Valve selection along a mineral slurry pipeline

A 171 km iron-concentrate pipeline crosses mountainous terrain between a mining area in Yunnan and a steelworks. Along that route, the slurry and pressure conditions change from station to station. The valve story begins at particular positions within that system, rather than with the pipeline's overall size.

KOWOV's account follows an initial DN50 trial, a later group of DN100 valves and an inspection that eventually found wear. Together, those records show both the improvement and the remaining maintenance work.

Describe the local slurry duty

The transport system carried a high concentration of iron-bearing solids. At the initial valve position, the customer reported about 1 MPa operating pressure, abrasive impurities and an earlier metal-valve service interval of roughly six months.

The overall route included multiple pump and pressure-monitoring stations. Their existence does not mean every valve saw the same pressure. Selection requires the conditions at the actual position, including startup, shutdown and any pressure difference during movement.

The customer also reported foreign objects in the slurry. Hard debris creates a different risk from ordinary particle wear and needs to be considered in the upstream handling and protection arrangements.

The FCCV1 trial

After technical discussions and site surveys, KOWOV recommended the FCCV1 ceramic ball valve. The first unit entered service in November 2017.

During an April 2019 maintenance inspection, the customer found the ceramic seat and core intact with no visible wear, according to the published account. In July 2019, a separate operating problem was traced to a nail lodged in the valve. The report says it was removed and the valve returned to service.

That incident should be read as a recovered obstruction, not proof that the valve can safely pass arbitrary metal debris. It reinforces the need to describe foreign objects during the selection review.

The later DN100 installation

The DN100 valves entered service in October 2019. The account describes connections involving clear water on one side and concentrated slurry on the other, making the actual flow direction and operating sequence relevant to the construction.

The four-year inspection included wear

By December 2023, the site had four DN100 ceramic valves in use. Three were reported to be operating normally. One showed wear of the ceramic components and deformation at the ball-stem interface, affecting switching accuracy.

The recorded service interval exceeded four years, but the worn valve remains part of the story. It helps identify what should be inspected during extended operation and avoids turning a successful replacement into a claim of permanent immunity to wear.

Connect the valve to the rest of the line

Send the local pressure profile, slurry concentration, particle characteristics and valve sequence when requesting an FCCV1 assessment. Include evidence of erosion in neighboring elbows or tees, because improving the valve may shift the maintenance focus elsewhere.

The ceramic-lined piping range and foundry sand account provide a related example of examining valves and pipe components together. For the pipeline, the right comparison is the condition and maintenance cost of the complete local duty over a recorded period.