The IT department at Oliver Valves, composed of brothers Kevin and Gary White, along with reluctant colleague Tim Walton, will be flying the Oliver flag as they attempt to change this perception by taking on the Tough Guy Challenge on January 31st next year in aid of The Forces Children’s Trust.

The heart of any machine is its engine. So meet the aircraft that lost its heart to a boat! And not just any boat, but the vessel that is set to become Britain’s next holder of the World Water Speed Record. The Oliver Valves-sponsored hydroplane, Quicksilver, is under construction at Nottingham East Midlands Airport, and with speeds of up to 350mph being envisaged, it’s not surprising that aerospace technology is being harnessed.

Oliver Valves Ltd is pleased to announce our support of the Pensby Sports College Go Kart Team as they participate in the Greenpower Formula 24 competition.

It isn’t easy to work on an engine that was designed to be hung on the side of an aircraft but is now installed deep in the hull of a boat. Easily accessible parts suddenly become inaccessible. So engineers working on the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engine which powers the 350-mph Quicksilver water-speed contender set about finding solutions.

In the drive to create the world’s fastest boat, innovative engineering has created a special “new” version of the famous Rolls-Royce Spey engine. The 10,000-horsepower Spey turbofan that powers the Oliver Valves sponsored Quicksilver, Britain’s World Water Speed Record challenger, has now become unique among Spey engines worldwide, and historically, in that it has been tailored specifically for a water-speed bid.

Operational safety is, of course, paramount in all businesses but it is especially important in the oil and gas industries where engineers are becoming increasingly keen to implement double block and bleed technologies.

There is a school of thought that feels a double block function can be achieved by implementing a double piston effect seat component. A double piston effect seat will seal upstream on a ball and also downstream on a ball if the upstream seat begins to leak.

When it comes to choosing the style of a ball valve, piping engineers face a difficult decision.  If the pipeline is 2” or over, and when the ANSI pressure class is 600 and above, do they accept a floating ball style or trunnion style? Both designs have their strengths and weaknesses.

The most popular material from which valves are manufactured within the oil and gas industry is carbon steel 4130. This is due to its high strength, low alloy properties and low initial material cost. However 4130 has low corrosion resistance which lends itself to regular maintenance and repair.