Check the operating conditions for all process control valves in your plant. Consult vendor catalogues, equipment manufacturers, and the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT) for valve pressure drop data Use PSAT to estimate the energy losses and costs of throttled valves. Pumping system control valve inefficiencies in plant processes offer opportunities for energy savings and reduced maintenance costs. Valves that consume a large fraction of the total pressure drop for the system or are excessively throttled can be opportunities for energy savings. Pressure drops or head losses in liquid pumping systems increase the energy requirements of these systems. Pressure drops are caused by resistance or friction in piping and in bends, elbows, or joints, as well as by throttling across the control valves. The power required to overcome a pressure drop is proportional to both the fluid flow rate (given in cubic metres per hour [m~3/h]) and the magnitude of the pressure drop (expressed in metres of head).
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