If you can answer yes to any of these questions, your process could benefit from using a remote valve configuration on your controller:
- Are you utilizing high pressures in your applications (> 1500 psig)?
- Have you had issues with down time due to clogged valves?
- Does your process utilize a gas that acts as a super-critical fluid?
High pressure drops across controllers with an internal valve can cause major issues. Placing the valve on the exterior allows for a higher pressure drop across the device, but allows for the same PID control as an internal valve. Recently, we made the remote valve option a standard configuration on our
Quantim Coriolis mass flow controller. That means a
faster delivery time compared to when it was a special order configuration.
A Remedy for Clogged Valves
Many of us are very familiar with processes that have had issues with clogged valves. Anything from a build-up of process debris to the usage of corrosive fluids can lead to clogged valves. Generally a filter can take care of process debris, but if a filter isn't an option or the clogging is due to corrosion, a remote valve can ease the pain. If the valve in a controller that's been designed with an internal valve becomes clogged, the entire device must be removed from the line and replaced before production can resume. But if the controller has been designed with a remote valve, the clogged valve is field replaceable, making maintenance of the unit easy and requiring minimal downtime.
Examples of Ideal Remote Valve Applications
These situations are more common than you might think. Ever wonder how my favorite stimulant,
caffeine, is removed from coffee beans? Supercritical carbon dioxide. Same goes for
extraction of essential oils used in perfumes and personal care products, and even the
re-crystallization of pharmaceutical compounds for improved drug delivery. Applications in industries across the board use supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent. Another example is supercritical ethylene, which is used in
LDPE and HDPE production. It can be found in abundance throughout any petrochemical plant.
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