qualification by analogy of the functional valving of French pressurized water nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grenet, M.

1991-01-01

In certain postulated accidental conditions (loss of coolant accident or secondary pipe rupture, earthquake, high energy pipe rupture) plant valving is called on the important functions to bring the reactor to and maintain it at a safe shutdown condition. ELWCTRICITE DE FRANCE has completed qualification tests of about forty valves to assure their operability. However, taking into account the costs and time required to obtain this qualification and the number of valves to be qualified, this method alone is not sufficient. For this reason, Electricite de France has developed the alternative qualification methodology by analogy for each postulated accidental situation. Feedback experience of these methods today is such that it can be they have achieved their objective; namely, to improve the safety of French pressurized water nuclear power stations, while at the same time avoiding the two dangers represented by excessive complexity resulting in unsatisfactory operation, and insufficient thoroughness not providing any real increase in safety. (author)

Characteristic analysis of servo valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, J. H.; Ryu, D. R.; Lee, J. H.; Kim, Y. S.; Na, J. C.; Kim, D. S.

2008-01-01

Electro-pneumatic servo valve is an electro-mechanical device which converts electric signals into a proper pneumatic flow rate or pressure. In order to improve the overall performance of pneumatic servo systems, electro-pneumatic servo valves are required, which have fast dynamic characteristics, no air leakage at a null point, and can be fabricated at a low-cost. The first objective of this research is to design and to fabricate a new electro-pneumatic servo valve which satisfies the above-mentioned requirements. In order to design the mechanism of the servo valve optimally, the flow inside the valve depending upon the position of spool was analyzed variously, and on the basis of such analysis results, the valve mechanism, which was formed by combination of the spool and the sleeve, was designed and manufactured. And a tester for conducting an overall performance test was designed and manufactured, and as a result of conducting the flow rate test, the pressure test and the frequency test on the developed pneumatic servo valve

Decoupling Analysis on Pressure Fluctuation and Needle Valve Response for High Pressure Common Rail Injector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the process of multiple injections, the influence of different injections makes the controlling of cycle fuel injection quantity more difficult. The high pressure common rail (HPCR simulation model is established in AMESim environment. Through the method of combining numerical simulation and experiment test, it is found that the strong coupling of pressure fluctuation and needle valve response is the fundamental reason, which leads to the fluctuation of main injection fuel quantity (MIFQ with dwell time (DT. The result shows that the largest fluctuation quantity is 3.6mm3 when the reference value of main injection is 60.0mm3. Non-damping LC hydraulic system model is also established. Through the analysis of the model, reducing the length-diameter ratio of internal oil duct and the delivery chamber volume are decoupling methods to the strong coupling.

Survey of industrial coal conversion equipment capabilities: valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bush, W. A.; Slade, E. C.

1978-06-01

A survey of the industrial capabilities of the valve and valve-actuator industry to supply large, high-pressure stop valves for the future coal conversion industry is presented in this report. Also discussed are development and testing capabilities of valve and valve-actuator manufacturers and anticipated lead times required to manufacture advanced design valves for the most stringent service applications. Results indicate that the valve and valve-actuator industry is capable of manufacturing in quantity equipment of the size and for the pressure and temperature ranges which would be required in the coal conversion industry. Valve manufacturers do not, however, have sufficient product application experience to predict the continuing functional ability of valves used for lock-hopper feeders, slurry feeders, and slag-char letdown service. Developmental and testing efforts to modify existing valve designs or to develop new valve concepts for these applications were estimated to range from 1 to 6 years. A testing facility to simulate actuation of critical valves under service conditions would be beneficial.

Magnetic Check Valve

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Brian G.; Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

1994-01-01

Poppet in proposed check valve restored to closed condition by magnetic attraction instead of spring force. Oscillations suppressed, with consequent reduction of wear. Stationary magnetic disk mounted just upstream of poppet, also containing magnet. Valve body nonmagnetic. Forward pressure or flow would push poppet away from stationary magnetic disk so fluid flows easily around poppet. Stop in valve body prevents poppet from being swept away. When flow stopped or started to reverse, magnetic attraction draws poppet back to disk. Poppet then engages floating O-ring, thereby closing valve and preventing reverse flow. Floating O-ring facilitates sealing at low loads.

Development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Seong Tae; Choi, Yoon Dong; Jeong, Ji Young [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-12-01

A study on development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose showed the results as follows; A. Maximization of torque (1) Arranging method of magnets (2) Effects on the distance between magnetic holders (3) Improvement of the valve disc for the torque maximization. B. Study on the high pressure structure of the valve (1) Analysis of the pressure-resisting structure of the magnetic power transmitting device (2) Calculation model and program (a) Calculation model (b) Program used in calculation (3) Structure analysis and verification test for the pressurized plate. C. Study on the valve compacting. D. Technical specification for the valve manufacture. E. Inspection and test method for valve. 10 tabs., 10 figs. (Author).

Development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Seong Tae; Choi, Yoon Dong; Jeong, Ji Young

1995-12-01

A study on development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose showed the results as follows; A. Maximization of torque (1) Arranging method of magnets (2) Effects on the distance between magnetic holders (3) Improvement of the valve disc for the torque maximization. B. Study on the high pressure structure of the valve (1) Analysis of the pressure-resisting structure of the magnetic power transmitting device (2) Calculation model and program (a) Calculation model (b) Program used in calculation (3) Structure analysis and verification test for the pressurized plate. C. Study on the valve compacting. D. Technical specification for the valve manufacture. E. Inspection and test method for valve. 10 tabs., 10 figs. (Author)

3-D analysis of reactor loop isolation valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietrich, D.E.

1975-01-01

A full three-dimensional analysis for the design and operational loading conditions was performed on a 29 inch loop isolation valve using the Westinghouse finite element computer code. The 3-D analysis was employed for the valve design in place of utilizing the standard ASME valve design criteria. The valve design employs the design by analysis concept allowed for nuclear class valve. The valve design was evaluated for a set of independent load including pipe reactions and internal pressure. The design pipe reaction loads were based upon maximum fiber pipe stresses at yield for the bending moments, pipe membrane stresses at half yield for the axial load, and pipe maximum shear stress at half yield for the torsional moment. The valve design pressure was the system loop design pressure. The operating and accident condition evaluation included pipe reactions, extended structure forces, system pressure, and system thermal transients. The valve was analyzed for the normal operating, upset, emergency, and faulted loading conditions. These operating and accident conditions used various specified combinations of the supplied generic system pressure, deadweight, thermal, seismic, and LOCA pipe load components. The generic pipe loads are the worst possible postulated loads for any system design. These generic pipe load components were supplied as maximums and minimums so a simplified nozzle analysis was performed to determine the worst case combination for each loading condition. The valve design was shown to meet the design, operating, and accident condition requirements of the ASME code. The design by analysis concept for nuclear class 1 valves gave a significant reduction in required minimum wall thickness, 3.75 inches vs. 5.4 inches. These translate into significant material savings

Operational durability of a giant ER valve for Braille display

Science.gov (United States)

Luning, Xu; Han, Li; Yufei, Li; Shen, Rong; Kunquan, Lu

2017-05-01

The compact configuration of giant ER (electrorheological) valves provides the possibility of realizing a full-page Braille display. The operational durability of ER valves is a key issue in fulfilling a Braille display. A giant ER valve was used to investigate the variations in pressure drops and critical pressure drops of the valves over a long period under some typical operational parameters. The results indicate that neither the pressure drops nor critical pressure drops of giant ER valves show apparent deterioration over a long period. Without ER fluid exchange, a blockage appears in the channel of the valve because the ER structures induced by an external electric field cannot be broken by the Brownian motion of hydraulic oil molecules when the external electric field is removed. Forcing ER fluid flow is an effective and necessary method to keep the channel of the valve unblocked. Thus the operational durability of the valve using giant ER fluids is able to meet the demands of Braille display.

Pressure sensor based on MEMS nano-cantilever beam structure as a heterodielectric gate electrode of dopingless TFET

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Gagan; Raman, Ashish

2016-12-01

Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology has enticed numerous scientists since recent decades particularly in the field of miniaturized-sensors and actuators. Pressure sensor is pivotal component in both of the forerunning fields. The pursuance of a pressure sensor is exigently relying upon its different physical properties i.e. Piezo-resistive, Piezoelectric, Capacitive, Magnetic and Electrostatic. This article presents an outline and scrutiny of the Doping-less Cantilever Based Pressure Sensor using tunnel field effect transistor technology. The propounded pressure sensor based on the principle of capacitive gate coupling, due to which the tunneling current is modified. Additionally, to enhance the affectability of pressure sensor, the work function of metal gate electrode is amended using gas molecule diffusion. Simulation uncovers a phenomenal relationship amongst hypothetical and practical accepts of configuration. The pressure sensor is composed at Silvaco Atlas tool utilizing 40 nm technologies. The performance results exhibit that the proposed model consumes ≤1 mW power and 250 μA tunneling current per nm bending of cantilever beam structure. The inclusive length of the proposed device is 100 nm.

Proposal and design of a natural gas liquefaction process recovering the energy obtained from the pressure reducing stations of high-pressure pipelines

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Hongbo; Zhao, Qingxuan; Sun, Nannan; Li, Yanzhong

2016-12-01

Taking advantage of the refrigerating effect in the expansion at an appropriate temperature, a fraction of high-pressure natural gas transported by pipelines could be liquefied in a city gate station through a well-organized pressure reducing process without consuming any extra energy. The authors proposed such a new process, which mainly consists of a turbo-expander driven booster, throttle valves, multi-stream heat exchangers and separators, to yield liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid light hydrocarbons (LLHs) utilizing the high-pressure of the pipelines. Based on the assessment of the effects of several key parameters on the system performance by a steady-state simulation in Aspen HYSYS, an optimal design condition of the proposed process was determined. The results showed that the new process is more appropriate to be applied in a pressure reducing station (PRS) for the pipelines with higher pressure. For the feed gas at the pressure of 10 MPa, the maximum total liquefaction rate (ytot) of 15.4% and the maximum exergy utilizing rate (EUR) of 21.7% could be reached at the optimal condition. The present process could be used as a small-scale natural gas liquefying and peak-shaving plant at a city gate station.

Analysis of water hammer in a penstock in the case of valve closure. Part 1: Without pressure losses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hocine HAMMOUM

2016-04-01

Full Text Available We develop, in this paper, a method of calculating the water hammer inspired by the graphic construction of Bergeron, which we qualify as analytical method. In helping us of these graphs, we get the relationships that allow calculating the flow rates and pressures along a penstock. The flow of water is carried out by gravity adduction connecting at upstream a storage tank and at downstream a valve. In this first part, we neglect the pressure losses. The study will focus on water hammer-induced by a slow closing of the valve. A practical example will be presented at the end of this work in order to illustrate the exposed method.

Reactor containment purge and vent valve performance experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunter, J.A.; Steele, R.; Watkins, J.C.

1985-01-01

Three nuclear-designed butterfly valves typical of those used in domestic nuclear power plant containment purge and vent applications were tested. For a comparison of responses, two eight-inch nominal pipe size valves with differing internal design were tested. For extrapolation insights, a 24-inch nominal pipe size valve was also tested. The valve experiments were performed with various piping configurations and valve disc orientations to the flow, to simulate various installation options in field application. As a standard for comparing the effects of the installation options, testing was also performed in a standard ANSI test section. Test cycles were performed at inlet pressures of 5 to 60 psig, while monitoring numerous test parameters, such as the valve disc position, valve shaft torque, mass flow rate, and the pressure and temperature at multiple locations throughout the test section. An experimental data base was developed to assist in the evaluation of the current analytical methods and to determine the influence of inlet pressure, inlet duct geometry, and valve orientation to the flow media on valve torque requirements, along with any resulting limitations to the extrapolation methods. 2 refs., 15 figs

Nonlinear transient dynamic response of pressure relief valves for a negative containment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, T.S.; Duff, C.G.; Tang, J.H.K.

1979-01-01

The response of the piston for the postulated simultaneous effect of pressure and an earthquake is obtained for different parameters and accident conditions. Response quantities such as accelerations, displacements, rotations, diaphragm forces as well as opening time during a design basis earthquake are obtained. The results of the different analyses, as related to the functional operability of the valves, are evaluated and discussed. (orig.)

Research on the water hammer protection of the long distance water supply project with the combined action of the air vessel and over-pressure relief valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D D; Jiang, J; Zhao, Z; Yi, W S; Lan, G

2013-01-01

We take a concrete pumping station as an example in this paper. Through the calculation of water hammer protection with a specific pumping station water supply project, and the analysis of the principle, mathematical models and boundary conditions of air vessel and over-pressure relief valve we show that the air vessel can protect the water conveyance system and reduce the transient pressure damage due to various causes. Over-pressure relief valve can effectively reduce the water hammer because the water column re-bridge suddenly stops the pump and prevents pipeline burst. The paper indicates that the combination set of air vessel and over-pressure relief valve can greatly reduce the quantity of the air valve and can eliminate the water hammer phenomenon in the pipeline system due to the vaporization and water column separation and re-bridge. The conclusion could provide a reference for the water hammer protection of long-distance water supply system

Research on the water hammer protection of the long distance water supply project with the combined action of the air vessel and over-pressure relief valve

Science.gov (United States)

Li, D. D.; Jiang, J.; Zhao, Z.; Yi, W. S.; Lan, G.

2013-12-01

We take a concrete pumping station as an example in this paper. Through the calculation of water hammer protection with a specific pumping station water supply project, and the analysis of the principle, mathematical models and boundary conditions of air vessel and over-pressure relief valve we show that the air vessel can protect the water conveyance system and reduce the transient pressure damage due to various causes. Over-pressure relief valve can effectively reduce the water hammer because the water column re-bridge suddenly stops the pump and prevents pipeline burst. The paper indicates that the combination set of air vessel and over-pressure relief valve can greatly reduce the quantity of the air valve and can eliminate the water hammer phenomenon in the pipeline system due to the vaporization and water column separation and re-bridge. The conclusion could provide a reference for the water hammer protection of long-distance water supply system.

A Passive Flow-rate Regulator Using Pressure-dependent Autonomous Deflection of Parallel Membrane Valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Il, Doh; Cho, Young-Ho

2009-01-01

We present a passive flow-rate regulator, capable to compensate inlet pressure variation and to maintain a constant flow-rate for precise liquid control. Deflection of the parallel membrane valves in the passive flowrate regulator adjusts fluidic resistance according to inlet fluid pressure without any external energy. Compared to previous passive flow-rate regulators, the present device achieves precision flow regulation functions at the lower threshold compensation pressure of 20kPa with the simpler structure. In the experimental study, the fabricated device achieves the constant flow-rate of 6.09±0.32 μl/s over the inlet pressure range of 20∼50 kPa. The present flow-rate regulator having simple structure and lower compensation pressure level demonstrates potentials for use in integrated micropump systems

Evaluation of steady flow torques and pressure losses in a rotary flow control valve by means of computational fluid dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okhotnikov, Ivan; Noroozi, Siamak; Sewell, Philip; Godfrey, Philip

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A novel design of a rotary flow control valve driven by a stepper motor is proposed. • The intended use of the valve in the high flow rate independent metering hydraulic system is suggested. • Pressure drops, steady flow torques of the valve for various flow rates and orifice openings are studied by means of computational fluid dynamics. • The discharge coefficient and flow jet angles dependencies on the orifice opening are obtained. • A design method to decrease the flow forces without reducing the flow rate in single-staged valves is demonstrated. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel design of a rotary hydraulic flow control valve has been presented for high flow rate fluid power systems. High flow rates in these systems account for substantial flow forces acting on the throttling elements of the valves and cause the application of mechanically sophisticated multi-staged servo valves for flow regulation. The suggested design enables utilisation of single-stage valves in power hydraulics operating at high flow rates regimes. A spool driver and auxiliary mechanisms of the proposed valve design were discussed and selection criteria were suggested. Analytical expressions for metering characteristics as well as steady flow torques have been derived. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of steady state flow regimes was conducted to evaluate the hydraulic behaviour of the proposed valve. This study represents a special case of an independent metering concept applied to the design of power hydraulic systems with direct proportional valve control operating at flow rates above 150 litres per minute. The result gained using parametric CFD simulations predicted the induced torque and the pressure drops due to a steady flow. Magnitudes of these values prove that by minimising the number of spool's mobile metering surfaces it is possible to reduce the flow-generated forces in the new generation of hydraulic valves proposed in this study

Cavitation guide for control valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tullis, J.P. [Tullis Engineering Consultants, Logan, UT (United States)

1993-04-01

This guide teaches the basic fundamentals of cavitation to provide the reader with an understanding of what causes cavitation, when it occurs, and the potential problems cavitation can cause to a valve and piping system. The document provides guidelines for understanding how to reduce the cavitation and/or select control valves for a cavitating system. The guide provides a method for predicting the cavitation intensity of control valves, and how the effect of cavitation on a system will vary with valve type, valve function, valve size, operating pressure, duration of operation and details of the piping installation. The guide defines six cavitation limits identifying cavitation intensities ranging from inception to the maximum intensity possible. The intensity of the cavitation at each limit Is described, including a brief discussion of how each level of cavitation influences the valve and system. Examples are included to demonstrate how to apply the method, including making both size and pressure scale effects corrections. Methods of controlling cavitation are discussed providing information on various techniques which can be used to design a new system or modify an existing one so it can operate at a desired level of cavitation.

Cavitation guide for control valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tullis, J.P.

1993-04-01

This guide teaches the basic fundamentals of cavitation to provide the reader with an understanding of what causes cavitation, when it occurs, and the potential problems cavitation can cause to a valve and piping system. The document provides guidelines for understanding how to reduce the cavitation and/or select control valves for a cavitating system. The guide provides a method for predicting the cavitation intensity of control valves, and how the effect of cavitation on a system will vary with valve type, valve function, valve size, operating pressure, duration of operation and details of the piping installation. The guide defines six cavitation limits identifying cavitation intensities ranging from inception to the maximum intensity possible. The intensity of the cavitation at each limit Is described, including a brief discussion of how each level of cavitation influences the valve and system. Examples are included to demonstrate how to apply the method, including making both size and pressure scale effects corrections. Methods of controlling cavitation are discussed providing information on various techniques which can be used to design a new system or modify an existing one so it can operate at a desired level of cavitation

Aging and service wear of spring-loaded pressure relief valves used in safety-related systems at nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staunton, R.H.; Cox, D.F. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1995-03-01

Spring-loaded pressure relief valves (PRVS) are used in some safety-related applications at nuclear power plants. In general, they are used in systems where, during accidents, pressures may rise to levels where pressure safety relief is required for protection of personnel, system piping, and components. This report documents a study of PRV aging and considers the severity and causes of service wear and how it is discovered and corrected in various systems, valve sizes, etc. Provided in this report are results of the examination of the recorded failures and identification of trends and relationships/correlations in the failures when all failure-related parameters are considered. Components that comprise a typical PRV, how those components fail, when they fail, and the current testing frequencies and methods are also presented in detail.

Aging and service wear of spring-loaded pressure relief valves used in safety-related systems at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staunton, R.H.; Cox, D.F.

1995-03-01

Spring-loaded pressure relief valves (PRVS) are used in some safety-related applications at nuclear power plants. In general, they are used in systems where, during accidents, pressures may rise to levels where pressure safety relief is required for protection of personnel, system piping, and components. This report documents a study of PRV aging and considers the severity and causes of service wear and how it is discovered and corrected in various systems, valve sizes, etc. Provided in this report are results of the examination of the recorded failures and identification of trends and relationships/correlations in the failures when all failure-related parameters are considered. Components that comprise a typical PRV, how those components fail, when they fail, and the current testing frequencies and methods are also presented in detail

Noninvasive estimation of transmitral pressure drop across the normal mitral valve in humans: importance of convective and inertial forces during left ventricular filling

Science.gov (United States)

Firstenberg, M. S.; Vandervoort, P. M.; Greenberg, N. L.; Smedira, N. G.; McCarthy, P. M.; Garcia, M. J.; Thomas, J. D.

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that color M-mode (CMM) images could be used to solve the Euler equation, yielding regional pressure gradients along the scanline, which could then be integrated to yield the unsteady Bernoulli equation and estimate noninvasively both the convective and inertial components of the transmitral pressure difference. BACKGROUND: Pulsed and continuous wave Doppler velocity measurements are routinely used clinically to assess severity of stenotic and regurgitant valves. However, only the convective component of the pressure gradient is measured, thereby neglecting the contribution of inertial forces, which may be significant, particularly for nonstenotic valves. Color M-mode provides a spatiotemporal representation of flow across the mitral valve. METHODS: In eight patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, high-fidelity left atrial and ventricular pressure measurements were obtained synchronously with transmitral CMM digital recordings. The instantaneous diastolic transmitral pressure difference was computed from the M-mode spatiotemporal velocity distribution using the unsteady flow form of the Bernoulli equation and was compared to the catheter measurements. RESULTS: From 56 beats in 16 hemodynamic stages, inclusion of the inertial term ([deltapI]max = 1.78+/-1.30 mm Hg) in the noninvasive pressure difference calculation significantly increased the temporal correlation with catheter-based measurement (r = 0.35+/-0.24 vs. 0.81+/-0.15, pforces are significant components of the maximal pressure drop across the normal mitral valve. These can be accurately estimated noninvasively using CMM recordings of transmitral flow, which should improve the understanding of diastolic filling and function of the heart.

Autonomous booster device of a safety valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Namand, H.

1983-01-01

The invention concerns an autonomous booster device of a protection safety valve of a pressure vessel. The valve comprises a hollow structure, a seat connected with a mobile flap forming one piece with a stem and a calibration spring bearing on the stem and on the valve structure to maintain the flap bearing on the seat. The stem of the flap is prolongated in a box forming one piece with the valve structure and receives an added push of a spring. The box acts as a pressure device of which the piston can exercise on the stem a push opposite to and larger than the spring one. The feeding device of the pressure box is finally described in detail [fr

Cavitation problems in sodium valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elie, X.

1976-01-01

Cavitation poses few problems for sodium valves, in spite of the fact that the loops are not pressurized. This is no doubt due to the low flow velocities in the pipes. For auxiliary loop valves we are attempting to standardize performances with respect to cavitation. For economic reasons cavitation thresholds are approached with large diameter valves. (author)

Leakage Reduction in Water Distribution Systems with Efficient Placement and Control of Pressure Reducing Valves Using Soft Computing Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Gupta

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Reduction of leakages in a water distribution system (WDS is one of the major concerns of water industries. Leakages depend on pressure, hence installing pressure reducing valves (PRVs in the water network is a successful techniques for reducing leakages. Determining the number of valves, their locations, and optimal control setting are the challenges faced. This paper presents a new algorithm-based rule for determining the location of valves in a WDS having a variable demand pattern, which results in more favorable optimization of PRV localization than that caused by previous techniques. A multiobjective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II was used to determine the optimized control value of PRVs and to minimize the leakage rate in the WDS. Minimum required pressure was maintained at all nodes to avoid pressure deficiency at any node. Proposed methodology is applied in a benchmark WDS and after using PRVs, the average leakage rate was reduced by 6.05 l/s (20.64%, which is more favorable than the rate obtained with the existing techniques used for leakage control in the WDS. Compared with earlier studies, a lower number of PRVs was required for optimization, thus the proposed algorithm tends to provide a more cost-effective solution. In conclusion, the proposed algorithm leads to more favorable optimized localization and control of PRV with improved leakage reduction rate.

An experimental study on the effects of different opening ranges of waste-gate on the exhaust soot emission of a turbo-charged DI diesel engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghazikhani, M.; Davarpanah, M.; Shaegh, S.A. Mousavi

2008-01-01

This experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of different opening ranges of waste-gate of a turbo-charged DI diesel engine on improving the exhaust soot emission. Different opening ranges of waste-gate were supplied using an adjustable spring to load the actuating rod of the waste-gate in which, increasing the opening range of the waste-gate decreases the inlet manifold pressure. In this study, the maximum inlet manifold pressures which were supplied by changing the opening range of waste-gate were 0.1 bar, 0.23 bar, 0.26 bar and 0.52 bar over atmosphere and experiments were conducted under the ECE-R49, 13 mode standard test. At each mode of the test, soot emission was recorded and then brake specific soot emission was calculated. Results indicate that, soot emission decreases with increasing the maximum inlet manifold pressure from 0.1 bar to 0.23 bar. This reduction may be due to increasing the intake-air temperature which results in reduction of ignition delay that prolongs the late combustion phase. This improves the soot burnout process because enough time and sufficient in-cylinder temperature are available at the late combustion phase prior to exhaust valve opening. While for the higher maximum inlet manifold pressures from 0.23 bar to 0.52 bar, although there are enough time at the late combustion phase, but the soot emission increases which could be due to more reduction of the in-cylinder gas temperature at the end of combustion before EVO

Effect of co-free valve on activity reduction in PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahn, C.B.; Han, B.C.; Bum, J.S.; Hwang, I.S.; Lee, C.B.

2002-01-01

Radioactive nuclei, such as 68 Co and 60 Co, deposited on out-of-core surfaces in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary coolant system, are major sources of occupational radiation exposure to plant maintenance personnel and act as costly impediment to prompt and effective repairs. Valve hardfacing alloys exposed to primary coolant are considered as one of the main Co sources. To evaluate the Co-free valve, such as NOREM 02 and Deloro 50, the candidates for the alternative to Stellite 6, in a simulated PWR primary condition, SNU corrosion test loop (SCOTL) was constructed. For gate valves hard-faced with made of NOREM 02 and Deloro 50 hot cycling tests were conducted for up to 2,000 on-off cycles with cold leak tests at 1,000 cycle interval. It was observed that the leak rate of NOREM 02 (Fe-base) did not satisfy the nuclear grade valve leak criteria. After 1000 cycles test, while there was no leakage in case of Deloro 50 (Ni-base). Also, Deloro 50 showed no leakage after 2000 cycles. To estimate the activity reduction effect, we modified CRUDSIM-MIT which modeled the effects of coolant chemistry on the crud transport and activity buildup in the primary system of PWR. In the new code, crud evaluation and assessment (CREAT), 60 Co activity buildup prediction includes 1) Co-base valve replacement effect, 2) Co-base valve maintenance effect, and 3) control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) and main coolant pump (MCP) shaft contribution. CREAT predicted that the main contributor of Co activity buildup was the corrosion-induced release of Co from the steam generator (SG) tubing. With new SG's tubed with alloy 690, Korean Next Generation Reactor (APR-1400) is expected to have about 64% lower Co activity on SG surface. The use of all Co-free valves is expected to cut additional 8% of activity which is only marginal. (authors)

Plant experience with check valves in passive systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pahladsingh, R R [GKN Joint Nuclear Power Plant, Dodewaard (Netherlands)

1996-12-01

In the design of the advanced nuclear reactors there is a tendency to introduce more passive safety systems. The 25 year old design of the GKN nuclear reactor is different from the present BWR reactors because of some special features, such as the Natural Circulation - and the Passive Isolation Condenser system. When reviewing the design, one can conclude that the plant has 25 years of experience with check valves in passive systems and as passive components in systems. The result of this experience has been modeled in a plant-specific ``living PSA`` for the plant. A data-analysis has been performed on components which are related to the safety systems in the plant. As part of this study also the check valves have been taken in consideration. At GKN, the check valves have shown to be reliable components in the systems and no catastrophic failures have been experienced during the 25 years of operation. Especially the Isolation Condenser with its operation experience can contribute substantially to the insight of check valves in stand-by position at reactor pressure and operating by gravity under different pressure conditions. With the introduction of several passive systems in the SBWR-600 design, such as the Isolation Condensers, Gravity Driven Cooling, and Suppression Pool Cooling System, the issue of reliability of check valves in these systems is actual. Some critical aspects for study in connection with check valves are: What is the reliability of a check valve in a system at reactor pressure, to open on demand; what is the reliability of a check valve in a system at low pressure (gravity), to open on demand; what is the reliability of a check valve to open/close when the stand-by check wave is at zero differential pressure. The plant experience with check valves in a few essential safety systems is described and a brief introduction will be made about the application of check valves in the design of the new generation reactors is given. (author). 6 figs, 1 tab.

Methodology for Check Valve Selection to Maintain the Integrity of Pipeline against the Check Valve Slam for the KIJANG Research Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dayong; Yoon, Hyungi; Seo, Kyoungwoo; Kim, Seonhoon [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The check valve slam results in a water hammer and unexpected system pressure rise in the pipeline. Sometimes, the pressure rise by check valve slam in the pipeline exceeds the design pressure and then it causes the rupture of pipeline. Therefore, check valve slam significantly influences on the integrity of pipe. Especially, this it is most likely to occur by check valve installed in the discharge of pump when one pump trips among the two or more running in parallel pump system. This study focuses on the check valve selection to maintain the integrity of PCS pipeline against the check valve slam. If design head for KJRR PCS pipeline is higher than the sum of static head and 11 m, any type check valves can be installed at the discharge of pump. However, if design head for KJRR PCS pipeline is lower than the sum of static head and 11 m, installation of swing and ball check on the discharge of pump must be avoid to prevent the rupture of PCS pipeline.

Methodology for Check Valve Selection to Maintain the Integrity of Pipeline against the Check Valve Slam for the KIJANG Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dayong; Yoon, Hyungi; Seo, Kyoungwoo; Kim, Seonhoon

2016-01-01

The check valve slam results in a water hammer and unexpected system pressure rise in the pipeline. Sometimes, the pressure rise by check valve slam in the pipeline exceeds the design pressure and then it causes the rupture of pipeline. Therefore, check valve slam significantly influences on the integrity of pipe. Especially, this it is most likely to occur by check valve installed in the discharge of pump when one pump trips among the two or more running in parallel pump system. This study focuses on the check valve selection to maintain the integrity of PCS pipeline against the check valve slam. If design head for KJRR PCS pipeline is higher than the sum of static head and 11 m, any type check valves can be installed at the discharge of pump. However, if design head for KJRR PCS pipeline is lower than the sum of static head and 11 m, installation of swing and ball check on the discharge of pump must be avoid to prevent the rupture of PCS pipeline

AVARIS. An innovative procedure to repair seal seats surfaces in gate and check valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herzing, Karl-Heinz; Breitenberger, Ulf; Grieser, Armin

2011-01-01

AVARIS (AREVA Valve Repair In-Situ) saves the plant operators time and money, as complete exchanges of valves and all related elaborate consequences become dispensable. AVARIS is of high interest in the worldwide maintenance market, as it can be applied in both nuclear and conventional power plants. Moreover, AVARIS retrofits valves in the secondary and primary circuit which even saves complex nuclear transports. AVARIS fulfils the quality requirements of third party authorities in national and international markets. Valves repaired with AVARIS correspond to their original condition concerning sealing function. (orig.)

Mechanical Designs for Relief Valves for Cryogenic Apparatuses and Installations

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

There are also pressure relief valves with warm seat available on which the set pressure is based on an adjustment of forces by permanent magnets. Pressure vessel rules allows also the choice for an active triggered pressure relief valve (Cont...

Butterfly valve torque prediction methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eldiwany, B.H.; Sharma, V.; Kalsi, M.S.; Wolfe, K.

1994-01-01

As part of the Motor-Operated Valve (MOV) Performance Prediction Program, the Electric Power Research Institute has sponsored the development of methodologies for predicting thrust and torque requirements of gate, globe, and butterfly MOVs. This paper presents the methodology that will be used by utilities to calculate the dynamic torque requirements for butterfly valves. The total dynamic torque at any disc position is the sum of the hydrodynamic torque, bearing torque (which is induced by the hydrodynamic force), as well as other small torque components (such as packing torque). The hydrodynamic torque on the valve disc, caused by the fluid flow through the valve, depends on the disc angle, flow velocity, upstream flow disturbances, disc shape, and the disc aspect ratio. The butterfly valve model provides sets of nondimensional flow and torque coefficients that can be used to predict flow rate and hydrodynamic torque throughout the disc stroke and to calculate the required actuation torque and the maximum transmitted torque throughout the opening and closing stroke. The scope of the model includes symmetric and nonsymmetric discs of different shapes and aspects ratios in compressible and incompressible fluid applications under both choked and nonchoked flow conditions. The model features were validated against test data from a comprehensive flowloop and in situ test program. These tests were designed to systematically address the effect of the following parameters on the required torque: valve size, disc shapes and disc aspect ratios, upstream elbow orientation and its proximity, and flow conditions. The applicability of the nondimensional coefficients to valves of different sizes was validated by performing tests on 42-in. valve and a precisely scaled 6-in. model. The butterfly valve model torque predictions were found to bound test data from the flow-loop and in situ testing, as shown in the examples provided in this paper

A study on the force balance of an unbalanced globe valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Sang Min; Cho, Taik Dong; Ko, Sung Ho; Lee, Ho Young

2007-01-01

A pneumatic control valve is a piping element that controls the volumetric flow rate and pressure of a fluid: it is necessary to analyze the characteristics of the forces with respect to the opening of the valve in order to evaluate its operating performance. The forces occurring during operation are: resisting force and actuator force, where the load resistance is mostly affected by the fluid pressure difference of the valve. In this study, a force balance equation derived from the equilibrium relationship between the resisting force and the actuator force of an unbalanced globe valve is proposed, and the force balance equations are used to model the dynamic equations of a pneumatic unbalanced globe valve installed in nuclear power plants. A CFD analysis is also carried out to evaluate the pressure distribution and forces acting on the top and bottom planes of the valve plug. The results of this analysis have been verified through experimentation. This study has shown that the fluid pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the valve, measured from the force balance equation of an unbalanced valve, should actually be examined with the fluid-pressure difference between the top and bottom side of the valve plug

On the importance of valve modelling, reflected pressures, and wall friction, in CATHENA water hammer simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beuthe, T.G.

1998-01-01

The results of code and modelling developments outlined in this paper show that CATHENA can be used to accurately model the behaviour of valve slam generated water hammer if sufficient care and detail are used to model the characteristics of the valve. It also shows that CATHENA can accurately predict the reflection and transmission of travelling water pressure waves at expansions, contractions, and dead ends. Finally, although CATHENA is capable of accurately predicting the critical phenomena observed in water hammer, the inter-peak timing of the pressure excursions is not well predicted when significant bulk flows occur. The use of an unsteady wall friction factor to correct for this discrepancy has been examined, but the implementation of relationships suggested in the literature provided too much damping. A good match between experimental and simulation data can be achieved, but it is suggested that the default implementation of such a relationship take place only after an investigation of further potential loss terms can be completed. (author)

Annular flow diverter valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rider, R.L.

1980-01-01

A valve is described for diverting flow from the center of two concentric tubes to the annulus between the tubes or, operating in the reverse direction, for mixing fluids from concentric tubes into a common tube and for controlling the volume ratio of said flow. It consists of a toroidal baffle disposed in sliding engagement with the interior of the inner tube downstream of a plurality of ports in the inner tube, a plurality of gates in sliding engagement with the interior of the inner tube attached to the baffle for movement therewith, a servomotor having a bullet-shaped plug on the downstream end thereof, and drive rods connecting the servomotor to the toroidal baffle. The sevomotor is adapted to move the baffle into mating engagement with the bullet-shaped plug and simultaneously move the gates away from the ports in the inner tube and to move the baffle away from the bullet-shaped plug and simultaneously move the gates to cover the ports in the inner tube

Plunger with simple retention valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fekete, A.V.

1987-01-01

This patent describes a positive displacement retention valve apparatus in which the actual flow equals the theoretical maximum flow through the retention valve. The apparatus includes, in combination, a confined fluid flow conduit, a piston adapted for reciprocal movement within the fluid flow conduit between upstream and downstream limit positions, piston reciprocating means, and pressure responsive check valve means located upstream with respect to the piston in the fluid flow conduit. The pressure responsive check valve means operable to permit fluid flow therethrough in a downstream direction toward the piston, and to preclude fluid flow therethrough in an opposite direction. The piston is composed of parts which are relatively movable with respect to one another. The piston includes a simple retention valve consisting of a plug means, a cylinder having a minimum and a maximum internal cross section flow area therein and being reciprocal within the confined fluid flow conduit, and a seat on the cylinder for the plug means. The piston reciprocating means are operatively connected to the plug means

Unidirectional Expiratory Valve Method to Assess Maximal Inspiratory Pressure in Individuals without Artificial Airway.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha Torres Grams

Full Text Available Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (MIP is considered an effective method to estimate strength of inspiratory muscles, but still leads to false positive diagnosis. Although MIP assessment with unidirectional expiratory valve method has been used in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation, no previous studies investigated the application of this method in subjects without artificial airway.This study aimed to compare the MIP values assessed by standard method (MIPsta and by unidirectional expiratory valve method (MIPuni in subjects with spontaneous breathing without artificial airway. MIPuni reproducibility was also evaluated.This was a crossover design study, and 31 subjects performed MIPsta and MIPuni in a random order. MIPsta measured MIP maintaining negative pressure for at least one second after forceful expiration. MIPuni evaluated MIP using a unidirectional expiratory valve attached to a face mask and was conducted by two evaluators (A and B at two moments (Tests 1 and 2 to determine interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility of MIP values. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC[2,1] was used to determine intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility.The mean values for MIPuni were 14.3% higher (-117.3 ± 24.8 cmH2O than the mean values for MIPsta (-102.5 ± 23.9 cmH2O (p<0.001. Interobserver reproducibility assessment showed very high correlation for Test 1 (ICC[2,1] = 0.91, and high correlation for Test 2 (ICC[2,1] = 0.88. The assessment of the intraobserver reproducibility showed high correlation for evaluator A (ICC[2,1] = 0.86 and evaluator B (ICC[2,1] = 0.77.MIPuni presented higher values when compared with MIPsta and proved to be reproducible in subjects with spontaneous breathing without artificial airway.

High-pressure balloon valvuloplasty for severe pulmonary valve stenosis: a prospective observational pilot study in 25 dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Belanger, Catherine; Gunther-Harrington, Catherine T; Nishimura, Satoko; Oldach, Maureen S; Fousse, Samantha L; Visser, Lance C; Stern, Joshua A

2018-04-01

We aimed to evaluate safety and efficacy of high-pressure balloon valvuloplasty (HPBVP) for treatment of canine severe pulmonary valve stenosis (PS). A secondary aim was to provide pre-procedure predictors of success. Twenty-five dogs. Prospective observational study. Dogs with severe PS (echocardiographically derived trans-pulmonary peak/maximum pressure gradient (EDPG) ≥80 mmHg) were recruited. All dogs underwent echocardiography before and 20-24hrs after HPBVP using a high-pressure balloon with rated burst pressures ranging from 12 to 18 ATM. Procedural success was defined as a post-HPBVP EDPG reduction of ≥50% or reduction into at least the moderate category of PS (50-79 mmHg). Optimal result was defined as a post-procedural EDPG ≤30 mmHg. Initial median (IQR) EDPG for all dogs was 96 (88, 127) mmHg with a post-operative median of 48 (36, 65) mmHg. The median EDPG reduction provided by HPBVP was 63% (39, 68); procedural success rate was 92% (23 dogs). Optimal results were achieved in 56% (14 dogs). There were no significant correlations between EDPG reduction and valve morphology (Type A and Type B) or severity of right ventricular hypertrophy. Pulmonary valve annulus diameter was the only echocardiographic variable that was significantly correlated to EDPG reduction (p = 0.02; r = -0.46). No dog experienced any anesthetic or surgical complications, and all patients survived the procedure. In this cohort of 25 dogs with severe PS, HPBVP was safe and effective. The procedural success rate and high number of optimal results achieved with HPBVP suggest future randomized controlled trials comparing HPBVP to conventional valvuloplasty are warranted. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling and Investigation of Electromechanical Valve Train Actuator at simulated Pressure conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Habib, Tufail

2012-01-01

In an electromechanical valve actuated engine, the valves are driven by solenoid-type actuators and cam-shaft is eliminated. Control of each valve provides flexibility in valve timings over all engine conditions and achieves the benefits of variable valve timing(VVT). This paper is about investig...

Replacement of outboard main steam isolation valves in a boiling water reactor plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlereth, J.R.; Pennington, D.

1996-12-01

Most Boiling Water Reactor plants utilize wye pattern globe valves for main steam isolation valves for both inboard and outboard isolation. These valves have required a high degree of maintenance attention in order to pass the plant local leakage rate testing (LLRT) requirements at each outage. Northern States Power made a decision in 1993 to replace the outboard valves at it`s Monticello plant with double disc gate valves. The replacement of the outboard valves was completed during the fall outage in 1994. During the spring outage in April of 1996 the first LLRT testing was performed with excellent results. This presentation will address the decision process, time requirements and planning necessary to accomplish the task as well as the performance results and cost effectiveness of replacing these components.

Replacement of outboard main steam isolation valves in a boiling water reactor plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlereth, J.R.; Pennington, D.

1996-01-01

Most Boiling Water Reactor plants utilize wye pattern globe valves for main steam isolation valves for both inboard and outboard isolation. These valves have required a high degree of maintenance attention in order to pass the plant local leakage rate testing (LLRT) requirements at each outage. Northern States Power made a decision in 1993 to replace the outboard valves at it's Monticello plant with double disc gate valves. The replacement of the outboard valves was completed during the fall outage in 1994. During the spring outage in April of 1996 the first LLRT testing was performed with excellent results. This presentation will address the decision process, time requirements and planning necessary to accomplish the task as well as the performance results and cost effectiveness of replacing these components

Turbulence downstream of subcoronary stentless and stented aortic valves.

Science.gov (United States)

Funder, Jonas Amstrup; Frost, Markus Winther; Wierup, Per; Klaaborg, Kaj-Erik; Hjortdal, Vibeke; Nygaard, Hans; Hasenkam, J Michael

2011-08-11

Regions of turbulence downstream of bioprosthetic heart valves may cause damage to blood components, vessel wall as well as to aortic valve leaflets. Stentless aortic heart valves are known to posses several hemodynamic benefits such as larger effective orifice areas, lower aortic transvalvular pressure difference and faster left ventricular mass regression compared with their stented counterpart. Whether this is reflected by diminished turbulence formation, remains to be shown. We implanted either stented pericardial valve prostheses (Mitroflow), stentless valve prostheses (Solo or Toronto SPV) in pigs or they preserved their native valves. Following surgery, blood velocity was measured in the cross sectional area downstream of the valves using 10MHz ultrasonic probes connected to a dedicated pulsed Doppler equipment. As a measure of turbulence, Reynolds normal stress (RNS) was calculated at two different blood pressures (baseline and 50% increase). We found no difference in maximum RNS measurements between any of the investigated valve groups. The native valve had significantly lower mean RNS values than the Mitroflow (p=0.004), Toronto SPV (p=0.008) and Solo valve (p=0.02). There were no statistically significant differences between the artificial valve groups (p=0.3). The mean RNS was significantly larger when increasing blood pressure (p=0.0006). We, thus, found no advantages for the stentless aortic valves compared with stented prosthesis in terms of lower maximum or mean RNS values. Native valves have a significantly lower mean RNS value than all investigated bioprostheses. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flowfield Analysis of a Pneumatic Solenoid Valve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheam-Chyun Lin

2018-07-01

Full Text Available Pneumatic solenoid valve has been widely used in the vehicle control systems for meeting the rapid-reaction demand triggered by the dynamic conditions encountered during the driving course of vehicle. For ensuring the safety of human being, the reliable and effective solenoid valve is in great demand to shorten the reaction time and thus becomes the topic of this research. This numerical study chooses a commercial 3/2-way solenoid valve as the reference valve for analysing its performance. At first, CFD software Fluent is adopted to simulate the flow field associated with the valve configuration. Then, the comprehensive flow visualization is implemented to identify the locations of adverse flow patterns. Accordingly, it is found that a high-pressure region exists in the zone between the nozzle exit and the top of iron core. Thereafter, the nozzle diameter and the distance between nozzle and spool are identified as the important design parameters for improving the pressure response characteristics of valve. In conclusion, this work establishes a rigorous and systematic CFD scheme to evaluate the performance of pneumatic solenoid valve.

Wall stress on ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms with bicuspid compared with tricuspid aortic valve.

Science.gov (United States)

Xuan, Yue; Wang, Zhongjie; Liu, Raymond; Haraldsson, Henrik; Hope, Michael D; Saloner, David A; Guccione, Julius M; Ge, Liang; Tseng, Elaine

2018-03-08

Guidelines for repair of bicuspid aortic valve-associated ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms have been changing, most recently to the same criteria as tricuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Rupture/dissection occurs when wall stress exceeds wall strength. Recent studies suggest similar strength of bicuspid aortic valve versus tricuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms; thus, comparative wall stress may better predict dissection in bicuspid aortic valve versus tricuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Our aim was to determine whether bicuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms had higher wall stresses than their tricuspid aortic valve counterparts. Patients with bicuspid aortic valve- and tricuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (bicuspid aortic valve = 17, tricuspid aortic valve = 19) greater than 4.5 cm underwent electrocardiogram-gated computed tomography angiography. Patient-specific 3-dimensional geometry was reconstructed and loaded to systemic pressure after accounting for prestress geometry. Finite element analyses were performed using the LS-DYNA solver (LSTC Inc, Livermore, Calif) with user-defined fiber-embedded material model to determine ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm wall stress. Bicuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms 99th-percentile longitudinal stresses were 280 kPa versus 242 kPa (P = .028) for tricuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms in systole. These stresses did not correlate to diameter for bicuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (r = -0.004) but had better correlation to tricuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms diameter (r = 0.677). Longitudinal stresses on sinotubular junction were significantly higher in bicuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms than in tricuspid aortic valve-ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (405 vs 329 kPa, P = .023). Bicuspid

Valve leakage inspection testing and maintenance process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aikin, J.A.; Reinwald, J.W.; Kittmer, C.A.

1991-01-01

In valve maintenance, packing rings that prevent leakage along the valve stem must periodically be replaced, either during routine maintenance or to correct a leak or valve malfunction. Tools and procedures currently in use for valve packing removal and inspection are generally of limited value due to various access and application problems. A process has been developed by AECL Research that addresses these problems. The process, using incompressible fluid pressure, quickly and efficiently confirms the integrity of the valve backseat, extracts hard-to-remove valve packing sets, and verifies the leak tightness of the repacked valve

Quantitative assessment of an aortic and pulmonary valve function according to valve fenestration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirkhani, S.H.; Golestani, M.G.; Hosini, M.; Kazemian, A.

1999-01-01

There are some reasons for malfunction of aortic and pulmonary valve like fibrosis, calcification, and atheroma. Although, in some papers fenestration were known as a pathologic sign, but it is not generally accepted, while this matter is important in choosing suitable Homograft Heart Valve. In this paper fenestrations and its size, numbers and situation effect was studied. We collected 98 hearts, the donors died because of accident, we excluded valves with atheroma, calcification, fibrosis and unequal cusps, 91 aortic and 93 pulmonary valves were given further consideration. We classified valves according to situation, number and size of fenestration. Each valve was tested with 104 cm of non-nal saline column pressure which is equal to 76 mm Hg. Valve efficacy was detected by fluid flow assay. With study of 184 valves, 95 had no fenestration, 64 had less than 2 fenestration and 25 had more than 2 fenestration. Valve efficacy in condition of less than 2 fenestration was more than others (p <0.01). Malfunction effects of fenestration increased in larger valve and it will be decreased if their situation would be marginal (free margin of cusp). In the comparison of aortic and pulmonary valve we saw that malfunction effect of fenestration in pulmonary valve was more than aortic valve. Our experience in Immam Khomeini Homograft Valve Bank has shown that a great deal of valves is fenestrated. It seems that fenestration must be considered as a quality criterion in homograft valve preparation, especially in pulmonary and large aortic valves; but complementary studies is necessary

A remote control valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cachard, Maurice de; Dumont, Maurice.

1976-01-01

This invention concerns a remote control valve for shutting off or distributing a fluid flowing at a high rate and low pressure. Among the different valves at present in use, electric valves are the most recommended for remote control but their reliability is uncertain and they soon become costly when large diameter valves are used. The valve described in this invention does away with this drawback owing to its simplicity and the small number of moving parts, this makes it particularly reliable. It mainly includes: a tubular body fitted with at least one side opening; at least one valve wedge for this opening, coaxial with the body, and mobile; a mobile piston integral with this wedge. Several valves to the specifications of this invention can be fitted in series (a shut-off valve can be used in conjunction with one or more distribution valves). The fitting and maintenance of the valve is very simple owing to its design. It can be fabricated in any material such as metals, alloys, plastics and concrete. The structure of the valve prevents the flowing fluid from coming into contact with the outside environment, thereby making it particularly suitable in the handling of dangerous or corrosive fluids. Finally, the opening and shutting of the valve occurs slowly, thereby doing away with the water hammer effect so frequent in large bore pipes [fr

One-shot valve may be remotely actuated

Science.gov (United States)

Kami, S.

1965-01-01

One-shot valve, with spring-loaded plunger and sealing diaphragm, incorporates an emergency release actuated by a remote sensor. The plunger is released by the electrical melting of a fuse link and pierces the valve seal. The valve lowers fluid pressure in a container without losing the contained fluid.

Principle and opening-closing character analysis of DC check valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Xu; Zhou Yu

2006-01-01

When the behaviour of main pump in PWR power plant change, as a result of arresting fluid countercurrent current by check valve, water hammer phenomena met occur more or less in loop. Serious water hammer not only met brought incident of over pressure, imperil pressure boundary, but also may engender check valve lapse. DC check valve is a kind of new theory check valve, is designed to avoid serious water hammer phenomena at tradition check valve closing, the analyses and experiment indicate that DC check valve can availably solve water hammer problem in the loop, and be able to reliably prevent fluid countercurrent. (authors)

Piezoelectric and Sensitivity Evaluation of Acoustic Emission Sensors for Nuclear Power Plant Valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang-Guk; Lee, Sun-Ki; Park, Sung-Keun; Kim, Myung-Ki

2008-01-01

A lot of valves are used in the power plant. The operation safety test and the valve inside leak detection are implemented on the valve which has a great impact on the safe operation of the plant. While input and output pressure measurement using a pressure gauge, temperature change and the humidity measurement, and pressure-resistant test are used for the valve leak detection, there are many problems such as the difficulty of the real time measurement at the minute leak situation, complexity of the pressure gauge correction and the process of the pressure measurement, and the reliability of the measured value. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the valve leak detection system using the acoustic emission (AE) method which is fast and accurate, and allows the real time measurement and evaluation of the minute leak situation. The valve leak detection method using the AE method is a convenient way to detect the sound of the leak outside the valve in case of existing leak inside of the valve, and the research is in progress recently to apply the method to the power plant valve

Development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Sung Tai; Choi, J. H.; Jeong, K. C.; Jeong, J. Y.; Choi, Y. D.; Kwon, S. W.; Kim, B. H.

1997-01-01

A study on development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose showed the results as follows: 1) characteristics and principle of the valve 2) study on the radial rays effecting to the permanent magnets 3) effects of temperature on the magnetic driving device a) temperature-dependency of the Nd-casting magnets b) effects of temperature on the heat releasing fins of high-temperature valve 4) optimization of torque a) arranging method of permanent magnets b) measuring method and results of torque 5) enlargement of magnetic rotating force a) experiments for the torque enlargement 6) calculation and pressure test for the pressure-resisting structure of magnetic power transmitting device a) calculation for the flat circular plates under pressure b) pressure test of the separating plate 7) design and manufacture of the valve 8) patent application. (author). 1 ref., 18 tabs., 38 figs

Development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Sung Tae; Park, Jin Ho; Choi, Yoon Dong; Choi, Jong Hyun; Cho, Byung Ryeol; Kim, Tae Jun; Moon, Byung Hwan; Hong, Soon Bok; Jeong, Ji Young

1995-09-01

A study on development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose showed the results as follows; 1. Study on the radial rays effecting to the permanent magnets -Measurement of the strength of Nd-magnets according to irradiation of radial rays. 2. Effects of temperature on the magnetic driving device -Temperature dependency of the Nd-casting magnets. -Effects of temperature on the heat releasing fins of high-temperature valve. 3. Optimization of torque -Arranging method of permanent magnets -Measuring method and results of torque. 4. Design, manufacture and test for the pressure-resisting structure of magnetic power transmitting device -Calculation and design for the flat circular plates under pressure of the magnetic power transmitting device -Design, manufacture and test for the pressure-resisting structure of magnetic power transmitting device -Comparison of the characteristics between magnetic drive valve and general/bellows-sealed valves. 5. Pressure test and strength analysis of flat circular plates under pressure. 6. Patent application. 12 tabs., 24 figs., 1 ref. (Author)

Transient flow analysis of integrated valve opening process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Xinming; Qin, Benke; Bo, Hanliang, E-mail: bohl@tsinghua.edu.cn; Xu, Xingxing

2017-03-15

Highlights: • The control rod hydraulic driving system (CRHDS) is a new type of built-in control rod drive technology and the integrated valve (IV) is the key control component. • The transient flow experiment induced by IV is conducted and the test results are analyzed to get its working mechanism. • The theoretical model of IV opening process is established and applied to get the changing rule of the transient flow characteristic parameters. - Abstract: The control rod hydraulic driving system (CRHDS) is a new type of built-in control rod drive technology and the IV is the key control component. The working principle of integrated valve (IV) is analyzed and the IV hydraulic experiment is conducted. There is transient flow phenomenon in the valve opening process. The theoretical model of IV opening process is established by the loop system control equations and boundary conditions. The valve opening boundary condition equation is established based on the IV three dimensional flow field analysis results and the dynamic analysis of the valve core movement. The model calculation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. On this basis, the model is used to analyze the transient flow under high temperature condition. The peak pressure head is consistent with the one under room temperature and the pressure fluctuation period is longer than the one under room temperature. Furthermore, the changing rule of pressure transients with the fluid and loop structure parameters is analyzed. The peak pressure increases with the flow rate and the peak pressure decreases with the increase of the valve opening time. The pressure fluctuation period increases with the loop pipe length and the fluctuation amplitude remains largely unchanged under different equilibrium pressure conditions. The research results lay the base for the vibration reduction analysis of the CRHDS.

Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, as inferred from lung areas in gated blood-pool scintigrams: concise communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urbina, A.; Okada, R.D.; Palacios, I.; Osbakken, M.; Strauss, H.W.

1981-01-01

To determine whether the apex-to-base distribution of pulmonary blood volume, as obtained from gated cardiac blood-pool scans, could be used as a noninvasive method to estimate mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), gated blood-pool scans were analyzed in 77 patients who also had PCWP measurements at cardiac catheterization. Ten of these patients had gated cardiac blood-pool scans and PCWP measurements both at rest and during exercise. The apex-to-base distribution of pulmonary blood volume was determined from the end-systolic frame of the left anterior oblique view by placing equal-sized regions of interest over the apex and base of the right lung. The ratio of apex counts over base counts (A/B ratio) was considered abnormal if greater than unity. The mean A/B ratio was 1.15 +/- 0.27 (1 s.d.) for the 32 studies associated with an abnormal mean PCWP (greater than 12 mm Hg). The mean A/B ratio was 0.85 +/- 0.23 for the 55 studies associated with a normal mean PCWP (p less than 0.01 comparing normal group with abnormal). The sensitivity of the A/B ratio for a mean PCWP greater than 12 mm Hg was 81%R (26/32). The specificity of the A/B ratio for a mean PCWP greater than or equal to 12 mm Hg was 89% (49/55). Thus, noninvasive determination of the pulmonary apex-to-base ratio from gated cardiac blood-pool scans appears to differentiate subjects with normal and abnormal mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressures

Impact characteristics for high-pressure large-flow water-based emulsion pilot operated check valve reverse opening

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lei; Huang, Chuanhui; Yu, Ping; Zhang, Lei

2017-10-01

To improve the dynamic characteristics and cavitation characteristics of large-flow pilot operated check valve, consider the pilot poppet as the research object, analyses working principle and design three different kinds of pilot poppets. The vibration characteristics and impact characteristics are analyzed. The simulation model is established through flow field simulation software. The cavitation characteristics of large-flow pilot operated check valve are studied and discussed. On this basis, high-pressure large-flow impact experimental system is used for impact experiment, and the cavitation index is discussed. Then optimal structure is obtained. Simulation results indicate that the increase of pilot poppet half cone angle can effectively reduce the cavitation area, reducing the generation of cavitation. Experimental results show that the pressure impact is not decreasing with increasing of pilot poppet half cone angle in process of unloading, but the unloading capacity, response speed and pilot poppet half cone angle are positively correlated. The impact characteristics of 60° pilot poppet, and its cavitation index is lesser, which indicates 60° pilot poppet is the optimal structure, with the theory results are basically identical.

Effects of aging and service wear on main steam isolation valves and valve operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, R.L.

1996-03-01

In recent years main steam isolation valve (MSIV operating problems have resulted in significant operational transients (e.g., spurious reactor trips, steam generator dry out, excessive valve seat leakage), increased cost, and decreased plant availability. A key ingredient to an engineering-oriented reliability improvement effort is a thorough understanding of relevant historical experience. A detailed review of historical failure data available through the Institute of Nuclear Power Operation's Nuclear Plant Reliability Data System has been conducted for several types of MSIVs and valve operators for both boiling-water reactors and pressurized-water reactors. The focus of this review is on MSIV failures modes, actuator failure modes, consequences of failure on plant operations, method of failure detection, and major stressors affecting both valves and valve operators

A strategy for the risk-based inspection of pressure safety valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chien, C.-H.; Chen, C.-H.; Chao, Y.J.

2009-01-01

The purpose of a pressure safety valve (PSV) is to protect the life and safety of pressure vessels in a pressurized system. If a weakened PSV fails to function properly, a catastrophic event might occur if no other protective means are provided. By utilizing the as-received test data and statistical analysis of the aging conditions of PSVs in lubricant process units, a risk-based inspection (RBI) system was developed in this study. First of all, the characteristics of PSV were discussed from the practical viewpoint of engineering inspection and maintenance. The as-received test data, which shows obvious PSV damage, will be separated from the data used in the following statistical analysis. Then, the relationship between the aging conditions and the corresponding PSV parameters was analyzed by using the statistical technique-analysis of variance (ANOVA). Finally, a strategy for semi-quantitative RBI is proposed. Also, a definitive estimated inspection interval for every PSV is suggested. The outcome indicated most of the risks result from a few PSVs, for which the corresponding inspection intervals will be shorter than the 2 years in accordance with relative standards and local government regulations

Training aids: the motor operator valve trainer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCulloch, B.

1987-01-01

The spectrum of training aids used in the nuclear industry runs the gamut from the very basic (i.e., valve training aids - gate, globe, check) to the highly complex (i.e., nuclear full scope simulator). Designing and purchasing the best training aids take much time, detailed investigation, and good understanding of plant operations. The training aid that has given the New York Power Authority the best results has been the motor operator valve (MOV) trainer. Some of the items that make the MOV trainer a good choice are: (1) large number of MOVs in the plant, (2) importance of MOVs to safe plant operation, (3) detailed MOV procedures used by the plant, (4) history of MOV problems, and (5) ability to demonstrate important concepts and operation - hammer blow effect, torque and limit switch adjustment and functions, and actual sequence of operation of the limitorque valve operator

Integrated nozzle - flapper valve with piezoelectric actuator and isothermal chamber: a feedback linearization multi control device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamali, Mohammadreza; Jazayeri, Seyed Ali [K. N.Toosi University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Najafi, Farid [University of Guilan, Rasht (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kawashima, Kenji [Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo (Japan); Kagawa, Toshiharu [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo (Japan)

2016-05-15

This paper introduces a new nozzle-flapper valve with isothermal chamber using piezoelectric actuator. It controls the pressure and flow rate simply, effectively and separately. The proposed valve uses isothermal chamber presenting practical isothermal condition due to its large heat transfer interfaces filled by metal wool. The valve uses stacked type piezoelectric actuator with unique advantages. By using this valve, a simple method has been fulfilled to control flow rate or pressure of ideal gases in a pneumatic actuators. Experimental results demonstrated applications of the proposed valve to control either pressure or flow rate in pneumatic circuits. This valve can be also used in the pilot stage valve to actuate the main stage of a much bigger pneumatic valve. Designated structure contains only one pressure sensor installed on the isothermal control chamber, capable of controlling both pressure and flow rate. The desired output mass flow rate of the valve is controlled by the pressure changes during positioning of piezoelectric actuator at proper position. The proposed valve can control steady and unsteady oscillatory flow rate and pressure effectively, using nonlinear control method such as feedback linearization approach. Its effectiveness is demonstrated and validated through simulation and experiments.

Gating system optimization of low pressure casting A356 aluminum alloy intake manifold based on numerical simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Wenming

2014-03-01

Full Text Available To eliminate the shrinkage porosity in low pressure casting of an A356 aluminum alloy intake manifold casting, numerical simulation on filling and solidification processes of the casting was carried out using the ProCAST software. The gating system of the casting is optimized according to the simulation results. Results show that when the gating system consists of only one sprue, the filling of the molten metal is not stable; and the casting does not follow the sequence solidification, and many shrinkage porosities are observed through the casting. After the gating system is improved by adding one runner and two in-gates, the filling time is prolonged from 4.0 s to 4.5 s, the filling of molten metal becomes stable, but this casting does not follow the sequence solidification either. Some shrinkage porosity is also observed in the hot spots of the casting. When the gating system was further improved by adding risers and chill to the hot spots of the casting, the shrinkage porosity defects were eliminated completely. Finally, by using the optimized gating system the A356 aluminum alloy intake manifold casting with integrated shape and smooth surface as well as dense microstructure was successfully produced.

Method for estimating steam hammer effects on swing-check valves during closure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uram, E.M.

1976-01-01

Relationships are developed for estimating the disk impact velocity resulting from a free swing closure of swing-check valves in normal flow and for pipe rupture. They derive from a phase-plane solution of the differential equation for the disk motion that accounts for the nature of the valve pressure drop variation due to steam-hammer effects during closure. For closure in normal flow, the method presented has a more correct foundation than that given in reference where a constant, average valve pressure differential based upon the steady-state pressure drop for the total piping system (which has no real relationship to the steam-hammer-induced valve pressure changes during the closure transient) is used in the valve disk motion equation

Development of Overflow-Prevention Valve with Trigger Mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishino, Yuji; Mizuno, Takeshi; Takasaki, Masaya

2016-09-01

A new overflow-prevention valve for combustible fluid is developed which uses a trigger mechanism. Loading arms for combustible fluid are used for transferring oil from a tanker to tanks and vice versa. The loading arm has a valve for preventing overflow. Overflow- prevention valves cannot use any electric component to avoid combustion. Therefore, the valve must be constructed only by mechanical parts. The conventional overflow-prevention valve uses fluid and pneumatic forces. It consists of a sensor probe, a cylinder, a main valve for shutting off the fluid and a locking mechanism for holding an open state of the main valve. The proposed overflow-prevention valve uses the pressure due to the height difference between the fluid level of the tank and the sensor probe. However, the force of the cylinder produced by the pressure is too small to release the locking mechanism. Therefore, a trigger mechanism is introduced between the cylinder and the locking mechanism. The trigger mechanism produces sufficient force to release the locking mechanism and close the main valve when the height of fluid exceeds a threshold value. A trigger mechanism is designed and fabricated. The operation necessary for closing the main valve is conformed experimentally.

Oil Stiction in Fast Switching Annular Seat Valves for Digital Displacement Fluid Power Machines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roemer, Daniel Beck; Johansen, Per; Pedersen, Henrik C.

2014-01-01

Digital Displacement (DD) fluid power machines utilizes electronically controlled seat valves connected to pressure chambers to obtain variable displacement with high operational efficiency and high bandwidth. To achieve high efficiency, fast valve switching is essential and all aspects related...... to the dynamic behaviour of the seat valves must be considered to optimize the machine efficiency. A significant effect influencing the valves switching performance is the presence of oil stiction when separating the contact surfaces in valve opening movement. This oil stiction force is limited by cavitation...... for low pressure levels, e.g. valves connected to the low pressure manifold, however for valves operated at higher pressure levels, the oil stiction force is dominating when the separating surfaces are close to contact. This paper presents an analytic solution to the oil stiction force for annular seat...

Development of a micro-mechanical valve in a novel glaucoma implant.

Science.gov (United States)

Siewert, Stefan; Schultze, Christine; Schmidt, Wolfram; Hinze, Ulf; Chichkov, Boris; Wree, Andreas; Sternberg, Katrin; Allemann, Reto; Guthoff, Rudolf; Schmitz, Klaus-Peter

2012-10-01

This paper describes methods for design, manufacturing and characterization of a micro-mechanical valve for a novel glaucoma implant. The implant is designed to drain aqueous humour from the anterior chamber of the eye into the suprachoroidal space in case of an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). In contrast to any existing glaucoma drainage device (GDD), the valve mechanism is located in the anterior chamber and there, surrounded by aqueous humour, immune to fibrosis induced failure. For the prevention of hypotony the micro-mechanical valve is designed to open if the physiological pressure difference between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal space in the range of 0.8 mmHg to 3.7 mmHg is exceeded. In particular the work includes: (i) manufacturing and morphological characterization of polymer tubing, (ii) mechanical material testing as basis for (iii) the design of micro-mechanical valves using finite element analysis (FEA), (iv) manufacturing of microstent prototypes including micro-mechanical valves by femtosecond laser micromachining and (v) the experimental fluid-mechanical characterization of the manufactured microstent prototypes with regard to valve opening pressure. The considered materials polyurethane (PUR) and silicone (SIL) exhibit low elastic modulus and high extensibility. The unique valve design enables a low opening pressure of micro-mechanical valves. An ideal valve design for PUR and SIL with an experimentally determined opening pressure of 2 mmHg and 3.7 mmHg is identified. The presented valve approach is suitable for the inhibition of hypotony as a major limitation of today's GDD and will potentially improve the minimally invasive treatment of glaucoma.

Helium pressures in RHIC vacuum cryostats and relief valve requirements from magnet cooling line failure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liaw, C.J.; Than, Y.; Tuozzolo, J.

2011-03-28

A catastrophic failure of the RHIC magnet cooling lines, similar to the LHC superconducting bus failure incident, would pressurize the insulating vacuum in the magnet and transfer line cryostats. Insufficient relief valves on the cryostats could cause a structural failure. A SINDA/FLUINT{reg_sign} model, which simulated the 4.5K/4 atm helium flowing through the magnet cooling system distribution lines, then through a line break into the vacuum cryostat and discharging via the reliefs into the RHIC tunnel, had been developed to calculate the helium pressure inside the cryostat. Arc flash energy deposition and heat load from the ambient temperature cryostat surfaces were included in the simulations. Three typical areas: the sextant arc, the Triplet/DX/D0 magnets, and the injection area, had been analyzed. Existing relief valve sizes were reviewed to make sure that the maximum stresses, caused by the calculated maximum pressures inside the cryostats, did not exceed the allowable stresses, based on the ASME Code B31.3 and ANSYS results. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The S/F simulation results show that the highest internal pressure in the cryostats, due to the magnet line failure, is {approx}37 psig (255115 Pa); (2) Based on the simulation, the temperature on the cryostat chamber, INJ Q8-Q9, could drop to 228 K, which is lower than the material minimum design temperature allowed by the Code; (3) Based on the ASME Code and ANSYS results, the reliefs on all the cryostats inside the RHIC tunnel are adequate to protect the vacuum chambers when the magnet cooling lines fail; and (4) In addition to the pressure loading, the thermal deformations, due to the temperature decrease on the cryostat chambers, could also cause a high stress on the chamber, if not properly supported.

Helium pressures in RHIC vacuum cryostats and relief valve requirements from magnet cooling line failure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liaw, C.J.; Than, Y.; Tuozzolo, J.

2011-01-01

A catastrophic failure of the RHIC magnet cooling lines, similar to the LHC superconducting bus failure incident, would pressurize the insulating vacuum in the magnet and transfer line cryostats. Insufficient relief valves on the cryostats could cause a structural failure. A SINDA/FLUINT(reg s ign) model, which simulated the 4.5K/4 atm helium flowing through the magnet cooling system distribution lines, then through a line break into the vacuum cryostat and discharging via the reliefs into the RHIC tunnel, had been developed to calculate the helium pressure inside the cryostat. Arc flash energy deposition and heat load from the ambient temperature cryostat surfaces were included in the simulations. Three typical areas: the sextant arc, the Triplet/DX/D0 magnets, and the injection area, had been analyzed. Existing relief valve sizes were reviewed to make sure that the maximum stresses, caused by the calculated maximum pressures inside the cryostats, did not exceed the allowable stresses, based on the ASME Code B31.3 and ANSYS results. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The S/F simulation results show that the highest internal pressure in the cryostats, due to the magnet line failure, is ∼37 psig (255115 Pa); (2) Based on the simulation, the temperature on the cryostat chamber, INJ Q8-Q9, could drop to 228 K, which is lower than the material minimum design temperature allowed by the Code; (3) Based on the ASME Code and ANSYS results, the reliefs on all the cryostats inside the RHIC tunnel are adequate to protect the vacuum chambers when the magnet cooling lines fail; and (4) In addition to the pressure loading, the thermal deformations, due to the temperature decrease on the cryostat chambers, could also cause a high stress on the chamber, if not properly supported.

Design and production of a hermetic bayonet isolation valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuerst, J.

1993-05-01

Fermilab is upgrading the Tevatron for lower temperature/higher beam energy operation. Portions of the satellite refrigeration system will operate below atmospheric pressure after the upgrade is complete. Contamination must be prevented by hermetically sealing the subatmospheric helium to air interfaces. Bayonet connections in the low pressure flow path require a reliable, leak tight isolation valve instead of the standard quarter turn ball valve. Design, development, and production of a new valve are described

Dynamic Characteristics of The DSI-Type Constant-Flow Valves

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Yuan; Hu, Sheng-Yan; Chou, Hsien-Chin; Lee, Hsing-Han

Constant flow valves have been presented in industrial applications or academic studies, which compensate recess pressures of a hydrostatic bearing to resist load fluctuating. The flow rate of constant-flow valves can be constant in spite of the pressure changes in recesses, however the design parameters must be specified. This paper analyzes the dynamic responses of DSI-type constant-flow valves that is designed as double pistons on both ends of a spool with single feedback of working pressure and regulating restriction at inlet. In this study the static analysis presents the specific relationships among design parameters for constant flow rate and the dynamic analyses give the variations around the constant flow rate as the working pressure fluctuates.

Characteristic analysis and experiment of pneumatic servo valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong Soo; Lee, Won Hee; Choi, Byung Oh

2004-01-01

Electro-pneumatic servo valve is an electro-mechanical device which converts electric signals into a proper pneumatic flow rate or pressure. In order to improve the overall performance of pneumatic servo systems, electro-pneumatic servo valves are required, which have fast dynamic characteristics, no air leakage at a null point, and can be fabricated at a low-cost. The first objective of this research is to design and to fabricate a new electro-pneumatic servo valve which satisfies the above-mentioned requirements. In order to design the mechanism of the servo valve optimally, the flow inside the valve depending upon the position of spool was analyzed variously, and on the basis of such analysis results, the valve mechanism, which was formed by combination of the spool and the sleeve, was designed and manufactured. And a tester for conducting an overall performance test was designed and manufactured, and as a result of conducting the flow rate test, the pressure test and the frequency test on the developed pneumatic servo valve

Valve for closing a steam line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, W.; Potrykus, G.

1976-01-01

Instead of several control elements, the quick-closing valve, especially in the main-steam line between steam generator and turbine of a power station has the valve cone itself as the only movable part, acting with its inner surface as a piston within a second cylinder space. The valve shaft is at the same time a piston rod with a stepped piston at the upper end. This piston is loaded in a cylinder at the upspace below the valve cover on one hand by a spring, on the other hand by its own medium. Two non-return valves, one of it in a bore of the valve cone, connect the first-mentioned cylinder space with the steam-loaded inlet resp. outlet side of the valve. For controlling the valve, a magnet valve is sufficient. By automatic control of the valve cone coupled with several pistons several control lines can be omitted. There are also no pressurized control lines outside the valve which could be damaged by exterior influences. (ERA) [de

Use of a valve operation test and evaluation system to enhance valve reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowry, D.A.

1990-01-01

Power plant owners have emphasized the need for assuring safe, reliable operation of valves. While most valves must simply open or close, the mechanisms involved can be quite complex. Motor operated valves (MOVs) must be properly adjusted to assure operability. Individual operator components determine the performance of the entire MOV. Failure in MOVs could cripple or shut down a unit. Thus, a complete valve program consisting of design reviews, operational testing, and preventive and predictive maintenance activities will enhance an owner's confidence level that his valves win operate as expected. Liberty's Valve Operation Test and Evaluation System (VOTES) accurately measures stein thrust without intruding on valve operation. Since mounting a strain gage to a valve stem is a desirable but impractical way of obtaining precise stem thrust, Liberty developed a method to obtain identical data by placing a strain gage sensor on the valve yoke. VOTES provides information which effectively eliminates costly, unscheduled downtime. This paper presents the results of infield VOTES testing. The system's proven ability to identify and characterize actuator and valve performance is demonstrated. Specific topics of discussion include the ability of VOTES to ease a utility's IE Bulletin 8543 concerns and conclusively diagnose MOV components. Data from static and differential pressure testing are presented. Technical, operational, and financial advantages resulting from VOTES technology are explored in detail

Worchester Solenoid Actuated Gas Operated MCO Isolation Valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VAN KATWIJK, C.

2000-01-01

These valves are 1 inch gas-operated full-port ball valves incorporating a solenoid and limit switches as integral parts of the actuator that are used in process streams within the CVDF hood. The valves fail closed (on loss of pressure or electrical) to prevent MCO vent drain to either reduce air in-leakage or loss of He. The valves have couplings for transverse actuator mounting

Worcester Solenoid-Actuated Gas Operated MCO Isolation Valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VAN KATWIJK, C.

2000-01-01

These valves are 1 inch gas-operated full-port ball valves incorporating a solenoid and limit switches as Integral parts of the actuator that are used in different process streams within the CVDF hood. The valves fail closed (on loss of pressure or electrical) for MCO isolation to either reduce air in leakage or loss of He. All valves have coupling for transverse actuator mounting

Alterations in the evaporation and discharge calculations for safety and relief valves in the Almod pressurizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madeira, A.A.

1986-01-01

Models to estimate bubble rise velocity for evaporation, and critical mass flow for pressurizer relief and safety valves discharge calculation were implemented in ALMOD, a digital code developed to perform primary loop simulation of a PWR type during operational transients or accidents without loss of coolant. These models can be utilized alternatively, depending on the requirements for the analyzed transient condition. (Author) [pt

Fixation and mounting of porcine aortic valves for use in mock circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlöglhofer, Thomas; Aigner, Philipp; Stoiber, Martin; Schima, Heinrich

2013-10-01

Investigations of the circulatory system in vitro use mock circuits that require valves to mimic the cardiac situation. Whereas mechanical valves increase water hammer effects due to inherent stiffness and do not allow the use of pressure lines or catheters, bioprosthetic valves are expensive and of limited durability in test fluids. Therefore, we developed a cheap, fast, alternative method to mount valves obtained from the slaughterhouse in mock circuits. Porcine aortic roots were obtained from the abattoir and used either in native condition or after fixation. Fixation was performed at a constant retrograde pressure to ensure closed valve position. Fixation time was 4 h in a 0.5%-glutaraldehyde phosphate buffer. The fixed valves were molded into a modular mock circulation connector using a fast curing silicone. Valve functionality was evaluated in a pulsatile setting (cardiac output = 4.7 l/min, heart rate = 80 beats/min) and compared before and after fixation. Leaflet motion was recorded with a high-speed camera and valve insufficiency was quantified by leakage flow under steady pressure application (80 mmHg). Under physiological conditions the aortic valves showed almost equal leaflet motion in native and fixed conditions. However, the leaflets of the native valves showed lower stiffness and more fluttering during systole than the fixed specimens. Under retrograde pressure, fresh and fixed valves showed small leakage flows of <30 ml/min. The new mounting and fixation procedure is a fast method to fabricate low cost biologic valves for the use in mock circuits.

City gates maintenance - TBG experience; Experiencia da TBG na manutencao de estacoes de entrega de gas natural

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rocha, Adir de Brito; Tavares, Cipriano Homem; Pinto, Jose Eduardo Christovao [Transportadora Brasileira Gasoduto Bolivia-Brasil, S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2005-07-01

Owner and sole operator in Brasilian territory of the Bolivia-Brazil Gas Pipeline (GASBOL), the largest of its kind in South America, TBG started operations on July 1 st, 1999. Since then, it has ensured transportation of Bolivian natural gas into Brazil swiftly and safely. This paper relates the TBG experiences on Natural Gas City Gates maintenance and its components like filtering, heating, pressure reducing redundant valves, turbine meters, flow computers, solar panel power supply, satellite monitoring system, acquired by 6 years of operation of Brazil Bolivia Gas Pipe Line. It describes the definitions of maintenance plans using RCM - Reliability-centered Maintenance concepts and the most important learning experiences. (author)

CFD analysis on the dynamic flow characteristics of the pilot-control globe valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, Jin-yuan; Wei, Lin; Jin, Zhi-jiang; Wang, Jian-kai; Zhang, Han; Lu, An-le

2014-01-01

Highlights: • PCGV utilizes pressure difference to control the action of the valve core. • Three different opening processes with the same spring stiffness are analyzed. • Valve core’s displacements with different spring stiffness are analyzed. • The best design point of spring stiffness and inlet pressure is obtained. • The selection formula for the design of PCGV is generalized. - Abstract: The pilot-control globe valve (PCGV) is a new kind valve with simple structures and low driving energy consumption. It can utilize the pressure difference before and after the valve to control the action of the valve core. However, systematic theoretical research and numerical analysis are deficient at present. In this paper, the mathematical model of PCGV is established and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is employed to numerically simulate its dynamic characteristics. Through the analysis of the internal flow field distribution, its working principle is verified. Then three different opening processes with the same spring stiffness are analyzed under different static inlet pressures, and the best design point is obtained by studying the characteristic curves of the valve core’s displacement. The relationship of static inlet pressure and the valve core’s displacement is summarized and the selection formula for the valve design is generalized which can reduce the various design work for further optimization and engineering applications of PCGV

Solving the problem of valve stem leakage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, D.F.

1976-01-01

Engineering solutions to valve stem leakage, in systems carrying expensive heavy water under pressure, have progressed from changing packing brands (failure) to leak collection (partial success) to elimination of small packed valves and an improved valve packing strategy involving stable packing materials, live Belleville spring-loading of packing, and issuance of a detailed stuffing box specification (success). (E.C.B.)

Direct-heating solar-collector dump valve

Science.gov (United States)

Howikman, T. C.

1977-01-01

Five-port ganged valve isolates collector from primary load system pressure and drains collectors, allowing use of direct heating with all its advantages. Valve is opened and closed by same switch that controls pump or by temperature sensor set at O C, while providing direct dump option.

Design Method for Fast Switching Seat Valves for Digital Displacement Machines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roemer, Daniel Beck; Johansen, Per; Pedersen, Henrik C.

2014-01-01

corresponding to the piston movement, which has been shown to facilitate superior part load efficiency combined with high bandwidth compared to traditional displacement machines. However, DD machines need fast switching on-off valves with low pressure loss for efficient operation, especially in fast rotating......Digital Displacement (DD) machines are upcoming technology where the displacement of each pressure chamber is controlled electronically by use of two fast switching seat valves. The effective displacement and operation type (pumping/motoring) may be controlled by manipulating the seat valves...... method for DD seat valves are presented, taking into account the significant aspects related to obtaining efficient DD valves with basis in a given DD machine specifications. The seat area is minimized and the stroke length is minimized to obtain fast switching times while considering the pressure loss...

Qualification of the Lasentec M600P Particle Size Analyzer and the Red Valve Model 1151 Pressure Sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

JR Bontha; NG Colton; EA Daymo; TD Hylton; CK Bayne; TH May

2000-01-01

The Lasentec M600 in-line particle size analyzer was installed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in August 1998 to support retrieval of the Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT). Before installation at ORNL, the sensor underwent validation testing at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Instrument Validation facility. Mechanically, the instrument worked well during validation testing and met all expectations. Operationally, much was learned about optimum ways to display and interpret the data. Slurry samples taken during the in-line tests at PNNL were shipped to the vendor for analysis with a benchtop Lasentec sensor. These experiments were performed to determine if off-line analyses yield particle size distributions similar to those generated by the in-line sensor. It was determined that the Lasentec sensor measures repeatable chord lengths as long as particles are ''presenter'' to the sensor window the same way. After the initial non-radioactive simulant testing at PNNL, the instrument was shipped for radioactive validation and acceptance testing in the Slurry Monitoring Test System (SMTS) connected to the Tank W-9 of the GAATs at ORNL. For all acceptance tests conducted at ORNL, the variation in the chord length distribution and the total particle count corresponded very well with the slurry density data as determined using an in-line Promass 63M Coriolis meter. Based on the performance results obtained, the Lasentec M600P FBRM is expected to meet the requirements for measuring the particle size distribution during the slurry transfer operations at Hanford and the Oak Ridge GAAT remediation project. The Red Valve pressure sensor was endorsed at the Hanford Site following instrument validation tests at PNNL and is currently in operation in the Tank 241-C-106 pump pit. While this instrument measures pressure within a transfer line, this type of pressure sensor could be configured to measure pressure drop over time. In turn, the status of a slurry

A Study on the Main Steam Safety Valve Opening Mechanism by Flashing on NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Bae Joo

2009-01-01

A safety injection event happened by opening of the Main Steam Safety Valve at Kori unit 1 on April 16, 2005. The safety valves were opened at the lower system pressure than the valve opening set point due to rapid system pressure drop by opening of the Power Operated Relief Valve installed at the upstream of the Main Steam System. But the opening mechanism of safety valve at the lower set point pressure was not explained exactly. So, it needs to be understood about the safety valve opening mechanism to prevent a recurrence of this kind of event at a similar system of Nuclear Power Plant. This study is aimed to suggest the hydrodynamic mechanism for the safety valve opening at the lower set point pressure and the possibility of the recurrence at similar system conditions through document reviewing for the related previous studies and Kori unit 1 event

Traumatic Mitral Valve and Pericardial Injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nissar Shaikh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiac injury after blunt trauma is common but underreported. Common cardiac trauma after the blunt chest injury (BCI is cardiac contusion; it is very rare to have cardiac valve injury. The mitral valve injury during chest trauma occurs when extreme pressure is applied at early systole during the isovolumic contraction between the closure of the mitral valve and the opening of the aortic valve. Traumatic mitral valve injury can involve valve leaflet, chordae tendineae, or papillary muscles. For the diagnosis of mitral valve injury, a high index of suspicion is required, as in polytrauma patients, other obvious severe injuries will divert the attention of the treating physician. Clinical picture of patients with mitral valve injury may vary from none to cardiogenic shock. The echocardiogram is the main diagnostic modality of mitral valve injuries. Patient’s clinical condition will dictate the timing and type of surgery or medical therapy. We report a case of mitral valve and pericardial injury in a polytrauma patient, successfully treated in our intensive care unit.

Leakage characterization of a piloted power operated relief valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ezekoye, L.I.; Hess, M.D.

1995-01-01

In Westinghouse Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs), power operated relief valves (PORVs) are used to provide overpressure protection of the Pressurizer. The valves are fail closed globe valves which means that power is required to open the valves and, on loss of power, the valves close. There are two ways to operate the PORVs. The more common way is to directly couple the disc to an actuator via a disc-stem assembly. The type of design is not the object of this paper. The other and less common way of operating a PORV is by piloting the main valve such that the opening or closing of a pilot valve opens and closes the main valve. This is the design of interest. In most plants, the PORVs are installed with a water loop seal while in some plants no water loop seals are used. It is generally accepted that loop seal installation minimizes valve seat leakage. In non-loop seal installation, the valve seat is exposed to steam which increases the potential for seat leakage. This paper describes the results of some tests performed with nitrogen and steam to characterize the leakage potential of a pilot operated PORV. The test results were compared with seat leakage tests of check valves to provide insight on the leakage testing of pilot operated valves and check valves. The paper also compares the test data with leakage estimates using the ASME/ANSI OM Code guidance on valve leakage

Steam relief valve control system for a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, J.M.

1976-01-01

Described is a turbine follow system and method for Pressurized Water Reactors utilizing load bypass and/or atmospheric dump valves to provide a substitute load upon load rejection by bypassing excess steam to a condenser and/or to the atmosphere. The system generates a variable pressure setpoint as a function of load and applies an error signal to modulate the load bypass valves. The same signal which operates the bypass valves actuates a control rod automatic withdrawal prevent to insure against reactor overpower

Characteristics of transonic moist air flows around butterfly valves with spontaneous condensation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.B.M. Toufique Hasan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Effects of spontaneous condensation of moist air on the shock wave dynamics around butterfly valves in transonic flows are investigated by experimental and numerical simulations. Two symmetric valve disk shapes namely- a flat rectangular plate and a mid-plane cross-section of a prototype butterfly valve have been studied in the present research. Results showed that in case with spontaneous condensation, the root mean square of pressure oscillation (induced by shock dynamics is reduced significantly with those without condensation for both shapes of the valves. Moreover, local aerodynamic moments were reduced in case with condensation which is considered to be beneficial in torque requirement in case of on/off applications of valves as flow control devices. However, total pressure loss was increased with spontaneous condensation in both the valves. Furthermore, the disk shape of a prototype butterfly valve showed better aerodynamic performances compared to flat rectangular plate profile in respect of total pressure loss and vortex shedding frequency in the wake region.

Method of accounting for code safety valve setpoint drift in safety analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rousseau, K.R.; Bergeron, P.A.

1989-01-01

In performing the safety analyses for transients that result in a challenge to the reactor coolant system (RCS) pressure boundary, the general acceptance criterion is that the peak RCS pressure not exceed the American Society of Mechanical Engineers limit of 110% of the design pressure. Without crediting non-safety-grade pressure mitigating systems, protection from this limit is mainly provided by the primary and secondary code safety valves. In theory, the combination of relief capacity and setpoints for these valves is designed to provide this protection. Generally, banks of valves are set at varying setpoints staggered by 15- to 20-psid increments to minimize the number of valves that would open by an overpressure challenge. In practice, however, when these valves are removed and tested (typically during a refueling outage), setpoints are sometimes found to have drifted by >50 psid. This drift should be accounted for during the performance of the safety analysis. This paper describes analyses performed by Yankee Atomic Electric Company (YAEC) to account for setpoint drift in safety valves from testing. The results of these analyses are used to define safety valve operability or acceptance criteria

Flow characteristics and performance evaluation of butterfly valves using numerical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, S Y; Shin, M S; Yoon, J Y

2010-01-01

The industrial butterfly valves have been applied to various fields that transport fluid in volume, especially water supply and drainage pipeline for flow control. The butterfly valves in various shapes are manufactured, but a fitting performance comparison is not made up. For this reason, we carried out numerical analysis of some kind of butterfly valves for water supply and drainage pipeline using commercial CFD code FLUENT, and made a comparative study of these results. Also, the flow coefficient, the loss coefficient, and pressure distribution of valves according to valve opening rate were compared each other and the influence of these design variables on valve performance were checked over. Through flow around the valve disk, such as pressure distribution, flow pattern, velocity vectors, and form of vortex, we grasped flow characteristics.

A jazz-based approach for optimal setting of pressure reducing valves in water distribution networks

Science.gov (United States)

De Paola, Francesco; Galdiero, Enzo; Giugni, Maurizio

2016-05-01

This study presents a model for valve setting in water distribution networks (WDNs), with the aim of reducing the level of leakage. The approach is based on the harmony search (HS) optimization algorithm. The HS mimics a jazz improvisation process able to find the best solutions, in this case corresponding to valve settings in a WDN. The model also interfaces with the improved version of a popular hydraulic simulator, EPANET 2.0, to check the hydraulic constraints and to evaluate the performances of the solutions. Penalties are introduced in the objective function in case of violation of the hydraulic constraints. The model is applied to two case studies, and the obtained results in terms of pressure reductions are comparable with those of competitive metaheuristic algorithms (e.g. genetic algorithms). The results demonstrate the suitability of the HS algorithm for water network management and optimization.

Cavitation behavior observed in three monoleaflet mechanical heart valves under accelerated testing conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Chi-Wen; Liu, Jia-Shing; Li, Chi-Pei; Lu, Po-Chien; Hwang, Ned H

2008-01-01

Accelerated testing provides a substantial amount of data on mechanical heart valve durability in a short period of time, but such conditions may not accurately reflect in vivo performance. Cavitation, which occurs during mechanical heart valve closure when local flow field pressure decreases below vapor pressure, is thought to play a role in valve damage under accelerated conditions. The underlying flow dynamics and mechanisms behind cavitation bubble formation are poorly understood. Under physiologic conditions, random perivalvular cavitation is difficult to capture. We applied accelerated testing at a pulse rate of 600 bpm and transvalvular pressure of 120 mm Hg, with synchronized videographs and high-frequency pressure measurements, to study cavitation of the Medtronic Hall Standard (MHS), Medtronic Hall D-16 (MHD), and Omni Carbon (OC) valves. Results showed cavitation bubbles between 340 and 360 micros after leaflet/housing impact of the MHS, MHD, and OC valves, intensified by significant leaflet rebound. Squeeze flow, Venturi, and water hammer effects each contributed to cavitation, depending on valve design.

Control of an air pressure actuated disposable bioreactor for cultivating heart valves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beelen, M.J.; Neerincx, P.E.; Molengraft, van de M.J.G.

2011-01-01

A disposable injection molded bioreactor for growing tissue-engineered heart valves is controlled to mimic the physiological heart cycle. Tissue-engineered heart valves, cultured from human stem cells, are a possible alternative for replacing failing aortic heart valves, where nowadays biological

Respiratory gated radiotherapy: current techniques and potential benefits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giraud, P.; Campana, F.; Rosenwald, J.C.; Cosset, J.M.; Reboul, F.; Garcia, R.; Clippe, S.; Carrie, C.; Dubray, B.

2003-01-01

Respiration-gated radiotherapy offers a significant potential for improvement in the irradiation of tumor sites affected by respiratory motion such as lung, breast and liver tumors. An increased conformality of irradiation fields leading to decreased complications rates of organs at risk (lung, heart...) is expected. Respiratory gating is in line with the need for improved precision required by radiotherapy techniques such as 3D conformal radiotherapy or intensity modulated radiotherapy. Reduction of respiratory motion can be achieved by using either breath hold techniques or respiration synchronized gating techniques. Breath-hold techniques can be achieved with active, in which airflow of the patient is temporarily blocked by a valve, or passive techniques, in which the patient voluntarily breath-hold. Synchronized gating techniques use external devices to predict the phase of the respiration cycle while the patient breaths freely. These techniques presently investigated in several medical centers worldwide. Although promising, the first results obtained in lung and liver cancer patients require confirmation. Physical, technical and physiological questions still remain to be answered. This paper describes the most frequently used gated techniques and the main published clinical reports on the use of respiration-gated radiotherapy in order to evaluate the impact of these techniques. (author)

Operating Temperatures of a Sodium-Cooled Exhaust Valve as Measured by a Thermocouple

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, J. C.; Wilsted, H. D.; Mulcahy, B. A.

1943-01-01

A thermocouple was installed in the crown of a sodium-cooled exhaust valve. The valve was then tested in an air-cooled engine cylinder and valve temperatures under various engine operating conditions were determined. A temperature of 1337 F was observed at a fuel-air ratio of 0.064, a brake mean effective pressure of 179 pounds per square inch, and an engine speed of 2000 rpm. Fuel-air ratio was found to have a large influence on valve temperature, but cooling-air pressure and variation in spark advance had little effect. An increase in engine power by change of speed or mean effective pressure increased the valve temperature. It was found that the temperature of the rear spark-plug bushing was not a satisfactory indication of the temperature of the exhaust valve.

Trabeculectomy versus Ahmed Glaucoma Valve implantation in neovascular glaucoma

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Christopher C; Salim, Sarwat; Du, Haiming; Netland, Peter A

2011-01-01

Purpose: To compare surgical outcomes in neovascular glaucoma patients who underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C versus Ahmed Glaucoma Valve implantation. Patients and methods: This was a retrospective comparative case series. We reviewed 40 eyes of 39 patients with underlying diagnosis of neovascular glaucoma, divided into two groups: Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (N = 20) and trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (N = 20). Surgical success was defined as 6 mm Hg ≤ intraocular pressure ≤21 mm Hg, with or without the use of glaucoma medications, with no further glaucoma surgery, and light perception or better vision. Early postoperative hypotony was defined as intraocular pressure Ahmed Glaucoma Valve group and 25 months (6–77 months) for the trabeculectomy group. Although the mean number of postoperative intraocular pressure-lowering medications was significantly higher in the trabeculectomy group compared with the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve group at 3 and 6 month time points, there was no statistically significant difference at any other time point. There was no statistically significant difference between both groups in postoperative visual acuity and intraocular pressure. Success was 70% and 65% at 1 year and 60% and 55% at 2 years after Ahmed Glaucoma Valve and trabeculectomy, respectively. Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis showed no significant difference in success between the two groups (P = 0.815). Hyphema was the most common complication in both groups. Conclusion: We found similar results after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C and Ahmed Glaucoma Valve implantation in eyes with neovascular glaucoma. PMID:21468334

Pressure-Application Device for Testing Pressure Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

A portable pressure-application device has been designed and built for use in testing and calibrating piezoelectric pressure transducers in the field. The device generates pressure pulses of known amplitude. A pressure pulse (in contradistinction to a steady pressure) is needed because in the presence of a steady pressure, the electrical output of a piezoelectric pressure transducer decays rapidly with time. The device includes a stainless- steel compressed-air-storage cylinder of 500 cu cm volume. A manual hand pump with check valves and a pressure gauge are located at one end of the cylinder. A three-way solenoid valve that controls the release of pressurized air is located at the other end of the cylinder. Power for the device is provided by a 3.7-V cordless-telephone battery. The valve is controlled by means of a pushbutton switch, which activates a 5 V to +/-15 V DC-to-DC converter that powers the solenoid. The outlet of the solenoid valve is connected to the pressure transducer to be tested. Before the solenoid is energized, the transducer to be tested is at atmospheric pressure. When the solenoid is actuated by the push button, pressurized air from inside the cylinder is applied to the transducer. Once the pushbutton is released, the cylinder pressure is removed from the transducer and the pressurized air applied to the transducer is vented, bringing the transducer back to atmospheric pressure. Before this device was used for actual calibration, its accuracy was checked with a NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) traceable calibrator and commercially calibrated pressure transducers. This work was done by Wanda Solano of Stennis Space Center and Greg Richardson of Lockheed Martin Corp.

Mitigating check valve slamming and subsequentwater hammer events for PPFS using MOC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Wenxi; Su Guanghui; Wang Gaopeng; Qiu Suizheng; Xiao Zejun

2009-01-01

The method of characteristic (MOC) was adopted to analyze the check valve-induced water hammer behaviors for a Parallel Pumps Feedwater System (PPFS) during the alternate startup process. The motion of check valve disc was simulated using inertial valve model. Transient parameters including the pressure oscillation, local flow velocity and slamming of the check valve disc etc. have been obtained. The results showed that severe slamming between the valve disc and valve seat occurred during the alternate startup of parallel pumps. The induced maximum pressure vibration amplitude is up to 5.0 MPa. The scheme of appending a damping torque to slow down the check valve closing speed was also performed to mitigate of water hammer. It has been numerically approved to be an effective approach. (authors)

Mitigating check valve slamming and subsequentwater hammer events for PPFS using MOC

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

TIAN Wenxi; SU Guanghui; WANG Gaopeng; QIU Suizheng; XIAO Zejun

2009-01-01

The method of characteristic (MOC) was adopted to analyze the check valve-induced water hammer behaviors for a Parallel Pumps Feedwater System (PPFS) during the alternate startup process. The motion of check valve disc was simulated using inertial valve model. Transient parameters including the pressure oscillation, local flow velocity and slamming of the check valve disc etc. have been obtained. The results showed that severe slamming between the valve disc and valve seat occurred during the alternate startup of parallel pumps. The induced maximum pressure vibration amplitude is up to 5.0 MPa. The scheme of appending a damping torque to slow down the check valve closing speed was also performed to mitigate of water hammer. It has been numerically approved to be an effective approach.

Experimental investigation of the check valve behaviour when the flow is reversing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Himr D.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Check valve in a pipeline is supposed to prevent the reverse flow and to allow the flow in the positive direction. The construction of check valves follows these requirements, but the check valve must not cause pressure pulsations in transients. It means when the fluid is accelerating or decelerating. The article describes an experimental investigation of a swing check valve when the flow is changing its direction. The check valve was placed in an experimental circuit, where the pressure on the upstream and downstream side of the valve was measured and the current value of flow rate was determined. The goal was to simulate conditions in the real system, where the check valve slam had been observed.

Use of multidetector-row computed tomography scan to detect pannus formation in prosthetic mechanical aortic valves.

Science.gov (United States)

Aladmawi, Mohamed A; Pragliola, Claudio; Vriz, Olga; Galzerano, Domenico

2017-04-01

Obstruction of a mechanical aortic valve by pannus formation at the subvalvular level is a major long-term complication of aortic valve replacement (AVR). In fact, pannus is sometime difficult to differentiate from patient-prosthesis mismatch or valve thrombosis. In most cases cine-angiography and echocardiography, either transthoracic or transesophageal, cannot correctly visualize the complication when the leaflets show a normal mobility. Recent technological refinements made this difficult diagnosis possible by ECG-gated computed tomography (CT) scan which shows adequate images in 90% of the cases and can differentiate pannus from fresh and organized thrombus.

Fully Soft 3D-Printed Electroactive Fluidic Valve for Soft Hydraulic Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Zatopa, Alex; Walker, Steph; Menguc, Yigit

2018-06-01

Soft robots are designed to utilize their compliance and contortionistic abilities to both interact safely with their environment and move through it in ways a rigid robot cannot. To more completely achieve this, the robot should be made of as many soft components as possible. Here we present a completely soft hydraulic control valve consisting of a 3D-printed photopolymer body with electrorheological (ER) fluid as a working fluid and gallium-indium-tin liquid metal alloy as electrodes. This soft 3D-printed ER valve weighs less than 10 g and allows for onboard actuation control, furthering the goal of an entirely soft controllable robot. The soft ER valve pressure-holding capabilities were tested under unstrained conditions, cyclic valve activation, and the strained conditions of bending, twisting, stretching, and indentation. It was found that the max holding pressure of the valve when 5 kV was applied across the electrodes was 264 kPa, and that the holding pressure deviated less than 15% from the unstrained max holding pressure under all strain conditions except for indentation, which had a 60% max pressure increase. In addition, a soft octopus-like robot was designed, 3D printed, and assembled, and a soft ER valve was used to stop the fluid flow, build pressure in the robot, and actuate six tentacle-like soft bending actuators.

Investigation Of Adhesion Formation In New Stainless Steel Trim Spring Operated Pressure Relief Valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gross, Robert E. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States); Bukowski, Julia V. [Villanova University, Villanova, PA (United States); Goble, William M. [exida, Sellersville, PA (United States)

2013-04-16

Examination of proof test data for new (not previously installed) stainless steel (SS) trim spring operated pressure relief valves (SOPRV) reveals that adhesions form between the seat and disc in about 46% of all such SOPRV. The forces needed to overcome these adhesions can be sufficiently large to cause the SOPRV to fail its proof test (FPT) prior to installation. Furthermore, a significant percentage of SOPRV which are found to FPT are also found to ''fail to open'' (FTO) meaning they would not relief excess pressure in the event of an overpressure event. The cases where adhesions result in FTO or FPT appear to be confined to SOPRV with diameters < 1 in and set pressures < 150 psig and the FTO are estimated to occur in 0.31% to 2.00% of this subpopulation of SS trim SOPRV. The reliability and safety implications of these finding for end-users who do not perform pre-installation testing of SOPRV are discussed.

Evaluating All-Metal Valves for Use in a Tritium Environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Houk, L. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Payton, A. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2017-09-28

In the tritium gas processing system, it is desired to minimize polymer components due to their degradation from tritium exposure (beta decay). One source of polymers in the tritium process is valve components. A vendor has been identified that manufactures a valve that is marketed as being made from all-metal construction. This manufacturer, Ham-Let Group, manufactures a diaphragm valve (3LE series) that claims to be made entirely of metal. SRNL procured twelve (12) Ham-Let diaphragm valves for characterization and evaluation. The characterization tests include identification of the maximum pressure of these valves by performing pressure and burst tests. Leak tests were performed to ensure the valves do not exceed the acceptable leak rate for tritium service. These valves were then cycled in a nitrogen gas and/or vacuum environment to ensure they would be durable in a process environment. They were subsequently leak tested per ASTM protocol to ensure that the valves maintained their leak tight integrity. A detailed material analysis was also conducted to determine hydrogen and tritium compatibility.

HDR-investigations of check valve closure and resultant water hammer effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholl, K.D.

1983-01-01

The presented investigations are based on the Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). They concentrate on the first blowdown phase after pipe break of a feedwater line. The effect of such a break is moderated by quick closing check valves, by which the loss of coolant water is reduced and optimal post accident conditions are obtained. Unfortunately the closure of the valve can cause high pressure peaks (water hammer effects) in the feedwater system which potentially could produce safety relevant secondary damage. The system loading by these effects has been analysed. The HDR-Investigation-results led to an improvement of the feedwater system safety by verifying damping measures of quick closing check valves. Pressure peaks obtained with undamped valves in the range of 300 bars, are reduced to zero or a few bars above the normal operation pressure in feedwater systems. For the analytical simulation of valve closure the following dominant acting forces are identified: the blowdown flow resistance of the valve cone and the damping pistong force. The analytical description and quantification of the forces depends on blowdown flow and valve friction parameters. These have been evaluated and are presented for practical use. (orig.)

Fairchild Stratos Division's Type II prototype lockhopper valve: METC Prototype Test Valve No. F-1 prototype lockhopper valve-testing and development project. Static test report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goff, D. R.; Cutright, R. L.; Griffith, R. A.; Loomis, R. B.; Maxfield, D. A.; Moritz, R. S.

1981-10-01

METC Prototype Test Valve No. F-1 is a hybrid design, based on a segmented ball termed a visor valve, developed and manufactured by Fairchild Stratos Division under contract to the Department of Energy. The valve uses a visor arm that rotates into position and then translates to seal. This valve conditionally completed static testing at METC with clean gas to pressures of 1600 psig and internal valve temperatures to 600/sup 0/F. External leakage was excessive due to leakage through the stuffing box, purge fittings, external bolts, and other assemblies. The stuffing box was repacked several times and redesigned midway through the testing, but external leakage was still excessive. Internal leakage through the seats, except for a few anomalies, was very low throughout the 2409 cycles of testing. As shown by the low internal leakage, the visor valve concept appears to have potential for lock-hopper valve applications. The problems that are present with METC Prototype Test Valve No. F-1 are in the seals, which are equivalent to the shaft and bonnet seals in standard valve designs. The operating conditions at these seals are well within the capabilities of available seal designs and materials. Further engineering and minor modifications should be able to resolve the problems identified during static testing.

MEPR versus EEPR valves in open supermarket refrigerated display cabinets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tahir, A.; Bansal, P.K.

2005-01-01

This paper presents the comparative experimental field performance of mechanical evaporator pressure regulating valves (MEPR) and electronic evaporator pressure regulating valves (EEPR) under the identical operating conditions of supermarket open multi-deck refrigerated display cabinets. The main goal of the supermarket refrigeration system design is to keep the displayed product at the required constant temperature, while minimising the cooling load to increase the overall energy efficiency of the system. Field tests have shown that the electronic evaporator pressure valve has a significant effect on improving the cabinet temperature and reducing the rate of frost formation on the evaporator coils with subsequent improvements in the air curtain strength

Results of the motor-operated valve engineering and testing program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, B.R.

1994-01-01

The Texas Utilities Electric Company (TU Electric) motor-operated valve (MOV) program for implementing the recommendations of Generic Letter 89-10 has typically included the following: refurbishing each actuator, verifying each actuator's as-built configuration, testing each actuator's motor on a dynamometer, testing each actuator's torque spring pack (which is used to control the torque developed), testing each fully refurbished and reassembled actuator on a torque test stand, and testing as many MOVs as practicable both without fluid flow through the valve and with the maximum test conditions reasonably achievable (static and differential pressures (DP) conditions, respectively). Test data are acquired at 1,000 samples per second for stem thrust, stem torque, stem position, actuator compensator spring pack deflection, actuator torque spring pack deflection, motor current, motor voltage, motor three-phase power, valve upstream pressure, and valve downstream pressure, wherever practicable

Diagnosis of accessory conduction pathway using ECG-gated emission CT analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misaki, Takuro; Mukai, Keiichi; Tsubota, Makoto; Iwa, Takashi; Nakajima, Ken-ichi; Hisada, Kin-ichi

1987-01-01

Pinpointing the location of accessory conduction pathway (ACP) is of great importance in the surgical treatment for Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. For this purpose, this study explored the usefulness of ECG-gated emission computed tomography (Gated-ECT) in 30 patients who preoperatively underwent Gated-ECT. The site of earliest contraction at level of atrioventicular valves, obtained on tomographic phase analysis, was compared with the site of earliest activation, obtained on epicardial mapping during surgery. The concordance rate of the two methods was 94 % (28/30). Among them, one patient was found to have the association of corrected transposition of great arteries on Gated-ECT. Gated-ECT was, however, of limited value in differentiating right posterior ACP from right postseptal ACP. The discordance between the sites of earliest contraction and activation, which was observed in the two others, was likely due to decreased wall motion resulting from myocardial disturbance. Gated-ECT may have a diagnostic potential for the location of ACP, especially in view of providing images that corresponded to the surgical anatomy. (Namekawa, K.)

Engine Cycle Analysis of Air Breathing Microwave Rocket with Reed Valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukunari, Masafumi; Komatsu, Reiji; Yamaguchi, Toshikazu; Komurasaki, Kimiya; Arakawa, Yoshihiro; Katsurayama, Hiroshi

2011-01-01

The Microwave Rocket is a candidate for a low cost launcher system. Pulsed plasma generated by a high power millimeter wave beam drives a blast wave, and a vehicle acquires impulsive thrust by exhausting the blast wave. The thrust generation process of the Microwave Rocket is similar to a pulse detonation engine. In order to enhance the performance of its air refreshment, the air-breathing mechanism using reed valves is under development. Ambient air is taken to the thruster through reed valves. Reed valves are closed while the inside pressure is high enough. After the time when the shock wave exhausts at the open end, an expansion wave is driven and propagates to the thrust-wall. The reed valve is opened by the negative gauge pressure induced by the expansion wave and its reflection wave. In these processes, the pressure oscillation is important parameter. In this paper, the pressure oscillation in the thruster was calculated by CFD combined with the flux through from reed valves, which is estimated analytically. As a result, the air-breathing performance is evaluated using Partial Filling Rate (PFR), the ratio of thruster length to diameter L/D, and ratio of opening area of reed valves to superficial area α. An engine cycle and predicted thrust was explained.

The patient inflating valve in anaesthesia and resuscitation breathing systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, P M; Bell, G

2013-03-01

Patient inflating valves combined with self-inflating bags are known to all anaesthetists as resuscitation devices and are familiar as components of draw-over anaesthesia systems. Their variants are also commonplace in transfer and home ventilators. However, the many variations in structure and function have led to difficulties in their optimal use, definition and classification. After reviewing the relevant literature, we defined a patient inflating valve as a one-way valve that closes an exit port to enable lung inflation, also permitting exhalation and spontaneous breathing, the actions being automatic. We present a new classification based on the mechanism of valve opening/closure; namely elastic recoil of a flexible flap/diaphragm, sliding spindle opened by a spring/magnet or a hollow balloon collapsed by external pressure. The evolution of these valves has been driven by the difficulties documented in critical incidents, which we have used along with information from modern International Organization for Standardization standards to identify 13 ideal properties, the top six of which are non-jamming, automatic, no bypass effect, no rebreathing or air entry at patient end, low resistance, robust and easy to service. The Ambu and the Laerdal valves have remained popular due to their simplicity and reliability. Two new alternatives, the Fenton and Diamedica valves, offer the benefits of location away from the patient while retaining a small functional dead space. They also offer the potential for greater use of hybrid continuous flow/draw-over systems that can operate close to atmospheric pressure. The reliable application of positive end-expiratory pressure/continuous positive airway pressure remains a challenge.

Coronary artery assessment by multidetector computed tomography in patients with prosthetic heart valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habets, Jesse; Mali, Willem P.T.M.; Budde, Ricardo P.J.; Brink, Renee B.A. van den; Uijlings, Ruben; Spijkerboer, Anje M.; Chamuleau, Steven A.J.

2012-01-01

Patients with prosthetic heart valves may require assessment for coronary artery disease. We assessed whether valve artefacts hamper coronary artery assessment by multidetector CT. ECG-gated or -triggered CT angiograms were selected from our PACS archive based on the presence of prosthetic heart valves. The best systolic and diastolic axial reconstructions were selected for coronary assessment. Each present coronary segment was scored for the presence of valve-related artefacts prohibiting coronary artery assessment. Scoring was performed in consensus by two observers. Eighty-two CT angiograms were performed on a 64-slice (n = 27) or 256-slice (n = 55) multidetector CT. Eighty-nine valves and five annuloplasty rings were present. Forty-three out of 1160 (3.7%) present coronary artery segments were non-diagnostic due to valve artefacts (14/82 patients). Valve artefacts were located in right coronary artery (15/43; 35%), left anterior descending artery (2/43; 5%), circumflex artery (14/43; 32%) and marginal obtuse (12/43; 28%) segments. All cobalt-chrome containing valves caused artefacts prohibiting coronary assessment. Biological and titanium-containing valves did not cause artefacts except for three specific valve types. Most commonly implanted prosthetic heart valves do not hamper coronary assessment on multidetector CT. Cobalt-chrome containing prosthetic heart valves preclude complete coronary artery assessment because of severe valve artefacts. circle Most commonly implanted prosthetic heart valves do not hamper coronary artery assessment circle Prosthetic heart valve composition determines the occurrence of prosthetic heart valve-related artefacts circle Bjoerk-Shiley and Sorin tilting disc valves preclude diagnostic coronary artery segment assessment. (orig.)

Effects of valve timing, valve lift and exhaust backpressure on performance and gas exchanging of a two-stroke GDI engine with overhead valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalla Nora, Macklini; Lanzanova, Thompson Diórdinis Metzka; Zhao, Hua

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Two-stroke operation was achieved in a four-valve direct injection gasoline engine. • Shorter valve opening durations improved torque at lower engine speeds. • The longer the valve opening duration, the lower was the air trapping efficiency. • Higher exhaust backpressure and lower valve lift reduced the compressor work. - Abstract: The current demand for fuel efficient and lightweight powertrains, particularly for application in downsized and hybrid electric vehicles, has renewed the interest in two-stroke engines. In this framework, an overhead four-valve spark-ignition gasoline engine was modified to run in the two-stroke cycle. The scavenging process took place during a long valve overlap period around bottom dead centre at each crankshaft revolution. Boosted intake air was externally supplied at a constant pressure and gasoline was directly injected into the cylinder after valve closure. Intake and exhaust valve timings and lifts were independently varied through an electrohydraulic valve train, so their effects on engine performance and gas exchanging were investigated at 800 rpm and 2000 rpm. Different exhaust backpressures were also evaluated by means of exhaust throttling. Air trapping efficiency, charging efficiency and scavenge ratio were calculated based on air and fuel flow rates, and exhaust oxygen concentration at fuel rich conditions. The results indicated that longer intake and exhaust valve opening durations increased the charge purity and hence torque at higher engine speeds. At lower speeds, although, shorter valve opening durations increased air trapping efficiency and reduced the estimated supercharger power consumption due to lower air short-circuiting. A strong correlation was found between torque and charging efficiency, while air trapping efficiency was more associated to exhaust valve opening duration. The application of exhaust backpressure, as well as lower intake/exhaust valve lifts, made it possible to increase

Design Optimization of Moving Magnet Actuated Valves for Digital Displacement Machines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Esben Lundø; Jørgensen, Janus Martin Thastum; Nørgård, Christian

2017-01-01

High-efficiency hydraulic machines using digital valves are presently a topic of great focus. Digital valve performance with respect to pressure loss, closing time as well as electrical power consumption, is key to obtaining high efficiency. A recent digital seat valve design developed at Aalborg...... optimized design closes in 2.1 ms, has a pressure drop of 0.8 bar at 150 l/min and yields a digital displacement machine average chamber efficiency of 98.9%. The design is simple in construction and uses a single coil, positioned outside the pressure chamber, eliminating the need for an electrical interface...

A numerical insight into elastomer normally closed micro valve actuation with cohesive interfacial cracking modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dongyang; Ba, Dechun; Hao, Ming; Duan, Qihui; Liu, Kun; Mei, Qi

2018-05-01

Pneumatic NC (normally closed) valves are widely used in high density microfluidics systems. To improve actuation reliability, the actuation pressure needs to be reduced. In this work, we utilize 3D FEM (finite element method) modelling to get an insight into the valve actuation process numerically. Specifically, the progressive debonding process at the elastomer interface is simulated with CZM (cohesive zone model) method. To minimize the actuation pressure, the V-shape design has been investigated and compared with a normal straight design. The geometrical effects of valve shape has been elaborated, in terms of valve actuation pressure. Based on our simulated results, we formulate the main concerns for micro valve design and fabrication, which is significant for minimizing actuation pressures and ensuring reliable operation.

The study on flow characteristics of butterfly valve using flow visualization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, S. M.; Hong, S. D.; Song, D. S.; Park, J. K.; Park, J. I.; Shin, S. K.; Kim, H. J.

2005-01-01

Flow visualization of butterfly valve is tested for four types(15 deg., 30 .deg., 45 .deg., and 90 .deg.) of valve opening angle. The inner flow characteristics of valve are studied. The flow variation was measured using a high speed camera which takes 500 frames per second with 1024 x 1024 pixels. These captured images were used for calculation to analyze two dimensional flow velocity of the valve. The smaller opening angle, the more increasing the differential pressure of a butterfly valve. Therefore, we know that the complex flow is occurred by increasing the differential pressure. And it is found that the flowing backward is more increased according to the increase of the opening angle of a butterfly valve. However, its flow pattern is similar to a simple pipe flow when the opening angle is 90 .deg.

Isolating valve, especially in main-steam pipes of power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karpenko, A.N.

1977-01-01

The valve for PWRs and BWRs, with diameters up to 1.25 m, for temperatures from -180 0 C to about 600 0 C and pressures up to over 50 bar, is designed for high reliability and long useful life. Two circular valve discs are moved as isolating elements in their plane across the steam direction and brought before the valve seat within a valve chamber. Shortly before reaching this final position, each disc is rotated by a small amount about its axis. Only after reaching the final position a double-wedge, further pushed forward between both discs, produces the necessary contact pressure. By revolving and frictionless closing caking together at high stresses and temperature variation is prevented and permanent tightness assured. The valve body is moved in a cylinder, cast on the valve housing, by means of a stepped piston. Its larger diameter is guided in a second cylinder flanged on above. In the cover of the second cylinder a pilot valve is mounted being controlled over 2 parallel solenoid valves by means of compressed air. In normal operation process steam from the valve chamber serves to move the stepped piston with the valve chamber. On closing of a bore, connecting both cylinder spaces, by the pilot valve the main valve is opened. If the pilot valve is opened the steam through the connecting bore is acting on both piston stages and closing the main valve. On loss of steam (pipe break) or for testing purposes one or the other cylinder space over solenoid valves is acted upon by auxiliary energy or evacuated, the main valve thus being controlled. (HP) [de

Application of hydraulic network analysis to motor operated butterfly valves in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eldiwany, B.H.; Kalsi, M.S.

1992-01-01

This paper presents the application of hydraulic network analysis to evaluate the performance of butterfly valves in nuclear power plant applications. Required actuation torque for butterfly valves in high-flow applications is often dictated by peak dynamic torque. The peak dynamic torque, which occurs at some intermediate disc position, requires accurate evaluation of valve flow rate and pressure drop throughout the valve stroke. Valve flow rate and pressure drop are significantly affected by the valve flow characteristics and the hydraulic system characteristics, such as pumping capability, piping resistances, single and parallel flow paths, system hydrostatic pressure, and the location of the motor-operated valve (MOV) within the system. A hydraulic network analysis methodology that addresses the effect of these parameters on the MOV performance is presented. The methodology is based on well-established engineering principles. The application of this methodology requires detailed characteristics of both the MOV and the hydraulic system in which it is installed. The valve characteristics for this analysis can be obtained by flow testing or from the valve manufacturer. Even though many valve users, valve manufacturers, and engineering standards have recognized the importance of performing these analyses, none has provided a detailed procedure for doing so

Valve exploiting the principle of a side channel turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jandourek Pavel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with a side channel turbine, which can be used as a suitable substitute for a pressure reducing valve. Reducing valves are a source of hydraulic losses. The aim is to replace them by a side channel turbine. With that in mind, hydraulic losses can be replaced by a production of electrical energy at comparable characteristics of the valve and the turbine. The basis for the design is the loss characteristics of the valve. Thereby creating a kind of turbine valve with speed-controlled flow in dependence of runner revolution.

Study of typical nuclear containment purge valves in an accident environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watkins, J.C.; Steele, R. Jr.; Hill, R.C.; DeWall, K.G.

1986-08-01

This report presents the results of the containment purge and vent valve test program, conducted under the sponsorship of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The test program investigated butterfly valve operability and leak integrity under light-water-reactor design basis and severe accident conditions. Three nuclear-designed butterfly valves typical of those used in domestic nuclear power plant containment purge and vent applications were tested. For a comparison of response, two valve of the same size with differing internal designs were tested. For extrapolation insights, a larger-sized valve similar to one of the smaller valves was also tested. Dynamic flow tests were performed over the range of design basis accident pressures. Leak integrity testing was also performed at both design basis and severe accident temperatures and pressures. The valve experiments were performed with various piping configurations and valve orientations to the flow to simulate the various installation options in field applications. Testing was also performed in a standard ANSI test section

New piezo driven gas inlet valve for fusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usselmann, E.; Hemmerich, J.L.; How, J.; Holland, D.; Orchard, J.; Winkel, T.; Schargitz, U.; Pocheim, N.

1989-01-01

The gas inlet valves used at the JET experiment are described and their performances are discussed. A new gas-valve development suitable to replace the existing valves at JET and for future use in large fusion experiments is presented. The new valve is equipped with a piezo-electric translator and has a dosing range of 0-800 mbarls -1 for D 2 . The operating mode of the valve is fail-safe closed with a leak-rate of ≤ 10 -9 mbarls -1 . The design, the test results and throughput values in dependence of filling pressure and control voltage are presented and experiences with the prototype valve as a new gas inlet valve for the JET operation are described

Overview of Prevention for Water Hammer by Check Valve Action in Nuclear Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dayong; Yoon, Hyungi; Seo, Kyoungwoo; Kim, Seonhoon

2016-01-01

Water hammer can cause serious damage to pumping system and unexpected system pressure rise in the pipeline. In nuclear reactor, water hammer can influence on the integrity of safety related system. Water hammer in nuclear reactor have been caused by voiding in normally water-filled lines, steam condensation line containing both steam and water, as well as by rapid check valve action. Therefore, this study focuses on the water hammer by check valve among the sources of water hammer occurrence and suggests proper methodology for check valve type selection against water hammer. This study focuses on the water hammer by check valve action among the sources of water hammer occurrence and suggests proper methodology for check valve type selection against water hammer. If the inadvertent pump trip or pipe rupture in high velocity and pressure pipe is predicted, the fast response check valve such as tiled disc, dual disc and nozzle check valve should be installed in the system. If the inadvertent pump trip or pipe rupture in very high velocity and pressure pipe and excessively large revered flow velocity are predicted, the very slowly closing check valve such as controlled closure check valve should be installed in the system

Overview of Prevention for Water Hammer by Check Valve Action in Nuclear Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dayong; Yoon, Hyungi; Seo, Kyoungwoo; Kim, Seonhoon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

Water hammer can cause serious damage to pumping system and unexpected system pressure rise in the pipeline. In nuclear reactor, water hammer can influence on the integrity of safety related system. Water hammer in nuclear reactor have been caused by voiding in normally water-filled lines, steam condensation line containing both steam and water, as well as by rapid check valve action. Therefore, this study focuses on the water hammer by check valve among the sources of water hammer occurrence and suggests proper methodology for check valve type selection against water hammer. This study focuses on the water hammer by check valve action among the sources of water hammer occurrence and suggests proper methodology for check valve type selection against water hammer. If the inadvertent pump trip or pipe rupture in high velocity and pressure pipe is predicted, the fast response check valve such as tiled disc, dual disc and nozzle check valve should be installed in the system. If the inadvertent pump trip or pipe rupture in very high velocity and pressure pipe and excessively large revered flow velocity are predicted, the very slowly closing check valve such as controlled closure check valve should be installed in the system.

Experience with control valve cavitation problems and their solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozol, J.

1988-01-01

Pressure reduction in control valves can induce cavitation, which has three effects on the control valve. Firstly, it modifies or changes the hydraulic performance of the control valve. Since control valves are designed for noncavitating conditions, the result is usually reduced stability of the control valve or, in extreme cavitating conditions known as supercavitation, the valve may limit the flow rate and thus be undersized. Secondly, cavitation can cause material damage to valve parts, trim, or valve body, or erodes downstream piping; consequently, the valve or piping leaks. Thirdly, cavitation causes noise and vibration, which may cause major damage or destruction to equipment such as valve positioners, actuators, pipe supports and sometimes to other downstream valves. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) It describes the I.S.A. valve sizing equations and how they relate to cavitation. (2) It describes experiences with these three problems, and discusses corrective actions and practical approaches to their solution. This paper discusses thirteen cavitation experiences

Structural alterations in heart valves during left ventricular pressure overload in the rat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Willems, I. E.; Havenith, M. G.; Smits, J. F.; Daemen, M. J.

1994-01-01

Heart valves are an important denominator of the function of the heart but detailed studies of structural alterations of heart valves after hemodynamic changes are lacking. Structural alterations of heart valves, including DNA synthesis, collagen mRNA, and protein concentration were measured in

Modeling and Control of Retarder using On/Off Solenoid Valves

OpenAIRE

Steinsland, Vidar

2008-01-01

The Retarder is one of the main components in Scania's trucks' braking system and is used to brake down the truck and for maintaining a steady speed on descents. This Master's Thesis aims to investigate if the current system which uses a proportional valve to control the air pressure in the Retarder, can be replaced with two on/o® solenoid valves and a pressure chamber to control the air pressure, which would result in a cheaper and more robust system. By varying the air pressure, the braking...

Thermal fatigue behavior of valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moinereau, D.; Scliffet, L.; Capion, J.C.; Genette, P.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that valves of pressurized water reactors are exposed to thermal shocks during transient operations. The numerous thermal shock tests performed on valves on the EDF test facilities have shown the sensibility of fillets and geometrical discontinuities to thermal fatigue: cracks can appear in those areas and grow through the valve body. Valves systems designated as level 1 must be designed to withstand fatigue up to the second isolation valve: the relevant rule is specified in the paragraph B 3500 of the French RCCM code. It is a simplified method which doesn't require finite element calculations. Many valve systems have been designed according to this rule and have been operated without accident. However, in one case, important cracks were found in the fillet of a check-valve after numerous thermal shocks. Calculation of the valve's behavior according to the RCCM code to estimate the fatigue damage resulting from thermal shocks led to a low damage factor, which doesn't agree with the experimental results. This was confirmed by new testings and showed the inadequacy of B 3500 rule for thermal transients. On this base a new rule is proposed to estimate fatigue damage resulting from thermal shocks. An experimental program has been realized to validate this rule. Axisymetrical analytical mock-ups with different geometries and one check-valve in austenitic stainless steel 316 L have been submitted to hot thermal shocks of 210 degrees C magnitude

Butterfly valve of all rubber lining type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, Shosaku; Nakatsuma, Sumiya; Sasaki, Iwao; Aoki, Naoshi.

1982-01-01

The valves used for the circulating water pipes for condensers in nuclear and thermal power stations have become large with the increase of power output, and their specifications have become strict. The materials for the valves change from cast iron to steel plate construction. To cope with sea water corrosion, rubber lining has been applied to the internal surfaces of valve boxes, and the build-up welding of stainless steel has been made on the edges of valves. However, recently it is desired to develop butterfly valves, of which the whole valve disks are lined with hard rubber. For the purpose of confirming the performance of large bore valves, a 2600 mm bore butterfly valve of all rubber lining type was used, and the opening and closing test of 1100 times was carried out by applying thermal cycle and pressure difference and using artifical sea water. Also the bending test of hard rubber lining was performed with test pieces. Thus, it was confirmed that the butterfly valves of all rubber lining type have the performance exceeding that of the valves with build-up welding. The course of development of the valves of all rubber lining type, the construction and the items of confirmation by tests of these valves, and the tests of the valve and the hard rubber lining described above are reported. (Kako, I.)

Development of a control system for compression and expansion cycles of critical valve for high vacuum systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agarwal, Jyoti, E-mail: jagarwal@ipr.res.in; Sharma, H.; Patel, Haresh; Gangradey, R.; Lambade, Vrushabh

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Control system with feedback loop of pressure gauge is developed for measuring the life cycle of vacuum isolation valve. • GUI based software developed for easy use and handling of control system. • Control system tested with an experiment showcasing the capability of the control system. • Control system can operate valve based on pressure inside the chamber, which helps to know the degradation of sealing capabilities of valve. • Control system can monitor the total closing and opening time of valve, cycles and pressure inside the vessel. - Abstract: A control system with feedback loop is designed, developed and tested to monitor the life cycles of the axial valve and bellows used in vacuum valves. The control system monitors number of compression cycles of any bellow or closing and opening cycle of a valve. It also interfaces vacuum gauges or pressure gauges to get pressure values inside the system. To find life cycle of valve, the developed control and monitoring system is integrated with an axial valve experimental test set up. In this system, feedback from the vacuum gauge attached to valve enclosure, is given and the life cycle test is automated. This paper describes the control and monitoring system in details and briefs the experiment carried out for valve life cycle. The same system can be used for life cycle estimate for bellows. A suitable GUI is also developed to control the function of the components and resister the number of cycles.

New safety valve addresses environmental concerns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, J.; Austin, R.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that Conoco Pipeline is using a unique relief valve to reduce costs while improving environmental protection at its facilities. Conoco Pipeline Co. Inc. began testing new relief valves in 1987 to present over-pressuring its pipelines while enhancing the safety, environmental integrity and profitability of its pipelines. Conoco worked jointly with Rupture Pin Technology Inc., Oklahoma City, to seek a solution to a series of safety, environmental, and operational risks in the transportation of crude oil and refined products through pipelines. Several of the identified problems were traced to a single equipment source: the reliability of rupture discs used at pipeline stations to relieve pressure by diverting flow to tanks during over-pressure conditions. Conoco's corporate safety and environmental policies requires solving problems that deal with exposure to hydrocarbon vapors, chemical spills or the atmospheric release of fugitive emissions, such as during rupture disc maintenance. The company had used rupture pin valves as vent relief devices in conjunction with development by Rick Austin of inert gas methods to protect the inner casing wall and outer carrier pipeline wall in pipeline road crossings. The design relies on rupture pin valves set at 5 psi to isolate vent openings from the atmosphere prior to purging the annular space between the pipeline and casing with inert gas to prevent corrosion. Speciality Pipeline Inspection and Engineering Inc., Houston, is licensed to distribute the equipment for the new cased-crossing procedure

Investigation of the stability of melt flow in gating systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tiedje, Niels Skat; Larsen, Per

2011-01-01

Melt flow in four different gating systems designed for production of brake discs was analysed experimentally and by numerical modelling. In the experiments moulds were fitted with glass fronts and melt flow was recorded on video. The video recordings were compared with modelling of melt flow...... in the gating systems. Particular emphasis was on analysing local pressure and formation of pressure waves in the gating system. It was possible to compare melt flow patterns in experiments directly to modelled flow patterns. Generally there was good agreement between flow patterns and filling times. However...... description of free liquid surfaces proved to be incorrect in the numerical model. Modelled pressure fields served to explain how specific parts of the gating systems cause instability and are a good tool to describe the quality of a gating system. The results shows clearly that sharp changes in the geometry...

Analytical model for computing transient pressures and forces in the safety/relief valve discharge line. Mark I Containment Program, task number 7.1.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheeler, A.J.

1978-02-01

An analytical model is described that computes the transient pressures, velocities and forces in the safety/relief valve discharge line immediately after safety/relief valve opening. Equations of motion are defined for the gas-flow and water-flow models. Results are not only verified by comparing them with an earlier version of the model, but also with Quad Cities and Monticello plant data. The model shows reasonable agreement with the earlier model and the plant data

A high performance magnetorheological valve with a meandering flow path

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imaduddin, Fitrian; Amri Mazlan, Saiful; Azizi Abdul Rahman, Mohd; Zamzuri, Hairi; Ubaidillah; Ichwan, Burhanuddin

2014-01-01

The huge developments in the field of magnetorheological (MR) fluid-based devices will have a great influence on the future of mechatronic applications due to the ease of interfacing between electronic controls and the mechanical components that they provide. Among various MR fluid-based devices, an MR valve would be particularly significant for the development of other devices, if it could be successfully achieved. One of the most challenging obstacles to MR valve development is the difficulty of achieving device miniaturization while, at the same time, improving the achievable performance. This study demonstrates a novel design for an MR valve, using the meandering flow path approach in order to increase the effective area so that the MR fluid can be regulated within a small-sized valve. The meandering flow path is formed by combining multiple annular, radial and orifice flow channels. In order to analyze the valve performance, a mathematical model of the proposed MR valve is derived and combined with numerical simulation using the finite element method, with the intention of predicting the achievable pressure drop that can be generated by the valve. The predicted MR valve performances are then experimentally evaluated using an oscillation-disturbed bypass hydraulic cylinder. The simulation results show that the proposed MR valve design could yield substantial pressure drop improvement, which is confirmed by the experiment

RETRAN simulation of Oyster Creek MSIV closure and bypass valve tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alammar, M.A.

1987-01-01

A series of benchmarks against start-up tests have been performed on the Oyster Creek boiling water reactor unit 2 RETRAN model in support of developing an in-house reload capability. The liquid and the pressure regulator models have been benchmarked against level and pressure setpoint changes, where small setpoint perturbations were made at rated power. The purpose of the present benchmark is to check the liquid level behavior during a severe level drop as during void collapse following a scram and to size the bypass valves by benchmarking the valves' contraction coefficient. The main steam isolation valves (MSIVs) closure start-up test was chosen for the former, while the bypass valve test was chosen for the latter. The two benchmarks complete the qualification of the upper downcomer liquid level for small and large level changes and the pressure regulator system for the Oyster Creek RETRAN model

Study on high reliability safety valve for railway vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuan; Chen, Ruikun; Zhang, Shixi; Xu, BuDu

2017-09-01

Now, the realization of most of the functions of the railway vehicles rely on compressed air, so the demand for compressed air is growing higher and higher. This safety valve is a protection device for pressure limitation and pressure relief in an air supply system of railway vehicles. I am going to introduce the structure, operating principle, research and development process of the safety valve designed by our company in this document.

Performance evaluation of a piezoactuator-based single-stage valve system subjected to high temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Juncheol; Han, Chulhee; Chung, Jye Ung; Choi, Seung-Bok

2015-01-01

In this paper, a novel single-stage valve system activated by a piezostack actuator is proposed and experimentally evaluated at both room temperature (20 °C) and high temperature (100 °C) conditions. A hinge-lever displacement amplifier is adopted in the valve system to magnify the displacement generated from the piezostack actuator. After explaining the operating principle of the proposed piezostack-driven single-stage valve system, the geometric dimensions and mechanical properties of the valve components are discussed in details. An experimental apparatus is then manufactured to evaluate the performances of the valve system such as flow rate. The experimental apparatus consists of a heat chamber, which can regulate the temperature of the valve system and oil, pneumatic-hydraulic cylinders, a hydraulic circuit, a pneumatic circuit, electronic devices, an interface card, and a high voltage amplifier. The pneumatic-hydraulic cylinder transforms the pneumatic pressure into hydraulic pressure. The performances of the valve system regarding spool response, pressure drop, and flow rate are evaluated and presented. In addition, the performance of the valve system under high temperature condition is compared with that under room temperature condition. The experimental results are plotted in both frequency and time domains.

Performance evaluation of a piezoactuator-based single-stage valve system subjected to high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Juncheol; Han, Chulhee; Ung Chung, Jye; Choi, Seung-Bok

2015-01-01

In this paper, a novel single-stage valve system activated by a piezostack actuator is proposed and experimentally evaluated at both room temperature (20 °C) and high temperature (100 °C) conditions. A hinge-lever displacement amplifier is adopted in the valve system to magnify the displacement generated from the piezostack actuator. After explaining the operating principle of the proposed piezostack-driven single-stage valve system, the geometric dimensions and mechanical properties of the valve components are discussed in details. An experimental apparatus is then manufactured to evaluate the performances of the valve system such as flow rate. The experimental apparatus consists of a heat chamber, which can regulate the temperature of the valve system and oil, pneumatic-hydraulic cylinders, a hydraulic circuit, a pneumatic circuit, electronic devices, an interface card, and a high voltage amplifier. The pneumatic-hydraulic cylinder transforms the pneumatic pressure into hydraulic pressure. The performances of the valve system regarding spool response, pressure drop, and flow rate are evaluated and presented. In addition, the performance of the valve system under high temperature condition is compared with that under room temperature condition. The experimental results are plotted in both frequency and time domains. (paper)

Prevention of water hammers behind fast acting shut-off valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudlik, A.; Schlueter, S.; Prasser, H.M.

1999-01-01

Shut-off valves are often applied for a quick safety shut-down of pipelines for dangerous liquids. When the valve is suddenly closed at a certain flow rate, the pressure behind the valve decreases due to the momentum of the liquid. This leads to an evaporation and to a formation of a cavitation bubble if the resulting minimum pressure becomes lower than the saturation pressure at the given temperature. This type of water hammer was studied at a test facility of Fraunhofer UMSICHT in Oberhausen. The task of FZR was the development of an adequate two-phase flow instrumentation to visualise the cavitation phenomenon. During the project unique digital movie sequences of appearing and condensing cavitation bubbles were recorded, that gave valuable insights into the transient process. In the result, a new method was found to prevent the collapse of the cavitation bubbles and to avoid the corresponding pressure peaks. (orig.)

Safety and relief valves in light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, A.

1985-12-01

Information is presented to: provide an introduction to and descriptions of various types of safety and relief valves in both PWR and BWR plants; describe anticipated operating conditions for these valves; describe the test facilities, procedures, and major results for both types of valves; present an extensive discussion of modeling and analysis of safety and relief valve performance, including the prediction of flow capacity and stability during operation; deal with the analyses related to the prediction of thermal-hydraulic loads on discharge piping and comparison against test data; discuss results of small-scale valve tests and flow visualization studies through transparent valve models; and describe an EPRI study for optimizing a typical PWR over-pressure protection system to enhance the availability and reliability of plant operation and thus reduce operation costs

Pannus-related prosthetic valve dysfunction. Case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Moldovan, Maria-Sînziana; Bedeleanu, Daniela; Kovacs, Emese; Ciumărnean, Lorena; Molnar, Adrian

2016-01-01

Pannus-related prosthetic valve dysfunction, a complication of mechanical prosthetic valve replacement, is rare, with a slowly progressive evolution, but it can be acute, severe, requiring surgical reintervention. We present the case of a patient with a mechanical single disc aortic prosthesis, with moderate prosthesis-patient mismatch, minor pannus found on previous ultrasound examinations, who presented to our service with angina pain with a duration of 1 hour, subsequently interpreted as non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) syndrome. Coronarography showed normal epicardial coronary arteries, an ample movement of the prosthetic disc, without evidence of coronary thromboembolism, and Gated Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) with Technetium (Tc)-99m detected no perfusion defects. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evidenced a dysfunctional prosthesis due to a subvalvular mass; transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) showed the interference of this mass, with a pannus appearance, with the closure of the prosthetic disc. Under conditions of repeated angina episodes, under anticoagulant treatment, surgery was performed, with the intraoperative confirmation of pannus and its removal. Postoperative evolution was favorable. This case reflects the diagnostic and therapeutic management problems of pannus-related prosthetic valve dysfunction.

Non-gated computed tomography of left ventricular hypertrophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harada, Junta

1983-01-01

Non-ECG gated computed tomography (CT) of the heart was carried out in 19 cases with cardiovascular diseases; 4 with mitral stenosis, 3 with aortic valve disease, 2 with combined valve disease, 8 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and one myocardial infarction and one aortic aneurysm. All cardiac diseases were studied by echocardiography and 13 of them further investigated by intracadiac catheterization. The interventricular septum and the apical and posterolateral wall of the left ventricle were segmentally evaluated as to relative wall thickness of myocardium on CT. The wall thickness was directly measured on left ventricular cine angiograms in 13 cases. O-G vector calculated by CT was compatible with the palne of vectorcardiography in evaluating left ventricular hypertorphy. Conclusion were as follows: 1) The degree and site of myocardial hypertrophy were detected by CT with satisfaction. 2) The area of ventricular myocardium increased in aortic valve disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. 3) The direction and magnitude of O-G vector calculated by CT were well correlated to the half area of QRS loop in horizontal plane of vectorcardiography. (author)

The effect of valve strategy on in-cylinder flow and combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soederberg, F

1997-01-01

This paper examines the effects of different valve strategies and their effect on in-cylinder flow and combustion. A conventional four valve per cylinder otto engine was modified to enable optical access. The flow measurements were made with a two-component laser Doppler velocimetry system. The combustion was monitored by running pressure data from a pressure transducer through a one-zone heat release model. The results show that when the valves operate normally a barrel flow is present and when one valve is closed a swirling flow occurs. No increase in turbulence was found with later phasing, except in the case of very late inlet valve opening and port deactivation. This resulted in a jet with high turbulence, making the combustion fast and stable, even with a very lean mixture ({lambda}=1.8). 6 refs, 44 figs, 4 tabs

Preliminary assessment of valve IST effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grove, E.; DiBiasio, A.; Carbonaro, J.

1994-01-01

A preliminary review of inservice testing effectiveness for Code Class 1,2, and 3 valves at nuclear power plants was performed. These requirements are specified by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, and the Operations and Maintenance Standard. The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations Nuclear Plant Reliability Data System (NPRDS) database was used to provide failure reports for these components for 1988 to 1992. This time period coincides with the issuance of Generic Letter 89-04, which resulted in a more consistent application of the requirements by the licensees. For this time period, 8,593 valve failures were identified. From the review of the NPRDS database, the primary failure causes and failure modes for motor-operated valves (MOV), air-operated valves (AOV), and check valves (CV) were identified. Solenoid-operated valves were not reviewed in this study. Plant testing programs were effective in identifying approximately 60% of the CV failures, 46% of the AOV failures, and 44% of the MOV failures

14 CFR 23.841 - Pressurized cabins.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... probable failure or malfunction in the pressurization system. (b) Pressurized cabins must have at least the following valves, controls, and indicators, for controlling cabin pressure: (1) Two pressure relief valves... compressor or to divert airflow from the cabin if continued rotation of an engine-driven cabin compressor or...

Pressurizer safety valve serviceability enhancement by spring compression stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ratiu, M.D.; Moisidis, N.T. [California Consulting Engineering and Technology (CALCET), San Leandro, California (United States)

2007-07-01

The proactive maintenance of the spring-loaded-self-actuated Pressurizer Safety Valve (PSV) has caused frequent concerns pertaining the spring self actuated reliability due to set point drift, spurious openings, and seat leakage. The exhaustive testing performed on a Crosby PSV model 6M6 has revealed that the principal cause of these malfunctions is the spring compression elastic instability during service. The spring lateral deformations measurements performed validated the analytical shapes for spring compression: symmetrical bending - for coaxial supported ends - restraining any support displacement, and asymmetrical bending induced by the potential misalignment of the supported top end. The source of the spring compression instability appears on the tested Crosby PSV induced by the top end lateral displacement during long term operation. The testing with restrained displacement at the spring top has shown consistent set-point reproducibility, less than +/- 1 per cent. To eliminate the asymmetrical spring buckling, a design review of the PSV is proposed including the guided fixture at the top and the decrease of spring coil slenderness ratio H/D, corresponding to the general analytical elastic stability for the asymmetrical compression. (authors)

Pressurizer safety valve serviceability enhancement by spring compression stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratiu, M.D.; Moisidis, N.T.

2007-01-01

The proactive maintenance of the spring-loaded-self-actuated Pressurizer Safety Valve (PSV) has caused frequent concerns pertaining the spring self actuated reliability due to set point drift, spurious openings, and seat leakage. The exhaustive testing performed on a Crosby PSV model 6M6 has revealed that the principal cause of these malfunctions is the spring compression elastic instability during service. The spring lateral deformations measurements performed validated the analytical shapes for spring compression: symmetrical bending - for coaxial supported ends - restraining any support displacement, and asymmetrical bending induced by the potential misalignment of the supported top end. The source of the spring compression instability appears on the tested Crosby PSV induced by the top end lateral displacement during long term operation. The testing with restrained displacement at the spring top has shown consistent set-point reproducibility, less than +/- 1 per cent. To eliminate the asymmetrical spring buckling, a design review of the PSV is proposed including the guided fixture at the top and the decrease of spring coil slenderness ratio H/D, corresponding to the general analytical elastic stability for the asymmetrical compression. (authors)

Computed Flow Through An Artificial Heart Valve

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Stewart E.; Kwak, Dochan; Kiris, Cetin; Chang, I-Dee

1994-01-01

Report discusses computations of blood flow through prosthetic tilting disk valve. Computational procedure developed in simulation used to design better artificial hearts and valves by reducing or eliminating following adverse flow characteristics: large pressure losses, which prevent hearts from working efficiently; separated and secondary flows, which causes clotting; and high turbulent shear stresses, which damages red blood cells. Report reiterates and expands upon part of NASA technical memorandum "Computed Flow Through an Artificial Heart and Valve" (ARC-12983). Also based partly on research described in "Numerical Simulation of Flow Through an Artificial Heart" (ARC-12478).

Torque characteristics of a 122-centimeter butterfly valve with a hydro/pneumatic actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, F. N.; Moore, W. I.; Lundy, F. E.

1981-01-01

Actuating torque data from field testing of a 122-centimeter (48 in.) butterfly valve with a hydro/pneumatic actuator is presented. The hydraulic cylinder functions as either a forward or a reverse brake. Its resistance torque increases when the valve speeds up and decreases when the valve slows down. A reduction of flow resistance in the hydraulic flow path from one end of the hydraulic cylinder to the other will effectively reduce the hydraulic resistance torque and hence increase the actuating torque. The sum of hydrodynamic and friction torques (combined resistance torque) of a butterfly valve is a function of valve opening time. An increase in the pneumatic actuating pressure will result in a decrease in both the combined resistance torque and the actuator opening torque; however, it does shorten the valve opening time. As the pneumatic pressure increases, the valve opening time for a given configuration approaches an asymptotical value.

[Tricuspid valve insufficiency: what should be done?].

Science.gov (United States)

von Segesser, L K; Stauffer, J C; Delabays, A; Chassot, P G

1998-12-01

Tricuspid regurgitation is relatively common. Due to the progress made in echocardiography, its diagnosis is in general made readily and in reliable fashion. Basically one has to distinguish between functional tricuspid valve regurgitation due to volume and/or pressure overload of the right ventricle with intact valve structures versus tricuspid valve regurgitation due to pathologic valve structures. The clear identification of the regurgitation mechanism is of prime importance for the treatment. Functional tricuspid valve regurgitation can often be improved by medical treatment of heart failure, and eventually a tricuspid valve plasty can solve the problem. However, the presence of pathologic tricuspid valve structures makes in general more specific plastic surgical procedures and even prosthetic valve replacements necessary. A typical example for a structural tricuspid valve regurgitation is the case of a traumatic papillary muscle rupture. Due to the sudden onset, this pathology is not well tolerated and requires in general surgical reinsertion of the papillary muscle. In contrast, tricuspid valve regurgitation resulting from chronic pulmonary embolism with pulmonary artery hypertension, can be improved by pulmonary artery thrombendarteriectomy and even completely cured with an additional tricuspid annuloplasty. However, tricuspid regurgitations due to terminal heart failure are not be addressed with surgery directed to tricuspid valve repair or replacement. Heart transplantation, dynamic cardiomyoplasty or mechanical circulatory support should be evaluated instead.

Valve Concepts for Microfluidic Cell Handling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Grabowski

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present various pneumatically actuated microfluidic valves to enable user-defined fluid management within a microfluidic chip. To identify a feasible valve design, certain valve concepts are simulated in ANSYS to investigate the pressure dependent opening and closing characteristics of each design. The results are verified in a series of tests. Both the microfluidic layer and the pneumatic layer are realized by means of soft-lithographic techniques. In this way, a network of channels is fabricated in photoresist as a molding master. By casting these masters with PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane we get polymeric replicas containing the channel network. After a plasma-enhanced bonding process, the two layers are irreversibly bonded to each other. The bonding is tight for pressures up to 2 bar. The valves are integrated into a microfluidic cell handling system that is designed to manipulate cells in the presence of a liquid reagent (e.g. PEG – polyethylene glycol, for cell fusion. For this purpose a user-defined fluid management system is developed. The first test series with human cell lines show that the microfluidic chip is suitable for accumulating cells within a reaction chamber, where they can be flushed by a liquid medium.

TFTR centralized torus interface valve control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pearson, G.G.; Olsen, D.H.

1983-01-01

A system developed especially for the TFTR to monitor and control the interface between the vacuum vessel and associated diagnostics will be described in this paper. Diagnostics which must be connected to the machine vacuum are required to do so through a Torus Interface Valve (TIV). Two types of TIV's are used on TFTR. The first type is a non-latching valve which must be held in the opened position by a sustained OPEN command, returning automatically to the closed position when the OPEN command is removed. This type of TIV is used on all systems which never insert a probe into the vacuum vessel through the TIV. The second type of TIV is a latching valve which requires a momentary OPEN command to open and a momentary CLOSE command to close. Each TIV is linked to its own dedicated logic controller. Each logic controller is hardwired to the appropriate TIV OPEN/CLOSED limit switches, probe IN/OUT limit switches, TFTR vacuum vessel pressure setpoint switches, and diagnostic pressure setpoint switches. The logic controller can be configured for local (push-button) or remote (computer) control. Each controller has a uniquely coded keyswitch to determine the configuration. Whether under local or remote control, all OPEN and CLOSE commands must be approved by the TIV controller (TIVC). In the case of systems with probes, the controller must receive a positive indication that the probe is completely backed out before a CLOSE command will be transmitted from the TIVC to the TIV. Before a valve will be opened by a controller, the differential pressure across the valve must be within certain limits

Options for Heart Valve Replacement

Science.gov (United States)

... Guide: Understanding Your Heart Valve Problem | Spanish Symptom Tracker | Spanish Pre-surgery Checklist | Spanish What Is Heart ... Cardiac Arrest: How Are They Different? 7 Warning Signs of a Heart Attack 8 Low Blood Pressure - ...

An Analytic Approach to Cascade Control Design for Hydraulic Valve-Cylinder Drives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Lasse; Hansen, Anders Hedegaard; Andersen, Torben O.

2016-01-01

, unfortunately not present in valve-operated hydraulic drives. This paper considers a cascade control approach for hydraulic valve-cylinder drives motivated by the fact that this may be applied to successfully suppress nonlinearities. The drive is pre-compensated utilizing a pressure updated inverse valve flow...

What caused the failures of the solenoid valve screws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vassallo, T.P.; Mumford, J.R.; Hossain, F.

2001-01-01

At Seabrook Station on May 5,1998 following a lengthy purge of the pressurizer steam space through Containment isolation sample valve 1-RC-FV-2830, the UL status light associated with this solenoid valve did not come on when the valve was closed from the plant's main control board. The UL status light is used to confirm valve closure position to satisfy the plant's Technical Specification requirements. The incorrect valve position indication on the main control board was initially believed to have resulted from excessive heat from a failed voltage control module that did not reduce the voltage to the valve's solenoid coil. This conclusion was based on a similar event that occurred in November of 1996. Follow-up in-plant testing of the valve determined that the voltage control module had not failed and was functioning satisfactorily. Subsequent investigations determined the root cause of the event to be excessive heat-up of the valve caused by high process fluid temperature and an excessively long purge of the pressurizer. The excessive heat-up of the valve from the high temperature process fluid weakened the magnetic field strength of the valve stem magnet to the extent that the UL status light reed switch would not actuate when the valve was closed. Since the voltage control module was tested and found to be functioning properly it was not replaced. Only the UL status light reed switch was replaced with a more sensitive reed that would respond better to a reduced magnetic field strength that results from a hot magnet. During reed switch replacement, three terminal block screws in the valve housing were found fractured and three other terminal block screws fractured during determination of the electrical conductors. This paper describes the initial plant event and ensuing laboratory tests and examinations that were performed to determine the root cause of the failure of the terminal block screws from the Containment isolation sample solenoid valve. (author)

Heart valve bioprosthesis durability: a challenge to the new generation of porcine valves.

Science.gov (United States)

Valente, M; Minarini, M; Maizza, A F; Bortolotti, U; Thiene, G

1992-01-01

Long-term experience with first generation porcine valve xenografts enabled identification of the major limitations to their durability: (1) prosthetic-ventricular mismatch due to the high profile of the stent in patients with mitral stenosis and a small left ventricle; (2) high-pressure fixation with loss of natural collagen crimping in the fibrosa, and wash-out of proteoglycans in the spongiosa; (3) xenograft tissue autolysis, due to the long interval between animal slaughter and aortic valve removal fixation; (4) muscle shelf in the right coronary cusp, which created a gradient and could undergo accelerated calcification and/or spontaneous perforation with time; (5) a flexible polypropylene stent, which could creep or even fracture with consequent inward bending of the stent; (6) progressive time-related dystrophic calcification; (7) host fibrous tissue ingrowth. An awareness of these limitations stimulated technical modifications, which frequently brought about distinct improvements: (1) the reduction of the stent profile eliminated the problem of mismatch, but resulted in a higher tendency towards cusp prolapse and earlier commissural tearing; (2) natural collagen waviness, proteoglycans and cusp extensibility were preserved by employing low or even zero pressure during the fixation process; (3) earlier valve fixation enabled preservation of cell integrity; (4) a new orifice for small valves was designed by replacing the right muscular cusp, thus achieving less gradient and avoiding muscle-shelf-related complications; (5) polypropylene was replaced by Delrin as stent material; (6) calcium-retarding agents like T6 and toluidine blue were applied during commercial processing and storage in order to mitigate tissue mineralization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)