By Marianne Hojby, Alfa Laval

Drain valves comprise up to 20 percent of all valves in a typical processing plant. But cleaning them is costly, difficult, and time-consuming due to long cleaning cycles and the risk of pressure shocks. The new Alfa Laval ThinkTop pulse seat clean addresses all these issues, quickly and effectively making drain valves spotless while delivering savings of up to 95 percent in cleaning-in-place (CIP) liquid.

ThinkTop is raising the bar on water savings yet again. The new pulse seat clean feature does for drain valves what the burst seat clean did in 2019 for mix-proof valves. While burst seat clean reduces CIP liquid for mix-proof valves by up to 90 percent, the pulse seat clean cuts drain valve CIP liquid consumption by up to 95 percent.

MORE SAVINGS, MORE UPTIME

Imagine the savings made possible by using this standard automated valve-position feature, triggered by a rising programmable logic controller (PLC) signal and controlled by the Alfa Laval ThinkTop V50 and V70 sensing and control units.

“The ThinkTop pulse seat clean brings unheard-of savings in CIP liquid to process plant owners and operators compared to conventional PLC timer-controlled seat cleaning,” says René Stietz, product portfolio manager, valves and automation, Alfa Laval. “Alfa Laval is the first and only valve automation solutions provider to deliver significant savings in CIP liquid for drain valves.”

FASTER, MORE EFFECTIVE PULSE CLEANING

Short bursts, or pulses, drive the valve cleaning process, activating the valve when shear forces peak. Each position-based pulse takes less than a second, preventing pressure shocks in the system. The pulse creates high turbulent flow as the liquid passes through the narrow gap between the valve house and valve seat, effectively removing all residuals for spotless drain valves.

100 PERCENT CLEANING VALIDATION OF DRAIN VALVES

The pulse seat clean makes control and validation of valve cleaning cycles easy. The valve position is not controlled by the PLC timer but by the Alfa Laval ThinkTop. Besides reducing the volume of CIP liquid used, programming the sensor to open and close the seat quickly ensures faster, more rigorous cleaning and hygiene than timer-controlled cleaning. The ThinkTop also verifies that valve cleaning has been completed.

Intended for use with single-seat valves or butterfly valves used as drain valves, pulse seat clean is a standard feature of ThinkTop V50 and V70 sensing and control units with one solenoid valve. Regardless of actuator mode, the drain valve may be configured as a normally open or normally closed shutoff or changeover valve. The pulse seat clean simplifies valve commissioning, prevents pressure shocks, and reduces CIP liquid and time.  

Alfa Laval’s innovative technologies are dedicated to purifying, refining, and reusing materials, promoting more responsible use of natural resources. They contribute to improved energy efficiency and heat recovery, better water treatment, and reduced emissions. Thereby, Alfa Laval is not only accelerating success for its customers, but also for people and the planet. Making the world better, every day. For more information, visit www.alfalaval.com.

MODERN PUMPING TODAY, June 2022
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