Online Detection for Valves in Petrochemical Plants

The safety and reliability of petrochemical equipment have always been key issues to the industry, and valves are used as important components during the operation of the equipment, which plays a key role in controlling the flow and medium. The failure of the valve often leads to serious accidents and economic losses. The status monitoring and maintenance of the valve are particularly important.
 
2.1 Choosing appropriate online monitoring technologies
When selecting online monitoring technologies, factors such as monitoring accuracy, reliability, and operability need to be considered. Common online monitoring technologies include acoustic detection, vibration monitoring, pressure change monitoring and temperature monitoring. Different monitoring technologies have different application scenarios, and the specific selection should be based on the actual situation. Designing a reasonable valve installation position is also an important factor in selecting appropriate online monitoring technology. For example, some monitoring technologies are suitable for installation above or below the valve, and the monitoring technology needs to be selected based on the installation location. Real-time monitoring of the working status of the valve is also an important part of selecting suitable online monitoring technologies. Valve online detection technologies should be able to realize real-time monitoring of the working status of the valve so that problems can be discovered and solved promptly. Establishing a professional monitoring system is the key to selecting appropriate online monitoring technologies. The monitoring system should be able to automatically detect and monitor the working status of the valve, and provide reliable and accurate monitoring data for further processing and analysis. Choosing the appropriate online monitoring technology requires consideration of many factors, including monitoring accuracy, installation locations, real-time monitoring and establishment of a professional monitoring system. Only based on comprehensive analysis, scientific selection of technology and establishment of a complete monitoring system can the effective application of valve online detection technologies be realized and production efficiency and safety improved.
 
2.2 Properly designed valve installation positions
When determining the valve installation position, you should first consider the process location and purpose of the valve. In petrochemical equipment, valves are usually for feeding, discharging, separation and control, so choose a suitable installation position to facilitate checking its operating status. For example, the feed valve should be installed in front of the raw material entering the device to detect problems with raw materials in time; the discharge valve should be installed to facilitate the discharge of undesirable substances after the process, and the separation and control valves should be installed in key positions of the separation and control process to ensure process stability. It is necessary to consider the characteristic parameters of the valve, such as pressure, flow, temperature, materials and other factors. These parameters determine the performance and service life of the valve in the device, and also determine the choice of the valve’s installation location. For example, valves with large flow rates should be installed on large pipes to ensure normal operation, valves with good pressure-bearing capacity should be installed in high-pressure areas to ensure their safety, and high-temperature valves and valves with corrosive materials should be installed in heating or less corrosive locations to extend their service life. To achieve accurate online detection, the valve needs to be installed in front of the sensor to ensure the accuracy and real-time performance of the data. During the installation of the valve, the connection method and sealing performance of the valve should also be considered to ensure installation quality and operating results.
 
2.3 Monitoring the working condition of the valve in real time
For valves with different materials, types and pressure, corresponding sensors need to be selected for monitoring. For example, metal valves can be monitored using magnetic induction sensors or piezoelectric sensors, while stainless steel valves can use technologies such as ultrasonic sensors. In actual production, valve openings sometimes need to be adjusted, and reliable valve opening detection is required. Methods such as pressure sensors or angle sensors can be used to detect the valve opening. To monitor valves more intelligently and accurately, a professional valve online detection system needs to be established. This system needs to transmit data between modules and centrally manage and analyze the data to achieve timely detection, early warning analysis and fault diagnosis and other functions. When installing sensors, you need to pay attention to the type and characteristics of the valve, and formulate a scientific installation location strategy based on its actual working conditions. For example, for valves with complex environmental conditions, multiple sensors can be used for monitoring to improve the reliability of monitoring. Real-time monitoring of the working condition of valves is one of the important directions of online detection technology for valves in petrochemical plants. This requires enterprises to formulate reasonable monitoring strategies and installation locations, adopt scientific detection methods, improve management levels, reduce accident risks, and ensure the safe and stable production of enterprises.
 
2.4 Establishing a professional monitoring system
Developing scientific and reasonable monitoring strategies and installation locations is the key starting point for establishing a professional online monitoring system for the valve. Enterprises need to formulate testing frequency, monitoring methods, and monitoring parameters based on their requirements for production processes and equipment characteristics, and establish a professional online monitoring system for valves. In terms of installation locations, enterprises should consider safety, reliability, and convenient maintenance and repair. Companies need to classify and evaluate valves, and determine the best installation location according to their purpose, structure and usage environment. The use of advanced detection technology is an important guarantee for valve online monitoring technology. On different occasions, use appropriate detection technologies, such as temperature sensors, flow sensors, pressure sensors and liquid level sensors to monitor the valve’s status changes in real time, discover faults and hidden dangers of valves promptly, and ensure the normal operation of the device. Improving the management level and strengthening the management and application of monitoring data are key links in the practical application of the valve’s online monitoring technology. Enterprises should develop a complete valve online monitoring data information platform and management system to analyze valve operating status and predict valve failures. Through real-time monitoring, data-based and operation-guided, faults can be repaired promptly to reduce errors caused by human misoperations, relying on diversified data analysis methods to discover problems in the production process, thereby promoting continuous improvement of the production process.
 
2.5 Regular maintenance
The working condition of the valve should be checked regularly, including checking the leakage of the valve and pipeline, whether the opening and closing of the valve are flexible and the sealing is good. Through regular inspection of valves, any problems can be discovered and repaired in time to avoid unnecessary losses. Cleaning and maintenance of valves and accessories are also important measures to ensure the stable operation of the valve. Clean the valve regularly and use appropriate grease and lubricant to ensure that it can operate smoothly. The sealing gasket of the valve should also be checked to ensure that it can be completely sealed when opening and closing. Solenoid valves play an important role in the valve control system of petrochemical plants. The solenoid valves should be tested regularly to ensure that they can be accurately controlled. Aging solenoid valves should be replaced in time to ensure the normal operation of the system. Pipelines should be tested regularly to see if there are any problems such as corrosion and damage, and they should be repaired and replaced promptly. If there are problems such as a rupture in the pipeline, it will seriously affect the entire production process and cause serious risks to safety. Adopting a regular maintenance strategy is crucial to ensure the normal operation of petrochemical plant valves. Appropriate maintenance should be formulated and adhered to based on the valve's condition and actual needs. Only by identifying and solving any problems promptly can we ensure long-term reliable operation of petrochemical plant valves while reducing losses and risks to safety.