A Study of Flow Oscillation on the Steam Control Valve

Abstract

A steam control valve causes vibration of the piping when the opening is in the middle condition. For the rationalization of maintenance and management in the plant, the cause of vibration should be clarified and the valve should be improved. To clarify this phenomenon, small-scale air experiment and CFD calculation are done. At only the middle opening condition, a circumferentially propagating spike-type pressure fluctuation caused by asymmetric flow around valve can be seen. As this fluctuation causes cyclic side load on the valve body, it is thought to be the cause of vibration.