Intro4u2u

Control Valves and Flow Characteristics

Control Valves: Choke Valve Trim

TROUBLESHOOTING - THEORY AND PRACTICE

Control Valve direct acting spring-to-retract reverse acting spring-to-extend

Direct acting actuator

SMART Positioners VALVE maximum differential pressures

SMART Positioners VALVE Basic pneumatic positioner

SMART Positioners VALVE PARTIAL TESTING

Digital positioners SMART positioners

Typical manufacturer’s electric actuator selection chart

Intelligent VALVE intrinsically safe

Smart Positioners answer valve problems

Allocation measurement

Float operated fill valve

Advantages of Using Pinch Valves for Modulating Control

On/Off or throttling control of abrasive, scaling, corrosive, slurries, sludge, liquids

Four-stroke cycle engine valves

Ball valve

Blast valve

Butterfly valve

Control valve terminology

CONTROL VALVES AND ACCESSORIES - SIZING & SELECTION

CONTROL VALVE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS

CONTROL VALVE Maintenance INTRODUCTION

Replacing Stem Packing CONTROL VALVE

Replacing Threaded Seat Rings CONTROL VALVE

Grinding Metal Seats CONTROL VALVE

Lubricating Control Valve Packing

Trim TYPES VALVE

The Ever-Popular Gate Valve

VALVE Body-Bonnet Design TRIM

Disc Design VALVE disc or gate

VALVE Body-Bonnet Design

Stem Design inside screw rising stem non-rising stem outside screw yoke

Materials of Construction Aluminum to Zirconium

Gate Valve Actuation

Repair of Gate Valves

VALVE TRIM KINETIC ENERGY CRITERIA

Heating Systems Gas Boiler Hot plus Wood Stoves

Weight gain after quitting is a serious concern for some smokers. About 80 per cent of smokers put on weight when they quit. However most ex-smokers only gain a modest amount of weight. Women typically gain between 3 kilograms and 5.5 kilograms in the first year due to stopping smoking, while men tend to gain less. Research shows that in the long term, the average body weight of female ex-smokers is similar to women who have never smoked.

Smoking appears to change the distribution of fat in women to a less healthy male “apple” pattern. Women who smoke tend to put on more fat around their waist compared to women who do not smoke. Fat in this area is associated with risks such as stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and a general increased death rate. When women quit smoking, any weight gain that occurs is in the normal and safer female pattern, with a preference to the hips rather than the waist.

It is possible to quit smoking and minimise weight gain if you pay attention to diet and exercise. However, it can be helpful to be prepared to accept at least a small increase in weight. It can be difficult to quit cigarettes and manage weight at the same time, because both activities require effort and commitment. If this is the case for you, concentrate first on quitting. See your doctor or dietitian for further information and advice if weight gain is a problem.

The causes of weight gain
The two main causes of weight gain when quitting smoking are thought to be:

* The effect of nicotine on the body – nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco that causes smokers to continue their habit. Although nicotine isn’t thought to cause cancer, it does speed up the body’s food processing system, the metabolism. After many years of smoking, smokers tend to weigh slightly less than non-smokers. Researchers suggest that one of the reasons why some smokers tend to put on weight after quitting is because their metabolism slows down, and they burn fewer kilojoules than while they were smoking. This would explain why some ex-smokers put on weight even if they do not eat any more than usual.
* Eating more food – many smokers find their eating habits change when they quit cigarettes. Some smokers experience increased hunger as a withdrawal symptom, but research suggests that any increases in food intake after quitting eventually return to normal.

Eating instead of smoking
Some ex-smokers eat more, particularly in the first few days or weeks after quitting. Some of the reasons include:

* The restless, empty feeling of nicotine withdrawal can feel very similar to hunger pangs. The smoker may be ‘fooled’ into thinking they’re hungry when they are not.
* Missing the oral satisfaction of putting a cigarette into their mouths prompts some ex-smokers to substitute food for cigarettes. Instead of lighting up, they eat something.
* Food can be comforting. If an ex-smoker is having a hard time during the withdrawal period, they may reward themselves with treats and snacks in an attempt to feel better.
* Some smokers regularly skip meals – for example, breakfast may be a cup of coffee and a couple of cigarettes. Once you stop smoking, you may find that you don’t feel like skipping meals anymore.
* Many ex-smokers find that food tastes better, and this may lead to more helpings.

Tips on reducing weight gain
It is possible to maintain your current weight, or at least keep weight gain low, while you’re quitting cigarettes. Suggestions include:

* Exercise more often - being inactive is a risk factor for weight gain. Aim for around half an hour of moderate activity every day - for example, brisk walking, gardening, swimming or cycling. You can do 10 minutes of exercise at a time, adding up to a total of 30 minutes over the day, if you prefer.
* Muscle tissue burns more kilojoules than fat. You can boost your metabolic rate by including one or two weight training sessions into your weekly exercise program to build up muscle.
* Don’t crash diet. If you eat too few kilojoules, the body will respond by lowering the metabolism and burning muscle tissue for fuel.
* It can be tricky telling the difference between hunger pangs and withdrawal cravings. Get into the habit of ‘listening’ to your body before you decide to eat something.
* It takes about 15 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that it’s full, so wait before having second helpings. You might find you don’t want it after all.
* Find ways other than eating to cope with withdrawal cravings. Some people drink water, while others count to 100 – experiment until you find your own method.
* Put safe, non-edible items in your mouth if oral cravings bother you. For example, you could use toothpicks or cinnamon sticks, or chew on sugarless gum.
* If you need to snack, keep raw vegetable sticks and other low fat, low kilojoule foods on hand.
* Increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables and wholegrain foods.
* Cut back on high fat, high salt and high sugar products. You can do this easily by not stocking these types of foods in your kitchen pantry.
* Alcoholic drinks can contain many kilojoules. Try alternating with water or other low kilojoule drinks.
* Be kind to yourself if you do put on a few kilos. You are boosting your health by quitting.

If you put on weight
If you’ve gained weight despite your best efforts, don’t despair. A few extra kilograms are a much lower risk compared to the risk of continuing to smoke. You would have to gain over 40 kilograms above your recommended weight to equal the risk of heart disease posed by smoking.

Don’t think that taking up smoking again will mean you will shed the weight – sometimes it doesn’t. Concentrate on improving your diet and increasing your physical activity. See your doctor or dietitian for help and advice.

One packet of 25 cigarettes costs around $10.50, and the price keeps rising. If you need an added incentive to quit, think about how much of your pay packet is going up in smoke every week.

What could you do for yourself and your family with that extra money? More than you think. At today’s prices, if you smoke one pack of cigarettes per day for 10 years, you’ll spend over $38,000 – easily enough to buy a new car.

After one day
After one day of not smoking, you’ve got an extra $10.50 in your pocket. You could treat yourself to a café lunch or buy a couple of your favourite magazines.

The health benefits of not smoking for one day include:

* Most of the nicotine is cleared from your body.
* Your blood pressure and heart rate are dropping towards normal levels.

After two days
You’ve saved $21. You could go to the movies, hire in-line skates for a few hours or treat yourself to a nice bottle of wine.

The health benefits of not smoking for two days include:

* Your senses of smell and taste begin to improve.
* You notice that your skin, hair and breath smell fresher.
* Less carbon monoxide in your system means your lungs are more efficient.

After one week
Now you’ve got an extra $73.50 in your pocket. You could take someone to dinner or the theatre, or buy a few books, CDs or DVDs.

The health benefits of not smoking for one week include:

* The small hair-like structures that clean your lungs, called cilia, are starting to work again. Accumulated phlegm from smoking will loosen and you will start to cough it up.
* Your body is purged of most nicotine by-products.

After one month
You’ve saved $320. You could go away for a weekend, buy a new television or treat yourself to some new clothes.

The health benefits of not smoking for one month include:

* Your lungs are working more efficiently.
* Exercising is easier.
* Your blood pressure has returned to normal.
* Your immune system is starting to recover.

After three to six months
After three months you’ve saved over $950, enough for a return ticket to New Zealand with extra spending money or a new home theatre package including a DVD player and speakers. After six months, you’ve got $1,910 to spend. You could pay for a holiday in Queensland or a return ticket to London or the United States.

The health benefits of not smoking for three to six months include:

* You don’t cough and wheeze as much anymore. Your lung function has continued to improve.
* Blood flow to your extremities, like fingers and toes, improves.

After one year
You’ve saved $3,830, enough for an around-the-world plane ticket or a new computer system.

The health benefits of not smoking for one year include:

* Your increased risk of premature death from heart attack is halved.

Other cost-saving benefits of quitting
If you quit smoking, you’ll save money in many other ways, including:

* You’re less likely to suffer from respiratory infections, which means fewer trips to the doctor, less money spent on medications and fewer sick days.
* You won’t need so many visits to the dentist to have your teeth professionally cleaned.
* You don’t have to spend as much time and money on maintaining the house. For example, smoking inside your home discolours paint and wallpaper.
* You cut down on your cleaning bills because clothes, furniture upholstery and the interior of your car no longer stink of cigarette smoke.

Future benefits
The health and financial benefits of quitting continue as the years go by.

* Your chances of conceiving a baby improve. Smoking can cause fertility problems, such as impotence in men and increased risk of miscarriage in women.
* Within two to five years, your risk of stroke is substantially reduced. You’ve also saved between $7,500 and $19,000.
* After 10 years, your risk of lung cancer is less than half that of a continuing smoker and continues to decline (provided the disease is not already present). You’ve also saved over $38,000.
* After 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease is nearly the same as a lifetime non-smoker. You’ve also saved over $57,000.

Tobacco smoking is the single most common cause of ill health and premature death in Australia. Approximately 19,000 Australians die from tobacco-related diseases each year.

In many communities the smoking rates are very high. Help to stop smoking is available through doctors, health centres, pharmacists, migrant resource centres, community centres, ethnic organisations and Quit Victoria.

Smoking in different cultures
Australia has a very large population of people from diverse backgrounds. In Victoria, more than 20 per cent of the population speak a language other than English at home. Approximately 22 per cent of people born in Australia smoke tobacco. Rates are higher for people born in other Oceania countries (26%), about the same for those born in North African and Middle East countries, and lower for those from European and South-East Asian countries.

Smoking rates that combine both men and women can disguise the fact that, for many countries of origin, the smoking rates of men are very high and the female smoking rates are quite low. For example, a 1995 Australian survey shows that the male smoking rate for those born in Greece was four times that of the female smoking rate. Also, men born in Vietnam had a smoking rate of 36 per cent, while less than one per cent of women born in Vietnam smoked.

Resources to stop smoking
Resources to stop smoking – including brochures, information booklets and CDs – are available in a variety of languages and are distributed free of charge. They are available from Quit and may also be available at migrant resource centres, ethnic organisations, community centres, local community and social groups, pharmacies and doctors.

In Victoria, resources to help stop smoking are available in Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Croatian, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Education sessions
Trained bilingual educators are available to attend community groups, free of charge, to give talks on the health effects of smoking, passive smoking and information on how to quit in different languages. Sessions in English, adapted to suit the language level of the group, are also available for multicultural groups and for people learning English. Call Quit on (03) 9635 5535.

Ethnic media
Ethnic media are an important means of promoting the smoke-free message. Radio, newspapers, ethnic publications and community television promote information on stopping smoking in a variety of community languages.

Where to get help

* Quitline Tel. 137 848
* Your doctor
* Pharmacies
* Migrant resource centre
* Community centres
* Ethnic organisations

Around 17.6 per cent of the Australian population smoke every day, and most smokers want to quit. According to Quit statistics, 79 per cent of Victorian smokers have tried to kick the habit at least once, while about 40 per cent have made an attempt to stop in the previous year.

Smokers often make several attempts to quit before succeeding. Successful quitters see past attempts as practice and experience to learn from and build on.

Some people find that going ‘cold turkey’ - quitting completely and immediately - is the most successful method for them. However, if you haven’t succeeded in stopping smoking on your own, getting extra support can increase the likelihood that you will quit successfully.

Quit courses and telephone support can help you to become, and stay, a non-smoker. Nicotine replacement therapy is available from chemists, and your doctor can also prescribe medication to help you quit.

Benefits of quitting
Quitting at any age will reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic bronchitis and several other health conditions related to smoking. The earlier you quit, the greater the health benefit.

Your health will improve in the first few months after quitting, benefiting your heart and lungs, increasing blood flow to hands and feet and improving your immune system.

Smokers who quit by the age of 30 gain 10 years of life expectancy and avoid most smoking-related diseases. Even quitting at the age of 60 improves your life expectancy by a few years. If you already have a smoking-related disease, quitting will improve your condition and assist in your treatment.

Deciding to quit
Motivation and planning are central to quitting smoking. First, work out the main reasons you want to stop. Take a piece of paper and on one half write down the reasons you smoke. On the other half, write down all the reasons you can think of to quit.

Now you have a clearer idea of what you will lose and what you will gain from stopping smoking. Circle the most important reason for you to quit. Write it down on a separate piece of paper and keep it somewhere you can easily look at it when you need to.

If you seem to have more reasons to smoke than quit, you may want to talk to someone about this such as your doctor or a Quitline advisor.

Tackling barriers to quitting
Many people keep smoking because they feel it helps them in some way or they are afraid of the possible side effects of quitting. Some common concerns include:

* Cigarettes as stress relief – there are plenty of other ways to relax that are actually beneficial to the body, such as exercise and meditation.
* Fear of weight gain – not all smokers put on weight when they quit and most ex-smokers only put on a small amount of weight.
* Fear of depression – quitting cigarettes can often make a person feel better about themselves and in control. For people with a mental illness or who have had a mental illness, special support is available through your doctor and the Quitline.
* Fear of withdrawal – nicotine is an addictive drug and the effects of withdrawal can be unpleasant. However, these symptoms are only temporary.

Tips on quitting
Suggestions include:

* Decide on a quit date and stick to it.
* Ring Quitline on 13 7848. For the cost of a local call, professional telephone advisors provide encouragement and support to help smokers quit.
* The Quitline also provides a “call back” service, information on Quit’s courses, a free Quit pack and information on video, DVD, CD, audio tape or the internet.
* Tell your family and friends of your intention to stop smoking and ask for their support.
* Think about prior attempts to quit and what went wrong. Plan how to avoid the same pitfalls this time.
* Decide on your strategy. For example, do you intend to go cold turkey, use nicotine replacement therapy or attend group courses?
* Write a list of all the reasons why you want to stop smoking and refer to this list whenever you feel tempted to light up a cigarette.
* Throw away all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays in your home and car. If your partner smokes, suggest that he or she stops too, or only smokes outside the house and away from you.
* Plan for situations that you know make you want to smoke.
* Reduce possible weight gain by eating more fruit, vegetables and wholemeal cereals. Do some exercise you enjoy, such as walking or swimming.
* Your body will absorb more caffeine than usual in the few weeks after quitting. Cut down on coffee and tea for the first month or so to prevent caffeine-induced anxiety and restlessness.
* Treat yourself with the money you have saved. Your efforts deserve to be rewarded!
* If you do have a cigarette, it’s not the end of your quit attempt. A slip-up is a setback, not a defeat.

Cravings only last a few minutes. Get through them by using the 4Ds:

* Delay acting on the urge to reach for a cigarette
* Take Deep breaths
* Drink water
* Do something else to occupy your mind while your craving passes.

Nicotine replacement therapy and prescription drugs
Cold turkey, or suddenly stopping smoking without help, is a popular quitting strategy but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some people are so irritated by the associated withdrawal symptoms that they start smoking again.

Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes that makes smokers want to keep on smoking. There are nicotine skin patches, chewing gum, lozenges, tablets and inhalers available that can ease the withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking and increase your chances of success. These products are available from chemists.

The prescription drug buproprion, sold under the brand name Zyban, can also reduce some nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Together with counselling, the drug can increase your chances of stopping smoking. This drug is approved by the PBS and must be prescribed by your doctor as it is not suitable for all people.

Stop smoking courses
There are courses available to help and encourage smokers to quit. Participating in a Quit Fresh Start course can be beneficial. Call Quitline for more information and referral.

There are other smoking cessation courses available. When you consider these courses, take note of the following suggestions.

* Full details of the course, including cost, length of sessions, duration and techniques, should be made available before you sign up and pay your money.
* Follow-up advice and information should be available after the course finishes.
* The course should make no guarantees about its success rate. To have a reasonable success rate, approximately 70 per cent of participants should stop smoking by the end of the course and at least 15 per cent remain non-smokers one year later.
* If claims such as no weight gain, anxiety or withdrawal symptoms seem too good to be true, they probably are.

Smoking is a major factor contributing to the early development of age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration is an eye condition caused by cardiovascular (heart) disease and it is the most common cause of blindness in the Western world. Smoking contributes to cardiovascular disease.

Cigarette smoking contributes to cardiovascular disease
Cigarette smoking speeds up the development of atherosclerotic plaques (collections of cholesterol and fat), in the walls of arteries. These are like porridge, gradually blocking arteries so that blood flow becomes limited.

Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke are thought to be important causes of arteries losing their elasticity. This means that arteries respond less well to fluctuations in pressure and are more likely to rupture.

Smoking, even passive smoking, increases heart rate and blood pressure. this leads to demanding more oxygen from the blood which contains high levels of carbon monoxide. Through a complex set of reactions, heart muscle function is impaired and other regulatory systems for insulin and lipid metabolism are compromised.

How the eye is affected
The macular area of the retina has the finest blood supply in the body, serving the retinal receptors that enable us to see minute detail clearly. Obstruction and failure of the blood supply to the macula happens even before other body functions may be affected. This blood vessel damage causes a gradual failure of vision. New vessel growth and leakage can result in scarring of the retina and severe vision loss.

The average age that people present with age-related macular degeneration in the first eye is about 65 years. The second eye becomes impaired at a rate of about 12 per cent each year and about 60 per cent of patients are legally blind in both eyes by their 70th birthday. There is no effective medical or surgical cure for age-related macular degeneration, but rehabilitation advice helps people to live more independently.

The impact of vision problems
Age-related macular degeneration has extensive implications. People who have it:

* Cannot read or see detail on the TV
* Cannot easily recognise faces
* Cannot drive
* Confuse medication labels and are at risk of other illnesses
* Fall more easily and suffer more serious complications from falling
* Lose independence and may require residential care earlier than if their vision was normal.

Quitting smoking, or not starting in the first place,