Materials and / or protective coatings are chosen that provide suitable corrosion-resistance to seawater. π www. valve-world. net Valve World June 2025
Marine valves
Ships are home to a wide array of gate, globe, check, ball, butterfly and pressure relief valves.
found in boiler systems, fuel oil systems and pressure vessels – i. e., wherever overpressure could be a concern. And even the humble solenoid valve is also present in increasingly large numbers, such as in automated systems such as ballast control and machinery cooling systems. The marine world uses additional valve categories which may sound unfamiliar in process circles. Storm valves( sometimes called scupper valves) are for example a specific type of swing-check valve and often fitted with a counterweight. Installed to shipside sewage system outlets, they enable sewage to be discharged overboard whilst ensuring that in the event conditions suddenly change, sewage and / or seawater cannot backflow into the sewage system. Storm valves normally have a handwheel, enabling crew to firmly lock the valves in the closed position should the need arise. Some applications too are specific to ships. Consider for example the bilge and ballast systems. Ballast control refers to the( partial) filling or emptying of specific tanks during the process of loading or unloading cargo in order to maintain ship’ s stability. The bilge refers to the lowest part of a ship, where excess water accumulates. A system of valves and pumps is used to remove all such water, to maintain the vessel’ s integrity.
Valve issues
No surprises to learn that valves installed on ships can suffer the same issues as those on land, such as internal and external corrosion, wear and tear of
Addressing project challenges
In a recent online article, Dante Valve provided valve procurement strategies for shipyards, enabling them to better meet strict project deadlines and avoid budget overruns. Summarized, these include:
• Build strong, strategic partnerships with valve manufacturers and distributors to ensure access to a consistent supply of high-quality valves
• Close ties enables you to set up priority ordering, stockpiling, or longterm bulk purchasing agreements that reduce your lead times
• If you require custom valve solutions, evaluate your supplier’ s rapid prototyping capabilities, turnaround times, and responsiveness
• If mission-critical valves fail during a project, consider if a repair service would be cheaper and / or faster than ordering a new valve
gaskets and packings, blockages, etc. However, the unique environment on board ships calls for extra attention to detail. Hence external corrosion is an area that receives more attention on valves destined for marine applications. Materials and / or protective coatings are chosen that provide suitable corrosion-resistance to seawater. In some instances, cathodic protection may also be used to mitigate corrosion in submerged valves. Regular inspection of the installed valve base remains the name of the game. Most manufacturers therefore offer ship’ s valves in a wide range of materials, including stainless steel, steel, brass, PVC,
Marine valve research
Interested in taking a deeper dive into the latest research into marine valves? Then the following articles might be of interest: Study on sealing performance of main gate valve of marine nuclear power plant based on fluid-solid-thermal coupling method, by Chen Yuqing, Yu Hang, Fu Shengwei and Li Ang. https:// www. frontiersin. org / journals / energy-research / articles / 10.3389 / fenrg. 2024.1375806 / full The sealing performance and failure analysis of marine valve packing seal structures based on dimensionless function definition, by Xinkai Ding, Lintao Wang, Jingrun Cai, Zihan Wang, Zhexin Zhang, and Xiyuan Fan. https:// www. sciencedirect. com / science / article / abs / pii / S0029801824032773
Materials and / or protective coatings are chosen that provide suitable corrosion-resistance to seawater. π www. valve-world. net Valve World June 2025
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