Installation Guidelines - Steam Conditioning Valves

An IMI company
Installation Guidelines
Steam conditioning valves
SI500.00 rev 8 - - English

©2014 - CCI Valve Technology AB
List of revisions
Rev. Description of change Date Changed by Reviewed by Approved by
1 Revised information. 2014-10-06 TFD
GAN
Applicable products
 VLB steam conditioning valve
 VST-SE steam conditioning valve
 Dump tube
Safety is good business

During the course of maintenance and inspection activities on CCI equipment, you are cautioned to adhere to
the instructions contained in this manual and to insist upon strict adherence to your plant safety policies in
order to avoid possible damage to equipment and injury to personnel.
Our service department is prepared to discuss solutions to any problems concerning the maintenance and
inspection procedures applicable to CCI equipment.
Please direct all inquiries to:

CCI Valve Technology AB
Box 603
S-66129 Säffle, Sweden
Phone: +46-533-689600
Fax: +46-533-689601
Website: www.imi-critical.com
While this information is presented in good faith and believed to be accurate, CCI does not guarantee
satisfactory results from reliance upon such information. Nothing contained herein is to be construed as a
warranty or guarantee, express or implied, regarding the performance, merchantability, fitness, or any other
matter with respect to the products, nor as a recommendation to use any product or process in conflict with
any patent. CCI reserves the right, without notice, to alter or improve the designs or specifications of the
products described herein.
Page 2 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Table of Contents
1. GENERAL 5
1.1. Inlet pipe recommendations ......................................................................................................................................... 6
1.2. Straight pipe run upstream recommendations .............................................................................................................. 8
1.3. Distance to the first downstream bend ......................................................................................................................... 8
1.3.1. Distance to the first bend for special cases...................................................................................................... 9
1.3.2. Dump to condenser with wet steam before dump device ................................................................................ 9
1.4. Distance to the temperature sensor ........................................................................................................................... 11
1.4.1. Minimum distance to temperature sensor ...................................................................................................... 11
1.4.2. Distance to the temperature sensor in special cases ..................................................................................... 12
1.4.3. Minimum degree of superheat ....................................................................................................................... 13
1.5. Distance to flow dividers............................................................................................................................................. 14
1.6. Distance to pressure sensor ....................................................................................................................................... 14
1.7. Downstream piping material ....................................................................................................................................... 15
1.8. Additional comments .................................................................................................................................................. 17
1.9. Diffusers and plates.................................................................................................................................................... 18
1.10. Drains / vent to atmosphere ..................................................................................................................................... 18
1.11. Pipe preheating ........................................................................................................................................................ 20
1.12. Water valve location ................................................................................................................................................. 24
1.13. Water pipe ................................................................................................................................................................ 24
1.14. Control system ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
1.15. Pressure control ....................................................................................................................................................... 26
1.16. Temperature control ................................................................................................................................................. 26
1.17. Special considerations for feed water with dump to condenser ................................................................................ 30
1.18. Actuation .................................................................................................................................................................. 30
1.19. Preheating arrangement of the upstream piping ...................................................................................................... 30
1.20. Temperature sensors ............................................................................................................................................... 33
1.21. Special applications where saturation is required after process / bypass valves ..................................................... 34
2. FIX POINTS AND SUPPORT 34
3. ACCESSIBILITY 36
Page 3 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

List of figures
Figure 1: Pipe elbow upstream from the valve .................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 2: XYZ installation with T-piece ................................................................................................................................ 6
Figure 3: XY installation with T-piece .................................................................................................................................. 7
Figure 4: Installation with a stop valve welded unto a control valve .................................................................................... 7
Figure 5: Straight pipe runs upstream and downstream the valve ...................................................................................... 8
Figure 6: Downstream temperature vs time in a dump to condenser, or a similar process application using diffuser
technology ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 7: Downstream temperature vs time in a HP to cold reheat or similar process application .................................... 10
Figure 8: Distance to temperature and pressure sensors.................................................................................................. 11
Figure 9: Downstream temperature vs time in a dump to condenser or similar process application ................................. 13
Figure 10: Protective shield ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 11: Definitions ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
Figure 12: HP plots............................................................................................................................................................ 16
Figure 13: LP plots ............................................................................................................................................................ 16
Figure 14: Typical temperature decrease (HP to cold reheat) ........................................................................................... 17
Figure 15: Typical temperature decrease (dump to condenser) ........................................................................................ 17
Figure 16: Drain/preheat system ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Figure 17: Horizontal inlet/vertical outlet ........................................................................................................................... 19
Figure 18: Drainage system .............................................................................................................................................. 19
Figure 19: Vertical inlet and horizontal outlet .................................................................................................................... 20
Figure 20: Horizontal inlet and outlet ................................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 21: Vertical inlet and horizontal outlet .................................................................................................................... 21
Figure 22: Horizontal inlet, outlet upwards and actuator downwards ................................................................................ 21
Figure 23: Drain in downstream piping .............................................................................................................................. 21
Figure 24: Valve in low installation .................................................................................................................................... 22
Figure 25: Installation with bend welded directly to outlet ................................................................................................. 23
Figure 26: Expansion welded direct to outlet or closer than 0.1s x V max............................................................................ 23
Figure 27: Installation with an expansion cone in the outlet .............................................................................................. 24
Figure 28: Feed forward control ........................................................................................................................................ 27
Figure 29: Feedback control.............................................................................................................................................. 28
Figure 30: Feed forward when dump with dump device .................................................................................................... 28
Figure 31: Recommended installation for bypass to condenser ........................................................................................ 29
Figure 32: Pressure control valve with separate desuperheater ....................................................................................... 29
Figure 33: Preheating arrangement utilizing the natural pressure drop in the steam pipe................................................. 31
Figure 34: Preheating arrangement bypassing the control valve ...................................................................................... 32
Figure 35: Preheating arrangement utilizing a higher pressure level than the valve inlet pressure ................................... 32
Figure 36: Recommended locations of temperature sensors ............................................................................................ 33
Figure 37: Vertical installation ........................................................................................................................................... 34
Figure 38: Inlet pipe from above with spring hanger.......................................................................................................... 35
Figure 39: Inlet pipe from below with spring hanger .......................................................................................................... 35
Figure 40: Inlet pipe from below with sliding support ......................................................................................................... 35
Figure 41: Inlet pipe from above with sliding support ........................................................................................................ 35
Page 4 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1. General
The steam conditioning valve is an important part of the system. Parameters such as placement of
instrumentation, configuration of steam pipes and spray water temperatures can have a significant impact on
the performance of the valve. This document will describe different important factors involved in installation as
well as provide guidelines on how to achieve a proper system design.
The document covers the following considerations:

 Inlet pipe recommendations
 Straight pipe-run upstream recommendations
 Distance to the first bend
 Distance to the temperature sensor
 Distance to flow dividers
 Distance to pressure sensor
 Downstream piping material
 Additional comments
 Drains
 Control system
 Pressure control
 Temperature control
 Preheating arrangement of upstream piping
 Fix points and supports
 Accessibility
All steam valves are designed for dry and clean steam. Exposure to wet steam or condensate will cause
damage and is not covered by any warranties. Vent valves and drains must be used to facilitate pipe pre-
warming until those conditions are fulfilled.
High contents of magnetite and other particles in the steam is a growing problem. This contaminated
steam causes erosion damages that are similar to that of wet steam. Damages to valve owing to
contaminated steam are also not covered by warranties, unless otherwise specified or agreed upon prior
to order.
Page 5 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.1. Inlet pipe recommendations

Steam conditioning valves require straight pipe runs both upstream and downstream to perform well.
The reason for having a straight pipe run upstream is that a pipe bend creates a non-uniform flow pattern.
Two or more pipe bends in three dimensions, especially just before the steam condition valve is known to
cause a very unstable flow. This results in vibrations and other flow induced problems. Though valves are
normally equipped with an inlet strainer (cage) that reduces the problem, the configuration of the inlet pipe
must still be taken into consideration.
L1 Elbow
Figure 1: Pipe elbow upstream from the valve
The orientation of the closest pipe bend in respect to the valves rotation is also very important. An installation
as the one shown in Figure 1 is far better than what is shown in Figure 2. An installation like the one shown in
Figure 2 is known to create rotational forces in the valve plug. If this type of installation is unavoidable, CCI
has to be informed of this before the valve design specification is made.
Figure 2: XYZ installation with T-piece
A T-piece as shown in Figure 3 is also known to cause vibrations and other problems, and should always be
avoided. So must upstream S-pipes. If a T-piece is used, a straight pipe length of at least 20x pipe diameter
should be used before the valve.
Page 6 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Figure 3: XY installation with T-piece
Undersized stop valves with reduced bore upstream of a bypass valve are known to cause noise and
vibrations due to high vena contracta velocities and non-uniform velocity distribution.
Undersized stop valves also result in a nonlinear characteristic in the bypass valve, due to the strong
influence of the pressure drop on in the stop valve. Stop valves like these must be installed as far upstream as
required to ensure a uniform flow pattern in the bypass valve inlet. It is the responsible of the supplier of the
stop valve to inform CCI of the necessary distance.
An angle-style stop valve and a control valve can be assembled as one unit, with the stop valve outlet welded
directly to the control valve inlet.
Figure 4: Installation with a stop valve welded unto a control valve
Page 7 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.2. Straight pipe run upstream recommendations

L1
L3
L2
L4
PT
TT
Figure 5: Straight pipe runs upstream and downstream the valve
Steam pipe DN Distance from valve inlet to first upstream bend [L1]
Ø < 200 mm / <8” 1m / 3.28 ft or longer
Ø 200 – 400 mm / 8 – 16” Min. 5 x Ø
Ø > 400 mm / >16” Min. 3 x Ø
If multiple pipe bends are located upstream, the straight pipe length [L1 in Figure 5] before the valve must be
increased, and that distance must be estimated for each case.
There should always be a temperature sensor installed upstream from the steam conditioning valve, to ensure
that the steam is dry before the valve opens. If an algorithm is used for controlling the valve, a pressure
sensor is also required.
1.3. Distance to the first downstream bend

Following the water injection, it will take a while for most of the water droplets to evaporate. To avoid problems
with free water hitting the pipe wall (causing erosion and free water following the pipe wall), it is necessary to
ensure a minimum distance before the first bend. See L3 in Figure 5.
To minimize this problem, the distance before the first bend should be a minimum of 0.1s x maximum velocity
in the pipe for all valves, except for the VST-SE, for which CCI recommends a minimum distance of 0.05s x
maximum steam velocity. This is due to the internal principle which means proportioning of water into the
steam flow and modulating atomizing flow.
Page 8 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.3.1. Distance to the first bend for special cases

High pressure bypass to cold reheat or equal process application
The distance to the first bend can be reduced to 0.067s x maximum velocity if the following conditions are
fulfilled:
 Downstream pressure of 15 – 60 bar / 217 – 870 psi (lower pressures normally only occur during
sliding pressure mode or during startup)
 Degree of superheat at 100°C / 212°F or higher
 Water temperature at 140°C / 284°F or higher
Hot reheat to condenser, HP to condenser or equal process application

The distance to the first bend should in these applications be increased to 0.12s x maximum velocity if the
following conditions are fulfilled:
 Typically 3 – 6 bar / 43 – 87 psi outlet pressure before dump device at full load
 Degree of superheat of 30°C / 86°F or lower
 Water temperature at 60°C / 140°F or lower
 Water to steam ratio > 0.25
Feed forward is always recommended for this type of application. See the document “Dumping into
Condenser” for more information.
1.3.2. Dump to condenser with wet steam before dump device

When the steam/water mixture has an enthalpy below saturation, bends are not allowed at all before the
dump device since this leads to separation of steam and water. This may result in noise and vibrations in in
the downstream piping, and worst of all, blocking of holes in the dump device by free water. This can cause
damage to the dump device as well as the inside of the condenser.
For dump to condenser, the recommended distance from water injection and condenser wall is 0.05s x
maximum velocity. The drilling pattern on the dump device normally starts just on the inside of the condenser
wall.
If the installation does not allow the required straight pipe distance, both the dump device and the condenser
may be damaged.
Page 9 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

[ C]
500
400
300
200
160
4 bar
143,6
0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]
Figure 6: Downstream temperature vs time in a dump to condenser, or a similar process application using
diffuser technology
The chart above shows the typical temperature downstream of water injection of a steam conditioning valve in
a dump to condenser application as a function of time when steam is minimum 10°C superheated.
[ C]
500
480
460
440
420
400
380
360
340
250,3
0 0,02 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,10 0,12 [s]
Figure 7: Downstream temperature vs time in a HP to cold reheat or similar process application
The chart above shows the typical temperature downstream of water injection of a steam conditioning valve in
an HP to cold reheat application as a function of time.
Page 10 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

L1
L3
L2
L4
PT
TT
Figure 8: Distance to temperature and pressure sensors
1.4. Distance to the temperature sensor

The recommended distance before the temperature sensor is 0.2s x maximum steam velocity for a ratio ≤
15% of spray water / steam flow and 0.3s x maximum steam velocity for a ratio >15% spray water / steam flow
for all PRDS valves, except for VST-SE. This valve has integrated steam atomization, and water proportional
steam flow can be installed at a distance of 0.2s x maximum steam velocity. The values are based on a set-
point of approximately 10°C / 18°F above saturation for steam and 90°C / 194°F for water and a steam
pressure of ≥ 3 bar / 28 psi.
Higher degree of superheat entails a shorter distance, while a lower degree of superheat entails a longer
distance. The exact required distance to the sensor is normally determined after all the parameters are
known, but the general rules must normally be followed. The minimum distance must be 12 meters. See L4 in
Figure 8.
A higher water temperature reduces the evaporation time, while a lower water temperature increases the
required minimum distance to the temperature sensor. For instructions regarding dump to condenser, see
“Dump tube philosophy”, paper no. P1010.04.
1.4.1. Minimum distance to temperature sensor

In valves with a low outlet velocity (≤ 30 m/s, 100 ft/s), the evaporation time can be longer than usual, so the
required distance should never be shorter than 12 m / 39 ft for all applications, including process applications.
Page 11 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.4.2. Distance to the temperature sensor in special cases

High pressure bypass to cold reheat or similar process applications
The distance to the temperature sensor can be reduced to 0.15s x maximum velocity if the following
conditions are fulfilled:
 Downstream pressure of 15 - 60 bar / 217 - 870 psi (lower values normally only occur during sliding
pressure mode or during start up)
 Degree of superheat 100°C / 212°F or higher
 Water temperature at 140°C / 284°F or higher
Hot reheat to condenser, HP to condenser or similar process applications

The distance to the temperature sensor in this application should be a minimum of 0.3s x maximum velocity if
the following conditions are fulfilled:
 Typically, 3 - 6 bar / 43 - 87 psi outlet pressure before dump device at full load
 Degree of superheat 30°C / 86°F or lower
 Water temperature at 60°C / 140°F or lower
 Water to steam ratio > 0.25
Feed forward is always recommended for this type of application. See “Dumping into condenser” from the
Applications Handbook.
Page 12 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.4.3. Minimum degree of superheat

[ C]
500
400
300
200
160
4 bar
143,6
0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]
Figure 9: Downstream temperature vs time in a dump to condenser or similar process application
As can be seen from the chart above, the temperature will decrease very quickly when water is injected, and
will then decrease slower and slower.
The reason for this is that the droplets will be exactly at saturation temperature, after a very short time after
they have been injected into the flow. Heat transfers from the surrounding steam to the droplets with
temperature differences as the driving force. The closer to the steam is to saturation temperature, the slower
the process, thus allowing more time for the droplets to fall out.
This typically begins to be a problem when the degree of superheat goes down to 20-30°, and become quite
difficult when degree of superheat goes down to 10° or lower.
Another problem associated with this is one droplet or more hitting the sensor. If one (or more) droplets hits
the sensor, it will cause a misreading, which is unpredictable and impossible to calculate.
During transients when the temperature swings around the set-point, this problem can increase beyond
stability and the system will not be possible to control with severe water fall outs and temperature swings as a
result.
A protective shield should be used for 10° superheat or less.
Flow direction
Figure 10: Protective shield
Page 13 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

To avoid misreading, a protective shield must be used for 5-7°C / 9-11°F superheat in order to minimize the
effect of water hitting the sensor.
Below 5° superheat is not acceptable and no warranties will be granted. Exceptions are however, possible in
certain cases. Therefore please contact the factory. Problems like these are always minimized with a valve
like VST-SE with built in mechanical water proportioning. For less than 7°C / 11°F, special control and extra
instrumentation often must be used, and the factory must always be contacted for approval.
For dump to condenser applications where cold water (typically less than 50°C /122°F) is used for
desuperheating, the degree of superheat should be at least 20°C / 68°F, to avoid long evaporation time. 30°C
/ 86°F superheat is recommended. CCI strongly recommend that you avoid feedback control for dump to
condenser applications due to major risks for thermal fatigue damages related to difficulties in control. CCI
always recommend feed forward control for dump to condenser applications.
1.5. Distance to flow dividers

The outlet flow from a valve must never be divided by a T-piece, Y-piece or any other configuration before the
outlet temperature can be properly controlled. This includes flow meters, stop valves etc. which must never be
installed before a temperature sensor.
1.6. Distance to pressure sensor

In order to receive an acceptable and stable signal, it is necessary to have a relatively uniform velocity
gradient. The distance [L3 in Figure 8] should be at least 5 x outlet diameter.
Page 14 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.7. Downstream piping material

We in general recommend 5 m / 16 ft of downstream piping of low alloy material when the steam temperature
before desuperheating is > 425°C / 800°F. The reason is that the evaporation is not instant after water
injection.
Table 1: Definitions
Variable Description Unit
Pd1 Design pressure at valve inlet bar(a)
td1 Design temperature at valve inlet °C
h1 Enthalpy at valve inlet kJ/kg
Pd2 Design pressure at valve outlet bar(a)
td2 Design temperature at valve outlet °C
t2max Maximum allowed temperature in downstream piping °C
The design temperature in the valve outlet is determined by these three

variables:
 Pd1
 Td1
 Pd2 1
When CCI determines the outlet design temperature, no consideration is
taken to temperature decrease due to spray water injection. The reason
for this is that it takes time for the injected spray water to evaporate and
cool down the steam. 2
Therefore the outlet design temperature stated by CCI is often higher
than the maximum temperature stated by the customer for the
downstream piping.
The outlet design temperature td2 calculated by CCI is based on an
isenthalpic expansion of the steam from pressure Pd1 at temperature
td1, down to pressure Pd2. This is exemplified by points 1 and 2 in the
plots below. Point 3 is the temperature required by customer after 3
cooling, t2max.
Figure 11: Definitions
Page 15 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Example:
HP bypass LP bypass
Pd1 = 264 bar(a) Pd1 = 64 bar(a)
Td1 = 610°C Td1 = 608°C
Pd2 = 64 bar(a) Pd2 = 16 bar(a)
This results in the design temperature td2 ≈ 533°C This results in the design temperature td2 ≈ 591°C
Figure 12: HP plots Figure 13: LP plots
CCI valve outlets (material and thickness) are designed for Pd2 and td2, i.e. only the isenthalpic expansion
governed by thermodynamic laws, is taken into consideration.
Even though the stated design temperatures downstream (t2max) are 385°C (HP) and 250°C (LP) (points 3),
this cannot be achieved until a minimum of 5 meters downstream of the valve outlet, due to the time it takes
for the water to evaporate and cool down the steam.
Therefore the pipe (material and thickness) connected to the valve outlet and <5 meters downstream
must also must be designed for Pd2 and td2, even though the stated downstream maximum
temperature is t2max. This can be reduced in certain cases after factory written approval.
As can be seen in the examples below, the temperature decreases fairly quickly in the beginning after spray
water injection. Within 5 meters, most of the temperature decrease will have taken place, allowing material
and/or thickness to change according to the pressure Pd2 and temperature t2max.
Also, when welding a thin pipe to a thicker valve outlet, it creates a weak point in the piping system due to the
abrupt transition and variations during expansion caused by differences in material thickness. Therefore,
welding a thinner pipe directly to the valve outlet is not allowed. This transition can be done after 5
meters.
Page 16 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

An abrupt transition in material thickness at the valve outlet where there is still high temperature will be
exposed to a high risk of thermal shock and stress at the weld, whereas > 5 meters downstream, the
temperature as well as the risk of thermal stress is much lower. See the temperature reduction in the charts
below.
Figure 14: Typical temperature decrease (HP to cold Figure 15: Typical temperature decrease (dump to
reheat) condenser)
1.8. Additional comments

For a well performing temperature loop it is also very important to consider the following:
 Response time for the temperature sensor during temperature gradient (T66)
 Response and sampling time for the controller / DCS
 Response and sampling time for the actuator
 Resolution and control characteristic of the spray water control valve
 Pipe size. Large pipes (approx. diameter 0.8 m / 32”) downstream of the valve particularly with low
velocity, very frequently have a non-uniform temperature distribution and should therefore have three
temperature sensors installed perpendicular to the pipe.
 Velocity at minimum load. If the minimum steam velocity at the water injection point is below ≈8 (12
bar) – 12 (4 bar) m / s (26-40 ft / s) depending on pipe size, steam-assisted steam conditioning valves
(VST-SE, VLB-SE) should be used, unless a dump device is used downstream (see Dump Tube
Philosophy, P1010.04).
 Protective pockets, quick response type should always be used.
 Stop valves and particularly drain studs upstream of the valve have proven to be a cause of high noise
and vibrations.
 Drains must always be sized to handle maximum fallout caused by transients, heat losses or minimum
3-5% of maximum water injection whatever largest.
 Temperature sensors in vertical pipes should always be avoided if technically possible due to the risk
of water hitting pipe wall which may affect the measurement correctness.
Page 17 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.9. Diffusers and plates

Diffusers and plates can for certain applications be used downstream of the water injection, but with limited
service life unless installed at correct distance. If water is injected close to any kind of pressure reduction
stage, erosion will cause a short operational life time, compared to valves with internal water injection. This
design requires factory approval from CCI Säffle. Typical distance between valve outlet and diffuser is 4
meter. Always consult the factory for this type of applications that always require feed forward control without
exception.
1.10. Drains / vent to atmosphere

It is essential to keep free water out of the steam system. The main sources for free water are:
 Condensate
 Spray water that has not evaporated in the steam system.
 Vent / drain system upstream of the valve is undersized and cannot handle condensate from the pipe
warming when the plant is started from cold, or valves are used before piping itself have reached a
temperature above saturation. This is the most common reason for damage of valves. If this kind
of damage occurs, check that there is no magnetite present since this can cause damages that
look very similar to condensate damages.
Free water in the steam system causes noise, mechanical damage and makes temperature
measurement difficult.
The steam conditioning valve performs an important function in the steam system. It is therefore essential to
protect the valve from damage that might occur if water enters the valve. It is equally important to protect the
downstream system from damage caused by a malfunctioning temperature control system (see separate
section). It is therefore necessary to have drains both upstream and downstream of the valve.
Maximum condensate normally occurs during cold startup. This must be considered already at the design
stage for sizing of the drainage system. Condensate volume that must be removed during start up should of
course be calculated each time based on real data but as an estimate, a mass of typically 7-14 % of the
upstream piping weight needs to be removed through the condensate system. To prevent damages, there
should always be a temperature sensor to confirm that the upstream piping is dry before the valve is opened.
The illustrations in Figure 16 to Figure 18 show examples of drain arrangements for different valve positions,
etc.
Note! In case of a valve position according to fig. 10 and 11, the position of the drain connection must be
exactly defined.
Page 18 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

CCI
From DCS on/off Customer
Preheat flow
To handle
start up
condensate Drain of level
removal control type
L1
L2 LIC
Manual or on/off
from DCS
From DCS on/off From DCS on/off

Flash tank
Y
Drain
On when contaminated
condensate
On when clean
condensate
To hotwell/condensate
recovery system
Figure 16: Drain/preheat system
Figure 17: Horizontal inlet/vertical outlet Figure 18: Drainage system
Page 19 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.11. Pipe preheating

Modern fully machined forged symmetrical valves do not normally need preheating, but when the valve is in
standby mode, the upstream piping must be preheated to avoid formation of condensate. This small flow,
typically 50-200 kg/h / 134-535 lbs/h, should be piped to a steam consumer as deaerator or similar. The
connection point can be the same as a drain stud at the valve body if the valve is installed in a low position
and should be in high position point if the valve is installed higher than the piping. Without this small flow, it is
also very difficult to confirm that steam is always superheated in the valve inlet before the valve is opened.
The inlet steam pipe shall have a drain connection at the low point close to the valve.
Figure 19: Vertical inlet and horizontal outlet
Figure 20: Horizontal inlet and outlet
Page 20 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Figure 21: Vertical inlet and horizontal outlet
Generally not preferred, but possible in certain

applications. Please contact CCI.
Figure 22: Horizontal inlet, outlet upwards and actuator

downwards Figure 23: Drain in downstream piping
Page 21 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

D
L
Figure 24: Valve in low installation
Locate the drain (D) on the downstream side at the lowest point after the valve. Weld a drip leg (L) to the pipe,
and connect the drain to the bottom of the drip leg.
The drip leg shall have a diameter of 0.5 x pipe diameter. The depth of the drip leg shall be between 300 and
600 mm / 1-2 ft.
If possible, always avoid an installation where the valve outlet is at a low point. If the drain is undersized or not
working, water can accumulate and cause many serious problems.
CCI is only responsible for problems related to the equipment that is included in CCI’s scope of supply.
CCI can under no conditions be responsible for poor functionality caused by installations that do not
comply with CCI Installation Guidelines.
 The weight of the accumulated water can seriously damage piping and supports.
 Free water at the bottom of the piping can cause very serious vibrations and pressure transients in the
piping.
 Downstream temperature sensor can be hit by non-evaporated water causing severe control problems.
 Minimum slope to drain at a low point should never be less than 100:1.
 Water hammers.
 A simple closed temperature control loop is in most cases too slow for this type of installation. A feed
forward system is always required to minimize the effect of transients recommended for this
installation.
 Transient analysis is necessary and must always be performed before designing the control system.
Page 22 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

An installation (like shown below) with a bend directly after the outlet is very dangerous and is therefore
ALWAYS FORBIDDEN.
Figure 25: Installation with bend welded directly to outlet
An installation (like shown below) with an expansion directly after the outlet will in most cases not work or
cause severe water fallout.
An expansion welded directly to the outlet or closer than 0.1s x Vmax IS NEVER ALLOWED.
Figure 26: Expansion welded direct to outlet or closer than 0.1s x Vmax
Page 23 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Exception: In certain cases, the design below can be used after written confirmation from the factory.
Figure 27: Installation with an expansion cone in the outlet
1.12. Water valve location

Water valves must always be installed below the lowest point of the spray connection and keep a
recommended distance of 4 - 6 meters between water valve and water connection piece on the bypass valve.
Any pressure drop between water valve outlet and water connection piece on the bypass valve must always
be specified in order to include this pressure drop when sizing.
Not providing correct information may lead to capacity / control problems for which CCI cannot be held
responsible.
1.13. Water pipe

The water pipe routing (isometric) must be done in such a way that the forces originating from thermal
expansion are not transferred to the connection point.
 Deviations from this point must be clearly stated before ordering, as they can be critical for the
design of the product
 (VST-SE) The water connection has to be the same size as the water pipe, and the installation
between VST-SE bonnet and water pipe has to be adjusted to avoid bend stress.
Page 24 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.14. Control system

Steam conditioning valves combine two functions:
 Modulated pressure control
 Steam desuperheating within a limited space
The reason for having this combination of functions is so that the conditions for accurate temperature control
in a piping system with geometrical limitations are far superior to the use of a separate pressure reducing
station and a desuperheater.
When designing a control system, it is important to understand that the steam conditioning valve and the
spray water control valve are the tools that execute the actual pressure reduction and the water injection for
the temperature reduction.
The pressure and temperature controllers provide the data which controls how the much the valves should
open or close; while the valves only do what they are told. The pressure and temperature control loops must
operate correctly for the valves to produce desired pressure and temperature reductions.
Balance in all systems is always advisable when designing control systems.

It is always advisable to use a feed forward system for predictably positioning a water valve during a
transient, in order to minimize deviations in the water flow.
Excessive over or under spraying can cause severe problems of thermal cycling, impact damage, erosion and
unstable actuator downstream of the valve.
Note! Always open the steam valve slightly before the water valve and close the water valve slightly before
the steam valve. To minimize the risks, it should be hardwired to the system so that the spray water
valve should not be able to open before the steam valve. When the equipment reaches minimum
specified flow, the steam valve and the spray water valve shall close simultaneously and quickly.
Two separate water valves must be used when steam atomized nozzles are used in combination with spring-
loaded variable area nozzles. For steam atomized nozzles, a separate on/off valve is used to supply
atomizing steam and must be interlocked to open only after the steam valve has opened.
A water valve associated with steam atomized desuperheating must open after the steam valve.
Remember that water hammer can destroy all kinds of piping and valves, and opening or closing should
therefore never be faster than what the process requires. A spray water valve may never open quicker than a
bypass valve.
Inexactness is normally a by-product of too short actuating times and incorrect PID settings.
Systems with a low degree of superheat (especially at low pressures) often require enthalpy-based feed
forward control to be able to operate correctly.
Recommended distance to temperature sensors assumes well-tuned PID loop.

The instrumentation is often the weakest point for exact control and must also be discussed with the factory
for applications with large pipes, low pressure and high rangeability.
Note! Distance to a temperature sensor must be enough to allow not only for complete evaporation at
steady state conditions, but also for transients when a steam valve opens or closes quickly and
therefore causes a quick change in required water injection.
Page 25 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.15. Pressure control

The pressure control system is normally quite uncomplicated and causes very few problems. Pressure control
is always a closed loop system with feedback.
The following aspects should be considered:
 Valve stroke time
 System response time
 Start-up condition
 Stability, especially in the actuator
 Boosters because they can create instability
 Response on small signal variations
1.16. Temperature control

A successful temperature control system is a result of several considerations:
 A closed loop control system shall be used, only when the downstream temperature can be accurately
measured and used for feedback.
 The degree of superheat. The higher the degree of superheat, the easier the control
 A feed forward control system shall be used when accurate temperature measurements cannot be
made. Feed forward systems require more exact instruments and also achieve correct flow
measurement over the full range (especially on the water side).
Note! ”Feed forward control system” in this context refers to the spray water control system. It must not be
mixed up with our description of feed forward control in other CCI literature, e.g. for steam
conditioning valve type VST (mechanical link between steam and water flow).
 Temperature measurements must only be made at a location where all injected water has evaporated,
and the steam is absolutely dry.
 The temperature at the measuring point shall be at least 5°C / 9°F above the saturation temperature
to guarantee that the steam is dry. This can be achieved under steady state conditions with very
careful instrumentation, installation and control and must be discussed prior to order.
 Turndown requirement and capability of steam conditioning and spray water valves.
 Available spray water pressure and temperature.
 The piping arrangement must allow for required straight run and distance to the temperature sensor.
 Piping arrangement must allow for proper draining in case of malfunction of the temperature control
system.
 An interlock shall be used, and the spray water valve will therefore automatically close if and when the
steam conditioning valve closes.
 If possible – avoid a separate pressure reducing valve upstream of the spray water valve. If not
avoidable – take great care in designing the control system and consider the response times in
different control loops. This often leads to pressure transients far above specified inlet pressure,
resulting in increased maintenance and wear of the last spray water valve. This is a design that always
should be avoided if possible, since there today are excellent water valves that can take the full
pressure drop.
 Prevent particles in the water from damaging the valve or nozzles by installing a strainer upstream of
the spray water control valve in the spray water supply line.
 Spray water valves must always be Class V tight to prevent water from being collected in the system,
thus causing others problems.
Note! Max acceptable particle size is 200 microns, depending on type of spray water nozzle used.
Page 26 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

In order to achieve good performance, the control loop itself must also be analyzed to find out, within which
exactness the water flow can be controlled by the complete control loop. The most important parameters are:
 Sensor response time
 Controller response time and accuracy
 Positioner accuracy
 Valve accuracy
 Valve characteristic
 Valve position accuracy
 Dead band
 Maximum transients
 Actuator accuracy and stiffness
This analysis also provides the answer regarding sizing of the drainage system downstream of a
desuperheater or steam conditioning valve.
The algorithm is based on the dump device used as a flow meter and a heat balance using inlet pressure and
temperature:
PT
PT TT DCS
Steam
FT
Spray water
Figure 28: Feed forward control
Page 27 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Figure 29: Feedback control
Used when a dump device cannot be used as a flow meter. Algorithm based on valve position with
compensation for variations in inlet pressure and temperature. Pin and Tin are also used in the heat balance:
Steam
PT
PS
DCS TT
FT
Spray water
Figure 30: Feed forward when dump with dump device
Page 28 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Steam Isolation Valve

(Quick Closing)
Dump Tube Condenser
Figure 31: Recommended installation for bypass to condenser
When the valve is very large, the below installation helps simplify maintenance:
Desuperheater
Dump Tube Condenser
Figure 32: Pressure control valve with separate desuperheater
Page 29 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.17. Special considerations for feed water with dump to condenser

Note! Bends downstream can only be used if the enthalpy of the mixture is at least 10°C / 18°F above
saturation in the inlet of the dump device. This is because all bends create separation between steam
and water.
Feed forward control is superior to temperature control, as it avoids all transients that may damage the pipe
and condenser. Damages to valve outlet, piping, dump device, condenser, etc. are very rare. Every year there
are damages reported where the temperature control is used, most commonly where there is a long distance
(more than 20 m / 65 ft) between water injection and condenser.
To avoid risks of having free water after the dump tube, the recommended superheat after the dump tube is
20°C / 36°F. An enthalpy of 2650 KJ/Kg is normally recommended for most applications.
If more than one water valve is used, a flow meter must be installed in the water line for each water valve.
There should also be a pressure sensor upstream and downstream of the water valve to allow for good
estimation of the water flow below the effective range of the water flow meters. Those pressure sensors can
also be used for back up of the flow meter if it fails and as preventive maintenance measurement, since
deviations from calculated values indicate the true cause of the problem before damages etc. can occur.
1.18. Actuation
The choice of actuator type is important for performance, especially where temperatures close to saturation
are required. Transients are heavily amplified if the actuator makes overshoots, which may result in wet steam
hitting the temperature sensor, further worsening temperature control.
Electrical, hydraulic or double-acting piston actuators with a high performance smart positioner must be used.
To avoid problems the actuator on the water valve must be slower than the actuator on the steam valve.
1.19. Preheating arrangement of the upstream piping

Upstream piping must be executed in such a way that pockets of condensate are always drained from the
steam pipe.
Note! It is absolutely necessary in all conditions to have superheated steam in the inlet of the valve.
Note! Additional preheating of CCI valves is not required.
Arrange for preheating in cases where the control valve normally is closed under operation – e.g. in a turbine
bypass application. Preheating of the piping upstream of the valve is not necessary when the valve is located
above the live steam line and the pipe slopes down to the main steam line.
There are a number of solutions for the preheating arrangement, when the valve has to be installed at a lower
position than the live steam header. The main objectives when selecting the arrangements are to:
 Create an effective system so that the piping will be sufficiently preheated and drained.
 Minimize the energy losses due to preheating steam.
Page 30 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Figure 33 to Figure 35 show a few arrangements that can be used. The piping layout will determine the
preheating arrangement that will be the most effective for a specific application.
Note! CCI can give advice on the best solutions for different types of plants; e.g. conventional reheaters,
combined cycle, cogeneration plants and others.
Typical pipe dimensions for the preheating line are in the range of 25 - 50 mm / 1 – 2 inches. The preheating
line must be equipped with an isolation valve, which also can be used for manual flow control of the steam
flow for preheating.
The preheating sizing is based on:
 Length of pipe between valve and main line
 Δt between surface temperature outside the insulation and the environment.
 Indoor or outdoor installation.
A heat balance based on this information will provide the necessary preheating flow.
1 2
B
A. Main steam line
B. Preheating flow
C. Bypass line
Figure 33: Preheating arrangement utilizing the natural pressure drop in the steam pipe
The method above is the most energy effective, but requires a suitable system design.
When the steam flows from (1 to 2) there will be a pressure drop Δp in the line. With proper sizing of the
preheating piping (1 to 3), it is possible to have a sufficiently large flow to keep the piping (3 to 2) free of
water.
The required pressure drop is often practically difficult to achieve and often requires both a big preheating
pipe and a restriction in the main line. A reasonable pressure drop is 0.2 – 0.5 bar.
Page 31 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Figure 34: Preheating arrangement bypassing the control valve
The method shown in above is the easiest and most common way of preheating upstream piping. Here you
simply connect the inlet with the outlet and use a restriction to limit the steam flow.
The steam flow used for preheating shall be moderated according to required pipe / valve temperature to
reduce energy loss. In most cases, normal preheating flow is 50 - 200 Kg/h / 134 - 535 lbs/h.
This preheating with connecting inlet to outlet can cause very high temperatures downstream. Special springs
made of Nimonic or similar must therefore be used. The factory must also be informed prior to manufacturing
if this method is used. Normally, the downstream connecting point must be used after the valve to prevent
hotspots that may cause deformation of the valve outlet.
Preheating flow
Bypass line
Preheating line
Hot reheat line
Main steam line
Figure 35: Preheating arrangement utilizing a higher pressure level than the valve inlet pressure
The solution shown in above image is energy efficient, but may sometimes require a long preheating line.
Page 32 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.20. Temperature sensors

When using temperature sensors as part of the temperature control loop, CCI recommends installing three
temperature sensors in the steam line (shown in Figure 35 below). In order to get the best possible readings,
they should be installed at 10, 12 and 2 o’clock, perpendicular to the pipe wall at each location. With this
installation the risk of water hitting the sensors is minimized.
Using three temperature sensors also provides a safeguard against single sensor error, as the deviating
sensor can be ignored by the system in favor of the two remaining sensors.
One proposed method is to:
1. Calculate the average of the three sensors.
2. Compare the value of each sensor against the calculated average, and remove the value for the
sensor value that deviates most from the average.
3. Calculate the average of the remaining two sensors and use this as the temperature signal for the
control loop.
Table 2: Example using three temperature sensors
As can be seen at Time 4, temperature sensor t1 is very far from the average of the three temperature
sensors. If the average of all three is used for temperature control, one faulty sensor will give a misreading of
the temperature. When only using the two sensor readings closest to the average of all three and calculating a
new average with these two values, the temperature reading is more likely to be correct. With 3 sensors the
probability of getting incorrect measurements is decreased.
If one sensor consistently is far from average, an automatic warning can be set in the DCS informing that the
sensor needs calibration or replacement.
12:00
10:00 14:00
Figure 36: Recommended locations of temperature sensors
Page 33 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.21. Special applications where saturation is required after process /

bypass valves
Temperature control requires that the steam is dry and superheated, and that limits minimum degree of
superheat for most systems to approximately 7 - 10 °C / 45 - 50°F superheated steam.
A proven solution to handle this is to build a so called “master and slave” control. That means that the majority
of cooling is performed by the first stage and the secondary cooling will be controlled by a heat balance based
algorithm.
To reach saturation, over-injection must be done and excess water must be drained from the steam pipes.
The level of over-injection needed must be calculated case by case. Factory experts can be consulted
regarding these kinds of questions.
2. Fix points and support

The piping system must be so designed that valve(s) will not be used as a fix point. Supports are often
required for auxiliary equipment and valves, and must be properly designed. See figs. below for examples.
Crane
for lifting
L1
Steam
Inlet Platform
Nozzle
L2
Dump
Tube
Duct
Figure 37: Vertical installation
Page 34 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Horizontal installations
Spring Spring
hanger
hanger
Figure 38: Inlet pipe from above with spring hanger Figure 39: Inlet pipe from below with spring hanger
Sliding
support
Sliding
support
Vibration
absorber
Vibration
absorber
Figure 40: Inlet pipe from below with sliding support Figure 41: Inlet pipe from above with sliding support
Due to their weight, actuators with springs must always be supported to avoid excessive forces on yoke and
mounting details. This is especially important when an actuator is mounted horizontally. Spring hangers are
always required when actuators with springs are used.
Page 35 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

3. Accessibility
Space must be provided for service and maintenance of the valve. If the valve is installed in a pipe rack or any
other location which is difficult to reach, you need to provide a platform around the valve and a safe route to it.
The platform shall be sufficiently large to accept a minimum of two persons and temporary storage of valve
internals.
Note! Consider also transportation of heavy spare parts.
A bracket or other arrangement for a lifting device shall also be available. The capacity shall be at least 5
tons. To facilitate maintenance within scheduled time, lifting equipment and a working platform must be
provided. Planning for future maintenance is a very good investment and should always be taken into
consideration.
Page 36 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Installation Guidelines - Steam Conditioning Valves

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Installation Guidelines - Steam Conditioning Valves

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SI500.00 rev 8 - - English

Safety is good business

Please direct all inquiries to:

Page 2 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

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Page 4 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

The document covers the following considerations:

Page 5 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.1. Inlet pipe recommendations

Figure 1: Pipe elbow upstream from the valve

Figure 2: XYZ installation with T-piece

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Figure 3: XY installation with T-piece

Figure 4: Installation with a stop valve welded unto a control valve

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1.2. Straight pipe run upstream recommendations

Figure 5: Straight pipe runs upstream and downstream the valve

Ø 200 – 400 mm / 8 – 16” Min. 5 x Ø

Ø > 400 mm / >16” Min. 3 x Ø

1.3. Distance to the first downstream bend

Page 8 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.3.1. Distance to the first bend for special cases

Hot reheat to condenser, HP to condenser or equal process application

1.3.2. Dump to condenser with wet steam before dump device

Page 9 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]

Figure 7: Downstream temperature vs time in a HP to cold reheat or similar process application

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Figure 8: Distance to temperature and pressure sensors

1.4. Distance to the temperature sensor

1.4.1. Minimum distance to temperature sensor

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1.4.2. Distance to the temperature sensor in special cases

Hot reheat to condenser, HP to condenser or similar process applications

Page 12 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.4.3. Minimum degree of superheat

0 0,05 0,10 0,15 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,35 [s]

Figure 9: Downstream temperature vs time in a dump to condenser or similar process application

Figure 10: Protective shield

Page 13 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.5. Distance to flow dividers

1.6. Distance to pressure sensor

Page 14 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.7. Downstream piping material

td1 Design temperature at valve inlet °C

h1 Enthalpy at valve inlet kJ/kg

Pd2 Design pressure at valve outlet bar(a)

td2 Design temperature at valve outlet °C

t2max Maximum allowed temperature in downstream piping °C

The design temperature in the valve outlet is determined by these three

Page 15 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

Figure 12: HP plots Figure 13: LP plots

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1.8. Additional comments

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1.9. Diffusers and plates

1.10. Drains / vent to atmosphere

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From DCS on/off From DCS on/off

Figure 17: Horizontal inlet/vertical outlet Figure 18: Drainage system

Page 19 of 36 ©CCI - 2014

1.11. Pipe preheating