To prevent air pockets from forming in a centrifugal pump suction line installed angled from normal, any gate valve should be installed with the __________.
• Centrifugal pump suction line behavior when not perfectly horizontal • How air pockets or bubbles migrate and collect in piping systems • Effect of gate valve stem orientation on where trapped air will gather
• Visualize the pipe run with liquid flowing toward the pump and imagine where the highest points are along the line. • Think about where air naturally wants to rise and collect in relation to the valve body and stem orientation. • Ask yourself: which stem position makes it hardest for air to sit and block flow at the valve?
• Identify which valve orientation puts the interior cavity of the valve at or below the pipe’s flow centerline so air cannot easily accumulate there. • Check which option minimizes the chance for a high pocket to form at the valve bonnet or around the stem. • Eliminate any choice that would put a cavity or high spot above the main flow path in the suction line.
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