Valve actuators: vital elements for reliability and plant safety
Valve World, June 2007
In any hazardous area installation the requirement for safety is paramount and recent accidents at refinery and tank farm sites offer vivid illustrations of the catastrophic consequences of such events. Valve actuators have an important impact on safety as vital components for the movement and isolation of bulk fluids, providing not only the muscle to open and close the valves but also the 'brains' to communicate their activities and operating condition. The advent of digital communication technology has dramatically enhanced the functionality of modern actuators whilst a long history of development in the oil and gas industry environment has, in the case of Rotork, produced a comprehensive range of designs and technologies to meet isolating, modulating, fail-safe and ESD (emergency shut down) duties.