What Causes a Natural Gas Regulator to Work Fail?

A explosion occurred at one of chemical area in China 2013. The safety using of chemical product acquired max. attention by Chinese government. Natural gas is clean energy with efficient utilization, but it is also dangerous. Natural gas pressure regulator is a key step of ensuring the safety using of natural gas. A gas regulator is a mechanical device. Like all mechanical devices, it wears out and eventually fails. Before this happens, maintenance crews must repair or replace it. If the regulator starts leaking gas, explosions can occur, leading to disastrous consequences. Understanding the reasons for failure is the first step in regulator safety, and to taking the steps to avoiding such a disaster.

Internal Corrosion by Moisture

Gas regulators have very small and intricate internal parts. If moisture enters the regulator, it starts to corrode these parts. For example, a needle valve has a tip that is actually about the size of a needle; if corrosion sets in, the tip can become rusted and fall off. Additionally, internal springs are made of steel, which can rust and break.Third, moisture can be dissolved in the gas itself. The United States Department of Transportation points out that water can enter a regulator through an exposed vent hole.

Incorrect Gas Pressure

Gas regulators are designed to function when the pressure is within a certain range. If the pressure becomes too great, a relief valve is supposed to vent excess gas to open air. If the relief valve is frozen shut, excess gas will blow out gaskets and seals, leading to unregulated gas pouring out into the air.

Locking Up by Improper Valve Closure

The expert investigation and testing group Intertek gives an example of how improper valve closure caused a building explosion. During their investigation of the explosion , they discovered the regulators had gone into lock-up when the wrong set of shut off gas valves had been closed. This had happened when exterminators, planning to fumigate the building by tenting, closed off the meter valves of apartment units, downstream in flow from the regulators, rather than the main valve, upstream in flow. The back pressure caused the regulators to lock up, blowing out their diaphragms. When thediaphragms blew out, natural gas leaked unabated into the tented building. Sparks from fans where suspected as the ignition source.

Lack of Maintenance

Lack of maintenance can be another cause of gas regulator failure. Because a regulator is a mechanical device, its parts can wear out. Needle valves and valve seats become dull, and rubber diaphragms become brittle and crack and spring lose their tension. Hengshui Runfeng Gas Equipment Company notes that all gas regulators have to be inspected and rebuilt on a periodic basis. The manufacturer specifies the maintenance interval. Failure by lack of maintenance is easily preventable if a regular inspection schedule is followed.If you can notice the above reasons of failing to work of gas pressure regulator (governor), the dangerous could be avoided.