Maintenance and repair of mechanical valves for oil refining processes

Abstract

The present study consists of carrying out a failure analysis in mechanical valves that are found in the different process and service lines within a hydrocarbon refining plant for their proper maintenance and repair. Therefore, the methodology and the disassembly and assembly process of a sample of mechanical valves at a plant shutdown are briefly described, together with another sample sent to mechanical workshops. Such that, mechanical and failure trends are obtained, such as: 1. Prevalence of the number of gate valves in the plant; 2. Criticality in the replacement of the carbon steel needle bolt in the gate and globe type valves, followed by the manufacture of the body ring of the devices; 3. Parity in the wear of the butterfly valves in the body and closure element when applying elastomer coatings.