Precision Flow and Pressure Control with a V-Port Segmented Ball Valve and SCADA-Based Automation

By
Jim Mimlitz, P.E.
Navionics Research, Inc.
Tony Beuke (President) & Brian Isom (CA Regional Sales Mgr)
JFlow Controls, Inc.
Illinois Rural Water Association
Training Course
Effingham, Illinois
22 February 2017
Precision Flow and Pressure Control
with a V-Port Segmented Ball Valve
and SCADA-Based Automation
© 1995-2017 COPYRIGHT
NAVIONICS RESEARCH INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
RIRIwireless-telemetry.com IRWA Training

Control Valve Applications...
Fully-Open |
Fully-Closed
Service
Modulating
Service
Common
Valve
Families:
Butterfly Valve
Gate Valve
Diaphragm Valve
Diaphragm Valve
High-Performance Butterfly Valve
V-Port Segmented Ball Valve
with Baffles

Generation I – Diaphragm Valve…
Can be tuned to provide altitude control at water towers, pumping
stations, and custody-transfer valve stations.
Offer a no-slam open/close actuation and can be locally tuned to
sustain a desired back-pressure.
High Maintenance.
Fine-Tuning with SCADA Limited.

Generation II –
High Performance Butterfly Valve…
Can be tuned to provide altitude control at water towers, pumping
stations, and custody-transfer valve stations, when combined with
a quarter-turn electric actuator and programmable controller.
Take advantage of increased control
system sophistication.
System can be programmed to sustain a
desired back-pressure.
System can be programmed to limit
the rate-of-flow.
Can be fully controlled by SCADA System,
but fine-tuning difficult.© 1995-2017 COPYRIGHT

Principle of Operation
High-Performance Butterfly Valve is designed for
modulating and high-pressure-drop applications:
• Specially designed to prevent seat and disc
wear during modulation.
Connected Controller positions the valve’s
Electric actuator by utilizing feedback
control theory methods:
• Example GST (ground storage tank) fill
valve control sequence.
• Requires support instrumentation: pressure
transducers, flow meter.
• Illustrate using 800 GPM / 35 PSI example.

Control Difficulties
The vast majority of valve flow-variation occurs between
approximately 10% and 30% open.
Slight turn increments within the 10-30% range can produce
rather large increases in rate-of-flow.
Result is a situation where flows and pressures are difficult to
maintain with precision.
Like “trying to drive a Corvette in a 15mph school zone”.

HPBV Flow Characteristics…
Rate-of-Flow Versus Valve Open % Measured at a Ground Storage Tank Fill Valve.
Note the large flow rate increase that occurs between 10% and 30% open.
(30-100% open could not be tested without pulling the upstream pressure down too low.)

Generation III –
V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve…
Seeking a control valve with a more linear flow response across the
fully-closed to fully-open rotation:
• If the rate-of-flow could be throttled more evenly across the majority of the actuator
movement, then much more precise control of pressure and flow could be achieved.
V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve:
• Based upon the unique shape of its V-notched segmented ball and baffle plates
(anti-cavitation trim), it was postulated that the rate-of-flow through this
quarter-turn valve would increase more evenly from 0 to 100% open.
• Leverage same controller logic technology and quarter-turn motorized actuator
technology as utilized with high-performance butterfly valve.

Traditional Ball
V-Notched/Baffled Segmented Ball…
Segmented Ball
V-Notched, Segmented Ball Valve with
Anti-Cavitation/Noise-Reducing Baffles.

Assorted Profile Photos

V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve – Principle of Operation Diagram

• Diaphragm Valve Replacement (End-of-Life).
• Desire to tightly integrate into SCADA system.
• Desire to achieve precision control of flow and back-pressure.
• SCADA historical data from diaphragm valve (influent pressure,
effluent pressure, rate-of-flow) was fed into valve sizing
calculator.
• Selection Result: 6 Inch Valve with Cv=845 @ 100% open.
Application Story…

Before Upgrade – Fosterburg Pump House, Fosterburg IL.

Mechanical Removal of Valve and Flow Meter.

Post-Installation: Magnetic Flow Meter, V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball
Valve with Limitorque QX Quarter-Turn Actuator.

The Electrical Hookup to the Valve Was Relatively Straightforward: 120VAC
Single-Phase Power, Grounding, 4-20mA Analog Positioning Signal from
Telemetry Control System.

Validation Testing…
• After the valve installations were completed, tests were
performed to validate whether they were providing the
desired linear flow-versus-actuation profile.
• During the tests, each valve actuator was re-positioned
at 5% increments and flow measurements were performed.
• The performance, as illustrated by the following charts,
was excellent.

Validation Results I…
Flow versus Actuation. Note that the flow variation was highly linear from
10% to 80% actuation. (90-100% open could not be tested without pulling
the upstream pressure down too low.)

Validation Results II…
Flow versus Actuation. Note that the flow variation was highly linear from
5% to 75% actuation. (75-100% open could not be tested without pulling
the upstream pressure down too low.)

Programming and SCADA Upgrade…
• After the installation and validation testing, the telemetry
controls were updated with sophisticated logic programming
to provide Fosterburg with tighter monitoring and control
of its valve actuation process.
• The following new setpoints were added:
1. Back-Pressure Sustaining Pressure (PSI)
2. Maximum Allowed Rate-of-Flow (GPM)
3. Ground Tank Valve Open Level (Ft)
4. Ground Tank Valve Close Level (Ft)
5. Maximum Allowed Valve Speed (%/sec)
6. Maximum Allowed Valve Position (%)

Feedback Control Stress Test…
Extreme test of the telemetry control system’s new feedback control
mechanism.
An upstream valve to the pump house was throttled to restrict flow.
This restriction simulated an upstream low pressure condition, which
could occur in situations where the bulk water supplier suffered from
a main break.
As the upstream valve was throttled to a near-close, the measured
upstream pressure began to drop and dipped below the “Back-
Pressure Sustaining Pressure” setpoint. The telemetry controls
promptly modulated the V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve to a
position that further limited the rate-of-flow so as to maintain the
target upstream pressure.

Telemetry Performance Data…
Ground Tank Level – 24 Hr. Chart
Valve Position (%) – 24 Hour Chart.
Rate-of-Flow – 24 Hour Chart.
Upstream Pressure – 24 Hour Chart
Totalized Gallons – 24 Hour Chart.

Lessons Learned…
• Unlike a butterfly valve, the V-Port/Baffled Segmented Ball Valve has a preferred flow-
direction, and therefore the actuator orientation should be specified when ordering.
• The Baffles not only increase the flow linearity, but they were also observed to provide
lower sound emissions than an equivalent high-performance butterfly valve.
• In our logic programming, the valve position is modulated based upon a combination
of inlet pressure, rate-of-flow, and maximum allowable open %. Experience has
shown that it is best to select setpoints in a way that the valve position is primarily
controlled by the maximum allowable open % — because this results in the fewest
start/stops of the actuator — and minimizing the number of start/stops will lengthen
the life of the actuator motor and valve bearings.
• We utilized a segmented ball valve, instead of a full-bore ball valve. The segmented
ball provides the desired flow-control profile and requires less torque (smaller,
less-expensive actuator).

Special Thanks…
• Special thanks to General Manager Mark Voumard and the
Board of Directors at Fosterburg Water District for the
opportunity to perform this challenging project — a project
which advanced the state-of-the-art in Rural Water telemetry
& control.
• Thanks also to Kurt Neuhaus, Paul Shetley, and the staff at
ERTC-SIUE (Environmental Resource and Training
Center – Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville)
who generously provided many of the photos used in this
presentation.

Resources on the Web…
Before initiating a new flow control valve project, it is critical that water utility
personnel take care to select the appropriate valve diameter size and baffling options.
For assistance, please discuss with your consulting engineer, or utilize a valve sizing
calculator:
Jflow Controls Online Valve Sizing Calculator | www.jflowcontrols.com

Conclusion
Thank You!
Jim Mimlitz, P.E.
Navionics Research Inc.
wireless-telemetry.com
Telemetry Educational Blog:
wireless-telemetry.com/blog
Telemetry Educational Newsletter:
wireless-telemetry.com/signup/signup.htm

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