Actuators for HIPPS (High Integrity Pressure Protection System) applications
One of our customers requested 12 hydraulic valve actuators to be mounted onto 14" class 1500# ball valves for use in a HIPPS system. We supplied high closing speed spring return hydraulic actuators.
Problems to be solved:
- High closing speed – our customer specified a closing speed of less than 0,8 seconds, including a reaction time of solenoid valves etc. at an ambient temperature of -20°C.
- All control components were to be configured into a redundant setup, to ensure functionality even in case of failure of any single component.
- Due to extreme over-sizing of the actuator (the actuator was specified to be sized with a safety factor of 5), hydraulic damping inside the actuator cylinder was necessary to absorb the high inertia of the valve-ball and the actuator’s internal moving parts.
- MTBF figures for the actuator, mounting arrangements and all control system components were provided, so that the probability of failure could be determined.
Result:
- The actuators have been supplied in full accordance with customer specifications.
