What is ISO 10497 - Testing of valves about?
ISO 10497 is a series on testing of valves. Valves need to conform to certain leakage standards and various other checks are also carried out. ISO 10497 specifies fire type-testing requirements and a fire type-test method for confirming the pressure-containing capability of a valve under pressure during and after the fire test. Fire test certificates of valves previously tested according to previous editions of ISO 10497 and to similar internationally recognized fire test standards are also acceptable.
Note 1: ISO 10497 is not applicable to the testing requirements for valve actuators other than manually operated gearboxes or similar mechanisms when these form part of the normal valve assembly.
Note 2: Other types of valve actuators (for example, electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic) can need special protection to operate in the environment considered in this valve test, and the fire testing of such actuators is outside the scope of ISO 10497.
Who is ISO 10497 - Testing of valves for?
ISO 10497 on testing of valves is useful for:
- Valves manufacturers
- Design engineers
- Quality control personnel
- Research and development facilities
Why should you use ISO 10497 - Testing of valves?
Valve testing and inspections should ideally be done to ensure they are in the best working condition. ISO 10497 covers the requirements and method for evaluating the performance of valves when they are exposed to defined fire conditions. The performance requirements establish limits of acceptability of a valve, regardless of size or pressure rating. The burn period has been established to represent the maximum time required to extinguish most fires. Fires of longer duration are of major magnitude, with consequences greater than those anticipated in the test.
The test pressure during the burn is set at 0,2 MPa (2 bar) for soft-seated valves rated PN 10, PN 16, PN 25 and PN 40, Class 150 and Class 300, to better simulate the conditions that would be expected in a process plant when a fire is detected, and pumps are shut down. In this case, the source of pressure in the system is the hydrostatic head resulting from liquid levels in towers and vessels. This situation is approximated by this lower test pressure.
In production facilities, valves are typical of a higher rating and the pressure source is not easily reduced when a fire is detected. Therefore, for all other valves, the test pressure as described in ISO 10497 during the burn is set at a higher value to better simulate the expected service conditions in these facilities. Using ISO 10497 you can specify fire type-testing requirements and a fire type-test method for confirming the pressure-containing capability of a valve under pressure during and after the fire test.
