Precision Flow and Pressure Control with a V-Port Segmented Ball Valve and SCADA-Based Automation

ByJim Mimlitz, P.E.

Navionics Research, Inc.

Tony Beuke (President) & Brian Isom (CA Regional Sales Mgr)JFlow Controls, Inc.

Illinois Rural Water AssociationTraining Course

Effingham, Illinois22 February 2017

Precision Flow and Pressure Controlwith a V-Port Segmented Ball Valve

and SCADA-Based Automation

© 1995-2017 COPYRIGHTNAVIONICS RESEARCH INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

RIRIwireless-telemetry.com IRWA Training

Control Valve Applications...



Fully-Open |Fully-ClosedService

ModulatingService

CommonValveFamilies:

Butterfly Valve

Gate Valve

Diaphragm Valve

Diaphragm Valve

High-Performance Butterfly Valve

V-Port Segmented Ball Valvewith Baffles

Generation I – Diaphragm Valve…Can be tuned to provide altitude control at water towers, pumping stations, and custody-transfer valve stations.

Offer a no-slam open/close actuation and can be locally tuned to sustain a desired back-pressure.

High Maintenance.

Fine-Tuning with SCADA Limited.



Generation II –High Performance Butterfly Valve…Can be tuned to provide altitude control at water towers, pumping stations, and custody-transfer valve stations, when combined with a quarter-turn electric actuator and programmable controller.

Take advantage of increased controlsystem sophistication.

System can be programmed to sustain adesired back-pressure.

System can be programmed to limitthe rate-of-flow.

Can be fully controlled by SCADA System,but fine-tuning difficult.© 1995-2017 COPYRIGHT

NAVIONICS RESEARCH INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


High Performance Butterfly Valve…Principle of OperationHigh-Performance Butterfly Valve is designed formodulating and high-pressure-drop applications:

• Specially designed to prevent seat and disc wear during modulation.

Connected Controller positions the valve’sElectric actuator by utilizing feedbackcontrol theory methods:

• Example GST (ground storage tank) fill valve control sequence.

• Requires support instrumentation: pressure transducers, flow meter.

• Illustrate using 800 GPM / 35 PSI example.© 1995-2017 COPYRIGHTNAVIONICS RESEARCH INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


High Performance Butterfly Valve…Control Difficulties



The vast majority of valve flow-variation occurs between approximately 10% and 30% open.

Slight turn increments within the 10-30% range can produce rather large increases in rate-of-flow.

Result is a situation where flows and pressures are difficult to maintain with precision.

Like “trying to drive a Corvette in a 15mph school zone”.

HPBV Flow Characteristics…



Rate-of-Flow Versus Valve Open % Measured at a Ground Storage Tank Fill Valve.Note the large flow rate increase that occurs between 10% and 30% open.(30-100% open could not be tested without pulling the upstream pressure down too low.)



Generation III –V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve…Seeking a control valve with a more linear flow response across the fully-closed to fully-open rotation:

• If the rate-of-flow could be throttled more evenly across the majority of the actuator movement, then much more precise control of pressure and flow could be achieved.

V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve:

• Based upon the unique shape of its V-notched segmented ball and baffle plates (anti-cavitation trim), it was postulated that the rate-of-flow through this quarter-turn valve would increase more evenly from 0 to 100% open.

• Leverage same controller logic technology and quarter-turn motorized actuator technology as utilized with high-performance butterfly valve.



Traditional Ball

V-Notched/Baffled Segmented Ball…

Segmented Ball

V-Notched, Segmented Ball Valve withAnti-Cavitation/Noise-Reducing Baffles.



V-Notched/Baffled Segmented Ball…Assorted Profile Photos












V-Notched/Baffled Segmented Ball…

V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve – Principle of Operation Diagram



• Diaphragm Valve Replacement (End-of-Life).

• Desire to tightly integrate into SCADA system.

• Desire to achieve precision control of flow and back-pressure.

• SCADA historical data from diaphragm valve (influent pressure,

effluent pressure, rate-of-flow) was fed into valve sizing calculator.

• Selection Result: 6 Inch Valve with Cv=845 @ 100% open.



Application Story…



Before Upgrade – Fosterburg Pump House, Fosterburg IL.© 1995-2017 COPYRIGHTNAVIONICS RESEARCH INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.






Mechanical Removal of Valve and Flow Meter.




Post-Installation: Magnetic Flow Meter, V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve with Limitorque QX Quarter-Turn Actuator.




The Electrical Hookup to the Valve Was Relatively Straightforward: 120VAC Single-Phase Power, Grounding, 4-20mA Analog Positioning Signal from Telemetry Control System.



Validation Testing…

• After the valve installations were completed, tests were performed to validate whether they were providing the desired linear flow-versus-actuation profile.

• During the tests, each valve actuator was re-positioned at 5% increments and flow measurements were performed.

• The performance, as illustrated by the following charts, was excellent.



Validation Results I…

Flow versus Actuation. Note that the flow variation was highly linear from 10% to 80% actuation. (90-100% open could not be tested without pulling the upstream pressure down too low.)



Validation Results II…

Flow versus Actuation. Note that the flow variation was highly linear from 5% to 75% actuation. (75-100% open could not be tested without pulling the upstream pressure down too low.)



Programming and SCADA Upgrade…• After the installation and validation testing, the telemetry controls were updated with sophisticated logic programming to provide Fosterburg with tighter monitoring and control of its valve actuation process.

• The following new setpoints were added:

1. Back-Pressure Sustaining Pressure (PSI)2. Maximum Allowed Rate-of-Flow (GPM)3. Ground Tank Valve Open Level (Ft)4. Ground Tank Valve Close Level (Ft)5. Maximum Allowed Valve Speed (%/sec)6. Maximum Allowed Valve Position (%)



Feedback Control Stress Test…Extreme test of the telemetry control system’s new feedback control mechanism.

An upstream valve to the pump house was throttled to restrict flow. This restriction simulated an upstream low pressure condition, which could occur in situations where the bulk water supplier suffered from a main break.

As the upstream valve was throttled to a near-close, the measured upstream pressure began to drop and dipped below the “Back-Pressure Sustaining Pressure” setpoint. The telemetry controls promptly modulated the V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve to a position that further limited the rate-of-flow so as to maintain the target upstream pressure.



Telemetry Performance Data…Ground Tank Level – 24 Hr. Chart

Valve Position (%) – 24 Hour Chart.

Rate-of-Flow – 24 Hour Chart.

Upstream Pressure – 24 Hour Chart

Totalized Gallons – 24 Hour Chart.



Lessons Learned…• Unlike a butterfly valve, the V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve has a preferred flow- direction, and therefore the actuator orientation should be specified when ordering.

• The Baffles not only increase the flow linearity, but they were also observed to provide

lower sound emissions than an equivalent high-performance butterfly valve.

• In our logic programming, the valve position is modulated based upon a combination of inlet pressure, rate-of-flow, and maximum allowable open %. Experience has shown that it is best to select setpoints in a way that the valve position is primarily controlled by the maximum allowable open % — because this results in the fewest start/stops of the actuator — and minimizing the number of start/stops will lengthen the life of the actuator motor and valve bearings.

• We utilized a segmented ball valve, instead of a full-bore ball valve. The segmented ball provides the desired flow-control profile and requires less torque (smaller, less-expensive actuator).



Special Thanks…• Special thanks to General Manager Mark Voumard and the Board of Directors at Fosterburg Water District for the opportunity to perform this challenging project — a project which advanced the state-of-the-art in Rural Water telemetry & control.

• Thanks also to Kurt Neuhaus, Paul Shetley, and the staff at ERTC-SIUE (Environmental Resource and Training Center – Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville) who generously provided many of the photos used in this presentation.



Resources on the Web…Before initiating a new flow control valve project, it is critical that water utility personnel take care to select the appropriate valve diameter size and baffling options. For assistance, please discuss with your consulting engineer, or utilize a valve sizing calculator:

Jflow Controls Online Valve Sizing Calculator | www.jflowcontrols.com

ConclusionThank You!

Jim Mimlitz, P.E.Navionics Research Inc.wireless-telemetry.com

Telemetry Educational Blog:wireless-telemetry.com/blog

Telemetry Educational Newsletter:wireless-telemetry.com/signup/signup.htm



Engineering

Precision Flow and Pressure Control with a V-Port Segmented Ball Valve and SCADA-Based Automation