Rotork fluid power and electric actuators installed at modernised Spanish coking plant

Rotork electric and fluid power multi-turn and part-turn actuators have been installed at a Spanish coking plant.

More than 100 Rotork IQ3 and IQT3 intelligent electric actuators and GT, LP, CP and GP pneumatic actuators have been installed at ArcelorMittal’s coking plant in Gijon, the largest city in the northern region of Asturias. The plant is the only one in Spain which produces steel from iron ore.

The actuators have been installed on knife gate and butterfly valves in the coke system in two coke batteries, each comprised of 45 individual coke ovens, feeding two blast furnaces. The actuators control the flow of fluid in the cooling water, coke gas, stripped water, coal water, deacidified water, H2S/NH3 vapours and crude tar systems.

Work to modernise the coke batteries has been taking place since 2017 and they have been in operation since the beginning of 2020.

Rotork’s IQ range of intelligent electric actuators are designed for isolation or regulating duties. Suitable for 1-phase, 3-phase and DC electric supplies, the standard IQ range of part- turn electric actuators, can offer a direct torque output range from 50 to 3,000 Nm (37 to 2,200 lbf.ft).

Rotork’s extensive range of pneumatic actuators are available in rack and pinion (GT), linear (LP), scotch yoke (CP) and heavy-duty scotch yoke (GP) designs. Many are built for critical, high-speed failsafe or emergency shutdown duties in harsh locations.