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Wafer & Lug-type Butterfly Valves & Vacuum

What to consider when selecting an appropriate design

Figure 1

ne of the most common valves in vacuum applications is the butterfly valve. Why is that? After answering this question we will hopefully arrive at the right solution which means the perfect shape & design to fit these applications. What can we expect from a wafer/ lug type butterfly valve on cycle time and life-time expectancy for working conditions found in, for example, sugar processing with high humidity, relatively high environmental temperatures and a vacuum down to 850mbar? As seen in Figure 1, the main requirement for one of the molasses tanks in a sugar factory is RELIABILTY for the duration of the sugar processing operation which is generally from 5 to 9 months, depending on the country and harvested plants as sugar cane or sugar beet. During this operation any interruption of the process costs a huge amount of money and is therefore inacceptable. A high temperature requirement is also necessary as sugar processing frequently uses steam up to +130C compared with a vacuum down to 850mbar. So the valve material itself has to withstand the high
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temperature steam, vacuum and a high flow velocity! The critical part herein is the liner. The first choice here is EPDM, not FKM, as it is not steam resistant, and not NBR as the temperature resistance is too low. PTFE will work as well but is 4 times more expensive. So the ideal liner is EPDM with a temperature resistance up to +135C. Of utmost importance, once again, is the design, as per my previous articles a v-shaped liner to

reduce the friction and the wear & tear! The most crucial issue, however, is the precise manufacture of the liner. The main focus must be on the vulcanization with perfect temperature alignment and a perfect bonding of the liner with either the backing ring or the valve body! In Figure 2 you can see the main cause of damage to a liner in a steam vacuum line where the sugar molasses is extracted from vessels by means of these valves.

Figure 2 April 2010 1

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Figure 3

Figure 3

Figure 4

The bonding is insufficient (applying the glue causes failures = wrong procedure) and the vulcanization of the rubber also (wrong temperature alignment during vulcanization). This picture shows primarily a solution with a backing ring which is highly recommended for vacuum but an insufficient pre-preparation of the backing ring with a flat surface as well as a failure within the glue / bonding detergent. Why do I recommend a backing ring as liner support instead of the cheaper attachment of the liner directly to the valve body? Take a close look at Figure 3 where you can see a detailed drawing of a liner vulcanized on such a backing ring, then you will see the real advantage of such a design if it is done properly: The backing ring has to show a significant shape to increase the surface of the bonding area significantly increasing the adhesion which gives the valve the resistance against vacuum to avoid a defect as seen in figure-2. The backing ring also serves as a hard back / support against the pressure and high flow velocities e.g. in steam lines. If it is to be done properly, please do not forget the V-shaped internal diameter to allow a perfect and smooth closing with the disc without a high break-away torque! The backing ring also allows a perfect sealing for the shaft bore see Figure 4
2 April 2010

In Figure 4 can be seen a cross-sectional view of the shaft bore. The shaft bore is made entirely of rubber vulcanized inside the backing ring with 2 O-ring shaped sealing areas. These 2 sealing areas made 100% of rubber increase the flexibility of the bore also serving as a 2 step sealing against the medium the best you can get on a small area like this and it virtually prevents any ingress of medium behind the liner which, in other designs is most likely to happen almost immediately after installation. Looking in more detail at Figure 3 and at the geometry of the backing ring we can see that the shape works as a dove-tail and, after vulcanizing, the rubber cannot be pulled away easily. The internal area where the rubber is bonded to the backing ring is more than double that of a flat surface and therefore, by calculating the pull away force, we will see, too, over 2.5 times higher resistance which the geometry also serves to increase. Of course nobody can see from the design drawing if the production / manufacturing procedure is done perfectly as the bonding between the liner & backing ring relies highly on a clean working condition, precisely applied bonding glue, perfect vulcanization temperature control and perfect timing. In my description and explanation

above I have tried providing you with an answer to the question of what is the right butterfly valve design for critical applications such as in a vacuum line on the example in a sugar mill but that works as well on different applications and please be aware that what works perfectly in vacuum works even better in standard pressurized lines. I will be glad to receive your comments and questions on this article and, finally, I hope the article will help you to select the right butterfly valve for your production.

Meet Gnter xler

Gnter xler is a freelancer to the Process Industry and has a long history within the valve industry. He graduated in Process Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in Stuttgart, Germany, holds a MBA degree in VWA as well as a controlling degree and is a REFA specialist. For more than 25 years, Gnter has worked for several companies in the valve business. He is also a member of the IWA, ISA and VDI German Engineer. Gnter can be contacted under guenteroexler@aol.com

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T h e M a n u fa c T u r e r s V o i c e

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April 2010

T h e M a n u fa c T u r e r s V o i c e

4 April 2010

www.valve-world.net

T h e M a n u fa c T u r e r s V o i c e

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April 2010