Developed with a two-fold purpose, redundant valve manifolds are now critical features in industries such as oil and gas, and in petrochemical processing plants. RVM systems were designed firstly to facilitate uptime, ensuring that even in the event of a valve failure the process continues to run. Secondly, the redundant valve manifold is part of a safety instrumentation system; an RVM ensures that in the event of a failure, the process can be shut down immediately. The key to a redundant valve manifold, and what makes it such a valuable part of a processing plant, is that it can do either or both of the above functions simultaneously.

Why opt for an RVM system?

The reasons for choosing to use a redundant manifold system as compared to the existing solutions are fairly straightforward. Traditional solutions are hard piped, with components bolted or tie-rodded together on a back plate; this has the disadvantage of making them hard to service and maintain, provides opportunities for leakages at a variety of points in the system, and risks incorrect configuration, which can be dangerous. A safety instrumentation system such as an RVM system replaces the components and pipework with a single package, reducing the chance for leakages and providing a much greater level of control over each valve system.

RVM systems: the design options

Redundant valve manifolds from Norgren come in three different designs; compact, semi-modular and modular

  • Compact: this design has been developed with space in mind and has the smallest overall footprint.
  • Semi-modular: with visual pressure indicators, this design enables the valve position status to be monitored.
  • Modular: with the same visual status indicators as the semi-modular option, this design also includes a bypass function to enable valve removal whilst remaining online.

All three options incorporate a number of benefits:

  • Exhaust guards to prevent moisture and particles from entering the manifold from its working environment.
  • Internal cable terminals, held inside the coil so as to eliminate the need for additional Ex terminations.
  • SIL certification to ensure safe operation.
  • International approvals.
  • Multiple valve technologies (Heroin and Maxseal) within one manifold, allowing for a unique level of diversity.

RVM systems for Petrochemical:

The series of Norgren redundant valve manifolds for safety instrumentation systems developed for use in the petrochemical world is based around the Heroin 2401x or 980xx series solenoid valves. These valves have been used in downstream applications for many years and are well known for their reliability and safety records. The options for these RVM systems are available in aluminium or stainless steel and include optional valve position feedback sensors as well as an interchangeable coil system. Choose between the following redundant valve manifolds for chemical and petrochemical applications:

  • V81 Modular RVM with bypass
  • V87 Semi modular RVM without bypass
  • V82 Compact RVM

RVM systems for Oil & Gas:

Used in upstream applications for many years, the Maxseal ICO3 series of valves is used in Norgren’s RVM system for oil and gas; with no reported coil burnouts in over 20 years, these valves have demonstrated their reliability and value for this industry. Key features of this range include a 5 kg return spring as well as a unique, thermally efficient coil made from stainless steel. Options available are:

  • V83 Modular RVM with bypass
  • V88 Semi modular RVM without bypass
  • V84 Compact RVM

Hydraulic RVM systems:

The Heroin Hydraulic 2oo3 system is a fail-safe trip system for gas and steam turbines, providing the facility for main shut off emergency process valves with hydraulic actuators. Three identical solenoid valves within the safety instrumentation system create a flexible 2 out of 3 voting logic, providing unrivalled failure tolerance with a high flow rate and extremely fast responses.

If you are looking for a redundant valve manifold for an application where both safety and up-time are critical to operations, then the Norgren range from MGA Controls will provide you with the right solution. Contact us to find out more about the ranges on offer, or for guidance on which one would best suit your application. Call us on 01704 779699 or email sales@mgacontrols.co.uk.