Bolt-less™ FCCU Slide Valves
The Bolt-less™ FCCU Slide Valve is engineered to eliminate bolt-related failures in high-temperature, high-erosion environments. By removing the need for bolted connections between the guides, sealing plate, and orifice plate, this design improves system reliability and reduces maintenance service time.
The Bolt-less orifice / guide assembly eliminates the guide and orifice plate bolted connection, thus eliminating any risk of catastrophic bolt failures during the 4 to 6 years operation between turnarounds.
Industry Challenges to Solve
In some cases, failure has led to the guides falling from their correct position, leading to release of the disc and deflection of the stem. This results in a catastrophic failure and FCC Unit shutdown.
During every turnaround, all bolts will need to be replaced for the following operation cycle. Removal and replacement of these broken bolts can mean days of additional downtime.
Our Solutions
- The guides moved further away from the vapor / catalyst flow, reducing potential for erosion damage from catalyst.
- Forces created by the operating differential and support of the slide valve internals produce lower stress in the unitized connection than conventional guide to orifice bolting.
- Loads are transferred to the internal support cone and produce a lower stress across the assembly rather than high stress in the conventional orifice to seating plate bolting.
- Overall, the boltless orifice / guide assembly is 8 times more robust mechanically.
- Internal design cold set tolerances are preset at manufacturing and are not disturbed by handling or field installation.
- Positive seal between seating plate and orifice plate protects against by-pass or flow erosion.
- Field welding and machining of gasket surfaces and tapped bolt holes is eliminated.
- Shorter maintenance time during turnaround.
Nothing makes better sense than to trust your assets to the original inventors of the world’s most respected valve and control system…TapcoEnpro