BLAC INC. offers the best design using proper engineering for the individualized components and assemblies.

The reservoir, control manifold features, hydraulic cylinder, mechanical positioner, and position control electronics are all better in design, features, and capabilities than any competitor in the world.

This is due to a complete ‘what if’ evaluation and the result of many man hours of exhaustive component testing and evaluation.

All mechanical handwheel positioners from BLAC INC. have the following features:

• Acme screws and acme nuts can be disassembled and safely replaced while online - unique to BLAC INC.
  Other manufacturers design is very difficult to accomplish removal / reinstallation online.

• Built with bearings (not bushings) holding the acme screws. These bearings can be replaced while the unit is in operation.
  No other supplier can make this claim.

• Actuators are supplied with limit switches and feedback devices as specified. All devices can be removed and reinstalled safely while online.

• BLAC INC. worldwide patented hydraulic cylinders are utilized which permit change of the seals completely while the cylinder is mounted to the mechanical positioner or mounting yoke. This is done while the valve position is controlled with the mechanical handwheel positioner.
  No other supplier can make this claim.

• Corrosion protection is primary consideration. Therefore, stainless steel and bronze is used throughout the mechanical handwheel positioners to make sure operation is always able to take place for all functions.
  No other supplier can make this claim.

BLAC INC. constructs two different types of butterfly valve actuators for FCCU applications depending upon the output torque delivered. The smaller sizes of actuators are built with two cylinders while the larger units come with four cylinders. The features of the BLAC INC. units are as follows:

• Fully enclosed cylinders, sealed from the atmosphere and operate with the internal components all running in oil

• Zero backlash design

• 10 Year Life Seals

• Guaranteed not to leak or have fault condition for 6 Years

• Matching torque curves in both the open and closed directions

• Smaller sized actuators provide torque output less than 600,000 lbf-in (67,810 N-m) to 18,000 lbf-in (2030 N-m)

• Larger sized actuators provide torque output greater than 600,000 lbf-in (67,810 N-m) to 2,500,000 lbf-in (282,460 N-m)

• Speed of operation from 0.2 to 10 seconds full stroke

• SIL2 and SIL3 rated actuator systems

These actuators are utilized throughout many industries but are best known for controlling butterfly valves that provide safety and control of the FCCU Expander turbines.

These systems are all highly reliable and have set the standard in the industry since 1992.

Expander turbines are used in multiple industries such as refining, steel mill, and offshore platforms to extract power from a source of pressurized vapor flowing through a turbine. The protection of that turbine is the function of the butterfly valves that control the flow of vapor into the turbine inlet and the valve that controls the flow around the turbine when the turbine is shutdown.

Due to process and mechanical considerations, the valves generally operate in a quick manner to protect the turbine from overspeed if the coupling breaks between the turbine and the driven equipment. This equipment can be an air blower or compressor, motor generators and other devices that utilize the power output from the turbine. 

When the turbine is unloaded from a coupling break or other control problem, the butterfly valve on the inlet to the expander must close quickly to remove the energy input to the turbine, and the bypass valve must open and control the flow around the turbine. These activities are required to be extremely reliable to eliminate the financial impact of destroyed equipment if the valves do not do their job.

Therefore, BLAC INC. valves and actuator systems are required. 

BLAC INC. provides the most reliable operating equipment in this service of expander turbine protection since 1991 when we built our first inlet and bypass butterfly valve actuator systems.  In the subsequent years, many developments have been made to further the level of equipment protection. 

Contact BLAC INC. for further information.  

FCCU Plug valves are utilized on Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) and Axens/Technip process design units. The plug valves are vertically oriented and operate with a conical plug cone that fits into the bottom of a standpipe.

The valve is controlled for position vertically and allows flow to come through the bottom of the standpipe and flow over the top of the conical cone. Pressure drop and flow are controlled with this valve and the actuator provides the position control.

The actuators from BLAC INC. for the plug valve are very similar to a slide valve with one additional feature: The plug valve actuator utilizes a control manifold that can control and limit the thrust of the valve in both directions.

1. The plug valve is seated and the standpipe grows downward. The actuator must permit the valve to move downward while maintaining the thrust to the seat.

2. The plug valve is driving closed from an opened position and must seat the cone into the seat ring on the bottom of the standpipe without damage. This may be either under normal control or in the case of power failure if a trip function occurs. In this scenario, the plug valve control manifold must limit the force levels without any electronic control function capability due to it being a power off condition.

BLAC INC. provides thrust control continuously in operation. This value of thrust is available with our standard systems and this value of thrust is provided to the end user. With this thrust control, the plug will not be damaged and the valve stickiness or operation can be confirmed in real time during operation. 

Plug valves are provided with emergency trip functions in 1oo2, 2oo2 or 2oo3 configurations.

FCCU diverter valves are designed with one inlet port and two outlet ports. The inlet is coming from the regenerator and the two outlet ports are individually connected to the boiler and to the flue gas stack. 

Diverter valves are constructed in three different configurations, each of which takes a different actuator to operate the valve. 

The ExxonMobil Process uses what is called a ‘flip flop’ valve, and all other refiners / process licensors utilize either a linear two port or a pendulum type diverter valve. Each of these actuator systems control the disc position and move it from one port to the other port.

Goggle valves are large valves located usually in flue gas service of a refinery process or in a steel mill to provide isolation of the process function. Goggle valves are extremely low leakage valves and can be bubble tight under design conditions. 

They operate in high temperature flue gas and can seal off against that flue gas flow. They are not considered to be man-safe even though they are leakage free. A blind is still required in most applications for personnel to be allowed to be downstream of the valve once isolated.

Goggle valves are connected to the piping, and the internal moving carriage assembly inside the valve carries a thru port and a blind disc. There are two actuation systems on a goggle valve:

1. The movement actuator for the carriage assembly has been typically hydraulic or electric motor operator. These actuators drive the carriage from open to closed or from closed to open position upon demand from the automated control system (plant BPCS or DCS).

2. Prior to the movement of the carriage, the valve must be unclamped. This involves either hydraulic or electric actuators to provide unclamping functions around the circumference of the valve. The unclamping function must then provide re-clamping function once the valve is into the new position and is ready to be seated.

The goggle valves control system generally provided by BLAC INC. comes with a hydraulic power and control unit with a PLC – or can be provided with an electrical enclosure that has all the motor controls for the unclamping/re-clamping function. 

The unit is controlled and monitored by a PLC system that monitors the limit switches, position feedback signals, all the functions of the hydraulic power and control unit (HPCU) and provides safety controls to keep the valve from any potential damage that may occur during operation. 

Contact BLAC INC. for solutions to your boiler, precipitator, flue gas cooler, furnace or coke oven isolation issues.

The fractionator or overhead vapor line valves are providing isolation between the reactor and the fractionator. These types of valves are also used to isolate many other equipment and vessels.

These valves are typically provided with an electric motor operator gear type actuator. They lock when power is off and can be interlocked with the DCS / SIS controls of the plant refinery systems.

Blower suction valve is used to control the air flow into the air blower. Accurate control of this valve is required.

The actuator system from BLAC INC. provides the control as needed. Generally these are butterfly valves that are used for this control, but in some applications, this is a louver style damper.

BLAC INC. provides for the following situations with the Main Air Blower Discharge:

Air Grid Butterfly Valve

Air Blower Discharge Check Valve

Variable Orifice valves are used in the flue gas systems and can function as an orifice chamber. These valves are designed to take a constant pressure drop through the orifices located around a center mounted butterfly valve that is utilized to provide a variable flow. 

The actuator is just a simple electric modulating actuator or can be provided as an electro-hydraulic actuator.

Catalyst withdrawal valves are provided as an automated valve from BLAC INC. with electric actuator that is spring returned to closed position.

BLAC INC. makes a very special electric actuator that can be used in fail safe applications, and this actuator is the spring return type. The actuator is PLC controlled for position control, thrust control, and temperature control of the downstream piping. In addition, it can control the aeration air for the withdrawal pipe flow to the spent catalyst hopper.

BLAC INC. manufactures split unit type hydraulic systems where the actuator may be mounted remotely from the Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) and Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU).

When mounted on a single frame, the combined HPU and HCU forms the HPCU skid.

Hydraulic Power Units are available in a wide size range of reservoir capacities and motor power. The power units consist of a stainless steel fluid reservoir, two motors and pumps, a dual filter manifold assembly, and the pressure gauges, switches and transmitters as instrumentation to provide the needed information of operating condition.

The power units have stainless steel box tubing frames and all components are mounted inside the frame assembly. The reservoirs are baffled type, 304 SS or 316 SS, large rectangular construction with level switches or transmitters, heaters in thermowells and raised suction points for the pumps incorporated in the design.

The dual filter manifold provides two pump inputs, relief valves and isolation check valves for each pump, two 3-micron filter elements, depressurization valves for each filter and visual bleed valves for each filter. Versions are provided for single isolation valves for each side of each filter or dual isolation with bleed valves between for each filter.

When the HPU is combined with the HCU on the same skid, it forms the Hydraulic Power and Control Unit (HPCU). See the BLAC INC. 550 Series HPCU for details.

Hydraulic Control Units may consist of the following: the hydraulic control manifold, fluid storage accumulators, electronic control assembly and instrumentation associated with the function or indication of operating conditions on the units.

Hydraulic control units are provided with specialized BLAC INC. technology for the hydraulic manifolds and the position control electronic assemblies. The construction method is optimized for the end user and for maintenance staff. All components necessary for operation can be changed safely online.

All hydraulic control units are built to safe area classifications as needed, ranging from NEC Class I, Groups B, C, D, Division 1 or 2 or ATEX area classes of Zone 1 or 2, Grps IIA, IIB, IIC, T3, T4.

Size capabilities range from small actuators to very large, high speed actuators. Practically speaking, no other supplier in the world provides a wider range of position capability than BLAC INC.

When the HCU is combined with the HPU on the same skid, it forms the Hydraulic Power and Control Unit (HPCU). See the BLAC INC. 550 Series HPCU for further system information and 550 Series Manifold for specific all-in-one manifold details.

550 Series Manifold

BLAC INC. has designed, tested and has in operation the latest of our control manifold designs, the 550 Series Manifold.

This all-in-one manifold includes the servo control valve, accumulator(s) valves, manual directional control hand valve, cylinder bypass manual isolation valves, auto–manual hand valve and other project applicable components such as those for the optional jog control.

The 550 control manifold may be integrated with our ESD manifolds, including the 2oo2 and 2oo3 voting ESD systems.

There is a 550 Series version available for a single accumulator (also includes jog control option).

Brochure Download

The 550 Series includes:

• Servo Valve – the interface between the electronics and the hydraulics that converts an electronic current signal into movement of an internal spool that directs pressurized hydraulic fluid to two fluid ports connected to the hydraulic cylinder.
  

• Manual Directional Control Hand Valve – 3-position 4-way valve which permits fluid to be directed to the cylinders to move the actuator closed and open.
  

• Cylinder Bypass Manual Isolation Valves – may be used in combination with the manual directional control hand valve to bleed pressure from within the hydraulic system interconnections to the hydraulic cylinder.
  

• Auto–Manual Hand Valve – incorporated to serve the Lock-in-Place function of the valve. If any functional failure occurs, the lock-in-place solenoid is de-energized and closes the pilot control valves.
  

• Jog Control (optional) – the actuator can be moved open or closed by applying power to jog control solenoids from the control room.
  

• Accumulator Block & Bleed Valves – used for accumulator isolation and safe pressure reduction (bleed) to reservoir and are utilized in the accumulator precharge.

BLAC INC. provides multiple control systems for all industries to operate on-off or modulating valves and dampers. These control systems range from analog type to PLC based units. 

The PLC based units are primarily what is supplied on modern control systems, but BLAC INC. still supports all legacy products of analog design with original equipment components and PC boards.

Upgraded control systems can be provided for any application, either supplied originally by BLAC INC. or by a competitor. Consulting services are provided to determine the existing control system that is in place at any plant and provides the various solutions available to consider in plant upgrades.

Other PLC control systems are provided as follows:

1. Single Level Controller PLC – provided with dual power supplies, single or redundant level communications ports for RS485 or Fiberoptic, single CPU and I/O.

2. Redundant Controller PLC – provided with dual power supplies, dual redundant level CPU, single or redundant level I/O, and single or redundant level communications ports.

3. Triple Controller PLC – provided with dual power supplies, triple CPUs with 2oo3 voting, triple level I/O with 2oo3 voting, and redundant level communications ports. BLAC INC. is proficient at Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Modicon and Triconex PLC systems and can provide all programming as needed.

The BLAC INC. manufactured U-1000 amplifier for analog position control is an alternative to standard PLC based digital position control.

The U-1000 controls the position of the valve in response to the command signal from the refinery (typically a DCS).

The actuator provides an output force and a proportional position control relative to an input control 4-20 mA signal.

The command signal from the controller is compared to the actual valve position measurement as indicated by the position feedback device.

A position error signal is produced and is configured to drive an analog output to the servo valve which responds to the signal error and directs pressurized hydraulic fluid to one cylinder port or the other to cause a position correction.

This control is continuous and always acts to correct the position error.

In a typical U-1000 system:

• The electrical components of the control system are provided in the electronics enclosure.

• Both command and feedback displays can be provided on the front of the enclosure for local indication.

The U-1000 components:

• Each U-1000 consists of a top (U-0100) and bottom (U-0101) amplifier board.

• Each top and bottom board are built as pair and should remain together throughout operation as well as if returned to BLAC INC. for maintenance.

• Some customers utilize an alarm board (U-0102) as part of the assembly.

• The alarm board includes the Loss of Command, Loss of Feedback and Loss of Tracking Alarms and allows for the individual dry contacts for each of these alarms to be used through relay outputs.

BLAC INC. provides a system for emergency trip function that is substantially different than other suppliers two out of three (2oo3) voting systems. 

BLAC INC. supplies a fully functioning ESD system that is rated by a third party company for our FCCU actuator systems and is applicable for any industry and application.

Refer to 2oo3 Voting Emergency Shutdown System within our TECHNICAL REFERENCE section, or please contact BLAC INC. for further information.