Special valves & tank safety systems
The VARIVENT® system’s modular design offers numerous optional implementations for the valve’s optimal adaptation to the process. The portfolio comprises two different valve types.
VARIVENT® control valves are available in two designs. While type S uses a diaphragm actuator in combination with a positioner, type P is equipped with a VARIVENT® air/spring actuator and the T.VIS® P-15 positioner. Both variants differ exclusively in the actuator's design. All components are based on the VARIVENT® modular system principle. This provides the option to convert either the type S or the type P control valve to the particular other valve type at a later time.
The type S control valve was designed for fast, high-precision process controls. Due to a different operating principle, the type P control valve works at a slightly slower speed. It is not possible to offer a delimitation according to simple or difficult control tasks or applications, since the control quality must always be considered individually in connection with the superordinate process control. However, both series can be differentiated based on their options. Process-related requirements toward the valve can have a decisive effect on the selection.
Both control valves can be differentiated according to their options. Doing so, process related requirements could have an influence on the decision.
Type S | Type P | |
Actuator type | Diaphragm actuator | VARIVENT® air/spring actuator |
Positioner | Samson positioner | T.VIS® P-15 |
Pressure gauge for air pressure: | v | - |
Emergency handwheel | v | - |
Protection class | IP66 NEMA 4X | IP 66 / IP 67 / IP 69K |
ATEX approvals | v | - |
Pneumatic command variable | v | - |
BUS / HART communication | v | - |
Position transmitter 4-20mA | Optional | Standard |
Troubleshooting functions | v | - |
Split range | v | - |
Control valves serve as actuators in control loops. In this process, the particular control valve works as a throttle device that sets the desired flow rate by changing the pressure loss in a pipeline.
The linear or equal percentage control cone and the corresponding valve seat are located in the completely cleanable, dead zone-free VARIVENT® housing. The exchangeable seat ring with an associated control cone allows the selection of several KVS values (= discharge coefficient) per nominal width; subsequent adjustments to changes in the operating conditions are possible at any time. All control cones are available in either a soft- or a metallic-sealing version.
The open lantern allows easy detection of potential leakages due to a defective stem seal.
Detachable clamp connections between the individual modules enable the control valve's quick assembly and maintenance. The valves are available in both effective directions, spring-to-close (NC) and spring-to-open (NO).
Positioners determine the valve's stroke with a high level of accuracy; a variety of designs allows for ideal integration into the process control.
The need for strict adherence to standards in food production requires that control valves be designed to comply with the food and beverage industry’s maximum hygiene demands.
In the manufacture of drugs by the pharmaceutical industry and in chemical process systems or in the technical use of enzymes, cells and microorganisms, any contamination would endanger the process results as well. Therefore, the application of dead zone-free control valves is required, which can be cleaned efficiently and without leaving residue.
VARIVENT® valves enable germ-free processes. The control valves meet high hygiene requirements and allow the cleaning of pipes according to the efficient CIP or SIP procedure.
Control valves are used for pressure regulation, flow control, or for the mixing of liquids. Typical applications include: Temperature control in heat exchangers, tank pressure control, wort aeration, or the dosing of a variety of different media. A number of different control valves is available that are adjusted to various control tasks.
Companies like GEA process and store large amounts of sensitive data. However, security incidents, from ransomware attacks to physical intrusions and industrial espionage, are ever-expanding. GEA’s effective protection of its business partners’ data – as well as its own proprietary information – is evolving into a competitive advantage. We spoke with Iskro Mollov, GEA’s Chief Information Security Officer, about what it takes to protect a global business in a volatile world.
Resource-efficient fashion has been a long-sought ambition amid the fashion industry’s considerable contributions to global carbon emissions. The need to close the loop by recycling textile fibers into virgin-like materials is higher than ever but seemed like a distant dream until now: Circ, GEA’s American customer and pioneer in the field of textile recycling, might be rewriting the future of the fashion industry.
Alternative proteins are promising – yet still expensive to produce. The usual response is that scaling up will solve this issue. But what if the solution was really about getting better, not just bigger? From more efficient, high-yield processes to upcycling waste heat, engineers are reshaping how we grow food.