A Control valve is used for controlling the flow of fluid by varying the size of the passage

of flow according to the controller and enable direct control over the flow rate. This results
in control over process quantities like temperature, liquid level and pressure. It is termed
as a final control element in automatic control terminology. The optimal functioning of the
control valve not only exists of sufficient body & seat tightness but more important, the
total ‘performance’ of the valve and its controls. For an accurate and reliable working
effect the valve body, actuator, positioner, regulators, etc. most work in strict harmony.
Therefore, in this article, an introduction to control valves types, working principles, main
parts, inspections and tests of control valves are described.

1. Types of a Control Valve

A: Based on Pressure Drop Profile

i. Low Recovery Valve

These types of valves regain a very small amount of static pressure drop from inlet to
outlet’s vena contracta and are characterized by a high recovery coefficient. Examples:
angle valve, globe valve.

ii. High Recovery Valve

These types of valves regain most of the static pressure drop from inlet to outlet’s vena
contracta and are characterized by a low recovery coefficient. Examples: Butterfly valve,
ball valve, plug valve, gate valve.

B) Based on Movement Profile of Controlling Element

i. Rotary Valve
Rotary Valve: In this type of valve the disc of the valve rotates. Examples: butterfly valve,
ball valve.

ii. Sliding Stem

In this type of valve, the valve plugs or stem moves in a straight line motion or linear.
Examples: angle valve, globe valve, gate valve, wedge valve.

C) Based on the Medium of Actuation

i. Manual Valve
These types of valves are actuated by handwheel.

ii. Pneumatic Valve

These types of valves are actuated using a compressible medium like hydrocarbon,
nitrogen, or air with a piston-cylinder or piston spring-type actuator and a spring
diaphragm.

Control valves can be differentiated on the following basis:

  Hydraulic Valve: These valves are actuated by a non-compressible medium like
oil or water.
 Electric Valve: These valves are actuated by an electric motor.

A wide variety of control operation and valve types exist but have mainly two forms of
actions which are the rotary and the sliding stem. But the most common type of control
valves is V – notch ball, sliding stem globe, angle types and butterfly valve.

D) The Common Types of Control Valves are

i. Sliding stem

 Angle body valve

 Globe valve
 Angle seat piston valve

ii. Rotary

 Ball valve
 Butterfly valve

iii. Other

 Diaphragm valve
 Pinch valve
Globe Control Valve
2- Working Principle

The closing or opening of automatic control valves can be done by pneumatic, hydraulic
or electrical actuators. With modulating valve which is set at any position between fully
closed and fully open, the favorable degree of opening is determined by the valve
positioners.

In general, air-actuated valves are used because of their simplicity since they require only
compressed air supply, but the electrically operated valves need additional switchgear
and cabling and hydraulically actuated valves need return lines for hydraulic fluid and
high-pressure supply.

Pneumatic control signals are based on a pressure of range 0.2 – 1.0 bar and an
electrical signal of 4mA to 20mA for industries or 0 V to 10 V for heating, ventilation and
air conditioning systems. Electrical control includes a smart communication signal which
is superimposed on 4mA to 20mA control current, so that valve position verification can
be signaled back to the controller. The highway addressable remote transducer protocol,
Profibus and field bus foundation are the common protocols.

3- Main Parts of Control Valve

1. Actuator: It is used to move valve modulating elements like butterflies or balls.

2. Positioner: It is used to check that a suitable degree of opening is reached or not

which overcomes the issues of wear and friction

3. Body: It contains modulating elements, globe, a plug, butterfly or ball.

4. Trim: Trim is one such part of the valve that comes directly in contact with the fluid. It
consists of the seat, disc, plug, and stem

5. Bonnet: It provides a mounting for the guide and actuator and a medium for the stem
to pass through. It is made of the centerpiece, packing, packing nut and guide. The
packing acts as a fastener between the bonnet and stem. It helps to avoid any leakage

6. Electrical accessories

Actuator:

An actuator is the part of a valve assembly that responds to the output signal of the
process controller, causing a mechanical motion to occur which, in turn, results in
modification of fluid motion through the valve.

An actuator has to be able to perform two basic functions:

 1. To respond to an external signal and cause a valve to move accordingly and with
correct selection, other functions can be integrated into this assembly, such as
desired fail-safe actions.
2. To provide support (if required) for accessories such as positioners, limit switches,
solenoid valves and local controllers.

There are five basic forms of the valve actuator, as listed below:

1. Digital
2. Electric
3. Hydraulic
4. Solenoid
5. Pneumatic

Positioner:

Probably the most significant accessory that can be used for valve control is the
positioner, sometimes referred to as ‘smart valve electronics’ many of which are
microprocessor controlled.
A positioner is a high gain proportional controller which measures the stem position,
within 0.1 mm, compares this position to a setpoint, which should be considered as the
output of the main process controller, and performs correction on any resultant error
signal. The open-loop gain of these positioners ranges from 10 to 200 giving a
proportional band between 10 and 0.5% and their periods of oscillation ranges from 0.3 to
10 s, a frequency response of 3-0.1 Hz. In other words, it is a very sensitive tuned
proportional-only controller.
Control Valve Positioner
In case of air operated valve, two control actions are possible:

1. Air or current to close: Increment of flow restriction as to the control signal value
increases.
2. Air or current to open: Decrement of flow restriction as to the control signal value
increases.

Failure to safety mode can also take place

 Air or control signal failure to open: On the failure of compressed air to the
actuator, under the backup power or by spring pressure the valve gets opened.
 Air or control signal failure to close: On the failure of compressed air to the
actuator, under the backup power or by spring pressure the valve gets closed.

The operation of modes of failure is required by the failure to safety process control
specification of plant. In case of delivering chemical, it may fail closed and for cooling
water, it may fail open.

4- Visual and Dimensional Checks

a) Visual check

Visual check is carried out mostly as per MSS SP-55 (Quality Standards for Steel
Castings for Valves, Flanges, Fittings and Other Piping Components – Visual Method for
Evaluation of Surface Irregularities). Visually examine include checking such items as
mentioned below:

 All accessible areas for scratches, rust, dirt, dents, chips or any other non-design
aspect which detracts from physical appearance and may be suggestive of poor
quality.
 All painted surfaces for scratches, orange peel effect and drip
 Compliance to the Bill of Material items to be checked include but are not limited
to:
o Model, Size, Rating, end connection, Serial Number, Material, Flow Direction
o Actuator and actuator mounting, Actuator fail direction, Handwheel, Rated
Travel, air supply pressure
o Air set type, Positioner type, configuration and signal, Accessories, Accessory
Mounting, Instrument certification, piping size & material and fittings.
 Serial plate data and the data on any other attached tags or plates.
 End connection and sealing surfaces to be free from damage.
 End connections to be protected against damage and corrosion (end cap, varnish
or any other similar mean)

Visual and Marking Inspection of Control Valve

b) Dimensional check

The main dimensions including the connection flanges dimension such as face-to-face
distance, total height, wall thickness, the diameter of holes, and the diameter in which
holes were drilled are some of the most important dimensions which need to be checked
completely. The measured dimensions need to be as per requirements and within the
tolerances of the drawings and the below standards:
  Face-to-face dimensions as per ANSI/ISA-75.08.01, ANSI/ISA-75.08.06, and
ASME B16.10.
 Flange facings and dimensions as per ASME B 16.5

Control Valves Dimensional check

c) Marking Check
Valve name plate: Each valve shall have a non-corrosive nameplate permanently
fastened to the place as specified in the reference drawings such as the actuator yoke.
The nameplate shall be visible when the valve is in service and fully insulated. The
nameplate shall include the following information:

 Manufacturer’s name or trademark

 Valve serial number
 Maximum valve body pressure rating
 Valve body material and body size
 Valve action and bench set
 Cv and characteristic

d) Metal Tagging

A stainless steel tag containing valve tag number and manufacturer’s serial number is
usually and based on the client requirements attached or riveted to the valves. The
inspector would check and confirm these numbers to the scope of supply (PO, BOM, etc.)

Valve Nameplate check

In the next part of this article, we will look at chemical analysis and pressure tests of
control valves

This is an article about test of control valve. In the previous part of this article we talked
about the types of control valves, different parts of a control valve, working principles, as
well as visual and dimensional checks. In this part of the article, we look at other things,
such as chemical analysis and pressure tests.

Read Inspection and Testing of a Control Valve – Part 1

5- PMI test of chemical analysis

PMI test can be implemented on bulk piping, plate materials (pressure parts and
attachments), and fabricated components of the control valves to determine nominal
chemistry and material classification. The Portable X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) method
shall be used unless analysis for carbon content is required.

When analysis of carbon content is required, the acceptable methods are:

 Portable Optical (Arc) Emission Spectrometry (OES). A liquid penetrant

examination of the test area shall be conducted after the PMI test.
 Wet Metallurgical Analysis by laboratory testing

The acceptance criteria for the PMI test are usually established as per the applicable
ASTM material code.

6. Pressure Tests

For proper working of control valves, there are some tests that commonly include
pressure tests (hydrostatic or shell tightness tests, seat/plug/packing leakage tests),
functional and operational tests.
Control valve mounted on the test bench for pressure and functional tests
a) Hydrostatic (shell/body) test

Hydrostatic testing proves the structural integrity and leak tightness of the valve’s
pressure-containing parts. The hydrostatic shell test is performed to confirm the pressure-
containing capability of the shell against internal pressure and to confirm the leak
tightness of the shell including the operating mechanism sealing against internal
pressure.
New valves and valves which have gone through a full reconditioning process need to be
body tested with liquid at 1.5 times the nominal working pressure. Prior to the hydrostatic
body or so-called Shell test, the valve is usually filled by tilting the clamp or by a ‘vacuum–
filling’ system. Visual inspection and/or a pressure decay method are used to prove the
body’s integrity.

The hydrostatic test is mostly conducted as per ASME B 16.34 or MSS-SP61. For the
body, the output of the control valve is test blinded using a blind flange. The valve should
be fully opened in a position of either the control valve is NO or NC. It should be open at
the time of the test. The other important parameter to check is the body rating of the
control valve.

Body rating is the amount of total pressure which the body and stem seal can withstand
without leaking.

 If the body rating is 300 psi

 The pressure of water that should give through the inlet of the control valve is 300
* 1.5 = 450 psi
  With the help of the pump produce 450 psi in the control valve and with the help of
master gauge we can make sure that pressure is 450 psi
 Then close the mechanical valve.
 Check whether any leakage of water through the outlet of the control valve.
 If there is no leakage the body test is passed.

Globe Control Valve Hydrostatic test

b) Plug/Seat/Packing leakage test

The seat leakage test is carried out to confirm the capability of the seat(s) to conform to
the specified leakage rate. Seat Leakage testing proves the acceptability of the valve’s
closure mechanism. Seat leakage test is mostly performed as per ANSI/FCI 70-2.

 For the flow test outlet of the control, the valve should be open
 The valve should be fully closed
 The procedure is the same as body test
 Apply 450 psi to the valve and check for any leakage.
 If there is leakage, i.e., due to trim damage, seat ring damage, actuator, and valve
stem are not properly connected and aligned.

The seat leakage is tested with gas or liquid according to the international test standards.
The most common applied test standard is ANSI/FCI 70-2. Control valves class I – IV and
VI are tested with gas. Class V with liquid.

The seat leakage is measured on the in or outlet side by the digital calibrated flow
measuring system. The leakage (displayed in ln/min, ln/h, scfh, or bubbles/min) is
automatically compared with the standardized allowed leakage, followed by pass/fail
signal.
Control Valve Seat tightness test

Control Valve Packing tightness test

c) Functional and Performance test

Control valve functional and operational tests are usually conducted as per IEC 60534-4
and ISA 75.13.01. the purpose of these tests is to check whether the valve is properly
assembled and working correctly and according to the technical specifications and
guaranteed requirements.
For checking the function of a control valve, the valve, i/p converter, current generator,
and instrument air supply are set up. The instrument air supply is checked. It is set
according to the i/p converter requirements. 4 mA current signal is applied to the i/p
converter the valve stem shall be in 0% travel. When 20 mA is applied 100% travel
should be done. If the valve stem travel indication didn’t show correctly then calibration is
to be done.

Control Valve Functional Test

Travel Test, Stroke test:

This test method is used for demonstrating that the actuator has an adequate force to
open and close the valve. The procedure shall demonstrate that no mechanical damage
or permanent deformation of valve components will occur and that accessories function
properly

The functionality of the control valves is tested and adjusted according to the
manufacturer’s specification or specific process circumstances. The valve is operated to
the open-/close position by operating the actuator and/or positioner with external signals,
usually 0 – 21 mA / 0-20 PSI / 0-100 PSI. Specific software for digital positioners can be
applied.
Control Valve Travel Time Test
Hysteresis test plus dead band

Dead band plus hysteresis is a static measurement that can be estimated using a quasi-
steady‐state test signal. All tests are performed using standard digital valve controller
diagnostic procedures with the cutoffs and characterization disabled and with the travel
integrator disabled. This is done to prevent limit cycles, overshoots, or other transients
that would invalidate the dead band plus hysteresis estimate.
The dead band plus hysteresis test consists of series of steps that slowly move the valve
in the opening and closing directions. The dead band plus hysteresis test consists of two
sequences. The first sequence is a break‐in cycle that moves the valve through its dead
band and establishes a valid starting point for the second sequence. Data from the break‐
in cycle are not analyzed. The second sequence is the test cycle and data from this
sequence are used to estimate dead-band plus hysteresis.

Response time measurement

The response time of a solenoid control valve is defined as the amount of time needed for
a valve to go from an open to a closed position or vice versa. Indeed, the response time
at energizing is not equal to the response time at de-energizing for solenoid valves,
especially when an alternating current is used. The C.E.T.O.P. (the European Fluid
Power Committee) defined a standard measurement procedure to define the response
time for solenoid valves. However, bear in mind that many valve manufacturers use
alternative definitions or measurement procedures. For the valve opening, the response
time is defined as the duration between energizing the solenoid and reaching 90% of the
stabilized outlet pressure. The response time for closing the valve is defined as the
duration from de-energizing the solenoid until the pressure drops to 10% of the test
pressure. The test is executed with air at 6 bars at 20°C.

Functional Test of Electrical Accessories (such as solenoid valve, actuator, positioner, I/P
positioner, etc.)

To keep valves operating properly, you need to periodically check electronic valve
positioners. However, these checks need to be conducted quickly to minimize downtime.
If calibration drift is found, the valve positioner must also be recalibrated immediately.

A good tool for this is a source meter or a handheld field tester like the Fluke 789
ProcessMeter that can be used to test and re-calibrate electronic valve positioners. It
offers signal sourcing to simulate a controller connected to a valve positioner’s input and
can continuously adjust the source current in incremental steps, so you can check the
valve’s linearity and response time.

Painting Inspection

The finished paint is checked by the inspector to make sure about the visual quality of the
painted parts correct shade, degree of gloss and evens, and being freed from paint visual
defects such as tackiness after drying/curing, cracks, holidays, runs, sags, wrinkles,
patchiness, brush or roller marks, or other defects that may be deleterious to the quality of
the coating.
The total dry film thickness (DFT) of the paint over valves parts such as body, flange and
actuator are checked in accordance with reference painting system/specification and
manufacturer procedure and by using a calibrated magnetic probe (such as Elcometer)
and the measured values are compared with the allowable thicknesses range.
The painting color shade is controlled and verified to be correct as per the RAL color code
determined in the painting system and specifications.
Control Valve Paint DFT check

Control Valve Paint Color RAL Code Check