Flowserve Worcester Series 44 Three-Piece Ball Valve

Overview

The Flowserve Worcester Series 44 is a three-piece, quarter-turn ball valve designed to meet the requirements of ANSI B16.34, and for many years it has been one of the most widely specified small-bore ball valve designs in industry. Produced by Flowserve under its Worcester Controls brand, the Worcester Series 44 is offered in sizes from ¼ inch to 2 inch with ANSI Class 600 body ratings in carbon steel, stainless steel and Alloy 20, and in brass. Live-loaded PEEK and Polyfill® stem seals, a body-mounted actuator bracket design, interchangeable end connections and a swing-out centre section make the valve equally suited to manual and automated service, with temperatures from -50 °F to +600 °F (about -46 to 316 °C) depending on the seat and seal choice.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Worcester Series 44 and its replacement seats and seals to refineries, gas plants, chemical facilities, utilities and OEM skid builders across the Sultanate of Oman and the GCC, with engineering support in Muscat. We help buyers decode Worcester figure numbers, select body material, seat and end connection, and specify pneumatic or electric automation, so that the valves arrive ready for service in Muscat, Sohar, Duqm or Salalah.

Operating Principle of the Worcester Series 44

The Worcester Series 44 seals bidirectionally against resilient seats. Under line pressure the ball is forced toward the downstream side and against the downstream seat, creating and maintaining the seal, so the valve provides bubble-tight shutoff over a long service life even with relatively non-resilient seat materials such as TFE or Polyfill. Relief slots in the seats assist downstream sealing and reduce torque, and the seats perform a wiping action on every cycle that cleans foreign material from both ball and seat. A hole in the stem slot prevents damage from trapped cavity pressure when the ball is open, and an optional ball cavity vent is available for specific applications.

As general engineering background, three-piece construction means the centre body containing the ball and seats is bolted between two pipe ends. On the Worcester Series 44, the centre section can swing out of the line after the body bolts are removed, so seats, seals and ball can be replaced without cutting the valve out or disturbing pipe alignment. In effect the valve also acts as a union, removing the need for a separate union fitting in the line.

Engineering Design of the Worcester Series 44

Bodies are available in brass, forged or cast carbon steel, CF8M stainless steel and Alloy 20, with balls in brass, 316 stainless steel, Monel®, Alloy 20 or Hastelloy® C. Seat materials include Buna, Neoprene, TFE, reinforced TFE, Polyfill, UHMWPE, High-per Fill® and Lubetal™, while body seals can be Buna, Neoprene, Viton®, EPDM, TFE, UHMWPE or TFE- or graphite-coated 316 stainless steel. End connections cover screwed NPT, socket weld, butt weld and tube ends, in any combination, and weld-in-place versions (V67) can be welded fully assembled.

The improved stem seal of the Worcester Series 44, consisting of live-loaded PEEK and Polyfill thrust bearings and seals, significantly increases cycle life and extends the time between adjustments. Actuators mount on rigid, box-style brackets bolted to the valve centre section, so actuator loads are carried by the valve body, actuators can be removed for service without affecting valve or piping integrity, and brackets are common to three-piece and equivalent flanged valves. Each valve carries a stainless steel nameplate to MSS SP-25, and full material test reports are optionally available.

Key Features of the Worcester Series 44

Users choose the Worcester Series 44 for the following reasons:

• Designed to ANSI B16.34, with ANSI Class 600 body rating for carbon steel, stainless steel and Alloy 20 valves.
• Sizes ¼, ⅜, ½, ¾, 1, 1¼, 1½ and 2 inch.
• Bidirectional, bubble-tight shutoff with seat leakage below 1 x 10^-6 cc He/sec on standard valves.
• Live-loaded PEEK and Polyfill stem seals for high cycle life and long intervals between adjustments.
• Swing-out centre section for in-line replacement of seats, seals and ball.
• Wide choice of seat and seal materials for temperatures from -50 °F to +600 °F.
• Multiple interchangeable end connections including NPT, socket weld, butt weld and tube ends.
• Body-mounted actuator brackets ready for Worcester pneumatic and electric automation packages.

Industrial Applications

The manufacturer notes that the range of Worcester seat materials handles the great majority of industrial fluids, including steam, chemicals, petrochemicals, petroleum products, caustics and fluids containing solids, fibrous or abrasive materials. In Oman and the GCC the Worcester Series 44 is typically installed on instrument and sampling lines, chemical injection skids, utility air, nitrogen and steam services, drain and vent points, and on automated on/off duties in packaged process units at oil and gas facilities, refineries and the industrial estates of Sohar and Salalah.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Worcester Series 44 with matching automation and accessories and can combine it with other Flowserve valve products, such as the Argus FK79 floating ball valve for larger flanged lines and the Durco Microfinish ball valves for chemical service. For modulating duties, the Logix 3800 digital positioner is also available through our engineering team.

Technical Specifications

The following Worcester Series 44 data is taken from the Worcester Controls product bulletin:

How to Order

To order the Worcester Series 44, send Seven Star LLC the size, body material, seat material, end connection, service fluid and any automation requirement, or the complete Worcester figure number from an existing valve. Our team in Muscat will prepare a formal quotation and arrange delivery anywhere in Oman or the GCC. The Worcester Controls product bulletin is available for download on this page.