Installation Guidelines

Steam Conditioning Valves

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© CCI
 Installation
Guidelines Steam Conditioning Valves

Table of contents
1 General ....................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Inlet pipe recommendations ................................................................................. 4
1.2 Straight pipe-run upstream recommendations ..................................................... 6
1.3 Distance to first bend ........................................................................................... 7
1.3.1 Distance to first bend for special cases ........................................................ 7
1.3.2 Dump to condenser with wet steam before dump device ............................. 8
1.4 Distance to the temperature sensor ..................................................................... 9
1.4.1 Minimum distance to temperature sensor ..................................................... 9
1.4.2 Distance to temperature sensor for special cases ........................................ 9
1.4.3 Minimum degree of superheat .................................................................... 11
1.5 Distance to flow dividers .................................................................................... 12
1.6 Distance to pressure sensor .............................................................................. 12
1.7 Downstream piping material .............................................................................. 12
1.8 Additional comments ......................................................................................... 13
1.9 Diffusers and plates ........................................................................................... 13
1.10 Drains / Vent to atmosphere .............................................................................. 13
1.11 Pipe pre-warming .............................................................................................. 16
1.12 Water valve location .......................................................................................... 22
1.13 Water piping connection to desuperheater connection ...................................... 22
1.14 Control system ................................................................................................... 23
1.15 Pressure control ................................................................................................ 24
1.16 Temperature control .......................................................................................... 24
1.17 Special for feed forward with dump to condenser .............................................. 29
1.18 Actuation............................................................................................................ 29
1.19 Preheating arrangement of upstream piping...................................................... 30

2 Fix points and supports ............................................................................................. 35

3 Accessibility .............................................................................................................. 38

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List of figures
Fig. 1 Pipe elbow upstream the valve ............................................................................ 4
Fig. 2 XYZ installation with T-piece ................................................................................ 4
Fig. 3 XY installation with T-piece .................................................................................. 5
Fig. 4 Installation with stop and control valve welded together ...................................... 6
Fig. 5 Straight pipe runs up- and downstream the valve ................................................ 6
Fig. 6a Downstream temperature vs. time in a dump to condenser or a similar
process application .............................................................................................. 8
Fig. 6b Downstream temperature vs. time in an HP to cold reheat or similar
process application .............................................................................................. 9
Fig. 7 Downstream temperature vs. time in a dump to condenser or similar
process application ............................................................................................ 11
Fig. 8 Protective shield................................................................................................. 12
Fig. 9 Horizontal inlet/vertical outlet ............................................................................. 14
Fig. 10 Drain/preheat system ......................................................................................... 15
Fig. 11 Drainage system (D) .......................................................................................... 16
Fig. 12 Vertical inlet/horizontal outlet ............................................................................. 17
Fig. 13 Horizontal inlet/outlet ......................................................................................... 17
Fig. 14 Vertical inlet/horizontal outlet ............................................................................. 17
Fig. 15 Horizontal inlet, outlet upwards and actuator downwards .................................. 18
Fig. 16 Drain in downstream piping – Drip leg (L) .......................................................... 19
Fig. 17 Valve in low installation ...................................................................................... 19
Fig. 18 Installation with bend welded direct to outlet ...................................................... 21
Fig. 19 Expansion welded direct to outlet or closer than 0.1 s x Vmax ............................ 21
Fig. 20 Installation with an expansion cone in the outlet ................................................ 22
Fig. 21 Feed forward control – example. ........................................................................ 26
Fig. 22 Feedback control – example .............................................................................. 27
Fig. 23 Feed forward when a dump device cannot be used as a flow meter.
Algorithm based on valve position with compensation for variations in inlet
pressure and temperature. Pin and Tin are also used in the heat balance......... 27
Fig. 24 Bypass to condenser. Recommended installation ............................................. 28
Fig. 25 When the valve is very large, the below installation helps simplifying maintenance 28
Fig. 26 Preheating arrangement utilizing the natural pressure drop in the steam pipe .. 31
Fig. 27 Preheating arrangement bypassing the control valve ........................................ 32
Fig. 28 Preheating arrangement utilizing a higher pressure level than the valve inlet pressure 34
Fig. 29 Vertical installation ............................................................................................. 35
Fig. 30 Horizontal installation ......................................................................................... 36

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System Design Considerations

1 General
The steam conditioning valve is an important part of the system. However, also other parts and
parameters in the system can have a significant impact on the performance of the steam
conditioning valve. In the following we have described those factors and also given some
general guidelines on how you can achieve a proper system design.

Contents:
 Inlet pipe recommendations
 Straight pipe-run upstream recommendations
 Distance to the first bend
 Distance to the temperature sensor
 Distance to flow dividers
 Distance to pressure sensor
 Downstream piping material
 Additional comments
 Drains
 Control system
 Pressure control
 Temperature control
 Preheating arrangement of upstream piping
 Fix points and supports
 Accessibility

First rule
All steam valves are designed for dry steam and exposing valves for wet steam
or condensate will damage the valve and this is not covered by any warranties.
Vent valves and drains are to take care of pipe pre-warming until those
conditions are fulfilled.

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1.1 Inlet pipe recommendations

Steam conditioning valves require straight pipe-runs both upstream and downstream to
provide good performance.
The reason for having a straight pipe-run upstream is that a pipe bend (elbow) – fig 1 –
creates a flow pattern that is non-uniform. Especially two or more pipe bends in 3
dimensions (x, y, z) – fig 2 – just before the steam conditioning valve is known to cause
very unstable flow, resulting in vibrations and other flow induced problems. We
normally use an inlet strainer that minimizes the risk but the risk must be considered.

L1 Elbow

Fig. 1 Pipe elbow upstream the valve

The orientation of the closest pipe bend vs. the valve orientation is also very important.
An installation such as in figure 1 (two dimensional x-y) is far better than an installation
like the one shown in figure 2.

Fig. 2 XYZ installation with T-piece

An installation like the one shown in figure 2 is known to create rotational forces in the
valve plug. If a valve for some reason must have a pipe bend oriented as in figure 2,
please inform CCI about this before the valve design specification is made.

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A T-piece as shown in figure 3 is also known to cause vibration and other problems, and
should always be avoided. Upstream S-pipe bends should also be avoided.

Fig. 3 XY installation with T-piece

If a T-piece is used, a straight pipe length of at least 20 x Ø pipe should be used before
the valve.

Undersized stop valves with reduced bore upstream a bypass valve are
known to cause noise and vibrations due to high vena contracta
velocities and ununiform velocity distribution.
WARNING

Undersized stop valves also give the bypass valve a nonlinear characteristic due to the
strong influence of the pressure drop on the flow through the stop valve.
Stop valves of this type must be installed as far upstream as is required to provide a
uniform flow pattern. It is the responsibility of the supplier of the stop valve to provide
information about necessary distance.
A stop valve of angle type and a control valve, specially designed, can be assembled as
one unit and be welded together without any distance piece. This is quite common for
dump to condenser applications.

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Fig. 4 Installation with stop and control valve welded together

1.2 Straight pipe-run upstream recommendations

L4 PT
L2 PI

L1
L3
R

TE

Fig. 5 Straight pipe runs up- and downstream the valve

CCI recommends the upstream straight pipe to be

Ø < 200 mm / 8" 1 m /3.28 ft. or longer
Ø 200 - 400 mm / 8 - 16" min 5 x Ø
Ø > 400 mm (>16") min 3 x Ø
If R 5 x Ø of the inlet, the elbow can be fitted directly to the valve inlet stud.
If multiple pipe bends are located upstream, the straight pipe length before the valve
must be increased, and that distance must be estimated for each case.

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The upstream instrumentation should always be a temperature sensor to make sure the
steam is dry before the valve opens. In case any kind of algorithm is used for the
control, a pressure sensor is required.

1.3 Distance to first bend

After the water injection, it will take a short while for most of the water drops to evaporate. To
avoid problems with free water hitting the pipe wall, causing erosion and free water following
the pipe wall, it is necessary to have a minimum downstream distance before the first pipe
bend.
To minimize this problem, the distance before the first pipe bend should be a minimum of 0.1 s
x maximum velocity in the pipe for all valves except VST-SE, for which we recommend a
minimum distance of 0.05 s x maximum steam velocity, before the first pipe bend. This
because of the internal principle which means proportioning of water into the steam flow.

1.3.1 Distance to first bend for special cases

1. High pressure by-pass to cold reheat or equal process application
The distance to the first bend can be reduced to 0.067 s x maximum
velocity if the following conditions are fulfilled:
 Downstream pressure 15-60 bar / 217 – 870 psi (lower value normally only
occurs during sliding pressure mode or start-up).
 Degree of superheat 100°C or higher.
 Water temperature 140°C / 284°F or higher.

2. Hot reheat to condenser, HP to condenser or equal process application

The distance to the first bend should in this application be increased to 0.12 s x
maximum velocity if the following conditions are fulfilled:
 Typically 3-6 bar / 43-87 psi outlet pressure before dump device at full load.
 Degree of superheat 30°C or lower
 Water temperature 60°C / 140⁰F or less
 Water to steam ratio > 0.25
Feed forward is always recommended for this type of application. See the separate
document “Dumping into Condenser”.
The figures on the following page show the downstream temperature as a function of
time.

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1.3.2 Dump to condenser with wet steam before dump device

When the steam/water mixture has an enthalpy below saturation, bends are not allowed
at all before the dump device since this leads to separation of steam and water resulting
in risks for noise and vibration in downstream piping and worst of all blocking of holes
in the dump device with free water that can cause damages to dump device and inside
condenser.

For dump to condenser 0.05 s x Maximum velocity is the recommended distance from
water injection to condenser wall. The dump device drilling starts normally directly on
the inside of condenser wall.

If the installation does not allow for the required straight distance, both the dump device
and condenser may be damaged.

[ C]
500

400

300

200

160

4 bar
143,6

0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]

Fig. 6a Downstream temperature vs. time in a dump to condenser

or a similar process application

This diagram shows the typical temperature downstream of water injection of a steam
conditioning valve in a dump to condenser application as a function of time when steam is
minimum 10°C superheated.

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[ C]
500

480

460

440

420

400

380

360

340

250,3
0 0,02 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,10 0,12 [s]

Fig. 6b Downstream temperature vs. time in an HP to cold reheat

or similar process application

This diagram shows the typical temperature downstream of water injection of a steam
conditioning valve in an HP to cold reheat application as a function of time.

1.4 Distance to the temperature sensor

The recommended distance before the temperature sensor is 0.2 s x maximum steam
velocity for a ratio 15% of spray water / steam flow and 0.3 s x maximum steam
velocity for a ratio >15% spray water / steam flow for all PRDS valves except for VST-
SE. This valve has an integrated steam atomization and water proportional to steam flow
can be installed at a distance of 0.2 s x maximum steam velocity.
The values are based on a set-point of approx. 10°C / 18°F above saturation for steam
and 90°C / 194°F for water and a steam pressure bar / 28 psi.
Lower degree of superheat gives a longer distance and higher degree of superheat gives
a shorter distance.
Exact time to sensor is normally finalized when all parameters are known, but the
general rules shall normally be followed.
A higher water temperature reduces the evaporation time and a lower water temperature
increases the required minimum distance to the temperature sensor. For dump to
condenser, see “Dump tube philosophy”, paper no. P1010.04en.

1.4.1 Minimum distance to temperature sensor

In valves with low outlet velocity (m/s, 100 ft/s), the required distance calculated
as time can be longer than usual and minimum distance to the temperature sensor should
therefore never be shorter than 12 m / 39 ft) for process applications.

1.4.2 Distance to temperature sensor for special cases

1. High pressure by-pass to cold reheat or equal process application

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The distance to the temperature sensor can be reduced to 0.15 s x maximum velocity if
the following conditions are fulfilled:
 Downstream pressure 15-60 bar / 217 – 870 psi (lower value normally only
occurs during sliding pressure mode or start-up).
 Degree of superheat 100°C / 212°F or higher.
 Water temperature 140°C / 284°F or higher.

2. Hot reheat to condenser, HP to condenser or equal process application

The distance to the temperature sensor should in this application be minimum 0.3 s x
maximum velocity.
 Typically 3-6 bar / 43-87 psi outlet pressure before dump device at full load
 Degree of superheat 30°C / 86°F or lower
 Water temperature 60°C / 140°F or less
 Water to steam ratio > 0.25
Feed forward is always recommended for this type of application. See the separate
document “Dumping into Condenser” (from the Applications Handbook).

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1.4.3 Minimum degree of superheat

[ C]
500

400

300

200

160

4 bar
143,6

0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]

Fig. 7 Downstream temperature vs. time in a dump to condenser or

similar process application

As can be seen from the diagram above, the temperature will decrease very quickly
when water is injected and will then decrease slower and slower.
The reason is that the droplets after a very short time after they have been injected into
the flow will be exactly at saturation temperature. The heat transfer mechanism is heat
transfer from the surrounding steam to the droplets with temperature differences as the
driving force. The closer to saturation temperature the slower the process, thus allowing
more time for the droplets to fall out.
This typically begins to be a problem when the degree of superheat is 20-30° and
become quite difficult at 10° or lower.
Another problem associated with this is the effect of one droplet or more hitting the
sensor. If one (or more) droplet hitting the sensor will cause a misreading, which is
unpredictable and even not possible to calculate.
During transient when the temperature swings around the set-point, this problem can
increase beyond stability and the system will not be possible to control with severe
water fall outs and temperature swings as a result.

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Rules
A protective shield should be used for 10° superheat or less.

Fig. 8 Protective shield

To avoid misreading, a protective pocket must be used for 5-7°C / 9-11°F superheat to
minimize the effect of water hitting the sensor.
Below 5° superheat is not acceptable and no warranties will be given. Exceptions are,
however, possible in certain cases. Therefore please contact the factory. Problems like
this are always minimized with a valve like VST-SE with built in mechanical water
proportioning. For less than 7°C / 11°F special control and extra instrumentation often
must be used and the factory must always be contacted in such cases.
For dump to condenser applications where cold water, typically less than 50°C /122°F is
used for desuperheating, the degree of superheat should be at least 20°C / 68°F since
evaporation time otherwise can be very long. CCI strongly recommend you to avoid
feedback control for dump to condenser applications due to big risks for thermal fatigue
damages related to difficulties in control. CCI always recommend feed forward control
for dump to condenser applications.

1.5 Distance to flow dividers

The outlet flow from a valve must never be divided by a T-piece, Y-piece or any other
configuration before the outlet temperature can be properly controlled.

1.6 Distance to pressure sensor

To receive an acceptable and stable signal, it is necessary to have a relatively uniform
velocity gradient. The distance L4 should be at least 5 x outlet Ø.

1.7 Downstream piping material

We recommend 5 m / 16 ft. of downstream piping in low alloy material when the steam
temperature before cooling is > 425°C / 800°F. The reason is that the evaporation is not
instant after water injection.

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1.8 Additional comments

For a well performing temperature loop it is also very important to consider
 Response time for the temperature sensor during temperature gradient (T66).
 Response and sampling time for the controller / DCS.
 Response and sampling time for the actuator.
 Resolution and control characteristic of the spray water control valve.
 Pipe size; large pipes (approx. diameter 0.8 m/ 32”) downstream of the valve,
particularly with low velocity, very frequently have a non-uniform temperature
distribution and should therefore have three temperature sensors installed
perpendicular to the pipe.
 Velocity at minimum load. If the minimum steam velocity at the water injection
point is below 8 (12 bar) – 12 (4 bar) m / s (26-40 ft / s) depending on pipe
size, steam-assisted steam conditioning valves (Steam Jet, VST-SE, VLB-SE)
should be used, unless a dump device is used downstream (see Dump Tube
Philosophy, P1010.04en).
 Protective pockets, quick response type should always be used.
 Stop valves and particularly drain studs upstream of the valve have
proven to be a cause of high noise and vibrations.
 Drains must always be sized to handle maximum fallout caused by transients,
heat losses or minimum 3-5% of maximum water injection.
 Temperature sensors in vertical pipes should always be avoided if technically
possible due to the risk of water hitting pipe wall which may affect the
measurement correctness.

1.9 Diffusers and plates

Diffusers and plates can for certain applications be used downstream of the water
injection, but with limited service life. Always consult the factory for this type of
applications that always require feed forward control without exception.

1.10 Drains / Vent to atmosphere

It is essential to keep free water out of the steam system. The main sources for free
water are:
 Condensate
 Spray water that has not evaporated in the steam system.
 Vent / drain system upstream of the valve is undersized and cannot handle
condensate from the pipe warming when the plant is started from cold. This is
the most common reason for damage of valves.
Note! Free water in the steam system causes noise, mechanical damage and
makes temperature measurement difficult.

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The steam conditioning valve performs an important function in the steam system. It is
therefore essential to protect the valve from damage that might occur if water enters the
valve. It is equally important to protect the downstream system from damage caused by
a malfunctioning temperature control system (see separate section). It is, therefore, nec-
essary to have drains both upstream and downstream of the valve.
Maximum condensate normally occurs during cold start-up. This must be considered
already at the design stage for sizing of the drainage system. Condensate volume that
must be removed during start up should of course be calculated each time based on real
data but as an estimation, a mass of typically 7-14 % of the upstream piping weight
need to be removed through the condensate system. There should always be a
temperature sensor to confirm that the upstream piping is dry before the valve is opened
to prevent damages.
The following shows examples of drain arrangements for different valve
positions, etc.
Note! In case of a valve position according to fig. 10 and 11, the position of the
drain connection must be exactly defined.

Fig. 9 Horizontal inlet/vertical outlet

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CCI
From DCS on/off Customer
Preheat flow

To handle
start up
condensate Drain of level
removal control type
L1
L2 LIC
Manual or on/off
from DCS

From DCS on/off From DCS on/off

Flash tank

Y
Drain
On when contaminated
condensate
On when clean
condensate
To hotwell/condensate
recovery system

Fig. 10 Drain/preheat system

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Manual/motorized by-pass
for start-up

Steam trap

Fig. 11 Drainage system (D)

The main reason for installing a bypass to drain is normally to give extra capacity during start
up to get rid of the large volume of condensate formed during start-up with cold piping.
Specially combined cycle plants are difficult since the degree of superheat from HRSG is very
low at low load of GT. That results in steam reaching saturation after a short travel through the
cold piping.
A recommended location of the drain is 2/3 of the distance to the temperature sensor.
Level control type drains are recommended for pressure above 20 bar / 290 psi.
Displacement type condensate pumps are recommended for low pressure < 3 bar / 43 psi
process lines.

1.11 Pipe pre-warming

Modern fully machined forged symmetrical valves do not normally need pre-warming but
when the valve is in standby mode, the upstream piping must be preheated to avoid condensate
formation. This small flow, typically 50-200 kg / h / 134-535 lbs/h, should be piped to a steam
consumer as dearator or similar. The connection point can be the same as a drain stud at the
valve body if the valve is installed in a low position and should be in high position point if the
valve is installed higher than the piping. Without this small flow, it is also very difficult to
confirm that steam always is superheated in the valve inlet before the valve is opened.

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The inlet steam pipe shall have a drain connection at a low point close to the valve

Fig. 12 Vertical inlet/horizontal outlet

Fig. 13 Horizontal inlet/outlet

Valves shall have a drain stud at the bottom of the valve body

Fig. 14 Vertical inlet/horizontal outlet

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Note: Generally not

preferred but possible
in certain applications
– please contact CCI.

Fig. 15 Horizontal inlet, outlet upwards and actuator downwards

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Min 1 x O/

Fig. 16 Drain in downstream piping – Drip leg (L)

Fig. 17 Valve in low installation

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Locate the drain (D) on the downstream side, at the lowest point after the valve. Weld
a drip leg (L) to the pipe, and connect the drain to the bottom of the drip leg.
The drip leg shall have a diameter of 0.5 x pipe-diameter. The depth of the drip leg shall
be between 300 and 600 mm / 1-2 ft.
If possible, always avoid an installation where the valve outlet is at a low point. If the
drain is undersized or not working, water can accumulate and cause many serious
problems.

CCI is only responsible for problems related to the equipment included

in the CCI scope of supply.
WARNING

 The weight of the accumulated water can seriously damage piping and supports.
 Free water at the bottom of the piping can cause very serious vibrations and
pressure transients in the piping.
 Downstream temperature sensor can be hit by non-evaporated water causing
severe control problems.
 Minimum slope to drain at a low point should never be less than 100:1.
 Water hammers.
 A simple closed temperature control loop is in most cases too slow for this type
of installation. A feed forward system is always required to minimize the effect
of transients recommended for this installation.
 Transient analysis is necessary and must always be performed before designing
the control system.

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This type of installation with bend direct to outlet is very

dangerous and is therefore always forbidden.
WARNING

Fig. 18 Installation with bend welded direct to outlet

This type of installation will in most cases not work or cause

severe water fall out
WARNING

Expansion welded direct to outlet

or closer than 0.1 s x Vmax

Fig. 19 Expansion welded direct to outlet or closer than 0.1 s x Vmax

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Exception
In certain cases, the design below can be used after written confirmation from the
factory.

Fig. 20 Installation with an expansion cone in the outlet

1.12 Water valve location

Water valves are always to be installed below the lowest point of the spray connection and
recommended distance is 4-6 m between water valve and inlet of the connection point is on the
bypass valve.

Any pressure drop between water valve outlet and connection point on the bypass valve must
always be specified in order to include this pressure drop when sizing.

Not providing correct information may lead to capacity / control

problems for which CCI cannot take the responsibility.
WARNING

1.13 Water piping connection to desuperheater connection

The water pipe routing (isometric) must be done in such a way that the forces originating from
thermal expansion are not transferred to the connection point.

Note! Deviations from this point must be clearly stated before ordering, as they can be
critical for the design of the product

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1.14 Control system

Steam conditioning valves combine two functions:

 Modulated pressure control
 Steam desuperheating within a limited space
The reason for having this combination of functions is that the conditions for accurate
temperature control in a piping system with geometrical limitations by far is superior to
the use of a separate pressure reducing station and a desuperheater.
When designing a control system it is important to understand that the steam
conditioning valve and the spray water control valve are the tools that execute the
actual pressure reduction and the water injection for the temperature reduction.
The pressure and temperature controllers give the input to the valve on how much to
open or close. The valves only do what they are told to do, i.e. the pressure and
temperature control loops must operate correctly in order to help the valves achieve
desired pressure and temperature reductions.
Balance in all systems is always advisable when designing control systems.
It is always advisable to use a feed forward system to position the water valve to a
predicted correct position during a transient to minimize deviations in the water flow.
Excessive over or under spraying can cause severe problems of thermal cycling, impact
damage, erosion and unstable actuator downstream of the valve.
Note! Always open the steam valve slightly before the water valve and close the
water valve slightly before the steam valve. To minimize the risks, it
should be hardwired to the system so that spray water valve should not
be able to open before the steam valve. When the equipment reaches
minimum specified flow, the steam valve and the spray water valve shall
close simultaneously and quickly.

When steam atomized nozzles are used in combination with spring-loaded variable area
nozzles two separate water valves must be used. For steam atomized nozzles a separate
on/off valve is used to supply atomizing steam that must be interlocked to open only
after the steam valve has opened. Water valve associated with steam atomized
desuperheating system must open after atomizing steam valve.

Remember that water hammer can destroy all kinds of piping and valves and opening or
closing should therefore never be faster than what the process requires. A spray water
valve may never open quicker than a bypass valve.
Inexactness is normally a by-product of too short actuating times and incorrect PID
settings.

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Systems with low degree of superheat, especially at low pressure,

do often require enthalpy-based feed forward control to be able to
WARNING operate correctly.

Recommended distance to temperature sensors is based on a well tuned PID loop.

The instrumentation is often the weakest point for exact control and must also be
discussed with the factory for applications with large pipes, low pressure and high
rangeability.
Note! Distance to a temperature sensor must be enough to allow not only for complete
evaporation at steady state conditions, but also for transients when a steam
valve opens or closes quickly and therefore causes a quick change in required
water injection.

1.15 Pressure control

The pressure control system is normally quite uncomplicated and causes very few
problems. Pressure control is always a closed loop system with feedback.

To be considered

 Valve stroke time.

 System response time
 Start-up condition
 Stability, especially in the actuator
 Boosters because they can create instability
 Response on small signal variations

1.16 Temperature control

A successful temperature control system is a result of several considerations:
 A closed loop control system shall be used, only when the downstream
temperature can be accurately measured and used for feedback.
 Degree of superheat. The higher degree of superheat, the easier the control.
 A feed forward control system shall be used when accurate temperature
measurements cannot be made. Feed forward systems require more exact
instruments and also correct flow measurement over the full range especially at
the water side.
Note! With feed forward control system we here mean the control system for the
spray water control. It shall not be mixed up with our description of
feed forward control in other CCI literature, e.g. for steam conditioning
valve type VST (mechanical link between steam and water flow).

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 Temperature measurements must only be made at a location where all injected

water has evaporated, and the steam is absolutely dry.
 The temperature at the measuring point shall be at least 5C / 9F
above saturation temperature to guarantee that the steam is dry. This can be
achieved under steady state conditions with very careful instrumentation,
installation and control and must be discussed prior to order.
 Turndown requirement and capability of steam conditioning and spray water
valves.
 Available spray water pressure and temperature.
 The piping arrangement must allow for required straight run and distance to the
temperature sensor.
 Piping arrangement must allow for proper draining in case of malfunction of the
temperature control system.
 An interlock shall be used, and the spray water valve will therefore automatically
close if and when the steam conditioning valve closes.
 If possible – avoid a separate pressure reducing valve upstream of the spray
water valve. If you must use it – take great care in designing the control system
and consider the response times in different control loops. This often leads to
pressure transients far above specified inlet pressure, resulting in increased
maintenance and wear of the last spray water valve. This is a design that always
should be avoided if possible, since there today are excellent water valves that
can take the full pressure drop.
 Prevent particles in the water from damaging the valve or nozzles by installing a
strainer upstream of the spray water control valve in the spray water supply line.
 Spray water valves must always be Class V tight to prevent water from being
collected in the system, thus causing others problems.
Note! Max acceptable particle size is 100 - 200 microns, depending on type of
spray water nozzle used.

II500.00/7en 25
 Installation
Steam Conditioning Valves Guidelines

To achieve good performance the control loop itself must also be analyzed to find out, within
which exactness the water flow can be controlled by the complete control loop. The most
important parameters are the following:
 Sensor response time
 Controller response time and exactness
 Positioner exactness
 Valve exactness
 Valve characteristic
 Valve position exactness
 Dead band
 Maximum transients
 Actuator exactness and stiffness
This analysis also provides the answer regarding sizing of the drainage system
downstream of a desuperheater or steam conditioning valve.

PT

PT TT DCS

Steam

FT

Spray water

Fig. 21 Feed forward control – example.

The algorithm is based on the dump device used as a flow meter and a heat
balance using inlet pressure and temperature

26 II500.00/7en
 Installation
Guidelines Steam Conditioning Valves

Fig. 22 Feedback control – example

Steam

PT
PS
DCS TT

FT

Spray water

DCS or PLC with heat

balancing ability

Fig. 23 Feed forward when a dump device cannot be used as a flow meter. Algorithm based on
valve position with compensation for variations in inlet pressure and temperature. Pin
and Tin are also used in the heat balance

II500.00/7en 27
 Installation
Steam Conditioning Valves Guidelines

Steam Isolation Valve

(Quick Closing)

Dump Tube Condenser

Fig. 24 Bypass to condenser. Recommended installation

Desuperheater
Dump Tube Condenser

Fig. 25 When the valve is very large, the below installation helps simplifying maintenance

28 II500.00/7en
 Installation
Guidelines Steam Conditioning Valves

1.17 Special for feed forward with dump to condenser

Note! Bends downstream can only be used if the enthalpy of the mixture is at
least 10°C / 18°F above saturation in the inlet of the dump device since all
bends create separation between steam and water.

Feed forward control is superior to temperature control since all transients that may damage the
pipe and condenser are avoided. Damages to valve outlet, piping, dump device, condenser, etc.
are very rare. Every year there are damages reported where the temperature control is used
especially when there is a long distance (more than 20 m / 65 ft) between water injection to
condenser.

A recommended set point for this application is to have approx 20°C / 36°F superheat after the
dump tube to avoid the risk of having free water after the dump tube. An enthalpy of 2650
Kj/kg is normally recommended for most applications.

For this application a water flow meter must be used in the water line for each water valve in
case of more than one water valve. There should also be a pressure sensor upstream and
downstream of the water valve to allow for good estimation of the water flow below the
effective range of the water flow meters. Those pressure sensors can also be used for back up
of the flow meter if it fails and as preventive maintenance measurement since deviations from
calculated values indicate the true cause of the problem before consequences as damages etc.
can occur.

1.18 Actuation
Actuator type is very important for the performance, especially for a control which requires
stable temperature close to saturation since wet steam hitting the temperature sensor during
transients are heavily amplified if the actuator makes any overshoot.

Electrical, hydraulic or double-acting piston actuators with a high performance smart positioner
must be used.

To avoid problems the actuator must be slower than the steam valve as stability is much more
important than speed.

II500.00/7en 29
 Installation
Steam Conditioning Valves Guidelines

1.19 Preheating arrangement of upstream piping

Upstream piping must be done in such a way that pockets of condensate always are
drained away.
Note! It is absolutely necessary in all conditions to have superheated steam in
the inlet of the downstream valve.

Note! Additional preheating of CCI valves is not required.

Arrange for preheating, in those cases when the control valve normally is closed under
operation – e.g. in a turbine bypass application.
Preheating of the piping upstream of the valve is not necessary when the valve is located
above the live steam line and the pipe slopes down to the main steam line.
When the valve has to be installed lower than the live steam header there are a number
of solutions for the preheating arrangement. The main objectives, when selecting the
arrangements are to:
 Create an effective system so that the piping will be sufficiently preheated and
drained.
 Minimize the energy losses due to preheating steam.
Figures 18 – 20 show a few arrangements that can be used. The piping layout will
determine the preheating arrangement that will be the most effective for a specific
application.
Note! CCI can give advice on the best solutions for different types of plants;
such as conventional reheaters, combined cycle, cogeneration plants and
others.

Typical pipe dimensions for the preheating line is in the range of 25 to 50 mm / 1 to 2

inches. The preheating line must be equipped with an isolation valve, which also can be
used for manual flow control of the steam flow for preheating.
The preheating sizing is based on:
- Length of pipe between valve and main line
- t between surface temperature outside the insulation and the environment.
- Indoor or outdoor installation
A heat balance based on this information will provide the necessary preheating flow.

Additional preheating of CCI valves is not required.

30 II500.00/7en
Installation
Guidelines Steam Conditioning Valves

1 2
Main steam line

3
Preheating line

Bypass line

Steam condition valve

Preheating flow

Fig. 26 Preheating arrangement utilizing the natural pressure drop in the steam pipe

The method above is the most energy effective, but it also requires a suitable system
design.
When the steam flows from (1) to (2) there will be a pressure drop p in the line. With
proper sizing of the preheater piping, (1) to (3) it is possible to have a sufficiently large
flow to keep the piping (3) to (2) free of water. Warning! Required pressure drop is
often practically difficult to achieve and requires often both a big pre-warming
pipe and restriction in the main line. Reasonable pressure drop is 0.2-0.5 bar.

7A
´

Bypass line

7B
Preheating flow

II500.00/7en 31
 Installation
Steam Conditioning Valves Guidelines

Fig. 27a/2/3 Preheating arrangement bypassing the control valve

To DCS PT

Set from
TIC TT
DCS
A
7
Bypass line

7B
Preheating flow

Fig. 27b Preheating arrangement bypassing the control valve

32 II500.00/7en
 Installation
Guidelines Steam Conditioning Valves

To DCS PT
Min 0,5 m
Set from
DCS
TIC TT 7A

Bypass

line

7B
Preheating flow

Fig. 27c Preheating arrangement bypassing the control valve

The method shown in fig. 27 is the easiest and most common way of preheating upstream
piping (valve). Here you simply connect the inlet with the outlet and use a restriction to limit
the steam flow.
The steam flow used for preheating shall be moderated according to required pipe / valve
temperature, to reduce energy loss. In most cases normal ”preheating flow is 50-200 kg/h /
134-535 lb/h.
This preheating with connecting inlet to outlet can cause very high temperature downstream
and special springs made of Nimonic or similar must be used. The factory must also be
informed prior to manufacturing if this method is used. Normally the downstream connecting
point must be used after the valve to prevent hotspots that may cause deformation of the valve
outlet.

II500.00/7en 33
 Installation
Steam Conditioning Valves Guidelines

Preheating flow

Bypass line

Preheating line
Hot reheat line
Main steam line

Fig. 28 Preheating arrangement utilizing a higher pressure level

than the valve inlet pressure

The solution shown in above figure is energy effective but can sometimes require a long
preheating line.

34 II500.00/7en
 Installation
Guidelines Steam Conditioning Valves

2 Fix points and supports

The piping system must be so designed that the valve(s) will not be used as a fix point.
Supports are often required for auxiliary equipment and valves, and must be properly
designed. See figs. below for examples.

Crane
for lifting

L1
Steam
Inlet Platform

Nozzle
L2
Dump
Tube
Duct

Fig. 29 Vertical installation

II500.00/7en 35
 Installation
Steam Conditioning Valves Guidelines

Spring Spring
hanger hanger

Inlet pipe from above Inlet pipe from below

Sliding
support Sliding
support

Vibration Vibration
absorber absorber

Inlet pipe from below Inlet pipe from above

Fig. 30 Horizontal installation

36 II500.00/7en
 Installation
Guidelines Steam Conditioning Valves

2.1 Actuators with springs must always supported due to the weight to avoid excessive
forces on yoke and mounting details. Especially when the actuator is mounted
horizontally this must be considered and spring hangers are always recommended.

II500.00/7en 37
 Installation
Steam Conditioning Valves Guidelines

3 Accessibility
Space must be provided for service and maintenance of the valve. If the valve is
installed in a pipe rack or any other location which is difficult to reach, you need to
provide a platform around the valve as well as a safe route to it. The platform shall be
sufficiently large to accept a minimum of two persons and temporary storage of valve
internals.

Note! Consider also transportation of heavy spare parts.

A bracket or other arrangement for a lifting device shall also be available. The capacity
shall be at least 5 tonnes.
To facilitate maintenance within scheduled time, lifting equipment as well as a working
platform must be provided.
Planning for future maintenance is a very good investment and should always be taken
into consideration.

CCI reserves the right to make technical improvements.

38 II500.00/7en
Installation instructions
Valves
General recommendations

II500.50/4en
©CCI 2006
 1 - Installation instructions

1 Installation instructions

1.1 Installation

1.1.1 Welding into piping system

• The valve can be welded into the pipeline system with plug and
bonnet mounted with the restriction that the temperatures given in
fig. 1 will be kept.
• The water injection loaded nozzles, type OP, installed in the valve
outlet shall always be removed before the PWHT of the valve weld
joint.
• The water connection pipe shall be connected to the water loop in such
a way that the motion caused by the thermal expansion of the steam
valve can take place without any forces being transferred to the water
loop.

Ö After welding, always make sure that no foreign particles have

entered the pipe and valve.

• Cleaning of valve and piping system - see SI500.10.

• Preheating, selection of welding electrode and heat treatment must be
performed in accordance with the welding instructions for the topical
material.
• Measure and check the temperature at ”A” shown below, during pre-
heating and welding - see fig. 1.

II500.50/4en Installation instructions Valves 1

©CCI
 1 - Installation instructions

Fig 1 Max. recommended

temperature during
preheating and
welding

A
Max.
Material in
temperature
valve body
(at point A)

Carbon steel (1) 480°C/900°F

Low alloy steel (1)
A
13CrMo4-5
ASTM GR. 12
580°C/1075°F
11CrMo9-10
ASTM GR. 22

X10CrMoVNb 9-1
ASTM GR. 91
Low alloy steel (2)
650°C/1200°F
X10CrMoVNb 9-1
ASTM GR. 91

(1) Internals are Tenifer surface hardened.

(2) Internals are Cobolt hardfaced.

We recommend you to use a GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) for the
root pass. In doubtful cases, please contact BTG.

Ö Always ground the welding machine on the piping side - not on the
valve body!

1.1.2 Inspection before reassembly

The following check routines are appropriate after e.g. clean blowing of
the valves.
• Check all mating surfaces for damages.
Recondition by lapping with carborundum, if necessary (e.g. blend-in
scratches or indentations due to clamped-in foreign particles).
• Check sealing surfaces with blue ink. The contact surface must be

2 Installation instructions Valves II500.50/4en

©CCI
 1 - Installation instructions

intact around the seat periphery.

• Visually inspect all internal parts to be assembled.

1.2 Cleaning of piping system (SI500.10)

This instruction describes number of alternative cleaning methods
designed for use in steam pipe systems which include control valves and
stop valves at different occasions, i.e. between and after machining and
before assembly or final installation. The cleanliness requirements are
primarily applicable at the time of final installation, but must be taken
into account during manufacture and sub-assembly.
The following cleaning methods are described in SI500.10:
• Organic degreasing
• Alkaline degreasing
• Pickling
• Blasting
• Wire brushing
• Steam blasting

Ö BTG can, on request, supply steam blowing accessories – see data

sheet D5001.

1.2.1 Acid cleaning of the piping system

The valve is resistant to most of the usually applied acid detergents, if
flushing starts immediately after the cleaning process.
Certain acid cleaning processes necessitate removal of acid-sensitive
valve parts. The responsibility and decision about this has to be borne by
the acid cleaning company.

Ö In all cases, the gland packing material has to be removed, the

glands to be flushed and cleaned properly and new packings must
be installed after each acid cleaning.

(The packings may retain a small amount of acid, which may lead to stem
corrosion later on).
Service and maintenance of Grafoil stem seals - see SI500.11.

1.3 Protection of the spray water system

It is recommended to install a filter (100 µm) in the spray water system
upstream of the valve to prevent plugging and wear.

II500.50/4en Installation instructions Valves 3

©CCI
 1 - Installation instructions

4 Installation instructions Valves II500.50/4en

©CCI
Service instructions
Cleaning methods
Steam pipe systems

SI500.10/5en
©CCI 2002
 -

Table of contents

1 Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

1.1 Organic degreasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.1.1 Cleaning agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.1.1 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.2.1 Trichloroethylene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.2.2 White spirit, paraffin (Kerosene) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.3 Cleaning effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Alkaline degreasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.1 Cleaning agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.1.1 Carbon steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.1.2 Stainless steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.1.3 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 Pickling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.1 Cleaning agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.1.1 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.3 Cleaning effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 Blasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.1 Cleaning agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.1.1 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.3 Cleaning effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.5 Wire brushing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.5.1 Cleaning tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.5.1.1 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.5.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.5.3 Cleaning effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.6 Steam blasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.1 Cleaning agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.1.1 Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.6.3 Cleaning effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6.3.1 Seat damages caused by foreign matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

SI500.10/5en Service instruction Cleaning methods I

©CCI 2002
 -

II Service instruction Cleaning methods SI500.10/5en

©CCI 2002
 -

List of illustrations

Fig 1 Steamflow transporting foreign matter in the pipe to the valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Fig 2 Foreign matter causing damage to the valve seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Fig 3 Steamflow is shut off and the cause of damage is not detectable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

SI500.10/5en Service instruction Cleaning methods III

©CCI 2002
 -

IV Service instruction Cleaning methods SI500.10/5en

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

1 Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

This instruction describes a number of alternative cleaning methods to be

used in steam pipe systems, i.e. between and after machining and before
assembly or final installation. The cleanliness requirements are primarily
applicable at the time of final installation, but must be taken into account
during manufacture as well as sub-assembly.
The following cleaning methods are described:
• organic degreasing
• alkaline degreasing
• pickling
• blasting
• wire brushing
• steam blasting

SI500.10/5en Service instruction Cleaning methods 1

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

1.1 Organic degreasing

1.1.1 Cleaning agents

Chlorinated hydrocarbons, trichloroethylene petroleum solvents: white
spirit, paraffin (kerosene).

1.1.1.1 Exceptions
Trichloroethylene must not be used on austenitic stainless steel surfaces
and other alloys which are sensitive to stress corrosion attack in the
presence of halogens.
Paraffin (kerosene) and white spirit shall be free from lead and free from
contaminants containing halogen, if they are to be used on austenitic
stainless steel surfaces.

1.1.2 Procedure
1.1.2.1 Trichloroethylene
Place the components in a trichloroethylene degreasing unit. As the
vapor condenses on the component surfaces, oil, grease and similar
substances will dissolve and can be rinsed off. The degreasing takes
about 5 minutes. The effect can be improved by rinsing or dipping, thus
also assisting in the removal of solid impurities. The solvent must be
stabilized to ensure that no hydrochloric acid will separate and cause
corrosion damage.
Materials subjected to a trichloroethylene treatment must as soon as
possible be treated against corrosion unless further cleaning is to be
carried out.

1.1.2.2 White spirit, paraffin (Kerosene)

Wash or rinse the component in the solvent. The method is not suffi-
ciently effective for heavily fouled components. Grease and oil are
readily dissolved. However, solid impurities must be removed by subse-
quent brushing or other mechanical cleaning.

1.1.3 Cleaning effect

Organic degreasing will dissolve grease, oil and similar substances but
only partially remove impurities. It will not remove soaps and chemical
residuals.
Washing with white spirit will provide a brief corrosion protection which
must be taken into account when cleaning components prior to assembly.

2 Service instruction Cleaning methods SI500.10/5en

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

1.2 Alkaline degreasing

1.2.1 Cleaning agent

1.2.1.1 Carbon steel
Water solution of alkali and surface-active agents. Concentration: 3 - 8%
by weight, pH of 13 - 14, bath temperature of 70° C - 90° C
(160° F - 195° F).

1.2.1.2 Stainless steel

Water solution of alkali and surface-active agents. Concentration: 1 - 2%
by weight, pH of 10 - 12, bath temperature of 70° C - 90° C
(160° F - 195° F). The halogen content must not exceed 0.1%.

1.2.1.3 Exceptions
Light metals, e.g. as zinc aluminium and their alloys, must not be
degreased with an alkaline solution, as there is a risk of surface corrosion.
Painted surfaces may be degreased only if the paint is an alkali-resistant
epoxy paint.

1.2.2 Procedure
Flush the component with the solution at high pressure or dip it in the
agent which simultaneously should be agitated. The cleaning takes 2 - 10
minutes, depending on the degree of fouling.
Thoroughly rinse the component in clean water containing a
corrosion-protective additive, e.g. 0.1 - 0.2% sodium nitrite.
Dry the component immediately after rinsing and give it an anticorrosion
treatment unless further cleaning is to be carried out.

SI500.10/5en Service instruction Cleaning methods 3

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

1.3 Pickling

1.3.1 Cleaning agents

Pickling liquid with the following alternative acid concentrations and
bath temperatures

10 - 20% by weight of phosphoric acid at 70° C -80°C (160 ° F-175°F)

5 - 25% by weight of sulfuric acid at 60° C- 80°C (140° F - 175°F)
Acid cleaning 3 - 10% by weight of hydrochloric acid at 20° C - 40°C (75° F- 1O5°F)
Remove the internals of
the valve (plug, stem The pickling liquid must contain a suitable inhibitor. Check this by
and bonnet) when acid placing a tuft of degreased steel-wool in a sample of the pickling liquid.
cleaning piping inclu- If the pickling liquid does not contain an inhibitor, bubbles will clearly
ding valves. This is form after 1 - 2 minutes, due to release of hydrogen.
necessary since these
internals are nitrited or 1.3.1.1 Exceptions
chemically hardened.
The bonnet gaskets Hydrochloric acid must not be used for pickling of stainless steel. Carbon
have to be replaced after steel must not be pickled in hydrochloric acid, if surfaces of austenitic
the cleaning is done. stainless steel and surfaces of other alloys sensitive to halogens may
BTG can supply a seal- come in contact with the pickling liquid or its vapors.
ing plug in the same
shape as the bonnet
upon request. 1.3.2 Procedure
Dip the components to be degreased in the pickling liquid which simul-
taneously should be agitated. The pickling time should not exceed 30
minutes if sulfuric or hydrochloric acid is used, and 1 - 2 hours if
phosphoric acid is used.
The times specified are for guidance only and should be assessed from
case to case.
To avoid pickling damages, the component may first be dipped in deio-
nized water which will fill any crevices, so that the pickling liquid can
penetrate by diffusion only.
Carefully rinse the component in warm water after pickling, or dip it in a
weak alkaline solution, e.g. 0.75% Na3 PO4 · 12H2O, then rinse the
component again in warm water.
Dry the component immediately after rinsing and give it an anticorrosion
treatment.

1.3.3 Cleaning effect

Removes metal oxides, such as rolling and casting skin, mill scale and
corrosion products. Any welding slag should be removed by mechanical
cleaning.

4 Service instruction Cleaning methods SI500.10/5en

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

1.4 Blasting

1.4.1 Cleaning agents

Steel shot, silica sand, sea sand or aluminium oxide, depending on type
of component.

1.4.1.1 Exceptions
Aluminium oxide or silicon oxide with a low contaminant content shall
be used for blasting surfaces of austenitic stainless steel. The blasting
agent must not have been used on other materials, e.g. carbon steel. It
shall be approved by BTG as regards chemical composition, contamina-
tion level and maximum particle size.

1.4.2 Procedure
Non-stainless steel and steel castings should normally be blasted with
steel shot. Components in contact with lubricating or hydraulic oils can
be blasted with steel shot only if the particle size is maximum 0.5 mm
(0.19 in).
After blasting, remove all residues of the blasting agent by brushing,
blowing or preferably vacuum-cleaning. Surfaces blasted with steel shot
should be carefully treated to remove any steel residues. Wet-blasted
surfaces should be brushed and rinsed with clean water.
All blasted components shall be given an anticorrosion treatment
immediately after cleaning.

1.4.3 Cleaning effect

Removes rolling and casting skin, products of corrosion, mill scale,
welding slag and other foreign matter. The cleaning effect is entirely
dependent on the efficiency of the blasting.

SI500.10/5en Service instruction Cleaning methods 5

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

1.5 Wire brushing

1.5.1 Cleaning tools

Scraper, steel wire brush, mechanically driven brush or grinding wheel,
depending on the shape and accessibility of the component.

1.5.1.1 Exceptions
The wire brush used for wire brushing of austenitic stainless steel
surfaces shall e.g. be made of austenitic stainless steel or of a plastic
containing aluminium oxide. The wire brush must not be used on other
materials.

1.5.2 Procedure
Manual wire brushing shall always be carried out after scraping. Scra-
ping should preferably be carried out by means of tools fitted with repla-
ceable cemented carbide inserts.
In case of a light corrosion attack, mechanical brushing at a peripheral
speed of the rotating brush of between 25 and 35 m/s (80 - 113 fps) can
be used instead of scraping and manual brushing. Do not press the brush
too hard against the surface.
Mechanical grinding provides the same results as scraping plus wire
brushing. The method is best suited to flat surfaces. Grit size should be
0.25 - 0.40 mm (0.098 - 0.157 in).

1.5.3 Cleaning effect

Removes rolling and casting skin, products of corrosion, mill scale and
weld pellets. However, continuous streaks of welding slag should be
removed beforehand.

6 Service instruction Cleaning methods SI500.10/5en

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

1.6 Steam blasting

1.6.1 Cleaning agent

Steam at a temperature of 50° C - 100° C (122° F - 212° F) above the sa-
turation point, a pressure of more than 50% of maximum steam pressure
and a velocity of 70 m/s (225 fps). Steam of a lower temperature,
pressure and velocity should only be used for degreasing, or instead of
hot water flushing.

1.6.1.1 Exceptions
Steam used for steam blasting of austenitic stainless steel surfaces has a
conductivity of a condensed sample, measured after a strongly acidic
cation exchanger of below 0.3 S/cm at 20° C (68° F).
Increase the steam velocity if a lower steam pressure is used. The general
rule is: the dynamic pressure, ½ W² · d, should not be less than the
normal operation pressure
W - Steam velocity

d - Steam density

1.6.2 Procedure
Blasting with high pressure steam is primarily carried out when the
installation of the steam pipes is completed. Make several blastings and
let the pipe work cool down to room temperature (approximately 3 hours
between blastings). Make the first 2 - 4 blastings without target as lots of
particles will come with the steam. When the steam seems to be clean,
mount a target to check the cleaning effect.
Mount a target made of a square rod of carbon steel and with the faces
numbered 1 - 4, to the steam outlet, preferably into a U-bar. The target
surfaces shall be mirror-polished. The size of the target area should be
about 15% of the pipe area. (At Ø 250 mm (10 inch in diameter) a rod of
30 x 30 mm (1.18 in x 1.18 in) should be chosen.) Turn the rod 1/4 of a
full turn to expose a new surface to the blasting. Compare the target
surface to see how the cleanliness improves.
Interrupt the blasting when two target faces, from two subsequent blas-
tings, do not show any obvious difference, and the particle traces are
small enough not to harm the turbine or the valve interior. Impacts of
small particles are allowed, but not the crater type.

SI500.10/5en Service instruction Cleaning methods 7

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

1.6.3 Cleaning effect

The steam blasting procedure removes loose products of corrosion, mill
scale and other foreign matters.

Ö If steam velocity is too low when blowing the pipe it will not be
cleaned from foreign matter like bolts, welding electrodes etc. This
will cause severe damage to the valve when in operation.
When the steam is shut off, foreign matter will fall back into the
pipe and become difficult to detect.

1.6.3.1 Seat damages caused by foreign matter

Fig 1 Steamflow transpor-

ting foreign matter in
the pipe to the valve

8 Service instruction Cleaning methods SI500.10/5en

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

Fig 2 Foreign matter

causing damage to
the valve seat

Fig 3 Steamflow is shut off

and the cause of
damage is not
detectable

SI500.10/5en Service instruction Cleaning methods 9

©CCI 2002
 1 - Cleaning methods for steam pipe systems

We reserve the right to make technical improvements

10 Service instruction Cleaning methods SI500.10/5en

©CCI 2002
Service instructions
Grafoil
Stem seals

SI500.11/5e
©CCI 2002
Table of contents

1 Grafoil stem seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

1.1 Addendum to BTG service instructions for steam conditioning and

control valves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 General conditions for installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2.1 Sealing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2.2 Stem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Die moulded Grafoil packing rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

SI500.11/5e Service instruction Grafoil stem seals I

©CCI 2002
II Service instruction Grafoil stem seals SI500.11/5e
©CCI 2002
 1 - Grafoil stem seals

1 Grafoil stem seals

1.1 Addendum to BTG service instructions for

steam conditioning and control valves

The BTG valves are as standard fitted with Grafoil® (Reg. Trademark of
Union Carbide Corp.) graphite stem packings.
Grafoil is made of expanded graphite. The shaft seals withstand saturat-
ed, HP, superheated and condensated steam of up to 500 bar (7250 psi)
pressure and temperatures above 1000° C (1830° F) and to process, dem-
ineralized and hot water at all pressures and temperatures. Regarding
other fluids, please contact your local BTG office and/or Union Carbide
Corp. specialized distributor.
The Grafoil packing material is available in two styles, both used by
BTG, depending on operating conditions and type of steam conditioning
or control valve.

1.2 General conditions for installation

1.2.1 Sealing
The successful sealing of a valve stem with Grafoil is achieved if you
take the following guidelines into consideration:
1. The component to be sealed must be mechanically in sealable condi-
tion. Mechanical parts, such as stem, shaft, bearing, stuffing box
room, lantern rings, gland, follower-sleeve etc. have to be cross-
checked for surface condition and tolerances. Grafoil can under load
extrude through relatively small gaps, and the following tolerances
are therefore important:
a. Diameter tolerance between stem and stuffing box wall at the bot-
tom - <0,2 mm (0.008")
b. Diameter tolerance between stuffing box wall, gland, follower-
sleeve, bushing, distance sleeve or lantern ring - < 0,2 mm (0.008")
2. When working with die-moulded packing rings, purchased from offi-
cial Grafoil distributors, slightly higher gaps can be tolerated.
3. When pressure exceeds 100 bar (1500 psi) and higher, the above tol-
erances should be reduced by about 50% (consider the thermal expan-
sion). Metal washers or flat steel rings are sometimes required to fill
up large tolerance gaps. In this case, the outside diameter of such
washers or sleeves must correspond to a press fit and the inside diam-
eter should be precision machined to a tolerance of +0.1 mm (0.004").

SI500.11/5e Service instruction Grafoil stem seals 1

©CCI 2002
 1 - Grafoil stem seals

1.2.2 Stem
1. Surface-polished to better than 0.8 Ra average surface roughness, free
of pits, burrs, scratches.
2. Check cylindricity (deviation max. 0.05 mm) and parallelity.

1.3 Die moulded Grafoil packing rings

1. If the box is very deep (more than 4 - 8 rings) or if the play between
spindle and stuffing box bottom is too large (more than 0.5 mm
(0.02") diametrically) we suggest you fit a suitable spacer or spacer
rings to reduce the depth of the box.
2. Fit the first Grafoil ring separately and push it down into the box bot-
tom by use of a bushing (possibly split). This bushing shall have a di-
ametrical play of 0.6 mm (0.02") against spindle and box wall. If a free
shaft or spindle end cannot be obtained, slit the prepressed ring - either
straight or on the cross. Open the ring axially and slip it around the
shaft or spindle. Displace the following slit rings 120° as usually.
3. Compress the ring using gland and gland nuts. Use common hand
wrench tools and tighten as much as possible.
4. Repeat the procedure for the following rings - one or max two at a
time.
5. For final adjustment of the gland, loosen it and check free spindle
movement. Then tighten gland successively until the valve is tight un-
der pressure. Readjustment is normally not necessary.

Ö Note: Only by compressing the rings one at a time, by use of a

bushing, you can be sure that the first ring (bottom ring) seals
properly. In some cases, when this method is not used, it is possi-
ble to compress all rings at once. However, in that case note that
the gland must be tightened as much as possible and then loos-
ened and adjusted according to point 5.

Table 1: Selection of strip width

If the packing space is Use Ribbon-Pack

Up to 6 mm (0.24") 12.5 mm (0.49")

6 mm - 10 mm (0.24"-0.39") 19.5 mm (0.77")

10 mm - 13 mm (0.39"-0.51") 25.0 mm (1")

13 mm or more (0.51" or more) 38.0 mm (1.5")

2 Service instruction Grafoil stem seals SI500.11/5e

©CCI 2002
Storage
Valves and actuators
General recommendations

ST500.40/1en
©CCI 2003
 1 - Storage

1 Storage

1.1 Storage at site. Short-term storage until

installation
The protective coating provided for shipping, protects both valves and
actuators up to 12 months, provided the storage room is kept dry. Special
attention is necessary to prevent the valves/actuators from being exposed
to condensate, rising humidity, rain, sand, dust, etc.

1.2 Storage at site. Long-term storage until

installation
For long-term storage, the mechanical components must be dismantled,
properly preserved and stored under dry conditions. This kind of storage
is applicable from 12 months after delivery and onward, at the latest.If
the storage is expected to last several years, yearly inspections and, if
necessary, renewed preservation must be planned and carried out.

Ö Reassembly must always be carried out under the supervision of

qualified personnel well acquainted with the equipment.

Ö You are welcome to contact BTG for technical support.

ST500.40/1en ST Valves and actuators 1

©CCI 2003
 1 - Storage

2 ST Valves and actuators ST500.40/1en

©CCI 2003