In mid-May 2016, Fluxo Soluções Integradas commissioned and performed the start-up of a valve manufactured by its partner OCV Control Valves (a company specialized in the manufacture of valves, including control valves for loading trucks and tank wagons, established in the USA since 1952), on an LPG loading line at the Barra do Riacho Waterway Terminal (TABR), located in Aracruz, Espírito Santo.
This valve is a globe type with digital control, DN 4”, class 300#, powered at 24 VDC, with actuation through a diaphragm, and it replaced a valve from another manufacturer with piston actuation technology, which did not work properly.
The loading of this TABR measurement line was not working with maximum performance with the existing valve, as there was a need for an operator to intervene to close the system's outlet valve, a procedure that was adopted by the manual operation.
The installation of the OCV digital control globe valve, which is actuated by means of a diaphragm, proved to be more efficient in controlling the flow and more reliable when finishing the loading at the value preset in TABR, as it eliminated the need to have an operator at the end of loading to close the existing manual valve in the skid, which in its original design, should only be used occasionally in cases of downtime for maintenance or in some specific event.
The digital control globe valve manufactured by OCV exceeded customer expectations, as, in addition to solving the operational problems mentioned above, it was reported by the terminal that they are achieving a reduction in the loading time of the trailers by approximately 25% per operation. In other words, the loading of each tank truck, which took an average of 40 minutes to be carried out, is now carried out in just 30 minutes.