Keeping our air clean A valve manufacturer's perspective

摘要

The US EPA enhanced LDAR consent decrees have driven valve manufacturers and their stem packing and gasket suppliers to develop new and innovative valve and sealing technologies. The focus on downstream oil, gas and chemical facilities has expanded to upstream production and midstream transportation and processes. Articles written on the subject of valve fugitive emissions as recently as one year ago are already out of date. But the good news is that technology continues to advance to further reduce emissions in valves. This overview reflects the perspective of a valve manufacture as the valve industry wades through the drivers to reduce emissions, new standards, areas requiring focus and attention, design parameters, differences in emissions of valve operation types, and the importance of reliability to the reduction of fugitive emissions.