How do valve emissions impact my sustainability goals?

The valves in your plant are likely the leading source of fugitive emissions. With limited capital, addressing the thousands of potential leak paths in your plant can seem like a daunting challenge. Yet every single valve upgrade you make moves you closer to more sustainable production.

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Reducing Valve Emissions

Valves are likely the leading source of fugitive emissions in your plant and there is understandably a focus on more tightly regulating the asset class. However, the speed and complexity of regulation change represents a major challenge for plant operators.

That's where Emerson can help. Our experts apply deep regulation and application knowledge to offer complete valve solutions that help you achieve current and future fugitive emission compliance.

Emerson's low emission valve portfolio is designed and tested to address all possible leak paths - from proven, patented stem stealing systems to high integrity connections.

Venting associated with valve actuators could be a major source of emissions. Finding solutions to lowering emissions and not sacrificing the performance of your valve actuator is key - particularly in critical applications which have traditionally employed a variety of hydraulic, direct gas, and gas over oil valve actuators.  

Avoid penalties,  costly production losses and reduce greenhouse gasses by upgrading your valve actuators to more modern electric actuators or retrofit existing gas-over-oil actuators with advanced valve operating systems designed to lower emissions by re-injecting the extracted natural gas back into the main pipeline. 

Emerson’s portfolio of actuators offer near-zero and zero emission solutions using any available power source with guaranteed torque and industry leading warranties. Our reliable actuators cover a range of applications, from the latest in intelligent control and fail-safe technology to robust heavy-duty solutions able to withstand the harshest environments. 

Pneumatic instruments are designed to bleed air constantly, and they vent still more air as they operate the valves. When natural gas is used, it is continuously emitted in considerable quantities. When combined with the fugitive methane emissions associated with valve and pump seal leaks, the total amount can be significant.

You can help protect the health of your community. Fisher™ products are certified for low or no gas consumption and can help achieve the low fugitive emissions standards developed by regulatory agencies.

Reducing Pressure Relief Valve Emissions

Direct spring valves are the most common type of pressure relief valve but can be an emissions issue when venting to a flare or atmosphere due to their low operating pressure limits, metal seats, and balanced bellows construction. 

Emerson offers the broadest range of direct spring pressure relief valve technology. Soft seated valves such as the Crosby J-Series can eliminate leakage through the seat; high performance products like the Anderson Greenwood 80s Series provide unparalleled seat tightness and a balanced option that doesn’t use a fragile bellows; Emerson offers fugitive emissions compliant configurations for API 526 valves as well as thermal relief applications. 

Pilot operated pressure relief valves are used to solve tough application challenges that other valve types can’t, but how can this technology help reduce fugitive emissions?

Pilot operated valves offer several key features that can reduce fugitive emissions:

  • Best in class seat tightness (fugitive emissions if venting to atmosphere)
  • Modulating relief action reduces product lost to flare or atmosphere per relief
  • Balanced against backpressure with no need for fragile bellows that can create large fugitive emissions concerns
  • Can be built to fugitive emissions compliance requirements

When a valve begins to leak or a bellows fails it is often time consuming and costly to pull it out of service to repair or replace, making reducing those fugitive emissions extremely difficult.

The Anderson Greenwood Safety Selector Valve provides an inline spare pressure relief valve that can be activated as soon as an issue is detected. The changeover process is quick and the vessel never loses overpressure protection as you take the leaking or damaged valve out of service. This rapid changeover capability means the fugitive emissions issue can be handled immediately even if the damaged valve cannot be removed until the next outage or turnaround.

In critical applications with VOCs going to flare or atmosphere, you may not know when your valve opened or even started leaking.

Emerson offers a comprehensive Pressure Relief Valve monitoring portfolio that can be used on any style of Anderson Greenwood or Crosby PRV. PRV Monitoring can tell you when a valve opened, the timestamp and duration of that event, aid in the calculation of a volumetric release, and even give feedback as to whether a valve is leaking.

Reducing Tank Emissions

Poor pressure and vacuum control can result in excess usage of blanketing gas, product contamination, poor system efficiency, and excess emissions.

Emerson offers the strongest portfolio of pressure and vacuum products with industry-leading solutions and knowledge to optimize performance. Having the right solutions can result in less blanketing required offsetting fewer emissions from generating blanketing gas, reduced fugitive emissions to the atmosphere, and tight pressure control for improved product throughput.

Inadequate seal design can directly result in nuisance leakage from tank top devices and add to operational uncertainty. 

Emerson's enhanced sealing devices provide leakage rates below 0.1 SCFH at 90% of set point and allow for a wider range of operation without nuisance venting. Highly engineered seal interface reduces fugitive emissions. Wireless and wired technology to alert to pressure or vacuum events.

Inadequate seal design can directly result in nuisance leakage from tank top devices and add to operational uncertainty. Hatches left open cause excessive fugitive emissions.

Emerson's enhanced sealing devices provide leakage rates below 0.1 SCFH at 90% of set point and allow for a wider range of operation without nuisance venting. Highly engineered seal interface reduces fugitive emissions. Available proximity switch remotely alerts when hatch is left open.

Added recovery options for VOCs and GHGs mean added piping and recovery equipment that could generate a flame event. Often events can occur without even knowing it. Hydrogen creates more complex flame events than typical hydrocarbon flame fronts.

Emerson offers a wide range of arrester solutions for all installations and process gases. Remote temperature and pressure monitoring available to know when flame events take place.

Tightening emissions regulations demand further reductions in excess emissions of harmful pollutants from stationary sources, accidental releases at industrial and chemical facilities and tight-sealing vacuum protection to reduce unwanted ingress of atmospheric medias.

Emerson provides the broadest portfolio in monitoring capabilities – including wired and wireless proximity alerts to monitor pressure, vacuum and relief events. Get the information you need to track, document and  enable faster resolutions to release events, for better tank top asset management and staying on top of emissions regulations requirements.

Identifying emissions causes and solutions made easy.

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Technical Engineering Expertise

Technical Engineering Expertise

Engage product experts to help you select, size and configure a solution to address any fugitive emission challenge.

Broad Offering of Valve Technologies

Broad Offering of Valve Technologies

Access the widest range of low emission valve styles, sealing systems, automation and more from a single trusted partner.

Project Management and Execution Expertise

Remote, Connected and Managed Services

Detect fugitive emission events and ensure compliance with monitoring of your valve packing, PRVs and steam traps.

Local and Global Service Support

Local and Global Service Support

Assess fugitive emission risks and prioritize remedial actions for your next STO with a site walkdown.

SMEs Discuss Fugitive Emissions

Best Practices for Lowering Fugitive Emissions Caused by Valves

Four benefits of fugitive emissions compliant pressure relief valves 

Tank Management – Pressure Relief Valves

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