Over the past five years, Big Horn Valve, Inc. (BHVI) has developed an axially rotated valve that offers high flow efficiency, a small valve envelope and zero leak path between the fluid/gas and the environment. BHVI has developed and tested prototype valves for water, petrochemical and cryogenic applications. These valve designs center around the patented, venturi offset technology (VOST™).

KEY FEATURES:
• a small axial envelope
• low actuation torque
• minimal flow energy loss
• low piece count
• linear valve characteristic
With its half-turn rotation, the VOST™ valve can be actuated manually, pneumatically, or electromechanically.

The National Science Foundation has recognized the potential of VOST™ for pollution prevention. The research agency has funded BHVI, Moog, Inc. and Florida State University to develop a magnetically coupled, pneumatically operated, emission-free valve for moderate pressure and temperature service. The valve is targeted for use in refineries, petrochemical plants and other environmentally sensitive applications. Key to this design, a permanent magnet coupling enables actuation across the valve housing, which serves as a positive barrier to external leakage. High-strength magnets and low rotational friction combine to provide a four-to-one torque safety factor.

THE MANUAL VERSION of this valve was prototyped by Moog and field-tested at the Department of Energy’s Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center. BHVI is currently developing pneumatic actuators, instrumentation and related controls for both a shutoff valve and a throttling valve. For the latter application, proportional control will be greatly aided by the inherently linear relationship between flow rate and angular position of the valve.