TPI September 2022

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The trade magazine for tube and pipe products

September 2022

Photo credit: Kirklai

Business & market news

Poppe + Potthoff supply suitable solution

for hydrogen applications

Alternative drives have long since ceased to be dreams of the future – fuel cell and hydrogen technology offers a clean alternative to conventional types of drive in both mobile and stationary applications. To ensure safe storage and efficient transport of the highly volatile gas within the drive system, the components that are in direct contact with the hydrogen must have special resistance. In conventional systems, these components have so far been made primarily of austenitic stainless steels. However, this has some disadvantages: austenitic stainless steel is very expensive due to its high nickel content, among other things. Since the material has relatively low strengths, the components must be designed with greater wall thicknesses for higher pressure resistance. This increases the weight and the higher material input in turn leads to higher component costs. To counter these problems, Poppe + Potthoff has developed PPH2, a material specially designed for hydrogen applications.

With PPH2, Poppe + Potthoff supplies a material specially developed for use in hydrogen applications

easy to process. It can therefore be used in familiar manufacturing processes, such as those used in the production of components for diesel engines. In this way, additional costs can be saved, especially since machines and systems do not have to be converted if carbon steel has already been processed before. The material is particularly suitable for the production of components for H2 distribution systems (including pipes, rails and valves) and can be used in both mobile and industrial applications. As a competent development partner, Poppe + Potthoff already manufactures components made of PPH2 in various dimensions – always according to the specific requirements of the customers. PPH2 has been tested and approved by external testing laboratories in accordance with DIN EN ISO 11114 and is thus also approved for use in the area of EU Regulation (EC) No.79/2009 for hydrogen applications. The requirements of the European Industrial Gases Association for pipes and transport containers for the transport of hydrogen are also met by the new material. Poppe + Potthoff has developed a pipe OD6.35ID4 for 700 bar hydrogen applications using the material. This was tested by an independent certified testing institute according to EC79. The interface provided has a metal-sealing ball-cone connection in accordance with ISO 2974. Poppe + Potthoff www.poppe-potthoff.com

The alloyed carbon steel has high mechanical properties. These are further enhanced by the PPSH annealing treatment developed by Poppe + Potthoff. As a result, components manufactured with PPH2 can be designed with thinner walls than those made of stainless steel, which, in addition to lower weight, also leads to a reduction in material costs and thus represents another clear advantage for customers. Effective protection against corrosion is ensured by a zinc-nickel coating. PPH2 was designed by Poppe + Potthoff to be particularly suitable for welding processes (for example, for the production of common rails) and to be

Air-Pro compressed air piping system with ten-year warranty

applications and black coloured piping up to 12" for 150psi applications at ambient temperature. Since 1992, the piping system has been made from specially formulated polyethylene (PE) resin, which has anti- oxidant properties that can withstand the demanding application of com- pressed air. Air-Pro’s thermoplastic material is also resistant to compressor lubricants and atmospheric corrosion from chemicals or marine environments. Asahi/America Inc www.asahi-america.com

Thermoplastic fluid flow technology company, Asahi/America Inc, has announced that its Air-Pro ® specially formulated PE compressed air piping system now offers a ten-year warranty. Air-Pro is certified by NSF to meet California OSHA Impact and Pressure test requirements to conform to the State of California’s Unfired Pressure Vessel Safety Order Appendix C requiring sharp and blunt impact testing at 32°F. Air-Pro ® is available up to 4" (110mm) in blue coloured piping for 230psi

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Business & market news

GluBi project successfully uses mechanically clad pipes in oil field Earlier this year, Subsea 7 announced the successful reel laying of the GluBi ® project for the Hod oil field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. With this, Butting was able to complete its first order for mechanically clad GluBi pipes, which feature an additional special adhesive between the carbon-manganese steel and the corrosion-resistant liner. In June 2020, Butting received an order from offshore service provider Subsea 7, to produce GluBi pipes measuring OD 323.9 x (15.9 + 3)mm for the Hod B project. By the start of 2021, Butting had produced more than 12km of GluBi pipes in 12m manufacturing lengths and 32 pieces in 3m fixed lengths, which are also installed in the pipeline. Thomas Schüller, managing director of Butting in Knesebeck, said: “I’m delighted that the confidence we had when we invested in this innovative product has truly paid off and it has been successfully installed. We are looking forward to further GluBi projects.” The order also included GluBi pipes in 2 and 0.7m lengths used for test purposes. Shortly after the contract was awarded,

The order also included GluBi pipes in 2m and 0.7m lengths used for test purposes

80 pup pieces were also delivered, on which Subsea 7 carried out welding certifications. Butting Gruppe GmbH & Co www.butting.com

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Business & market news

TSC Subsea masters the art of deepwater hydrate detection TSC Subsea has announced its latest piece of equipment in acoustic deepwater hydrate detection. The ART ® vPush, provides efficient, cost effective hydrate detection. The ART vPush was developed to meet the specific needs of a major operator. TSC Subsea collaborated with DOF Subsea Norway AS to complete the project for the operator in Angola, West Africa. “In addition to benefiting from the most efficient and fastest hydrate detection and sizing tool on the market, the operator also achieved additional cost savings in terms of dredging requirements,” said Jonathan Bancroft, TSC Subsea global sales director. “The smart design of the ART vPush means that only minimal dredging is required.” Tasked with locating a hydrate in the pipe, the team deployed the ART ® vPush which scanned 12km of 8" 3LPP coated water injection line in just 33 hours at 1,300m. The hydrate plug was found and scanned for exact measurements. Designed and developed by TSC Subsea’s UK team, working closely with the company’s Norwegian acoustic scientists, the ART vPush was designed with speed of inspection as a priority without compromising detection capability and sizing accuracy. The

tool uses TSC Subsea’s ART technology on a moving platform to rapidly assess pipeline contents

ART vPush provides cost efficient hydrate detection

over complete pipe runs. Data is collected in real time and processed with several algorithms to monitor signals from the far end side of the pipeline, which detect if hydrate is present. Typically deployed via ROV manipulator, it can also be fitted directly onto an ROV and has a depth rating of 3,000m. The high-speed data collection minimises ROV and vessel time. Common applications include detection of hydrate in subsea pipelines and wall thickness measurements on subsea pipeline. TSC Subsea www.tscsubsea.com Genebre highlights its pressure reducer valve with piston Valve and accessory company Genebre offers a pressure reducing valve piston, Redux-GE, which sits within its hydrosanitary line. The Redux-GE pressure reducer valve reduces and stabilises fluid pressure based on a pre-set value. The use of this hydraulic device is necessary when fluid pressure of a facility can overcome maximum admissible pressure of other devices that form the facility. The piston reducer is suitable for systems for hydraulic supply, either outside or inside of buildings, where net pressure does not reach values above 25 bar. The structure of the inner piston ensures rigidity, strength and high control accuracy, due to these at compensation. The sealing O-ring assures a low static friction coefficient, ensuring wear resistance and reducing maintenance. The main use is for installation of conditioning, sanitary, irrigation, compressed air distribution against fire and water distribution in buildings. The pressure reducing must be installed respecting the arrow direction engraved on the body. It is necessary to install a filter at the beginning of installation to get a long and good working life. The user needs to consider periodic maintenance of the filters (mesh could need a replacement). Use valves just to let maintenance operations of pressure reducer. The pressure reducer has been pre-set at three bar of outlet pressure. If is necessary to modify it you can: check that the hydraulic circuit is completely full and close all devices; remove the plastic cap from the top that is inserted by pressure; to reduce the outlet pressure, slotted screw must be unthreaded (rotating counter clockwise); to increase the outlet pressure, the slotted screw must be threaded (rotating clockwise). In order to simplify this operation, connect a pressure gauge replacing the plastic lateral cap, which indicates outlet pressure. Genebre www.genebre.es

Stockist of chromed bars and honed tubes

PRODUCTS

· Chromed bars Ck45, 42CrMo4 & Induction Hardened · Stainless steel chromed bars (AISI 304, 316 & 431) · Nickel and chrome-plated bars · Chromed tubes and tubes for telescopic cylinders

· Seamless and welded honed tubes · Stainless steel honed tubes AISI 316 · Carbon & stainless steel precision tubes

SERVICES

· Cutting · Bending · Heat treatment

· Tailor-made products · Customized tube solutions · Project packages

www.peninsulartubes.com | info@peninsulardevastagos.es Tel: (+34) 954 25 90 22

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Business & market news

Valve Star Award ceremony to feature at Valve World Expo 2022 in Düsseldorf for first time

November will see the Valve World Expo return to the Düsseldorf fairgrounds in Germany. After four years of interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 302 exhibitors from 27 countries will present their technological highlights over around 10,000ft 2 of exhibition space. Companies from Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, the Netherlands and UK are strongly represented. Overseas exhibitors will also attend from the US, India, Taiwan and Korea as well as 86 companies from Germany. For the first time exhibitors will have the opportunity to submit products in a profile in the run-up to the fair and nominate them for participation in the Valve Star Award. Votes can then be cast online. The winners will be awarded during the trade fair in the four categories of valves, actuators, sealing technology and the special category Industry 4.0/automation. In addition Vulkan-Verlag will be holding a free, German-language Expo Forum on the first two days of the fair (29.11. and 1.12.) in Hall 3. On the third day of the fair, KCI will take over with an English-language conference. Another novelty at the fair are the ecoMetal-trails, guided tours for exhibitors looking at the theme of sustainability. Exhibitors that produce particularly energy-efficient, resource-saving and ecologically sensitive manner can apply in advance to participate in the ecoMetal-trails.

The Valve World Expo returns to Düsseldorf for the first time following the Covid-19 pandemic

Valve World Expo 2022 www.valveworldexpo.de

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Business & market news

Needle valves and fittings receive EC-79 certification for use on-board hydrogen-powered vehicles

between -40°C and 120°C and pressures of up to 700 bar (10,152 psi). Both the SM Series needle valves and cone and thread fittings are available with anti-vibration connections, which move stress concentration to the unthreaded part of the tubing and are supplied in sizes up to 1". These Parker Autoclave Engineers valves and fittings complement the already EC-79-certified range of A-LOK ® two ferrule tube fittings, which were designed to achieve quality leak-free connections on-board hydrogen powered vehicles, up to 350 bar pressures and for temperatures down to -40°C. These fittings provide reliable operation in cryogenic, pressure and thermal cycling and vibration applications. Other products within Parker’s instrumentation range suitable for hydrogen applications include fittings, tubing, filters, ball valves and check valves, as well as a range of cryogenic valves suitable for liquid hydrogen applications.

of solutions enabling safe and efficient operation for a variety of hydrogen applications. Franck Grignola, product manager for Parker instrumentation products division Europe, said: “EC-79 certification is proof of the high quality of Parker Autoclave Engineers’ range. Parker easily passed all the tests for this qualification with success, which is not surprising due to the quality of the product ranges and expertise of Parker’s engineering team.” EC-79 type-approval certifies com- ponents used can withstand electrical, mechanical, thermal and chemical operating conditions without leaking or becoming deformed. It also ensures components can reliably withstand expected temperatures and pressures during their lifetime and are designed in such a way that they can be installed and protected against damage. Parker’s products underwent a series of vigorous testing to ensure they meet the stringent qualification of the regulation. The hydrogen variation to the needle valves incorporates a unique stem/ seat and PTFE packing design that can withstand temperatures ranging Taija Hämäläinen, head of butterfly valve products at Valmet, said: “The modular butterfly valve range was developed to help our customers with their valve selection not only for typical application challenges, but also to solve the problems in complex process conditions. Q-Disc™ is specifically designed for control applications. One of its key benefits is that it helps to avoid oversized actuators for control valve packages, and thus provides a solution that is more cost and energy efficient. The Q-Disc™ feature offers our customers a best-in-class flow-balancing solution and excellent controllability to improve overall process efficiency.” Valmet expanded its offering with valve solutions in April 2022, when the industrial flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Neles

Motion and control technologies company Parker Hannifin has received EC-79 certification for its Autoclave Engineers SM Series of medium pressure needle valves, and its medium pressure cone and thread fittings. The EC-79 approval and certification are part of an EU regulation requirement for components and systems that are intended for installation on hydrogen powered vehicles. Parker is supporting the global decarbonisation efforts through a range

EC-79 type-approval certifies that components used can withstand electrical, mechanical, thermal and chemical operating conditions without leaking or becoming deformed

Parker Hannifin www.parker.com

Valmet launches Neles Q-Disc to improve process performance in control valve applications

is now a Flow Control business line at Valmet. Q-Disc can be utilised to avoid cavitation in low opening angles, and it also provides market-leading noise reduction capabilities – even up to 12dB in certain flow conditions. “Q-Disc also helps in optimising the entire valve-actuator package by making it possible to reduce the impact of dynamic torque caused by the flow, providing improved reliability and efficiency for the overall process the valve is part of,” added Ms Hämäläinen. Q-Disc is available as modular option for a wide range of butterfly valves, and it can be used for a temperature range up to +600°C. Valmet www.valmet.com

Finnish company Valmet has extended its butterfly valve product range with Neles™ Q-Disc™, a new high performance feature to help flow balancing in control valve applications. The launch complements the offering of the modular Neles™ Neldisc™ and Jamesbury™ Wafer-Sphere™ butterfly valve platform that was introduced to the market in June 2021.

The Neles™ Q-Disc allows efficient flow balancing in demanding

control valve applications

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Tube and valve vibration control suitable for a new generation of high-precision chips

As one of the biggest construction projects that Ireland has ever seen, the shear amount of product that Mason UK supplied was staggering. In total the vibration specialist has so far supplied 3,800 spring mounts, 1,600 hangers and 400 flexible pipe connectors for the site. With such an unprecedented undertaking ahead, it is little wonder that there was a very onerous specification. “The first requirement is ensuring quality of the engineering design, for example, specifying a particular spring geometry or housings made in a certain way,” explained Adam Fox, director at Mason UK. “The second requirement is ensuring the product has the correct vibration isolation properties. This is determined initially by the location in the building and the experienced product selection of the Mason UK engineering team. “The closer you get to the fabrication, the more urgent the need for vibration isolation. Similarly, the higher up you go in the building, the more lightweight the structure gets, and more vibration isolation is necessary. Down in the foundations, vibration is minimal, but if you’re on the roof, that roof structure can be quite sympathetic to vibration. The vibration isolation properties can also be equipment driven. By and large, the bigger the diameter of your pipe, the bigger your pump or your ducting gets and the more energy it is able to carry. Consequently, larger pipes require a higher level of vibration isolation.” Design support like no other Not only was Mason UK brought on board to supply the vibration control products, but the team was also invited to conduct associated design work. Mason UK has very specialised design capabilities in this area, so this was a welcome invitation for its experienced engineers. The team took 3D models of the ducts and supporting steels and generated their own drawings using building information modelling software, Revit. Mason UK also produced detailed 2D drawings using AutoCAD.

As microprocessors continually get smaller, manu- facturing becomes more accurate, working on the nanometer scale, which is highly intolerant to disruption. To create the environment needed to facilitate precision manufacturing, it is essential to control vibration, temperature, humidity and particulates. Here is how vibration control specialist, Mason UK, designed a sophisticated vibration isolation system to ensure conditions at an advanced manufacturing site in Ireland were ideal for high-precision manufacturing. Mason UK was commissioned to provide vibration isolation support at a vast site upgrade project in Ireland. In fact, the site is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing locations in Europe and the facility has undergone an upgrade that has enabled production of 14nm process technology. However, these cutting-edge chips could not be realised without very precise manufacturing conditions. This requires a vast array of heating, cooling and filtration systems, all of which must be correctly isolated, since even exceptionally low levels of vibration can cause errors in fabrication. To achieve the stable environment required in the fabrication clean rooms, mechanical processes such as cooling, heating, ventilation and filtering systems are necessary – all of which generate unwanted vibration at every pump, fan, valve, duct and pipe support. Systems are vast, some ducts being over 4m in diameter, so the project is challenging. Meeting the specification Mason UK was brought on board by the contractor early to support the design. What makes this project unique is the scale of the facility and volume of vibration control required. As a result, not only the vibration but factors such as wind loading, thermal expansion and the clash of services in a crowded area had to be considered.

These were used to calculate how much each component weighs, how much it expands and how much it contracts. This process was repeated for hundreds of pieces of plant equipment and kilometres of building services, for all locations and configurations, to show which products were required where. Crucially, this removed some responsibility from the contractor. However, the project was not without its engineering challenges. Instead of simply supplying a standard catalogue product, Mason UK made bespoke spring

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“Our connectors can accept steam or chemicals passing through at high pressure and temperatures. If it were to burst, severe injury or flooding can result. From damage to equipment, to whole buildings being written off – the repercussions would be huge. Our Safeflex flexible pipe connectors are such a reliable design that we’ve never had a failure.” While this project was clearly a massive engineering exercise, the quality and reliability of Mason UK’s products, coupled with the company’s unrivalled design expertise, proved invaluable to ensure the upgrade will be a success. Mason UK is a specialist in vibration isolation products for architectural noise control, mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems and HVAC isolation. The Surrey-based engineering firm also offers design, supply and installation of floating floor systems.

mounts with different housing to meet the needs of this project. This allowed for clearance on vertical ducts when they grow and shrink thermally. As with any project of this magnitude, smooth installation is key. The physical size of the products, some of which were half a metre in height and a vast range of sizes, could have proved tricky. Mason UK went above and beyond to help simplify the process. The company anticipated that it would be difficult to detail all duct supports and created bespoke spring mounts, with consistent dimensions and attachments. This ultimately made the installation cheaper and easier. Quality of product Mason UK also supplied flexible connectors for the project to isolate the pumps from the ground. The flexible pipe connectors selected were the Safeflex variety, using a uniquely robust flange design and reinforced with Kevlar, which has immense strength and fantastic resistance to becoming brittle over time. Cheaper variations use nylon and can become brittle if heated water passes through it. This can lead to failure, which is absolutely unacceptable for a continually running fabrication process. “No one else builds connectors in this way,” continued Mr Fox. “With the vast majority of connectors, you snap them on to their flange – but if you can snap them on, you can also snap them off. We use a solid steel ring which is bolted in place so that there’s no way it can snap out and fail.

Mason UK www.mason-uk.co.uk

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