Fugitive emissions can be a problem for any industry, but they are especially problematic in the petrochemical and refining industries. The leaking gas from these industries is composed of many different hydrocarbons such as equipment leaks and gas from the manufacturing process that have been found to cause respiratory problems, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
What are the Fugitive Emissions?
This type of emission is the release of chemicals into the air from unintended sources. These releases can be accidental or deliberate, but they are not always intentional. They sometimes come from leaks in storage tanks, machinery malfunctions, and unintentional venting during normal operations.
This has been an issue faced by many manufacturers because it’s costly and detrimental to the environment. They account for about 3% of all man-made global warming since 1850 by releasing methane into the atmosphere.
How to Mitigate this Issue?
KDV is looking to reduce emissions by promoting the use of diaphragm valves in place of other types of valves where appropriate. Most people don’t think about valves much. They just turn them on and off when they need to, but do you know how many different types of valves exist? One of the oldest is the Stainless Steel Diaphragm Valve, it’s available on the market and addresses this issue by nature of its design.
The reason is that the design of these diaphragm valves means that no packing or body gaskets are required. The material compatibility is also an advantage because it can be used with many different types of fluids, gases and solids without corrosion occurring on the metal parts. All bonnet components are isolated from the media by the diaphragm forming a hermetically sealed envelope with the valve body, thus eliminating the common leak path found in the other valves types.
It’s important to know that there are many ways you can reduce fugitive emissions. Most of the time, when people think about reducing emissions they focus on the plant or facility where the air is emitted. This is not always the best way to go because if you’re in a different state, it may be impossible for your plant to comply with regulations in other states. The best way to reduce fugitives is by stopping them before they escape into the atmosphere. Check for leaky valves, leaks from pipe connections or joints, faulty seals around doors and windows
The last thing you want is an emission problem at your plant and then find out it’s too late because all of the pollutions have already escaped into our environment!
The effects of fugitive emissions on the environment are significant, but there is a way for manufacturers and other entities to reduce this problem. For this reason, it’s important to consider using stainless steel instead of other materials because they don’t emit any hydrogen chloride gas during their normal operation cycle which can be harmful to both workers and the environment around them.
KDV Flow manufactures and holds large stock of Lined Valves and other diaphragm valve types available at our office in the UK at Unit G, KDV Flow Limited, Tadman Street, Wakefield WF1 5QU
If you need help finding high-quality products or need any assistance designing an effective flow system contact KDV Flow today!
