Steam Control

What is a Steam Control Valve?

A steam control valve regulates the flow, pressure, and temperature of steam within a system, ensuring efficient and reliable operation across industrial applications.

• Flow – Throttling steam supply in response to process demand
• Pressure – Reducing or regulating steam pressure to meet downstream requirements
• Temperature – Indirectly managing heat by modulating steam delivery to heat exchangers or temperature-sensitive process

Steam Pressure Reducing Valves

The most common application for steam control valves is pressure reduction. A steam pressure-reducing valve, also referred to as a steam pressure regulator, steps down high-pressure steam to a constant downstream setpoint, regardless of fluctuations in upstream supply or load demand.

Steam loads are rarely static. As demand shifts, the valve must respond instantaneously to prevent “hunting” or setpoint offset. Jordan Valve’s sliding gate technology addresses this through a unique design that opens across multiple orifices with minimal actuator travel.

Key Benefits of Jordan Sliding Gate PRVs:

• Exceptional Rangeability: Frequently exceeding 100:1, allowing for precise control at both peak and low-flow conditions.
• Fast Response: Short stroke length ensures rapid stabilization during sudden load changes.

For high-pressure steam applications – systems operating above 150 PSI, the Mark 60HP Series handles pressures up to 450 PSI and is rated to ANSI Class 600. These steam pressure control valves are built for demanding upstream conditions, including superheated steam service.

Steam Flow Control Valves

In many industrial processes, simply reducing pressure is not enough; a steam flow control valve also plays a key role in actively modulating steam flow in real time to meet changing demands. To achieve this, proper valve sizing is the most critical factor in effective steam flow control.

• The Risk of Under sizing: Leads to excessive velocity, noise, and premature seat erosion.
• The Risk of Oversizing: Results in “low lift” operation where the valve “hunts” near the seat, causing poor control and accelerated wear (wire drawing).

Jordan Valve’s sliding gate trim naturally resists the erosive effects of high-velocity steam, providing a longer service life than traditional globe-style valves.

Steam Temperature Control Valves

Temperature control in steam systems is usually an indirect process. The steam temperature control valves modulate steam flow to a heat exchanger based on a signal from a temperature sensor located in the process fluid, rather than the steam line itself.

These closed-loop applications require a valve with superior dynamic response.

• The Problem: Sticky, high-friction trim designs cause “overshoot,” where the temperature swings wildly around the setpoint.
• The Solution: Jordan Valve’s industrial control valves utilize a self-cleaning sliding gate design that minimizes friction. This allows for smooth, incremental adjustments that eliminate “hunting” and ensure thermal stability.

Applications & Industries

Jordan Valve industrial control valves for steam service, equipped with sliding gate technology, are engineered for:

• Steam tracing
• Steam curing
• Steam sterilization

Our steam control valves and regulators are trusted across process industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, oil and gas, and power generation. Get in touch with our team, and we will help you find the right steam control valve for your application!