Success Story

Proactive Valve Diagnostics Prevent Costly Failures on 4-Stage Compressor

How CCC’s Valve Exerciser Technology Detected Hidden Issues and Enabled Confident Online Testing

A facility operated a 4-stage compression system where antisurge valves remained fully closed during normal operation, sometimes for months at a time. The existing legacy control system could not test valve performance during operation, and traditional shutdown testing only verified offline full-stroke performance, failing to assess the critical partial-stroke response under online process conditions present during actual surge events.

CCC implemented a comprehensive Series 3++ control system retrofit with integrated Valve Exerciser technology. This automated diagnostic tool performs partial stroke testing online with minimal process disturbance while verifying valve health in just seconds. The system was configured with precision diagnostics, allowing maximum valve opening of 5% and maximum test duration of 10 seconds, with continuous surge protection remaining fully active throughout testing.

During initial commissioning, CCC’s Valve Exerciser uncovered a critical issue with the 2nd stage valve requiring 30 seconds to respond to small opening commands under process conditions. While the valve passed traditional shutdown offline testing after maintenance, Valve Exerciser revealed it still failed under actual operating online conditions. After 2-3 months of operation, Valve Exerciser identified two additional valves showing degraded performance. Download the full success story to learn how automated valve diagnostics transformed this facility’s maintenance approach and prevented costly compressor failures.