Issue
Valve manufactures have significantly improved the life of valves over the last 15 years. However, that does not mean that those valves are inherently efficient. For some applications, like hydrogen, valves can be very inefficient and still performance incredibly well. For other applications like natural gas, carbon dioxide, and propane, and for low ratio applications like pipelines, the efficiency of the valves can make a huge difference in power required to compress the gas. Power saved is power that can often be used to compress additional gas. Power saved is also fuel (energy) saved and hence lower emissions.
But, an efficient valve that needs replaced often can lead to more emissions, less flow, and more unit issues. Thus, users need to make sure that first the valve is dependable, and then make sure that it is as efficient as possible.
ACI Expert Advice
ACI can review your current concerns with your valves, and when possible, recommend different types of valves and styles of valves to better meet your goals for reliability and efficiency.
