Author Archive for: marklobo
Entries by Mark Lobo
Atlas 21 in Production
Pilot production of the first Atlas SSCV has begun at Total Valve Systems in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The first customer is a leading manufacturer of electric submersible pumps and the Atlas 21 will be used to provide back-pressure to validate pump performance. It replaces a valve with a conventional multiple-orifice disc trim and offers over 40% higher […]
5000 PSI – Low Noise – Fine Control
Ongoing field trials have validated the HBGV performance for several months. The newest installation in the test facility of a major pump manufacturer has been well-accepted as the HBGV outperforms the back pressure control valve it replaced. Daily use has subjected the valve to pressures up to 3600 psi. We have been stalking “bigger game”, and today we […]
ASME SmartBrief Featured HBGV
Back at the beginning, prior to the official launch of VSI, we were recognized in the press for our pursuit of a better way to control choked flow. i2E in Oklahoma provided the tools to get VSI launched, and this feature in the business pages of the two major newspapers helped. When ASME picked up […]
First Delivery for Field Trial
VSI delivered the first Helical Bevel Gear-drive Valve, the HBGV, on Thursday, February 18, 2016. The valve will be installed as a pump back pressure regulator on an injection skid manufactured by Global Production Systems, GPS, in Shawnee, Ok. GPS is a leader in injection systems design and manufacturing that include instrumentation and control systems permitting the […]
Flow Lab Tests Complete – Performance Confirmed
The final round of lab testing wrapped up this week. Flow test data gathered at the Radford Company valve test facility confirmed predictions of CFD simulations made prior to the launch of VSI. Maximum Flow Coefficient was measured to be 75 in turbulent flow. The HBGV1 was confirmed to have negligible pressure recovery in the valve and an effective […]
Flow Testing the HBGV
Flow testing of the HBGV began at Total Valve Systems in Broken Arrow, OK. The 2″ control valve was confirmed to have a flow coefficient above 60 Cv, the primary performance specification. Lobo Engineering PLC is processing the 136,000 data points to establish the inherent characteristic and choked flow performance ratings.
Assembly of the First HBGV
The first of five pre-production severe service control valves is prepared for flow testing and field trials. From the 3-D printed patterns for the internals to the rigorous CNC machining of the Body and Hub, the manufacturing process was complex. Eight contractors were coordinated by VSI to produce the valve in three months. This video records the moment […]
HBGV1 Technical Brief Released – First RFQ!
VSI is actively setting up the field trial locations for the first valves. Two submersible pump companies have expressed their intent to wring out the HBGV in their pump testing laboratories, and several other applications are being pursued in Casper, Wyoming and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Customers need a Tech Brief: Tech Brief – HBGV1 Last week, with the first […]
SLS Patterns for the Helical Bevel Gear Parts
Ranging from difficult to impossible to machine, the four key components that comprise the patented helical bevel gear-drive must be cast. For the 5 field trial valves, the patterns were scaled up from the digital model to allow shrinkage of the molten metal part and printed in wax. The patterns were produced by American Precision Prototyping, LLC with […]
