The industrial valve industry has thousands of products for any application intending to move process fluid from one location to another. But, the industry has a problem. Leaking valves result in fugitive emissions, the unintentional release of process fluid into the environment, and can result in increased maintenance costs, fines, and damage to equipment and personnel, costing producers millions of dollars annually.
Within the oil & gas industry, leaks from valve packing chambers account for roughly 60% of fugitive emissions. Over 90% of valve leaks result from failure in the packing at the valve stem. Valve packing creates a dynamic seal at the stem which is prone to leak over time with use.
Each year brings advancements to sealing, packing, and gasket technology with the promise to curb the industry's fugitive emissions problem. As fugitive emissions regulations tighten, technological breakthroughs in monitoring and imaging improve our ability to locate and measure leaks. Today we can identify and mitigate this severe problem better than ever before. But, rather than treating the symptom, why not eliminate the problem at its source?
Magnetic actuation of industrial valves is now moving the industry from low-e to zero-e. With valves fitted with a magnetically actuated valve drive, the valve stem is encapsulated with a solid wall chamber. The valve is operated by a pair of magnetic arrays linking the handle or actuator to the valve stem safely sealed inside.
Recent advancements in technology and design have solved some of the biggest problems with magnetic actuation. Now, not only is it possible to generate enough torque to operate any valve of nearly any size, but manufacturers can also calculate the exact torque requirements to eliminate the possibility of breakage in the field. Advancements in magnetics and new mechanical discoveries have opened up applications for high pressure and a wide range of temperature applications from cryogenic to higher temperatures. Magnetically driven valves have been validated through some of the most stringent API tests and applications, verifying the true potential of zero emissions through magnetic actuation.