Design staff from Flowserve Flow Control and distributor BSS have worked with senior mechanical engineers at BNFL, Risley, UK, to produce a new stainless steel double block and bleed (DBB) valve that delivers significant cost and space savings. The collaboration follows the introduction of new site procedures at BNFL stipulating the use of DBB valves to isolate upstream gas and liquid pressures during installation and maintenance processes. BNFL felt that conventional isolation using three separate ball valves, or existing integrated DBB assemblies were unnecessarily complex and expensive. They approached Flowserve with a view to using standard valve components.The result is the Worcester Controls Series 22, which effectively integrates two Worcester 44 series, 3-piece ball valves with a central draining section and meets BNFL’s quality requirements for a DBB valve at significantly lower cost. In addition, BNFL also benefit from the valve’s reduced size, with a lower welding and inspection requirement and diminished spares-holding overhead.
