Expanded Product Offering at CTi Controltech

This weight loaded pressure relief valve is one of the many
products from Groth used for safe and efficient tank operations.
Image courtesy Groth Corporation

CTi Controltech has added Groth Corporation to its roster of valve and valve automation products. Groth is a well recognized manufacturer of an array of pressure relief and related products routinely used for tank operations and other processes.

• Pressure/Vacuum Relief Valves
• Pressure Relief Valves
• Vacuum Relief Valves
• Pilot Operated Valves
• Flame and Detonation Arresters
• Emergency Relief Valves
• Waste Gas Burners
• Pressure Regulators

Groth products have been protecting refineries, chemical processing plants and facilities with atmospheric fixed-roof storage tanks for more than 50 years. The new product line complements and expands CTi Controltech's ability to deliver full scale complete solutions to their customers.

A general product guide for the Groth products is included below. More detailed information, as well as product application expertise is available from CTi Controltech. Contact a product application specialist, leveraging your own knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop effective solutions to your industrial pressure relief challenges.

Groth Corporation Industrial Product Selection Guide from CTi Controltech

Rupture Discs - Designed to "Fail"

Rupture discs can be combined in series for additional functions.
Image courtesy Continental Disc Corp.

A rupture disc, sometimes known as a pressure safety disc, burst disc or bursting disc, is a one time pressure relief device most often used to protect a vessel, pipe, or container from over pressurization. As opposed to pressure relief valves, rupture discs are designed to function only one time by providing an instantaneous response to an over-pressure condition, providing sufficient venting flow to disallow any further pressure increase.

These sacrificial parts are designed to burst when pressure within production equipment exceeds a certain threshold by breaking down, stopping the process to prevent or mitigate hazardous events. Rupture discs are critical instruments utilized so that companies can ensure process safety as set forth by the International Safety Standards (IEC 61508/61511).

The safety devices prove most effective when they fail according to pre-established specifications. Inferior rupture discs may cause unnecessary and expensive production shutdowns by bursting at the wrong pressure. Adequate quality testing and manufacturing expertise assures performance in accordance with ratings.

Rupture discs are commonly used in chemical, petrochemical, nuclear, aerospace, medical, railroad, pharmaceutical, food processing and gas & oil applications. They provide primary or backup protection. Very often rupture discs are used in tandem with safety relief valves, protecting them from the process media and extending the life of the relief valve.

For more on rupture discs call CTi Controltech at 800-288-7926 or visit their website.

Rupture Disc Products For Industrial Process Safety from CTi Controltech

Considerations When Applying Inline Spring-loaded Check Valves

Cutaway view of connector style spring loaded
in-line check valve.
Image courtesy Check-All Valve

1) Installation and Mounting

Inline, spring loaded check valves can be used in horizontal or vertical applications with proper spring selection. This is most evident in vertical flow down installations. The spring selected must be heavy enough to support the weight of the trim in addition to any column of liquid desired to be retained.

2) Elbow's, Tee's or other Flow Distorting Device's
Inline, spring loaded check valves are best suited for use with fully developed flow. Although there are many factors affecting the achievement of fully developed flow (such as media, pipe roughness, and velocity) usually 10 pipe diameters of straight pipe immediately upstream of the valve is sufficient. This is particularly important after flow distorting devices such as elbows, tees, centrifugal pumps, etc.

3) Valve Material Selection
There are many factors that influence the resistance of materials to corrosion, such as temperature, concentration, aeration, contaminants, and media interaction/reaction. Special attention must be paid to the process media and the atmosphere where inline check valves are applied. It is always recommended that an experienced application tech be consulted before installation.

4) Seat Material Selection
Several seat material options are available for inline, spring loaded check valves. An allowable leakage rate associated with the “metal-to-metal” as well as the PTFE o-ring seat, is 190 cc/min per inch of line size, when tested with air at 80 PSI. Resilient o-ring seats can provide a “bubble tight” shut-off (no visible leakage allowed at 80 PSI air).

5) Sizing and Spring Selection
It is very important to size check valves properly for optimum valve operation and service life. Sizing accuracy requires the valve be fully open, which occurs when the pressure drop across the valve reaches or exceeds three times the spring cracking pressure. Again, it is recommended that an experienced application tech be consulted for help with sizing.

6) Shock-Load Applications
Inline, spring loaded check valves are not designed for use in a shock-load environment, such as the discharge of a reciprocating air compressor. These types of applications produce excessive impact stresses which can adversely affect valve performance.

7) Fluid Quality
Inline, spring loaded check valves are best suited for clean liquids or gasses. Debris such as sand or fibers can prevent the valve from sealing properly or it can erode internal components or otherwise adversely affect valve travel. Any particles need to be filtered out before entering the valve.

Share your fluid control challenges with product application specialists, leveraging your own process knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop effective solutions.

CTi Controltech Adds New Line of Industrial Check Valves

Cutaway view of spring loaded check valve
with flange connections.
Image courtesy Check-All Valve

Effective September 1, 2017 CTi Controltech is proud to announce that it is the exclusive Check-All Valve representative in Northern California and Nevada (excluding Clarke County).

Check-All manufactures in-line spring-loaded, piston-type check valves. All valves are available with metal to metal or soft seats. Sizes range from 1/8” NPT to 20 inch, and are available with a broad assortment of connections. Pressure ratings are available from full vacuum to 10,000 psi. Special materials available are Titanium, Alloy C-276, alloy 20 and many others. Fluoropolymer (FEP) encapsulated springs are available for special corrosion applications. Check-All is an outstanding source for all check valve, vacuum breaker, and low pressure relief applications.

Share your fluid control requirements with the fluid process experts at CTi Controltech, leveraging your own process knowledge and experience with their product application expertise.

Smart Position Indicator for Multi-Turn Valves

Model SPI Smart Position Indicator
Image courtesy Rotork

Centralized control systems need information in order to function. Reliable indication of valve position rates as essential information in maintaining fluid process control operations.

The Rotork product lineup includes the SPI Smart Position Indicator. Installed on multi-turn manual valves, the unit provides a reliable open/close signal to a control system. The unit is housed and constructed to provide maintenance free operation in an industrial environment. Commercially available switches from recognized manufacturers are used in the indicator for signalling. More detail is provided in the datasheet included below.

Share your valve automation challenges with application experts, leveraging your own knowledge and experience with their product application expertise to develop effective solutions.

Smart Position Indicator for Industrial Valves from CTi Controltech