TPi October 2009

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44 Tube Products International October 2009
f i t t ingsfeature on . . .
THE Swagelok ® FKB series medium-
pressure ball valve, designed for
improved cycle life in the field, provides
a leak-tight seal for applications up to
15,000 psig (1,034 bar).
The trunnion-style ball valve features
Swagelok’s patent-pending direct load
design, which delivers a consistent
seal across a full range of pressures.
Innovative stem and end connection
seals prevent shell leakage and
provide robust cycle life even in severe
conditions. The introduction of this ball
valve expands the company’s line of
medium-pressure products, including
gaugeable tube and adapter fittings
and seamless tubing, which satisfy the
higher working pressure requirements of
the oil and gas industry.
Medium-pressure ball valve
delivers sealing up to 15,000 psig
Swagelok medium-pressure ball valves
deliver reliable and repeatable operation
to meet the performance requirements
of common offshore applications, such
as topside wellhead control panels,
chemical injection panels, well workover
panels and control systems. A bottom-
loaded stem design eliminates system
blowout for enhanced operator safety.
Maintaining the integrity of the valve
seal is critical for applications where
positive shut off is required.
The valve features low-torque actuation,
eliminating the need for assist methods
and accessories in manual actuation.
If pneumatic actuation is required, the
valves are available with ISO-5211
compliant actuators. A positionable
handle provides flexibility in panel
layout by reducing clearance issues
with other components.
Swagelok medium-pressure ball valves
feature a 0.209" (5.3mm) orifice, 316
stainless steel body construction, and
reinforced PEEK seat seals. The valves
are rated for temperatures from -17°
to 121°C (0° to 250°F) and maintain
a full pressure rating throughout the
entire operating temperature range.
Multiple O-ring materials are available,
including nitrile, fluoroelastomer, and
perfluoroelastomer. All wetted materials
are compatible with most hydrocarbons.
Offered in a 2-way configuration, the
valves are available with Swagelok
medium-pressure tube fitting end
connections, which provide single turn
makeup, or makeup by torque, for
reduced installation time and labour
costs. As with traditional Swagelok tube
fittings, the end connections employ
a two ferrule design to deliver robust
tube grip, leak-tight gas seal, and
vibration resistance. Female NPT end
connections are also available. End
connections sizes are 1/4, 3/8 , and 1 /2".
The FKB series valve is the company’s
first release of three sizes for its medium-
pressure product line. The Swagelok line
of medium pressure products includes
medium pressure fittings and seamless
tubing. The 316 stainless steel fittings
are available in a variety of configurations
for use with medium pressure stainless
steel tubing, both heavy wall annealed
and cold-drawn 1/8 hard, and heavy
wall SAF 2507™ super duplex tubing.
Swagelok Company – USA
Laminar sealing rings
TFC Europe Ltd provides engineering solutions that incorporate the use of high
quality fasteners and ring and spring products. As a technical based distributor,
the company has thousands of fastening solutions, including one-stop-shop
capability, and has been a BS/EN/ISO 9002 approved supplier since 1990.
Once a natural gas or oil well is drilled, and it has been verified that commercially
viable quantities of natural gas or oil are present for extraction, the well must
be completed to allow for the flow of oil, petroleum or natural gas out of the
formation and up to the surface. This process includes strengthening the well
hole with casing, evaluating the pressure and temperature of the formation, and
then installing the proper equipment to ensure an efficient flow out of the well.
This is where a choke valve controls the pressure and flow, and it is imperative
that the primary scraper ring performs its function of keeping the flow regulated
and free from debris.
Choke valves are the first primary valve used to control flow and pressure when
oil and gas exits the well. In this position the valve is exposed to high velocities
and direct impacts from material suspended in the oil, from fine sand and grit,
and sizeable chunks of rock and other debris. It is one of the most arduous
applications for any valve.
Sealing is a vital element in the
construction and TFC’s Smalley
Laminar Rings have been specified
as the primary scraper ring seal
used in the stem packing and
stem plug arrangements. Laminar
Rings are configured to create a
metal labyrinth, the arrangement
of which is dependent upon
the severity of the environment.
Manufactured in Haynes 25 Alloy
L605, and with special interlocking
end configurations, they provide
a suitable scraper ring seal set to
withstand the arduous conditions to
which they are regularly subjected.
The criticality of keeping the valve clear of debris is crucial, and failure to do
so can dramatically affect performance ultimately leading to a failure within the
system, which if a blockage occurs can be catastrophic.
TFC Europe Ltd – UK
•
Laminar Rings: a metal labyrinth is created S S
by using a set of three in-springing and
two out-springing single turn rings in an
alternating configuration