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Spinoff story

High-Performance Valve Promises Safe Relief

A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.

About this technology

Overview

Using an improved valve design developed under an SBIR contract with Stennis Space Center, Marotta Scientific's PRV95 provides stability over the entire operational range, from fully closed to fully open. The valve employs a concept known as upstream control for valve positioning, making it more dependable with excellent repeatability and minimal lag time. The PRV95 design is unique in its ability to maintain a seal near the set point of the relief limit. Typically, relief valves seal tightly up to 90 percent set point and then reseat when pressure is reduced to 85 percent of set point. This new technology maintains seal integrity until 98 percent of set point and will reseat at 95 to 97 percent of set point. This allows the operator to protect a system without exceeding its limits.