Processing, October 2018
Valves Actuators T h e A B C s o f NFPA valve compliance Key terms to know when it comes to re safety in processing plants By Megan Thompson ACS Valves hether youre a manufacturing veteran W or just getting started with a new facility the National Fire Protection Associations NFPA complex web of regulations can be di cult to navigate on your own is glossary of NFPA and re safety terms will help you get acquainted with the rules as they apply to rotary valves and processing A is for air ow Rotary airlocks seal the air ow between the inlet and outlet of valves allowing material to travel e ciently through a conveying system Air leakage causes tiny particles of material to rise into the air or land on surfaces in the facility creating the potential for major problems like res and explosions A conveying system needs proper ventilation to prevent these types of air leakage issues Talk to a valve manufacturer to make sure the right airlock is chosen for the application and then replace the rotor when necessary to keep clearances tight C is for combustion Combustible dust can act as the fuel for an explosion in a processing plant e NFPA de nes combustible dust as a ne solid particle that presents a ash re hazard or explosion hazard when suspended in the air or when it comes in contact with certain concentrations of oxidizing media speci c to the process Combined with an oxidizer and an ignition source combustible dust can cause dangerous de agrations in your plant D is for de agration When a heat source moves over cold materials or combustible dusts and ignites them it can cause a de agration De agration res generally spread quickly moving along a line as other hot materials ignite ey can be di cult for re crews to handle posing a great risk to the manufacturing plant and worker safety Valves act as isolation devices in these situations To keep valves compliant check the rotor to housing tolerances for maximum safety 50 Processing OCTOBER 2018 MD Series rotary valve with ACS RotorRail quick clean design MD Series rotary valve All graphics courtesy of ACS Valves
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