An acetylene gas manufacturer contacted Vortex for advice to handle calcium carbide in their facility. Calcium carbide and acetylene gas react with one another to create oxyacetylene gas. This gas is used to fuel a very high temperature flame, which allows welding fabricators to weld and cut metal.
The manufacturer was discharging batches of dry calcium carbide from one pressurized holding vessel into another. The batch was then fed into a reactor, where it was mixed with water to produce acetylene gas.
Previously, the client used a ball valve in this process. Unfortunately, calcium carbide would build up inside the ball valve making the valve difficult to actuate. Two operators and a breaker bar were required to manually open and close the ball valve. This process was time-consuming and a safety hazard.
The replacement valve would require:
•The ability to close on dry solid materials.
•Sealing gas in a pressurized system (12 psi | 0.8 bar)
In most valve designs, closing on dry solid materials would cause seal wear – to the point that the acetylene gas could no longer be contained.
The Vortex HDPV2 Gate is specifically designed for use in pressurized conveying systems. Its sealed body and O-ring sealing design prevents leakage of air and materials across the gate and to atmosphere. The manufacturer’s ball valve was replaced with the Vortex HDPV2 Gate and the customer has been quite satisfied with the results.
Vortex HDPV2