Some 36” & 42” butterfly valve tested at cryogenic conditions at -196°C LNG application witnessed by our client and end user via a live stream internet connection.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volume of natural gas in the gaseous state (at standard conditions for temperature and pressure). It is odourless, colourless, non-toxic and non-corrosive.

To enhance and maintain our high standards of valve design and production testing, we operate with stringent cryogenic testing programmes in our test facility. Valves can be tested at any controlled temperature down to -196°C (boiling-point of liquid nitrogen). The parameters we monitor include the measurement of leakage for seats and body, operating torques, and cycling under typical low temperature or cryogenic conditions. Tests are carried out in accordance with recognised international standards or can be designed to our customer’s own specifications to ensure application suitability.

All tests are performed under controlled conditions and carried out in perfectly safe environments. The measured data can be recorded and logged by a digital registration system so that reporting of tests is fairly simple.

As we always try to keep up with the latest technologies, it is also possible to witness valve tests via the internet. Test data and video images can be streamed ‘live’ so that a notified body, customer, end user or any interested party can witness the complete test procedure from anywhere in the world.