KSB subsidiary gets ‘major order’ for nuclear plant retrofit

The supplied valves are designed for the plants’ safety systems, using robust materials and a simple design to minimise failure.

SISTO Armaturen, a Luxembourg-based subsidiary of KSB, has received a contract for valves to refit several French power stations. The SISTO-KRVNA valves are going to be used in the plants’ safety systems, each using a floating rubber-coated ball  that acts as an obturator to reliably vent discharge lines in safety system water supplies.

The vent valve makes sure that the discharge line of the pump automatically fills with water and that any trapped air can escape. It prevents any backflow after the pumps have been stopped and protects the piping from damage caused by low pressure. SISTO-KRVNA valves do not need dynamic sealing to atmosphere and are designed without any failure-prone components, like stems.

The company says that the combination of a stainless steel body and an EPDM-coated steel ball ensures reliable operation, running regardless of solids-laden and corrosive fluids. The valve is also meant to rule out incorrect operation by delegating control to the fluid.