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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - HYDRACTVAL (Low-energy leak-proof double seat control valve based on a water hydraulic actuator system)

Teaser

Summary

The HYDRACTVAL project was the fourth step in the development of the water hydraulic technology called HYDRACT.
HYDRACTVAL focused on the development, test and demonstration of a sanitary double seat process valve with full regulation capability and seal solutions with significantly longer lifetime than the current solutions in the sanitary industry. The main objective was to design a complete valve system that would meet the highest hygienic standards to guarantee food and beverage safety and take advantage of the following features:
â€¢ Energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emission: Reducing electricity consumption and carbon emissions by >65%
â€¢ Precision: Accurate positioning of valve position allowing any valve to be used for regulation besides fully open/close position
â€¢ Hygiene: Leak free and sterile hydraulic system prevents spread of airborne bacteria, oil, etc., reducing the risks of food and beverage contamination
â€¢ Reliability: Reducing waste by avoiding unintended opening of valves and leaks. Avoids cavitation
â€¢ Cost: the outstanding controllability of the process flow in the novel valve will allow new process control functionality to the end users. Reduces the number of valves needed for a given process in a dairy/brewery and pharmaceutical plant, reduces the cost of production and installation of valves, and allows smaller and more flexible plants
Until now the market has divided process valves into on/off valves with one seat/seal, mix-proof on/off valves with two seats/seals for extra safety, and regulating valves that can regulate but not keep closed. The actuation principle in these valves has been a combination of steel springs and compressed air. By taking advantage of the HYDRACT actuator it is possible to develop a double seat valve that besides keeping closed when it is supposed to, can also regulate with better precision than existing regulation valves with pneumatic drives.
In the project we designed a modular valve concept that can be cover all types of seat valves. Thanks to a generic design of seat pistons and seals the same design can be used for retrofitting to all known seat valves in the market.

Work performed

PROJECT RESULTS
We have successfully achieved the target to develop a mixproof sanitary bi-directional regulating process valve with a novel sealing solution with superior performance and an expected lifetime exceeding other valves. We have also verified that under flow conditions normal in the sanitary industry there is no cavitation in the process valve (even with very high flow restriction) thanks to the new seal design.
All though not foreseen in the Annex, we have been able to protect the complete valve system with a PCT-application. The written opinion (International patent authorities) is positive. All claims appear to be eligible.
We have designed a concept for a complete valve program based on a modular design and a total of only four actuators (two types with two-stroke lengths). We will be able to reduce a normal valve program by 90%.
The complete software package for interfacing with any bus system has been developed, and we have ensured that full data acquisition is possible allowing us to offer remote monitoring and surveillance to the customer.
EXPLOITABLE RESULTS
The technology behind HYDRACTVAL has proved to be precise, reliable and affordable. It can without further delay be exploited throughout the sanitary industry, because the valve we have developed is universal and because the actuator can be retrofitted to any valve band or type.
Since the technology is so universal, giving CNC precision to any application, we can â€“ alone or - in cooperation with partners, engineer and commercialise solutions for other industries like Firefighting, entrepreneurial machines, industrial robots, oil & Gas and the entire ATEX area.
Our short-term priority is to secure a safe start of the business until the proof of business is so strong that long-term plans and cooperationâ€™s with partners or industrial investors can be established.
HOW TO EXPLOIT THE RESULTS
The first commercial orders from Carlsberg has provided real proof of business in competition with other valve manufacturers. We have potential distributors and systems supplied lined up waiting for our proof of business and the showcases to present to potential customers. In the short-term, we will pursue the possibilities we have for getting the business started.
In the first phase, we will be using some third world supplied because of their agility and lower response time compared with European suppliers. We are however in the process of establishing a more European Supply Chain to keep as much of the component manufacturing and all of the development, assembly and test within Europe.
It is more of a priority for KMR to be a technology company with a focus on technology and development than on being the sole manufacturer of process valves. It is however considered to be important to think global, and we believe that through international partnerships we will be able to find the right balance between centralising the operation and covering the global market.
When looking outside the sanitary industry, the approach will be the same; the focus will be on the technology with as much manufacturing and engineering as possible, but with a realistic approach towards globalisation and the nature of the partners for the specific technical area.
We have developed a precision technology with numeric control. Apart from exploiting the technology into other industries, it will be obvious to putting HYDRACT into the context of Big data / Industry 4.0. This will be the next big step.

Final results

Over the four HYDRACT projects we have developed a high precision hydraulic technology based on water for low-pressure applications (app. 50 bar) and low flow (app. 2 litres/minute). Prior to HYDRACT, there were no solutions available on the market. The control of the 50 bar water is done by a miniature control valve energised by at 30 volt / 0,25 Amp power supply, which makes it possible provide electrical power via a normal bus system. Finally, the entire actuator is very compact (OD 99 mm). The reliability and precision exceed pneumatic technology and the thanks to the hydraulics the forces are app. 50 to 100 times higher than for electrical solutions. Furthermore, the technology is clean as opposed to oil hydraulics.

The societal impact will arrive from the improved food safety an the > 65% reduced CO2 emissions. The improved reliability and precision will reduce waste and other running costs. It will also increase throughput on the process lines which will lead to reduced Costs of Ownership.This will improve the competitiveness of the european food and beverage manufacturers also leading to reduced consumer prices. The impact for KMR will be a remarkable growth with the creation of new European jobs.
The HYDRACT technology does not only have a potential for sanitary valves. It can be used in many other industries, and the team has already identified a number of opportunities to be pursued in the coming years. The technology is numerically controlled and is already prepared for any projects within Big Data / Smart Industries.