Consulting Engineering

Mechanical Testing to Support Commercial Grade Dedication of Motor-Operator

Motor operator test bench

Kalsi Engineering Inc. (KEI)™ performed commercial grade dedication of a motor-operated valve (MOV) to qualify it for use in a nuclear power plant. Key commercial grade dedication tasks include:

  • Determine key characteristics of the MOV for the dedication program
  • Inspect the MOV test specimen prior to and after dedication testing
  • Perform commercial grade dedication testing of the motor-operator and valve
  • Determine operating margin of the MOV based on operating and installation conditions

As part for the dedication program, KEI conducted stall torque and endurance testing on the motor-operator. Testing was performed with the test specimen located inside an environment chamber. Heaters and fans inside the chamber were used to maintain a defined temperature. A pneumatic brake provided a resistances torque to the actuator. The brake was used to generate a torque profile similar to the required torque of the valve. Data was acquired during testing using National Instruments hardware and inhouse software written in LabView. The heat generated by the actuator was measured using two thermocouples in the chamber. The inside of the environment chamber and motor operator are shown in Figure 1. The entire test setup is shown as Figure 2.

As part of the endurance testing, the actuator performed over 100,000 full travel strokes while subjected to defined torque profiles.  These tests were performed to determine actuator output capability in response to a variety of test parameters.

Details regarding the commercial grade dedication and flow loop testing of the butterfly valve are provided here.

Contact us today to learn more about our mechanical testing.

Figure 1: The motor-operator (blue component) is located inside an environment chamber. Four fans and heating elements are located around the actuator to promote air circulation and maintain even temperature distribution.
Figure 1: The motor-operator (blue component) is located inside an environment chamber. Four fans and heating elements are located around the actuator to promote air circulation and maintain even temperature distribution.

 

Figure 2: Test setup for the motor-operator endurance testing consisted of an environmental chamber, torque cell, rotary encoder, and pneumatic brake.
Figure 2: Test setup for the motor-operator endurance testing consisted of an environmental chamber, torque cell, rotary encoder, and pneumatic brake.