How New Technology Can Help

One business finding new ways to tackle the age-old problem of ensuring the safe passage of clean water is UK business Oxford Flow, which has recently signed a contract to trial its innovative valve in the water network of the Emirate of Sharjah via the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA . A spin-out business from the world-famous Oxford University, the company has created a pioneering pressure reducing valve (PRV that promises to be smaller, lighter and crucially significantly better performing than its competitors on the market. Like so many great inventions of our time, the Oxford Flow method of pressure regulation was actually devised during research into something entirely different. Oxford University s Professor Thomas Povey now the technical director of Oxford Flow was carrying out research into heat transfer in jet engines for a well-known manufacturer. However, he found that even the best-performing PRVs on the market were unable to withstand the very high pressure levels he was working with in the course of his experiments. Undeterred, he returned to engineering first principles and created a completely new method of pressure regulation that uses a piston rather than a diaphragm to regulate pressure. Oxford Flow s method of pressure regulation works so well because it eliminates the main weak link of the traditional pressure regulator the diaphragm and replaces it with a balanced sensing piston. Traditional diaphragm-enabled valves are more prone to malfunction and breakage because the elastomers which enable the diaphragm to flex according to variable pressure are under constant stress, leading eventually to fatigue, erosion, embrittlement and malfunction. Pistons, however, have no such issues. In the Oxford Flow model, one side of the piston is exposed to downstream pipeline pressure while the other side is balanced against a pressure cavity controlled by a pilot regulator. This provides precise, stable control across the entire operating range.

The movement of the piston actuator reduces the flow rate to maintain a stable downstream pressure. When demand increases the downstream pressure falls below that set by the pilot and the reverse operation occurs and maintains a stable downstream pressure. The device s unique configuration confers many performance benefits. For example, Oxford Flow s valve specifically targeted at the water sector, the IP Series, typically achieves a minimum pressure head loss of just 0.2 bar g compared to the 0.5 bar g achieved by typical competitors. This contributes to a calmer network, which in turn has many benefits in the area of pressure management. For example, because the flow of water can be very tightly controlled, this leads to fewer leaks and burst water mains, meaning less water is wasted and minimized disruption to customers. The elegantly simple design of the PRV means it is much less prone to malfunction, while stable pressures throughout the network reduce the likelihood of damaging cavitation. The devices have a typical lifespan of around 15 years and are much less likely to malfunction, reducing capital expenditure costs. It can also be manufactured in potable water-approved polymer, which makes for a significantly lighter and smaller unit that can be easily retrofitted into existing infrastructure. For example, while a typical DN100 valve weighs around 40kg, Oxford Flow s version weighs just a tenth of the size, at 4kg. And while some PRVs need equipment require lifting equipment for installation, many Oxford Flow devices can be held in the palm of the hand. Combined, all these factors mean that use of the Oxford Flow PRV can contribute to a more efficient, reliable water network, with the risk of water loss through malfunction greatly reduced.