Oil transportation is a complex and critical process involving a variety of methods and equipment. There are three modes of transportation: pipeline, tanker, and rail. Pipeline transportation is the most common, effectively reducing transportation costs and risks. An essential component in pipeline transportation is the valve.
So, what role do valves play in oil transportation? Before we begin, we need to understand the specific valves used in oil transportation.
Oil transportation pipelines often experience displacement and vibration due to temperature fluctuations, equipment vibration, and foundation settlement. The corrugated structure of bellow valves allows for axial expansion and contraction, radial bending, and twisting, effectively compensating for displacement and absorbing vibration, reducing stress damage to the valve and pipeline, protecting equipment, and extending service life.
Bellow Valves utilize advanced sealing technology and high-quality materials to prevent leakage during transportation, ensuring safe oil transportation and avoiding resource waste and environmental pollution. In mechanical seals, they serve as flexible connections and compensating elements, enabling dynamic sealing of the valve stem and completely isolating the oil from the outside world.
Regulating Valves
Regulating valves precisely adjust the pressure and flow of crude oil or natural gas according to real-time demand, ensuring efficient pipeline operation under varying operating conditions and preventing leaks or equipment damage caused by pressure fluctuations.
Regulating valves are designed to withstand high pressures (up to 100 MPa and above) and corrosion (such as in acidic media like H₂S and CO₂), ensuring long-term stable operation in harsh environments. Some regulating valves feature automatic closing or hold-in-place functions in the event of air or power failure to prevent accidents.
Precise control reduces throttling losses, improves transportation efficiency, and reduces energy consumption. Accurate flow control helps reduce emissions of hazardous substances such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), complying with environmental regulations.
Safety valves are crucial safety devices in the oil industry, particularly in oil transportation. They are more than just simple valves; they serve as the last line of defense, protecting the entire transportation system, personnel, and the environment from catastrophic accidents. They provide a passive, highly reliable, and automatically responding overpressure protection mechanism that requires no external power. As the final line of defense, it directly prevents the most deadly physical explosions, protecting lives, valuable assets, and the fragile environment. It is an indispensable “guardian” of all oil transportation activities. Its mechanical automation and absolute reliability are irreplaceable by any electronic or program-based control system, which is its uniqueness.
During oil transportation, steam condensate may form in pipelines. If not promptly discharged, it can cause water hammer and damage pipelines and equipment. Steam traps automatically discharge condensate, preventing water hammer and protecting the pipeline system.
Steam traps can discharge condensate near saturation temperature, fully utilizing the latent heat of steam, minimizing heat loss, reducing energy consumption, and achieving high energy efficiency.
Steam traps automatically sense the presence of condensate and discharge it promptly, eliminating the need for manual intervention. This reduces labor costs and the risk of operational errors, and improves the reliability and stability of oil transportation.
The Role of Valves in Oil Transportation
The above analysis demonstrates the crucial role of valves in oil transportation. Simply put, valves play two primary roles in oil transportation: “opening” and “regulating.” They shut off or connect crude oil, natural gas, and other media in pipelines, ensuring on-demand transportation starts and stops. They also regulate the pressure and flow of media to prevent overpressure, backflow, or leaks, ensuring safe and efficient operation of long-distance pipelines, oil depots, refineries, and other links.
As a leading valve manufacturer, Newton not only provides the highest-quality valves, but also offers comprehensive solutions for steam and thermal energy systems. If you have any questions, please contact us.
