Valve Magazine - Fall 2011

private players are expanding into the market, and equipment opportunities for exploration, production and modernization stand at about $6 billion. In the midstream market, the infrastructure is growing at a rapid rate with pipeline projects under development that will add 6,400 miles for natural gas, 5,200 for cooking gas and 5,125 for crude products. And in the downstream area, refining capacity is undergoing an expansion from 150 metric tons per annum (MTPA) to 250 MTPA by 2015. Geographically, the country is better positioned for downstream production than China because facilities are closer to crude oil producers.

Petrochemicals is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Indian economy, mirroring the rates of the GDP, Krishnan said, with a 15% growth in the polyester industry alone in 2010. The industry has also been helped along recently by government initiatives designed to promote investment in this area. have multiple areas designated within each plant with different approval requirements depending on the media that could or would be present in those areas of the plant. These decisions have to be made when the plant is designed, and they are reviewed by the appropriate safety officials and insurance companies. However, hazardous environment considerations are an area of major expense for end users and for solenoid manufacturers. The initial cost to get approvals is just the beginning of that cost. Next come regular plant inspections, file fees and paperwork change charges.

VOLTAGE

Voltage is a simple, but still vital part of
the specification process. It merely is the
voltage of the system to which the valve
is wired. Most coils are designed per UL
requirements to operate at +10% to -
15% of the rated voltage because of nor-
mal voltage fluctuations in the line or
from the source. However, care is needed
with voltage range tolerances, because
all coils are not designed this way. The
information needed to determine coil
Government incentives play a role in
encouraging private investment in
water/wastewater in India, Krishnan
said. That market is driven by the rapidly
expanding infrastructure for the country
as well as diminishing water quality, and
more recently, public awareness of the
need for clean water and sewage treat-
ment.

cost equipment are now seeing that wasn’t necessarily the best decision,” Krishnan says, so differentiated technology is beginning to command premium pricing.

FORECAST: Long-term growth rates are projected at 9% for the Indian economy supported by strong domestic consumption and strong growth in the services sector. Nearly 100,000 MW of new commissioning in the power industry will occur by 2017. Power capacity will grow from 167 GW in 2010 to 400 GW over the next decade. Petroleum refining will grow from 153 tons per year installed capacity to 302 tons per year by 2017. The water/wastewater market will grow at a rate of about 15% annually. Consequently, the valve industry will realize annual growth rates of 12% to 14% going forward. VM

data, certificates of compliance, low power or bus system compatibility is added, it can be mentioned under “extras.” Many extra features are possible, but not always available on every solenoid valve. Those specifying solenoid valves need to use this category to list what’s not listed in the other categories.

Many areas must be considered when selecting solenoid valves. A catalog cannot answer all the questions because there are many optional features that may not be included. To be sure the right valve is selected, list specific considerations along with quantities and needed lead times. What is not optional needs to be outlined. If some flexibility in the specification exists, options can be recommended, which is especially helpful when lead times are crucial. A good technical support representative can not only find a valve that meets specification needs, but be able to find one that can be delivered in desired time frames. VM

GENILEE PARENTE is managing editor of Valve Magazine. Reach her at gparente@vma.org. BILL REESON is a technical support manager at Emerson Industrial Automation, ASCO Numatics ( www.ASCONumatics.com). Reach him at Bill.Reeson@Emerson.com.