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Valve Performance Analysis: Tilted disc check valve | DN 200

CFD Technical Report

Autonomous Valve CFD

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 Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
Simulation Details 4
Valve Details 5
Executive Summary 6
1 Background 10
2 Objective of Study 10
3 Control Valve Design 10
4 CFD Analysis Methodology 11
4.1 Fluid Volume Extraction and Simplifications 11
4.2 Mesh 11
4.3 Solver 12
4.4 Fluid Properties 12
4.5 Boundary Conditions 12
4.6 Assumptions for CFD Analysis 12
5 Results and Discussion 12
5.1 Quantitative Results 12
5.1.1 Valve Flow Coefficients, CV & KV 12
5.1.2 CV & KV Curve 13
5.1.3 Dynamic Torque Coefficient, Cdt 14
5.1.4 Dynamic Torque Coefficient (Cdt) Curve 15
5.2 Qualitative Results 16
5.2.1 Velocity Contours 16
5.2.2 Pressure Contours 18

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 6 Summary 19
Annexure-A: Method to Calculate Gross and Net data 21

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 Simulation Details
Simulation name Tilted disc check valve | DN 200
Description This is a CFD simulation of a DN 200 Tilted disc check valve to predict Cv,
Kv, Cdt essential velocity, pressure, post-processing plots, and data.
Simulation app Autonomous Valve CFD
Simulation start time N.A. UTC
Simulation end time 4/10/2020 2:56:45 PM UTC
Simulation performed by Gallery Simulationhub
Organization SimulationHub

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 Valve Details
Valve function Control
Motion type Rotation
Valve type Other
Trim type Other
Valve size DN 200
Pipe Schedule 40
Pressure class Class150
Design Cv100 Not Available
Body material CarbonSteel-LowCarbon
Trim material StainlessSteel
Valve Roughness 50 microns
Pipe Roughness 50 microns

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 Executive Summary
Valve type: Control valve (Rotating)
Understanding flow through control valve is essential in optimum valve design. CFD helps in predicting the valve
performance and gives good insight to the flow physics.
In the current study, flow across the control valve is simulated for 5 different valve openings, starting from 10° to
50°. The valve flow and dynamic torque coefficients for all the valve positions are estimated and the CV, KV,Cdt
curves are plotted from CFD simulations. The results of CFD simulations are given in the following table :

Pressure drop
Angle of Flow Rate CV KV Cdt
Case (bar)
opening (°) (m 3 /hr)
Gross Net Gross Net Gross Net Gross Net
1 10 179 1.00 1.00 207 207 179 179 -0.1606 0.1607
2 20 399 0.95 0.95 473 474 409 410 -0.1749 0.1754
3 30 691 0.97 0.95 813 820 703 709 -0.1622 0.1635
4 40 1,119 0.97 0.93 1,313 1,341 1,136 1,160 -0.1546 0.1579
5 50 1,685 1.00 0.91 1,950 2,044 1,687 1,768 -0.1581 0.1658

Table 1: Result Summary

Note: Details about pressure measurement location and the methodology followed to calculate gross and net are
given in Annexure-A: Method to Calculate Gross and Net data

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 Below are the plots of valve coefficients (CV and KV) for the simulated valve positions:

Figure: Gross CV curve of the control valve

Figure: Gross KV curve of the control valve

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 Flow rate required to achieve 1 bar pressure drop across the valve is used to calculate the Cv and Kv values, with a
max. limit of line velocity up to 13.7 m/s.

Figure: Flow rate vs Angle of Opening °

Figure: Gross Pressure drop (bar) vs Angle of Opening °

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 Figure: Gross Cdt Dynamic torque coefficient of the control valve

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 1 Background
Control valves are widely used in various industries. The correct sizing of the control valves is of the greatest
importance for any industrial application. Selecting a properly sized control valve is essential to achieve the highest
degree of process control for the liquid. To size the control valves, the flow coefficient (CV) must be calculated at
maximum and minimum flow rate required.
Flow coefficient of a valve (CV) is the capacity of the control valve to deliver flow with an available differential
pressure (∆P) across the valve. The control valve characteristics refer to the relationship between the volumetric
flow rate through the valve and the valve travel or opening position, as the valve is opened from its closed position
to various percentage of opening.
Another important factor associated with the rotating valves is the torque. The rotation of the disc/ball requires a
certain turning moment, or torque, which depends upon factors such as pressure drop and fluid flow velocity. The
torque requirement of a rotating valve can be calculated from its breakaway torque and dynamic torque. The value
of dynamic torque can be obtained from CFD simulation. This also aids in the process of valve actuator selection.

2 Objective of Study
The objective of this current study is to predict the CV, KV & Cdt value of control valve at 5 different opening
positions starting from 10° to 50°. This would also give an idea about the inherent characteristics of the control
valve. Following are the quantitative and qualitative objectives of the study.
Quantitative objective : To find the flow coefficients KV, CV and the dynamic torque coefficient Cdt at 5
opening positions from 10° to 50°
Qualitative objective : To extract velocity and pressure contours on volume cut section to get better
understanding of the flow physics

3 Control Valve Design

The valve design under study is a Other of size DN 200. A schedule 40 pipe of same size with an I.D. of ~222.79 mm
is attached to the upstream and downstream of the valve.

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 Figure: 3D CAD model of the control valve
The solid model shown here is further used for fluid volume extraction and discretized before solving the governing
flow equations.

4 CFD Analysis Methodology

It is important to understand the general CFD process and the methodology used in the current study.

4.1 Fluid Volume Extraction and Simplifications

The CFD analysis needs a water-tight fluid volume, for discretization. This includes identifying the wet surfaces (i.e.,
surfaces that comes in contact with the working fluid) and closing the inlets, outlets and small gaps/leaks in the
model.
The input geometry provided for the analysis has detailed geometry features and might have some unwanted gaps
that could cause serious quality related issues in the results. These issues are identified and fixed by minor
simplifications in the extracted fluid volume, without compromising on the accuracy of the result.

4.2 Mesh
A CFD model requires the fluid domain to be divided into discrete elements (made up of geometric primitives like
hexahedra and tetrahedral) or cells. The governing equations are then discretized and solved inside each of these
cells. The collection of all these elements or cells is called a mesh. The distribution of these mesh elements defines
the level of accuracy.
In the current model, appropriate element sizes have been selected to ensure an adequate number of cells to resolve
the geometry and flow field. A refined mesh has been used around the moving bodies, to increase the mesh density
in the areas of interest, to ensure the flow field has been accurately resolved. To capture the boundary layer
correctly, prism layers are created to generate flow aligned meshes on all the wall surfaces of the valve. Also, the
size of mesh near the wall is selected to maintain Y-plus value demanded by the turbulence model used.

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 4.3 Solver
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solves the Navier Stokes equations governing fluid flow over a
computational domain. The turbulent behavior of flow is solved by using RANS (Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes)
approach. Appropriate turbulence model is selected to model turbulent effects in the flow across the valve.
A suitable discretization scheme is used to spatially resolve flow and pressure distribution. Industry standard
convergence criteria are used as to measure the imbalance in the solution, ensuring the equations have been
sufficiently solved to an acceptable accuracy.

4.4 Fluid Properties

Water is the working fluid and the physical properties of the water at 60˚F or ~15˚C are considered for the CFD
simulation.
Density = 998.98 kg/m3
Viscosity = 1.12e-03 Pa-s
Specific Gravity = 1.0

4.5 Boundary Conditions

Boundary conditions help define the interaction between a simulation model and its environment. The ability of
CFD simulation to converge on a solution is related to how well the boundary conditions are defined. In the current
case, a uniform velocity boundary condition is applied at an inlet, while an atm. pressure boundary condition is
applied at an outlet of the valve. Wall condition is applied on all the other surfaces.

4.6 Assumptions for CFD Analysis

Following assumptions are made during the process of CFD analysis:
The fluid flow is
Steady
Incompressible
Isothermal
Fluid properties are treated as constant

5 Results and Discussion

5.1 Quantitative Results
5.1.1 Valve Flow Coefficients, CV & KV
Flow coefficient of a valve (CV) is the capacity of the control valve to deliver flow with an available differential
pressure (∆P) across the valve. By definition, it is the number of gallons per minute (gpm) a valve will deliver with 1
psi pressure drop across the valve.

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 Where :
Q = Volumetric flow rate (US gpm)
SG = Specific gravity of fluid
∆P = Pressure drop across valve (psi)
Relation between KV & CV is given as: KV = 0.86 x CV
The valve coefficient estimated from CFD analysis for the control valve geometry are tabulated below:

CV KV
Case Angle Of Opening (°)
Gross Net Gross Net
1 10 207 207 179 179
2 20 473 474 409 410
3 30 813 820 703 709
4 40 1,313 1,341 1,136 1,160
5 50 1,950 2,044 1,687 1,768

Table 2: Flow coefficient of the control valve

5.1.2 CV & KV Curve

CV curve is a graph of CV values plotted against various valve openings. Graphically representing the flow
coefficients gives an initial idea of inherent valve characteristics. Below are the graphical representations of valve
coefficients for different valve positions.

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 Figure: Gross CV curve of the control valve

Figure: Gross KV curve of the control valve

5.1.3 Dynamic Torque Coefficient, Cdt

Dynamic torque is the turning moment purely due to the fluid forces on the rotating body (disc/ball). It occurs

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 between the closed position, 0° and the full open position, 90°. With the disc in the partially open position, velocity
of the fluid passing the leading disc edge is less than the velocity passing the trailing edge. This variance in velocity
past the leading disc edge and trailing disc edge results in an unbalanced distribution of pressure forces on the
upstream side of the face of the disc. This uneven distribution of pressure on the disc face (exists on both sides of
the disc) results in a torsional force which tries to turn the disc to the closed position. Coefficient of dynamic torque
Cdt is the non-dimensional representation of the dynamic torque and is calculated using the formula:

Where :
Cdt = Coefficient of Dynamic Torque (Dimensionless)
Td = Dynamic torque, N-m
D = Valve diameter, m
∆P = Pressure drop across the valve, Pa
The dynamic torque coefficient estimated from the CFD analysis for the control valve geometry is tabulated below:

Cdt
Case Angle Of Opening (°)
Gross Net
1 10 -0.1606 0.1607
2 20 -0.1749 0.1754
3 30 -0.1622 0.1635
4 40 -0.1546 0.1579
5 50 -0.1581 0.1658

Table 3: Dynamic torque coefficient of the control valve

5.1.4 Dynamic Torque Coefficient (Cdt) Curve

Dynamic torque coefficient curve is a graph of Cdt values plotted against various valve openings. Graphically
representing the dynamic torque coefficients gives an idea of the angle of opening for which the maximum torque is
required. Below are the graphical representations of dynamic torque coefficient for different valve positions.

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 Figure: Gross Cdt Dynamic torque coefficient of the control valve

5.2 Qualitative Results

CFD provides an ability to visualize the performance characteristics such as velocity, and pressure gradients that
are difficult to capture in the real world. The location of flow separation, high velocity, and low-pressure regions are
a few examples of design insight that can be gained through CFD results visualization. Interrogating CFD results
and interpreting them, helps to identify opportunities to improve that performance and make correct design
decisions. Flow regions are interrogated by dissecting the model with planes and plotting velocity or pressure
contours.

5.2.1 Velocity Contours

Following are the velocity contours plotted on the mid plane for all the valve openings.

Velocity (m/s)
15.98

0.01
Figure: Velocity contours plotted on mid X plane for 10° opening

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 Velocity (m/s)
17.03

0.01
Figure: Velocity contours plotted on mid X plane for 20° opening

Velocity (m/s)
20.51

0.03
Figure: Velocity contours plotted on mid X plane for 30° opening

Velocity (m/s)
23.81

0.02
Figure: Velocity contours plotted on mid X plane for 40° opening

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 Velocity (m/s)
28.77

0.03
Figure: Velocity contours plotted on mid X plane for 50° opening
The velocity contours show the region of flow separation at the edge of rotating bodies. This flow separation is
more in the lower angles of opening due to the small flow region available for the fluid to reach an outlet. As the
angle of opening increases, the gap also increases and the flow separation is reduced.

5.2.2 Pressure Contours

Following are the pressure contours plotted on the mid plane for all the valve openings.

Pressure (kPa)
1,001.18

786.52
Figure: Pressure contours plotted on mid X plane for 10° opening

Pressure (kPa)
1,001.24

792.61
Figure: Pressure contours plotted on mid X plane for 20° opening

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 Pressure (kPa)
1,016.01

692.41
Figure: Pressure contours plotted on mid X plane for 30° opening

Pressure (kPa)
1,048.73

633.81
Figure: Pressure contours plotted on mid X plane for 40° opening

Pressure (kPa)
1,112.77

528.49
Figure: Pressure contours plotted on mid X plane for 50° opening
Pressure contours plotted on the midplane shows the region of low pressure. The lowest pressure values are seen
more in the lower angles of the opening in comparison to higher angles of opening.

6 Summary
Flow across the control valve is simulated for 5 different valve openings, starting from 10° to 50°. CV, KV & Cdt
values are calculated for all the opening positions. Plotting CV & KV curve gives an idea of inherent valve

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 characteristics. The valve has highest flow coefficient of 1,950.06 (CV). The regions of flow separation and low
pressure are observed near the moving bodies, with the help of velocity and pressure contours plotted on the valve
midplane.

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 Annexure-A: Method to Calculate Gross and Net data

Figure: Pressure measurement location (illustrative)

Gross pressure drop is the difference between the pressure values measured at 2D upstream (Pup) and 6D
downstream (Pdown) of the valve body.
The gross coefficient values are calculated using this gross pressure drop that includes the effect of pipe
friction loss in addition to the pressure loss across the valve.
To obtain the net values, frictional loss over a pipe length of 8 x diameter (nominal) is subtracted from the
gross pressure drop. This net pressure drop is used to find net Cv, Kv and Cdt.

The friction factor ‘f’ for the pipe is calculated using the Colebrook-White equation

Where ‘ε’ is the pipe roughness, ‘D’ is the ID of the pipe, ‘Re’ is the Reynolds number and ‘L’ is the pipe length of
8 x diameter (nominal)

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