Hi John,
I was just checking Chemical Online and had a hard time finding the article. I finally had to search into their archives and found the article. I hope the article gives Kelso some exposure. The article sounds pretty positive though. Keep up the good work guys! I have taken the liberty of posting a copy here for those who have trouble finding it as well.
Rail Industry Eyes New Safety Relief Valve
Following several years of development, Kelso Technologies, Inc. (Vancouver, BC) is nearing the finish line in commercializing a new type of safety relief valve (SRV), the JS75, for applications on pressurized tankcars. While it will take at least 18 months to meet the field-testing requirements of the American Association. of Railroads (AAR; Washington, DC), Kelso is entertaining partnership arrangements with process industry manufacturers-or their vendors-for applications on the pressure vessels and pressurized pipelines common throughout chemical, petrochemical and power producers. "Our resources are limited to railcar applications currently," says Stephen Grossman, president and CEO of Kelso. "But we believe that our new valve design will be useful in most other industrial pressure-relief applications."
AAR requires 75-psig SRVs for tankcars carrying hazardous fluids to open up between 72 and 78 psig, to vent at a minimum rate of 18,000 ft3/min, and to provide a vaportight seal after venting at a minimum of 60 psig. According to Grossman, the JS75 exceeded all these parameters: it began venting at 75.9 psig at more than 20,000 ft3/min, and reclosed at 71 psig. This was demonstrated at tests run at the Colorado Engineering and Experimental Station, Inc. (Nunns, CO). "Industry regulators in both Canada and the U.S. have been pushing for safer, better performance, and we think that we can provide it," Grossman notes.
Most railcar SRVs, and many used on pressure vessels, are poppet-type valves, in which an internal spring "pops" the valve at a preset pressure. While keeping many of the design details proprietary, Grossman says that the JS75 uses a different kind of spring, and that the spring is not mounted in the flow passageway. Furthermore, the valve is mounted outside the tankcar, rather than inside where it gets filled with the fluid being transported. The lack of obstruction in the flowpath is part of what provides the high-volume discharge, and valve reliability is enhanced by not having the spring submerged in fluid.
Kelso has an agreement with Willamoy Inc. (Kulpsville, PA) to fabricate the first 30 JS75 valves, which will be used in AAR field tests over the next 18 months. James W. Williams, president of Wilamoy, is joining Kelso as an executive, and Kelso has an option to open a U.S. facility for mass production. Kelso is also pursuing development of 165- and 300-psig valves for broader industrial applications.
For more information: Stephen Grossman,
Kelso Technologies Inc., 801-1318 Homer St., Vancouver, BC V68 6A7. Tel: 604-899-1274;
Fax: 604-899-1144.
Edited by Nick Basta |
