The Primus Award was presented during the DIAM 2021 in Bochum. Hartmann’s new, patent-pending pig ball valve won in the VALVES category.
The pig ball valve, featuring multiple safety barriers to the lock chamber, allows scrapers to be inserted and removed safely and easily, even when residual pipeline pressure is present. In this innovative design, the lock chamber is separately shut off by at least two additional built-in seat rings and is pressure-monitored by means of a pressure gauge. If the first barrier from the pipeline to the dead space leaks, the second barrier seals against the lock, ensuring that the lock gate can still be closed without danger. The design not only simplifies the pigging process but also increases safety.
The innovative design also enables further applications, such as the insertion of a sieve basket filter. Other options include the use of check valves in the ball, the insertion and removal of measurement technology, or the insertion of control discs to throttle the flow. The innovative construction allows for many other applications and is also suitable for use with hydrogen.
