PREVENTING CAVITATION REQUIRES PROPER DESIGN AND OPERATION OF FEED-WATER VALVES

摘要

It takes a large number of control valves to run a power plant, and while some valves are more critical to plant operations than others, it always follows that when a severe service valve fails, the plant goes off line. Feed-water level control valves fall within this severe service category. These valves are of particular importance since they often fall victim to cavitation, with resulting damage to the valve trim. When this occurs it causes leakage at shutoff, lack of control during startup, and high and/or low drum level alarms.