Development and test of intelligent electro-hydraulic actuator in tank farm

The emergency shut-off valve is an important means to prevent the further expansion of tank farm accident. In view of the technical problem that the actuator cannot be shut down due to the failure of fireproof hood or fire-resistant cable in fire environment, a new intelligent electro-hydraulic actuator was developed. Specifically, the traditional passive emergency shut-off function was changed, and the active protection concept was integrated according to the requirements for reconstruction of root valves in large crude oil tanks.In addition, tests were carried out, including the overall function test, the withstand pressure test of control box, the pressure holding test of hydraulic system and the fatigue life test. The results show that the intelligent electro-hydraulic actuator could actively identify fires that occur outside. Besides, the online monitoring and warning functions of nitrogen pressure of accumulator bladder was realized, and the pressure monitoring error was less than 0.23%. The pressure of the hydraulic system decreased by 0.1 MPa within 30 days, indicating the good pressure holding performance of the actuator, which could meet the requirements of field service. The research results provide a solution for the emergency shut-off valve in the tank farm, effectively improving the initial emergency response capacity of the tank farm under fire conditions.