February 11, 2013 - Rotork-Hiller completed the full qualification of a new scotch yoke rotary pneumatic actuator to the latest industry standards. Performed by an independent test laboratory, the qualification encompasses the requirements of the Westinghouse AP1000 commercial nuclear reactor design and represents another milestone in the Rotork Group’s long established commitment to the nuclear power generation industry. Qualification involved an arduous programme of testing including thermal ageing, final wear ageing, pressurisation, resonance search, OBE (Operating Basis Earthquake) simulation, SSE (Safe Shutdown Earthquake) simulation and LOCA (Loss of Coolant) simulation – where the actuator is exposed to high temperature, pressure, humidity and radiation.
After each test a baseline test was performed to confirm that the actuator’s performance had not degraded below acceptable levels. Designed for the operation of ball, butterfly and plug valves, the actuators are available with a comprehensive torque range and control solutions to meet customer specifications. The compact and rugged design is suitable for harsh environmental conditions and has been supplied for nuclear power projects in countries including China and the USA. Rotork-Hiller rotary actuators meet safety critical applications found in the nuclear power industry and are manufactured under a quality assurance programme in compliance with the requirements of 10CFR50 Appendix B, 10CFR21, NQA-1 and ANSI N45.2.
The company provides a personalised service throughout all phases of projects to meet the challenges of each customer’s application with state-of-the-art design and engineering, customisation and technical support.