Background
A customer had a new well in the SCOOP, and they were looking for help with their Vapor Recovery Tower.
Challenge
A Vapor Recovery Tower—often abbreviated “VRT”—is a vertical pressure vessel designed to capture the vapor off of oil. Producers typically install vapor recovery towers between production separators and liquid storage tanks. A VRT is typically a very low-pressure, low-differential vessel with high flow rates.
The customer approached us with two primary objectives for the tower:
- Automate control
- Maintain a tight set point
Solution
To meet these objectives, we recommended a valve package including an Electro-Pneumatic Valve Positioner, a Rack and Pinion Actuator, and a Flo-Tite Segmented Ball Valve.
The producer was using an ABB Totalflow RTU to provide an automated electric signal. For our purposes, the ABB would send a 4-20mA electric signal (based on data from a pressure sensor) to the I/P on our Electro-Pneumatic Valve Positioner. In response, the positioner would convert that signal to a corresponding pneumatic output to the actuator.
The AirCon Rack and Pinion Actuator is a “spring return type” actuator (see below). It was sized for 80 PSI, meaning it needed 80 PSI to fully close the valve. It would receive a 0-80 PSI signal from the positioner and rotate the valve accordingly.
The Sentinel Series Segmented Ball Valve was ideal for the high flow rates this unit would experience.
Inside a AirCon Rack and Pinion Actuator
If you would like to learn more about this solution and explore how it could work for your operation, contact your local Kimray representative.
