Application Background
In the heat treatment processes of the metallurgical industry, continuous annealing furnaces are core equipment for producing high-quality cold-rolled steel strips. A large steel plant in Hubei needed precise flow control in the combustion air pipeline of its continuous annealing line. Under high-frequency adjustments, Traditional control methods suffered from low precision, slow response, and frequent failures, while GRAT Electric Ventilation Butterfly Valve developed a high-precision, reliable air regulation solution.
Operating Conditions
This application poses severe challenges to valve performance, with specific operating parameters as follows:
- Application: Combustion air supply pipeline for continuous annealing furnace
- Product: GRAT Low-Load Electric Ventilation Butterfly Valve
- Medium: Preheated Air
- Temperature: 120°C – 300°C (subject to frequent fluctuations)
- Nominal Pressure: PN10
- Size: DN200
- Connection: Flanged
- Control Signal: Modulating Control, 4-20mA
- Operating Environment: Industrial workshop setting, requiring equipment with a high protection rating and continuous operation capability.
- Design Life: ≥ 5 years
Product Advantages & Features
The GRAT Electric Ventilation Butterfly Valve is engineered for the harsh environments of annealing furnaces:
- Precise Proportional Control:
- Features a high-performance actuator with positioning accuracy up to ±0.5%.
- Maintains furnace atmosphere fluctuations within ±2°C.
- Excellent High-Temperature Resistance:
- Constructed from SUS304 stainless steel, retaining over 85% of its strength at 300°C.
- A streamlined disc design reduces required torque by 40%, saving energy and reducing wear.
- High Reliability & Long Service Life:
- Built-in overload protection prevents damage from jamming.
- Achieves a seal leakage rate below 0.01% for long-term, high-frequency cycling.
- Easy Installation & Maintenance:
- Standard flanged connection for quick installation.
- Modular design ensures MTTR is less than 30 minutes for key components.
Performance Results
Since commissioning in July 2017, the valve has delivered exceptional results:
- Improved Control Accuracy: Combustion air volume fluctuation was reduced from ±15% to within ±6%. Furnace zone temperature difference was lowered to within ±5°C.
- Proven Reliability: The valve has operated continuously without failure for over 70 months, accumulating over 250,000 cycles.
- Tangible Economic Benefits: Product yield rate increased from 92% to 96.5%, while simultaneously reducing the operating cost per valve.
- Exceptional Durability: After operating 40% beyond its design life, the valve remains in excellent condition, delivering a total ROI by over 150%.
The GRAT Low-Load Electric Ventilation Butterfly Valve demonstrates robust adaptability and reliability in high-temperature, high-demand process control applications within the metallurgical industry. For an Electric Ventilation Butterfly Valve solution that guarantees efficiency and durability, GRAT is your trusted partner for both new projects and equipment upgrades.
