High velocity vent in a patented non-oscillating version to ISO 15364:2007 / MSC Circ. 677 and ISO 16852

Scanvent Type HVVThe Scanvent high velocity valve is the result of dedicated research into creating the ideal compromise between loss of tank vapour and non-oscillating behavior, all in a simple package that appeals to low maintenance. It features a combination of magnet power and air breaks, which are unique and patent applied for. It is truly non-oscillating as it complies with the two second no-metal-to-metal contact definition from ISO 15364:2007. At the same time, and this is the real accomplishment, it does not emit tank vapour to atmosphere unless the set-pressure is reached, at which point it will only emit excess pressure, unless a true emergency is happening when the primary full capacity unit will open.

Normally, the blow-down (difference between opening and re-seating pressure) must be larger than the pressure drop over the vent line, which can render the design useless from the point of a VOC Management Plan as huge volumes of cargo will boil-off and be emitted for no purpose to atmosphere. INTERTANKO and others have estimated the VOC loss on the crude carrier to equal 0.25% of the cargo. The Scanvent valve can reduce VOC loss for all practical purposes to nil during voyage.

The vent features two discs: a small spring loaded one for thermal variation. It creates a rising pressure in level with rising capacity, i.e., it is a modulating valve. It will only emit what’s necessary in order to maintain tank pressure at or just above it’s set-pressure. The main valve, however, is a full-lifting type due to its magnet characteristics. To render it non-oscillating and without a drastic blow-down, it features a novel air break. As an example, it will open full at set-pressure 0.21 bar and re-seat at 0.15 bar. A comparative competitor valve for the same pipe length would not re-seat until the tank pressure is down at 0.10 bar and that’s what would happen every time the competitor valve opens.

From a practical point of view, the valve’s wear and tear is for all practical purposes limited to the small thermal valve, which has a stroke of 1-2 mm and a moving weight of a few kg. In other words: seat/disc wear and pitting is reduced to a mere fraction of the usual level, where grinding/replacement can be necessary every 1-2 years. When overhaul is necessary, the entire inside trim can be lifted out in one lot, replaced, and the crew can easily remove seats and discs for repair or replacement. There is no need to involve the factory or to use expensive service engineers.

Main features of the Scanvent valve:

  • Complies with the Marine Equipment Directive Amendment 9 (EN 12874/ISO 15364:2007 and ISO 16852)
  • Approved for long vent pipes as non-oscillating (2 second requirement)
  • Free from any blow-down during voyage, i.e., ideal VOC Management Plan contribution
  • Only one moving part
  • Simple, rigid design and construction
  • Low maintenance cost – maintenance done by crew onboard
  • Full bore clearance through valve body

How to benefit from SCANVENT’s dual nozzle design

Most importantly it must be stressed that leakage and VOC loss are two very different issues:

Definition of leakage rate:

All metal-to-metal seat/disc systems suffer a certain leakage rate. That’s the unpleasant reality and why ISO 15364:2007 for marine p/v valves Section 6.1 reads: “The maximum gas leakage rate shall be provided and expressed as the volume in standard air that may leak from the valve at 80% of the nominal setting.”

A metal-to-metal seat/disc is so sensitive that a human hair will cause a leakage rate that can be felt at the tip of your finger. Obviously, as hardened sot and other particles pass and as the seat and disc slam against each other, perfect alignment is vanishing and the leakage rate will gradually increase.

When SCANVENT staff first worked with leakage rates some 20 years ago, this resulted in portable test rigs and test procedures. Resilient seals were brought into the picture to reduce leakage rates, but when spherical seats/discs came some 10 years ago, the leakage rates were dramatically reduced and things went back to metal-to-metal arrangements. The following procedure is applicable for the most used valve type with a spherical arrangement and shows an ISO 15364 Section 6.1 leakage rate of 2 liters/min from a VLCC suitable valve.

 


Leakage – Pressure drop

Tank Size – 90 Liter

Temp – 20 degrees C


Valve size, pressure side

Max allowable leakage, litres

Max allowable pressure drop

Mbar

PSI

mmwg

mmHg

1

1

11

0,2

111

8

2

1

11

0,2

111

8

3

1

11

0,2

111

8

4

1,5

17

0,2

167

13

5

2

22

0,3

222

17

6

2,5

28

0,4

278

21

7

4

44

06

444

33


Definition of VOC loss rate:

If the venting system does not operate during voyage, the total volume released will of course equal the leakage rate, but that’s not the VOC loss in question. Industry studies headed by Intertanko suggest a total VOC loss rate during voyage of 0.25% of the cargo. This is not the 2 liters stray emission mentioned above! All full-lifting valves have a blow-down, i.e., the difference between opening and closing pressure. Due to the requirements for non-oscillating performance, the blow-down must be quite large and is often 50-70% of the opening setting. Every time such a valve opens, because of thermal expansion or sloshing, the ullage space pressure is reduced accordingly bringing the pressure below the vapor pressure of volatile gases such as Methane (a super ozone-depleting gas many times worse than CO2). Then the cycle repeats itself. The same happens when a mast riser valve is opened too early and/or shut too late.

What the SCANVENT design brings:

The secondary valve will release over-pressure only; it has no blow-down. Its capacity is relatively small for in-voyage venting needs only. Put differently, the tank pressure never reach the set-point of the primary valve and therefore de-pressurization of the ullage space does not take place.

The VOC Management Plan can state: “No VOC release below the VOC valve’s set-point takes place during voyage and therefore the in-voyage VOC handling cannot be improved as it equals only what must be released for the integrity and safety of the ship.”

Now, having once and for all solved the VOC issue on a no-cost-no-brainer basis, the bottleneck moves on to the unavoidable leakage rate from big bore valves. The SCANVENT design utilizes a standard spherical seat/disc arrangement and therefore the leakage rate is what the industry standard must be assumed to be. However, bearing in mind that the primary valve functions only under special conditions and is not fluttering during voyage, we have gone back to the 20 year old resilient seal system. The result is amazing, and a “must have” considering the low cost.

The two video sequences to the right show the unavoidable leakage rate from the industry standard spherical seat/disc arrangement and for the same but with our resilient seal. The lifetime of the seal is impressive because the o-ring is a static installation: the weight of the disc is still carried by the metal seat and does not compress the o-ring.

The o-ring is a readily available industry standard in NBR or Viton and is easily replaced when needed, for instance when the valve is cleaned, and a safety pin can be inserted to allow one crew member to perform the replacement while doing the regular cleaning.

 

Soap Test with No O-Ring Soap Test
Resilient seal – providing true bobble tight performance Standard spherical seat/disc leaking 2 liters/minute Standard spherical seat/disc with resilient seal – demonstrating bobble tight performance Replacement of resilient seal