Engineered to Perform: The Evolution of YPS Langley’s Dual Plate Check Valve

The YPS Langley Dual Plate Check Valve (DPCV) range was developed in 2014/15 following an enquiry from a customer requiring them in Duplex. At that time most DPCVs followed the API 594 design, using hinge pins fitted through the body walls and sealed externally with plugs.

The main disadvantage that the ‘through-pin’ design creates is the additional potential leak paths that can leak or lose pressure over time, especially if the retainers are poorly sealed during initial assembly or after routine maintenance.

YPS’s design philosophy has always been to keep the valve shell as intact as possible and eliminate avoidable leak paths, leading to the development of our retainer-less design.

The main design considerations were:

1. Retainer-less design (for best valve performance & longest life)
2. Robust design and easy assembly (to keep the initial customer costs low)
3. Low maintenance (to keep customer valve lifetime costs low)

Multiple concepts were trialled leading to a unique design that allows the complete trim to be assembled outside of the valve body and then dropped into place. This enables large DPCVs to be assembled safely and efficiently. D-shaped pin holders locate within cylindrical body slots preventing radial movement of the plate assembly and clamping plates bolted to the pin holders fit into body slots to secure the assembly axially.

The next design improvement was to reduce valve closure times which can be done by increasing spring strength or reducing plate weight. The easiest option is stronger springs, but this increases cracking pressure causing slower opening times. The more difficult option to reduce plate weight involved using Finite Element Analysis to help redesign the plates.

Following multiple trials, we developed a dished shape, with the convex side facing the pressure side of the pipeline and pushing the sealing forces down onto the seat, keeping the plate strength but allowing a thinner section and reducing overall plate weight.

Plate weight savings were about 30-35% depending on valve size, with the largest weight savings made on the largest valves. The re-design also lowered manufacturing costs, reducing the overall cost to the customer.

YPS Langley Valves’ DPCV combines modern engineering with practical construction, providing our customers with reliable, long-lasting valves.

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