butterfly valve/actuator installation

[rustyedge]

Greetings to all on the forum.

I have a rotary actuator on a butterfly valve. The installation is air to open, fail closed and it does indeed work. The groove or line on the stem of the actuator is across the pipe. The red indicator around the stem has two white dots inline with the pipe.

Question 1: Looking only at the actuator stem and indicator, would you say the valve connected below is open or closed?

Question 2: Would you consider this installation acceptable?

Thanks for all replies!

 

[BigInch]

Picture?

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"Pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25% to 50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities." - DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99.99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

 

[rustyedge]

I can supply a picture but I am out of the office for a week.

This situation really asks the question when looking at a valve/actuator installation, do you look at the groove or flats on the actuator stem or the plastic flow indicator to determine valve position? In this installation, the installer turned the actuator from vertical to horizontal. Now the groove (or line) on the stem, disagrees so to speak with the valve stem. When the groove is now across the pipe, the valve is open, when parallel to the pipe, the valve is closed. The installer simply turned the red indicator to show valve position.

I think the groove or flats on the actuator stem should show valve position just like the groove or flats on the valve stem. Simply turning the indicator in unacceptable, amateurish and dangerous. To me, the groove or flats on ANY stem are, or should be an indication of valve position. Others, including some journeyman fitters say no, the groove or flats on the actuator stem are only there to drive a micro-switch, or other type of indicator.

What say you? Thanks!

 

[steamdog]

You cannot tell with the information given. We do valve actuation in our facility and the actuation installer can do either way. Without a valve position indicator you are taking chances at a guess. You will either have to take the valve out and look or do some positive test to figure out which way the valve was assembled

 

[JLSeagull]

Normally my automated on/off valves include a solenoid valve or positioner, position switches or transmitter and definitely a valve position indicator often called a beacon. You will find manufacturers such as Moniteur, TopWorks-GO, Westlock etc. who provide these beacon position indicators with large text in multiple languages. Google Westlock 9479 for an example.

 

[cvg]

both the groove and dots should be consistent and your current installation is not. However, regardless of whether you have an automatic actuator, a valve position indicator should always be installed.