Gold for Environmental Performance: Circor’s Houttin Energy Recovery Valve

Understanding the environment and working with it are part of everyday operations for Circor. Its award-winning Houttin Energy Recovery Valve (ERVC) controls flow in an accurate, fast and stable way, without being influenced by fluid densities and pressures. It also recovers the hydraulic energy wasted by conventional control valves, producing electrical energy in the process. This kind of innovation was exactly what the judges of the Global Tank Storage Awards were looking for. Technical details The ERCV from Houttuin combines modern variable-speed drive technology, control logic and a screw pump configured as a twin-screw-motor (TSM). ‘With this innovation, twin-screw technology can convert excess hydraulic energy into mechanical or electrical energy and save millions of tonnes of carbon,’ says Axel Jäschke, business development director twin-screw at Circor. The TSM transports the liquid inside the feed screws in closed chambers. The flow depends directly on the speed of the TSM. When operating as a pump, the flanks of the feed screws push against the higher outlet pressure. This adds energy to the flow. When operating as a motor, on the other hand, the screw flanks...