Repair ARV valve for petrochemical factory-Schoredahl

The ARV (Automatic Recirculation Valve) protects high-pressure boiler feed pumps in thermal power plants by diverting discharge flow back to the suction line when the system pressure exceeds the preset limit. This helps prevent reverse flow and hydraulic shock that could damage the pump impeller.

After six years of operation, the boiler feed pump experienced a pressure drop due to leakage through the ARV back to the suction side. As the authorized representative of Schroedahl, Hesco was entrusted by the refinery with the maintenance and repair of the valve.

Valve Maintenance Procedure:

• Disassemble and clean all components. Scratches and cracks were found on certain sealing surfaces of the valve.

• As genuine spare parts were unavailable, the refinery requested the Hesco team to propose a suitable repair solution. Drawing on its extensive experience in precision machining, Hesco’s engineering team proposed repairing the damaged surfaces by applying a high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) coating, followed by precision lapping using diamond abrasive paste

• Following the HVOF coating process, Hesco performed non-destructive testing (NDT) for crack detection to ensure the repaired surfaces met the required quality standards. In addition, Hesco conducted hardness testing using specialized equipment to verify compliance with the refinery’s stringent quality requirements.

• After all components had been inspected and tested in the presence of the refinery’s QA/QC team, Hesco’s engineering team proceeded with the final assembly.

  • High-pressure testing: Conducted hydrostatic pressure testing using a manual high-pressure pump at up to 240 bar.

  • Final finishing: Applied the final coat of paint before handing over the valve to the refinery.

  • Installation and commissioning support: Assisted the refinery with reinstalling the valve on the boiler feed pump and conducting trial runs to verify that the pump met the refinery’s performance and quality requirements

  

• The entire maintenance and repair process was completed within 10 days, meeting the refinery’s urgent schedule. The repair solution also delivered significant cost savings compared with replacing the components with genuine spare parts.

  Once again, Hesco demonstrated its technical expertise and ability to deliver reliable maintenance and repair services in compliance with the refinery’s stringent quality assurance and procedural standards.