"Ten valves and nine leaks" China's regulating valve encountered a technical bottleneck

Technological innovation is the key From the "ten valves and nine leaks" of the past century, to the current export of many products abroad, China's valve industry has made considerable progress. However, according to data from the China General Machinery Industry Association Regulating Valve Branch, China's annual turnover in the valve market is as high as 50 billion yuan, of which more than 100 billion yuan is occupied by foreign regulatory valve companies. To change this situation, we must Innovative technology to improve the quality of the valve is the key.

Regulating valve technology has been left abroad for 10 years. Regulating valves occupy a considerable proportion in mechanical products. According to the statistics of foreign industrial countries, the output value of regulating valves is the sum of compressors, fans and pumps, and accounts for the entire industrial output value. 5%. At the same time, as an important part of major technical equipment, especially in the power, petrochemical, metallurgy, urban water supply and drainage systems, regulating valves play a key role, and the amount is very large. At present, there are about 6,000 valve companies in China, of which 900 have an annual output value of more than 5 million yuan.

When talking about the status quo of regulating the valve industry in China, Wang Guangjie and Zhang Yanji, professor-level senior engineers at the Beijing Municipal Municipal Engineering Design Institute, believe that although there are many enterprises engaged in regulating valve production, most of them are small and medium enterprises. A small number of small enterprises have neither drawings nor technology, nor do they have technicians. Products do not conform to national standards and even produce counterfeit and shoddy products, seriously disrupting the market for regulating valves and wasting precious resources. Many large state-owned enterprises are faced with problems such as heavy burdens, financial difficulties, and outdated technology, and they have no strength to carry out technological transformation and invest in new projects. The difference between regulating valve technology and the international advanced level is probably about 10 years. For example, some products with high temperature, high pressure and corrosion resistance cannot be produced. The regulating valves used in offshore oil extraction do not leak for 10-15 years, and we basically do not meet this requirement. . Long-distance pipeline main lines also use foreign products, and domestic products can only be used on branch lines.

It is understood that there are 2 professional research institutes in China, 12 research institutes and factories, about 6,000 scientific researchers who are engaged in valve research and product development, a department-level testing center and two sub-centers, which can carry out safety valves and water repellency. Valves and general-purpose valve performance tests, but lack of dynamic simulation test methods and test equipment for high-performance parameters, high-temperature parameters. The number of scientific research institutions regulating the valve industry is relatively small, the number of scientific research personnel is less than 10% of the number of employees, and the capacity for scientific research and development is relatively weak. At present, it basically remains on the method of experience design. Or, we can only refer to some foreign structures and prototypes to carry out some digestion and absorption work. There are also very few real product development work. From the current state of the art of regulating the valve industry in foreign countries, relevant data show that in the past decades, with the development of large-scale complete sets of equipment technology, a series of new sets of equipment and prototypes have emerged in foreign countries, and the corresponding regulating valves also show large-scale performance. , high parameterization, automation and complete set. And the series of new varieties is still increasing. Such as emergency shut-off valve, quick-closing valve, fire damper and water-cooled valve. The basic parameters of the valve are greatly improved. For example, the maximum diameter of the valve is 4200mm, the temperature is 1050°C, and the pressure is 105MPa. Ball valve 3050mm, temperature 1200 °C, pressure 70MPa. And foreign regulatory valve products, variety, good performance, reliable sealing, long life. If the ball valve can reach more than 100,000 times without leakage. Cast iron gate valve 30,000 times, reliable operation, rapid switching.

In recent years, the development of foreign scientific research institutes for regulating valves has been rapid. There are nearly 30 research institutes in the United States alone, and generally belong to the company. For example, Rockwell Corporation has a very complete research and testing base that can perform performance testing on thermal, dynamic, wearable, seismic, fireproof, and reliability aspects of the product. Finite element method and computer aided design have been widely used, making the structural design of the regulating valve more reasonable. In contrast, China's technology to regulate the valve industry is relatively backward, and the regulatory valve products are mainly concentrated in the low-end market. The research and development level of high-end products is not high. The gap is mainly manifested in: At present, the technical level of the domestic valve industry is only equivalent to the level of the early 1990s. The complete set of low level, such as the current can only meet the 200,000 to 300,000 kW thermal power station and 450,000 t/a ethylene unit supporting valve. The 600,000 kW valve used in thermal power plants and 700,000 t/a or even 1 million t/a ethylene device valves still require large imports. According to industry sources, in the world, there are many types of actuators for regulating valves (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electro-hydraulic linkage, or gas-hydraulic linkage, etc.). The specifications are complete, safe and reliable. In recent years, intelligent drive devices have been developed. In this respect, the country is still blank. The gap between the overall domestic regulatory valve industry and foreign countries is relatively large. Performance in technology, product design backward, unchanged for many years, new product development capabilities, specifications, varieties, can not meet the technical requirements of all walks of life. The product is tracking foreign technology development, the development of the process is not enough effort, and the manufacturing process is relatively backward.

Relevant experts pointed out that in the light of the development of regulating valve technology, changes in the market of regulating valves, and the development of national development projects and development policies for a period of time in the future, the technology and product development of valve companies in the future should focus on the following aspects:

First of all, pay attention to the large-scale project supporting the adjustment of the valve production and development, for large-scale development projects, first, the development of complete sets of engineering adjustment valve, and second, pay attention to the product of multi-species and multi-standard production. According to the current national key project development plan, the adjustment of the demand of the valve industry during the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” period and several years in the future is mainly in the fields of long-line pipeline regulating valves and “South-to-North Water Diversion Project”. Only long-term pipeline regulating valves are expected to construct 20,000km gas pipelines in the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” and in the coming years, and there is a great demand for large-scale pipeline ball valves. During the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” period, it is expected that a new high-pressure crude oil pipeline will be 5000km long, requiring more than 3,000 high-pressure large-diameter control valves. The "South-to-North Water Diversion" project is China's trans-century backbone project, and the total investment for the East, Central and West Third Lines needs to exceed 450 billion yuan. The East Line Water Diversion Project was started in December 2002, and a large number of large-diameter gate valves and special square gate valves are needed in the project. , Special butterfly valve and pump station supporting adjustment valve.

Develop high-performance and high-parameter valves for large power stations and nuclear power plants. In terms of nuclear power regulating valves, China has approximately 11 nuclear power generating units in the later period of the "Tenth Five-Year Plan". When these 11 nuclear power generating units are all in operation, nuclear power accounts for about 3% of the power generation, which is far from the developed countries. At present, China is qualified to design and manufacture nuclear power regulating valve manufacturers. According to incomplete statistics, there are 13 companies. In the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” period, we must further develop nuclear power to regulate new valve products, improve product quality, and expand production capacity to meet nuclear power regulation. Localization of valve needs. In terms of coal-fired control valves, the market demand for thermal power unit equipment in China in the next few years is still very large. In accordance with the requirements for optimizing the development of thermal power, the construction of conventional thermal power projects will be strictly controlled in the future, and the demand for thermal power equipment products will be towards large-capacity, high-parameter, Low pollution and automation direction.

In addition, valves and valves for special oils and offshore oils with corresponding performances and parameters should be developed; special special control valves and large-diameter control valves required for metallurgy, large-scale ethylene, high-pressure polyethylene, etc.; low-pressure valves and balances for urban construction should be developed. Valves and various environmental protection valves.