boiLers, pumps & vaLves
Letting off some steam
Choosing the right vaLve for effiCient steam temperature ControL
From beer brewing to cheese production, temperature control using steam is utilised across various applications in the food and beverage sector. The control valve is key, and precise specification is vital to optimise product quality and avoid production inefficiency. The choice of valve size and type is crucial to achieving these aims for effective steam temperature control. Kieran Bennett, field segment manager, Hygienic-Food & Beverage at Bürkert, explains how to select the right valve for steam temperature control.
W
hile steam is not the only method for temperature control in food and beverage production, it is used by many producers
because it is a very effective method of conveying heat energy. From mashing and wort boiling at a brewery to pasteurising milk and making cheese, steam is used by food and beverage manufacturers across a wide range of applications. Combined with a temperature sensor and a controller, a control valve is fundamental to a steam system to regulate the flow.
CosT saving THrougH CorreCT valve size speCiFiCaTion Ensuring that the right size control valve is specified is an easy way to make cost savings since a common problem is that excessively large valves are often specified. The larger the valve, the higher its cost, and operating expenses can also increase, requiring greater resources for actuation. The challenge of using over-sized valves can apply to new projects as well as existing installations, where often it’s incorrectly assumed that like-for- like replacement is the correct requirement. On a recent project, a
customer requested a replacement for a 40 mm valve for steam control. On
Regardless of the valve, actuator or positioner used, to optimise efficiency and performance in steam temperature control, the application has to be specified correctly at the outset.
28 Autumn 2021 UKManufacturing
initial enquiry with the customer, it emerged that the required valve was to fit 40 mm pipework. Unlike fluid control, the size requirement of a steam control valve will nearly always be a smaller diameter than its adjoining pipework. Also, as the original valve was installed over 15 years ago, advances in technology since then meant that, as far as Bürkert’s latest designs are concerned, in all likelihood a smaller valve could be used to achieve the flow and actuation requirements. Further investigation of their application took into
account the volume of product to be temperature controlled, the available pressure and the timeframe within which they wanted their product to be heated. Aspects such as the surface area of heat transfer were also considered. Data returned from the calculations showed that a
maximum valve size of 25 mm was required for the customer’s application, providing them with a cost saving
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