Eight common signs of rotary valve problems: A troubleshooting guide
Air leakage, lack of material flow, and noisy operation are all signs of rotary valve problems that can disrupt your pneumatic conveying or other processing or handling system's operation. While the signs are usually obvious, identifying the underlying valve problems isn't always easy. By listing eight common trouble signs and explaining what's behind them, this article provides and easy-to-follow guide for troubleshooting your rotary valve.
Rotary valves can be used as airlocks, feeders, or combination feeder-airlocks. As an airlock, the valve allows material to flow between vessels at different pressures while minimizing air leakage. As a feeder, the valve operates under a head of material and controls material flow between vessels at the same pressure. As a combination feeder-airlock, the valve controls material flow between vessels at different pressures while minimizing air leakage. The components in a typical rotary valve are shown in Figure 1. While rotary valves are major players in pneumatic conveying systems, they also play important roles in other handling and processing systems. No matter how you use rotary valves in your plant, you've probably learned that valve problems can quickly reduce your processing or handling capacity or even bring your operation to a halt.