Mining

Below you will find published articles written by Valin's own experts and information from our suppliers.   
Submitted by Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Condition Monitoring

The concepts of “preventive maintenance” and “condition monitoring” are not always characterized in a way that is entirely accurate. They sometimes seem to be treated as a “one-size-fits-all” service that many operators believe they need. However, these concepts can mean very different things depending on the application.

Submitted by Jon Monsen Ph.D., PE || Valin Corporation
Simple Excel Worksheet Predicts Control Valve Aerodynamic Noise

Recently an article was published that presented an easily constructed Excel sheet that estimates hydrodynamic noise in control valves1. A number of people have asked me if there is something similar for aerodynamic noise. 

Submitted by Norm Hall || Valin Corporation
Hilco Oil Reclamation System

Investing in oil reclamation technology can help reduce the costs associated with oil usage. Learn more in the article below.

Submitted by Jon Monsen, Ph.D., PE || Valin Corporation
Gas Compressibility Factor and Control Valve Sizing

A veteran of valve sizing with more than 40 years of experience provides his perspective on how to calculate the compressibility factor of a real gas for control valve sizing purposes.

Submitted by Jon Monsen || Valin Corporation
Excel-Worksheet Predicts Control Valve Hydrodynamic Noise

Most control valve manufacturers include IEC 60534-8-4:2015 in their control valve sizing and selection software to predict control valve hydrodynamic noise. However, users who want to make quick noise predictions or who want to construct valve sizing applications, programming the above noise standard can be a daunting task. 

Submitted by Jon Monsen || Valin Corporation

If one wants to be able to do accurate hand calculations, or construct a simple program or Excel sheet, the method described here gives answers that agree exactly with iterative calculations using the equations in the current version of the ISA and IEC standards.

Submitted by Jon Monsen || Valin Corporation
Using Control Valve Installed Gain Calculations

The availability of an easily constructed Excel worksheet that calculates and graphs control valve installed gain in conjunction with the user’s preferred control valve sizing application has prompted a new interest in the application of these calculations. Three examples are shown here.

Submitted by Jon Monsen || Valin Corporation
Calculating the Installed Flow and Gain of a Control Valve

A simple process method based on the principle that piping pressure losses are approximately proportional to flow squared is presented.

Submitted by Corey Foster || Valin Corporation
Remote Access

As long as products have had ethernet ports, people have been asking for remote access to them. They believed they could just plug the devices into the internet, and it would all work. As more software tools became available and internet speeds increased, capable users found ways to give themselves access, however, there was a catch.

Submitted by Jay Van Horn || Valin Corporation
Installation Practices Key to Successful Heat Tracing

Laying out an effective heat tracing design requires careful attention to detail. Every aspect of the system must be meticulously considered, including both the temperature requirements of the fluids being protected as well as the physical characteristics of the equipment being heat traced.

United Electric Controls has introduced a unique new family of HART capable transmitters that provides programmable switching functionality for industrial process monitoring applications. The One Series 1XTXSW transmitter line is the first to integrate HART 7 compatible 4-20 mA output. Lean more.

Submitted by Russell Rochambeau, Valin Corp.

Making smart design decisions, particularly in relation to the suction line, can avoid potentially severe cavitation-induced damage to hydraulic pumps.

Workplace Safety Still Needs a Human Component

Workplace safety is—or should be—a primary focus of every organization, regardless of whether we’re talking about a classroom, an office, a manufacturing facility, or an oil rig. Employees deserve a workspace that is as safe and secure as it can possibly be.

Submitted by Kevin Smay, Valin Corporation // Plant Engineering

Plant engineers often fail to incorporate correct lubrication into system processes and do not realize its critical importance until something goes wrong.

Submitted by Russ Rochambeau, Valin Corporation

Cavitation is the 2nd leading cause of a pump system failure. It’s for this reason that a full understanding of what cavitation is, how it is caused and how it can be prevented is critical in the fluid power industry.

Submitted by Jon Irvine
Best Practices in CONTROL

Considering the number of variables, gaining precise control of a process heating application can be a difficult task. In industries with a high demand for consistent quality, controlling the temperature of a substance from the start to the finish of a process is an absolute necessity. Learn more.

Submitted by WIKA Instrument Guru
How Gauges Can Help Prevent Costly Loss of Containment

Loss of containment is one of the costliest things that can go wrong at a plant. Accordingly, smart enterprises employ a variety of measures that ensure loss of containment just doesn’t happen – or when it does, the adverse circumstances are kept to a minimum.

Submitted by Jon Monsen and Peter Jessee // Valve Magazine
Noise from Cavitation: Bad for Control Valves and Equipment

Certain frequencies of sound can play havoc on industrial equipment. When control valves are not selected appropriately, there is an increased risk for cavitation, which causes high noise and vibration levels, resulting in very rapid damage to the valve's internals and/or the downstream piping.

Submitted by Renee Robbins Bassett, Featured in Automation World Magazine
Renee Robbins Bassett, Featured in Automation World Magazine

Advanced Process Control (APC) methods used to be so advanced as to be esoteric- too complex and unusable except by a few high-level experts. Today, however, it seems APC is little talked about for an entirely different reason: It’s become a commodity.