POWER November 2013 - 21

6. The Elli-valve after an overhaul, ready for installation.
Courtesy: HS Energy and Reynir S. Atlason
The fruit of this initiative is yet to be fully enjoyed because the
platform is relatively young, but it is hoped that information
will flow more fluidly, pushing for innovations such as the valve
described in this article.
Part of the Elli-valve success can be attributed to the fact
that the staff member who designed the valve was involved
throughout the development process, from the initial idea,
through prototyping, and final manufacturing. The process
did not take off until the vice president became involved and
pushed for further development though. This example shows
that devotion to innovation by corporate leaders does not
only fast track and push innovative solutions at individual
plants, but it also fosters an innovative spirit within the company.
This experience has led employees at HS Energy to propose
several other ideas, which have also been developed to
some extent.
The Elli-valve has effectively combatted the scaling problem
flow through the valve. In this design, the seat has a tendency
to collect scale. By allowing for easy removal of the seat, it can
be cleaned relatively quickly or replaced. This feature shortens
the overhaul time for the valve. The seat is manufactured out of
Hardox 400 steel.
The third part is the hydraulic jack, which is also manufactured
domestically, shown as number 3 in Figure 3. The jack allows for
remote operation of the valve. Standard parts are also used, such
as the T-pipe, shown as number 4 in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a section
view of the valve in its closed position; Figure 6 shows the
final assembly.
This design has gone through refinements since the day the
idea surfaced at HS Energy. The main advantage over the butterfly
valve is the relative ease of cleaning and good access. Scale
is removed using high-pressure washing.
Moving from Concept to Production
The invention of the valve can be traced back to 1996, when
the initial idea surfaced. According to the staff member who
designed the valve, it was the dedication of the vice president
of the company that fast-tracked the development process. The
worker was allowed to produce a prototype of the valve, which
was then operated for a year. By using the valve design, the flow
to the separators became more efficient because it could be continuously
controlled remotely.
After the prototype had been constructed and tested, a local
machine shop was consulted to gain their expertise. That
input was valuable for the valve manufacturing process. Involvement
at this stage of the development process also gave
the machine shop a thorough knowledge of the components,
resulting in a fluid production stream for parts and maintenance
supplies.
After getting positive operational experience from the
valve, the company began producing them for the majority
of its wells. Today, the valve has been operated for more
than 15 years, with constant refinements being made over
that period.
Cooperation between engineering firms, machine shops, and
energy companies is becoming more prevalent in Iceland and
is expected to grow with the mutual platform cluster " Iceland
Geothermal. " The initiative is based on defined projects that the
cluster members have agreed to work on. Members meet and exchange
ideas in an effort to further development and growth as
well as to identify key skills that can add value within the cluster.
November 2013 | POWER
www.powermag.com
experienced at plants on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Scale does
still accumulate in the valve, but due to the valve design, it is
relatively easy to disassemble the valve and remove the scale.
The cone design allows remote and more precise control of the
flow of steam and brine to the separators, continuously allowing
for a better utilization of the resource. This valve has now
become a standard valve for geothermal power plants on the
Reykjanes Peninsula.
By looking to the Icelandic experience, scaling problems can
be addressed at other plants experiencing similar issues. ■
-Contributed by Reynir S. Atlason and Runar Unnthorsson,
University of Iceland, Dept. of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering and Computer Science.
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