INSTRUMENTATION • ELECTRONICS
Professor Tom Povey and his compact, lightweight flow regulator
Laboratory proved that the device could match and more often out-perform the other models being used in industry.
SPIN-OUT BUSINESS The flow regulator is being produced and marketed by Oxford Flow, a technology business originating from the University of Oxford and supported financially by Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI), a new £320m fund created to support ambitious Oxford technology companies. The business has now created several models for
different industries: the IHF series for gas, the IP series for water, the IM series for gas or liquid and the IHP series wafer type high-pressure regulator for all gases. Oxford Flow’s technology offers a number of
different benefits when compared to conventionally designed valves. For example, the Oxford PRVs weigh considerably less than other models on the market. A 4in IHF Series weighs 10kg, whereas 2in valves from leading competitors can weigh as much as 60kg.
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This means fewer technicians are required for
installation and reduces the need for heavy lifting equipment. It also confers health and safety benefits - the lower the weight, the smaller the risk of injury when installing or performing maintenance. And indeed, maintenance needs to happen much
less often. Because of the piston-led design and the fact that the model only has one moving part, these devices are much less prone to failure and can generally stay in service for longer than conventional diaphragm- operated PRVs on the market. Extensive testing has also revealed that the new
regulator offers various performance benefits, including reduced hunting, minimised flow turbulence and reduced minimum pressure head-drop. With noise pollution a considerable health and safety issue in so many process engineering settings, the fact that it is far less noisy than comparable devices is a major benefit. Another benefit comes from the structure of the valve
itself. Traditional regulators also tend to have complex flow paths, with a lot of ‘dead space’ where errant matter from fluids can stray and many moving parts, both of which increase the potential for failure. With just one moving part and an axial flow mechanism, the new
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