Fluid Kinetic Energy Based Limits in the Design of Control Valves and Valve-Related Systems

The term 1/2ρV² represents kinetic energy per unit volume; it is also known as dynamic pressure, or velocity head, in flowing fluids and has units of pressure. It is one of the primary parameters in many wide-ranging phenomenon of practical interest in control valves and valve-related systems. The phenomena of interest include vibration, noise, solid particle erosion, liquid impingement erosion, cavitation and more. The description of the extent of these phenomena through their physics, as relating to acceptability of the system performance, is closely tied to the magnitude of the kinetic energy of the flowing stream; this permits use of this parameter as a criterion for reliable performance of control valves and valve-related systems. Kinetic energy criterion is a more general approach, when compared to the older engineering practice of specifying velocity limits only, because it takes into account the effect of fluid density which can be different by orders of magnitude depending on the process. The robustness of this criterion is confirmed by the results of its application in solving valve problems. Its main advantages are simplicity while staying close to the phenomena of interest.