Noticias

Valves are devices that control the flow of fluids (liquids, gases, vapors and more) by stopping, adjusting or allowing the passage of the fluid through its container. There are many types of valves available on the market and choosing which one to use in a Revit project can be demanding. As an MEP engineer you have to take into account several technical properties of the valve, as well as the manufacturer that provides it, and combine these criteria with the preferences of the other project stakeholders.

After going through this article, you will have a complete set of correct arguments and useful knowledge to support your decisions regarding the valves you want to use in your Revit projects.

Manually vs. mechanically operated valves

Manually operated valves feature a handle that can be switched to an "on" or "off" position or rotated. Mechanically operated valves are controlled by an actuator attached to them. An actuator is needed for instance in the case when the valve is too large to be operated manually because of its dimensions. You will also need an actuator to control the valve automatically or remotely, such as in washing machine cycles or a centralized control room. Valves controlled by actuators are usually referred to as motorized valves. If you want to use these in your projects, you can download motorized valve Revit families from the MEP content library.

There are also several kinds of actuators to choose from. For example, electric motors and solenoids fall into the category of electromechanical actuators. Pneumatic actuators are controlled by air pressure and hydraulic actuators are controlled by the pressure of a liquid. View here the library of solenoid valve Revit files and electromechanical actuators.

There is generally not much debate about when you should choose an actuator-controlled valve or a manual one. Actuators are designed to provide comfort, safety and convenience by automating certain tasks and taking into account a number of factors before sending a command. In all other cases, a manual valve will be enough. Unless you have a huge number of valves in a building for which automation is a necessity.

Different types of valves

There is however some confusion when it comes to valve types and the best option for certain situations. Let's take a closer look at the most popular types of valves out there and their best usage.

Gate valve

The closing element of this type of valve is a metal gate. When the valve is set to the "off" position, the gate is fully lowered allowing no fluid to pass through. When the valve is "on", the gate retracts into the body of the valve. This ensures no or a negligible flow loss across the valve.

Best usage: When the valve is meant to be kept either fully open or fully closed. Keeping a gate valve partially open poses a serious risk of erosion of the gate. The vibrations resulted from the interaction of the fluid with the partially open gate also represent a damage factor.

Globe valve

The fluid flow inside a globe valve follows an S-shaped trajectory. This means that in a fully open position the fluid has to change direction twice inside the valve. This results in a significant drop in pressure. Therefore, globe valves are not typically used when the flow in the pipe needs to be able to reach maximum capacity.

Best usage: In throttling situations or when frequent operation is foreseen. Globe valves are available in tee, wye and angle patterns and are many times used for cooling water systems.

Best not to use: When dealing with large fluid pressures because globe valves require enormous amounts of force when opening and closing the valve.

Ball valves

Ball valves are designed to control, stop or allow the flow of fluids through the pipes by means of a sphere contained inside. When the valve is closed, the ball completely obstructs the passage of the fluid. When the valve is in the on position, the ball does a quarter turn (90 degrees) and the fluid is allowed through a cavity inside the ball. These types of valves are in general more durable and easier to use than globe or gate valves and have a low pressure drop. They are known for their perfect sealing capacity, allowing no leakage when in an "off" position.

Best usage: When a tight shutoff is required such as in the case of gas pipes when a potential leakage could be harmful. They also deliver best performance when they are kept either in an on or off position and are easily maneuverable.

Best not to use: Ball valves are not the best option to use in throttling situations because the seats are prone to damage when exposed to constant wear. Also, as they close, ball valves retain some of the fluid within the inside of the sphere. This can cause the valve to break in case of freeze. Some insulation parts around the valve can resolve this issue when the valve is used in places with low temperatures. You can apply this knowledge by downloading ball valve Revit families for free here and placing them in your piping system.

Balancing valves

Automatic balancing valves have the purpose of restoring the correct hydraulic levels in heating and cooling systems. Often these kinds of systems have differential pressure changes caused by different valves being opened and closed based on the demand for heat or cold air. Balancing valves will control the functioning of the system by restoring the values that were determined in the design phase.

Best usage: In heating and cooling systems in order to ensure the correct functioning of the system and to avoid important pressure changes. A balancing valve will ensure an even heat distribution which reduces noise and unnecessary energy consumption.

Butterfly valve

Butterfly valves are amongst the most popular types of valves. They control the flow of a fluid by means of a rotating disc. Even though they are in certain ways similar to ball valves, butterfly valves are typically easier to install because of their reduced weight. They are also more precise and can close faster and easier, especially when controlled automatically.

Best usage: In industrial settings when a very precise operation of the valve is required. Moreover, butterfly valves do not require such a solid support structure as ball valves thanks to their reduced dimensions.

Best not to use: When pressure drops could be an issue to the functioning of the piping system. Even when fully opened, the disc of the butterfly valve is in the way of the flow of the fluid, which causes a pressure drop.

Check valve

Also known as non-return valves, check valves allow fluid to go in one direction but prevents it from going the other way. When the high pressure reaches a certain preset limit, the valve will fully open, allowing clear passage of the fluid, and it will close when it detects fluid coming from the other direction. Check valves are usually not operated manually, as they function automatically based on how they are manufactured and configured. They can however feature a stop-check which allows the operator to stop the flow in one or both directions. Revit check valve families are available for download here.

Best usage: Check valves are many times used in combination with pumps. In case the pump fails, the check valve will mimic its function, preventing the whole system from malfunctioning. Another common use of check valves is in the household application. Sprinkler systems can benefit from featuring a check valve because it will prevent drainage when the system is shut off. In water systems, a check valve will prevent contaminated water from coming back into the main water supply.

Best not to use: A correct value has to be assigned for the cracking pressure which means the minimum pressure at which the valve will start functioning. If the value is not correctly estimated before installation and the real pressure is lower than expected, the valve will keep partially open, which will cause erosion of the parts. Also, check valves need to be installed at a fair distance from other fittings because this can cause them to function poorly or even block.

Control valve

Control valves are often controlled by actuators and they are used to regulate variables such as pressure, level, flow or temperature based on a number of factors. A 3-way control valve features 3 pipe connections which enables it to mix water from 2 pipes, to stop one entrance and open another or to split the flow coming from one pipe into 2 different pipes.

Best usage: Control valves are mostly used in industrial settings. Different parts of the system will send signals that will be picked up by sensors and transformed in commands for the valve. Here you can find 3-way control valves Revit families ready for download.

How to work with valves in Revit

First, you need to have valve Revit families that you can place on your piping systems. Start by downloading this Valves Revit plugin which will allow you to filter and search for the correct and most suited valve content you need. You can choose amongst several international manufacturers to make sure your content includes product information and is easy to order directly from the material list. You can also filter on different technical properties such as diameter, pressure stage or temperature range.

Once you find your perfect valve, select it and chose the pipe where you want to place it. The right fittings will be added to your system automatically without you having to set up every fitting for every valve you place. Watch this video to see the Valves Revit plugin in action.




Hope this article helped you and if you have any questions or are usually working with other types of valves and you want some more insight into those, drop us a line here.

One subject that cannot be ignored these days is the debate concerning the shift from traditional fuel-based heating solutions to alternative and more environmentally safe methods such as boilers and heat pumps. This discussion fits in the larger context of the global concern to reduce energy consumption and utilize forms of renewable energy. As such, the Paris Agreement stands proof for the collective initiative undertaken by a lot of nations to set things in motion and essentially do everything in their power to prevent the global temperatures this century from rising with more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. In the Netherlands for instance, this translates to a 95% reduction of CO2 by the year 2050. Quite an ambitious target.

What is your role as an MEP engineer or contractor in this?

As an MEP professional, you situate yourself at the foundation of this discussion and, together with other stakeholders such as project owners and architects, you represent the steering wheel that has the power to influence the project one way or the other.

When deciding about the energy source to be used for space heating and hot water systems, you usually have to take into account a number of factors such as the efficiency of the source, the environmental friendliness of the fuel, the installation and maintenance costs and the overall comfort they provide. How do you fill in your checklist? Read on and you’ll get the information you need to take a responsible decision.

Efficiency

COP - Coefficient of Performance

A genuine indicator of efficiency is the coefficient of performance (COP) that represents the ratio between the amount of heat or cooling produced and the amount of energy and resources required to generate that result. In the case of a gas heating system, every 1kW of gas energy burnt will result in 0.85kW of heat, which represents a COP of 0.85.

Heat pumps are essentially different since they don’t use only one resource or fuel as input. Heat pumps use electricity to transfer energy from heat sources recovered from the outdoor environment. So for every 1kW of electricity put in, the heat pump will produce up to 4kW of heat, which means a COP of 4. When calculating the COP, bear in mind that it is dependent on several conditions such as the size of the building, the insulation and temperature variations. In the case of lower outside temperatures, a heat pump will output less heat due to the fact that it simply takes less heat from outside.

Running costs

It is common amongst home and large project owners to think that the initial investment in a heat pump is not justified since it can be more expensive than a gas-fueled system. While this can be true in some cases (see “Installation and maintenance costs” section below), one needs to look at the long-term costs in order to correctly appreciate the efficiency of a heat pump. When taking into account the number of months and the average amount of hours per day that the heat pump is working, we will see that using heat pumps is indeed much cheaper on long-term than traditional gas heating systems. Use this handy running costs calculator to check your specific situation.

Installation and maintenance costs

2 in 1 system

Unlike a traditional heating method such as a gas furnace, a heat pump doesn’t have to generate heat itself. Instead, it uses electricity to transfer heat that already exists from one area to another. Heat pumps perform a double job: in summer they keep the temperatures cooler inside and in winter they deliver more heat. For homeowners, this means that they don’t have to install two systems – a furnace and an air conditioner – because a heat pump will do the job of both. Consequently, the costs of installation, maintenance, repair or replacing are reduced to nearly half. With regard to maintenance the following. Most units consist of two parts. For a heat pump based on external air input the outdoor unit will be more difficult to maintain than an indoor unit.

Investment

For a heat pump investment is needed compared to a mainstream central heating solution.
You can think of connecting the gas pipes from the control cabinet and an exhaust gas hose for the boiler. In the long run these will have to deliver a certain payback and return on investment based on the estimated consumption and potential savings.

Comfort

Safety

Traditional fuel based heating systems can pose serious dangers for several reasons. First, they display hot surfaces or flames within the easy reach for children or adults which can result in domestic injuries. Second, they pose the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can result in death. Heat pumps eliminate these risks and make for safer and more environmentally friendly heating methods.

Extended features

Heat pumps also present a number of modern advantages such as dehumidifying, air filtration, the even distribution of warm air around the house, remote wi-fi control, hour scheduling and temperature control, features that add value to the overall customer experience.

What is your responsibility?

Now is your time to act. You have the possibility to majorly contribute to the reduction of pollution around the world while delivering better, more sustainable and more convenient methods of heating. Take a look at the MEPcontent library of Revit families and AutoCAD files for heat pumps and download the ones you will use in your projects. Which one is the best? That is up to you to decide, depending on the project demands and your preferences. You can choose manufacturer specific content from Mitsubishi Electric, Nibe, Hisense, Fujitsu, Saunier Duval, Buderus, Viessmann and several other manufacturers. View the library now and select your favourite!

Revit is a tremendous platform that enables the collaboration between different parts involved in a BIM project. However, when it comes to really specific tasks, such as rotating MEP families in free space or around another family, Revit will propose quite tricky solutions. If you have ever attempted to rotate objects in Revit, you know what I am describing.

Multiple rotation possibilities at your disposal

Speed and accuracy can be decisive factors when it comes to the overall quality of an MEP project. Delivering in time is essential, that is why MEP engineers need to benefit from the help of specialized tools to aid them in their work.

In this case, we are talking about a Revit plugin that enables the modeler to rotate families in free space around any axis (X, Y, Z), or around another 3D object with any amount of degrees.

Rotating single or multiple elements (like fittings, pipes and ducts) connected to a system is possible by specifying the desired direction and angle. Opposed to the plain functionality offered by Revit, the connectivity won’t be lost.

You can rotate single Revit families, multiple elements connected to each other, assemblies or groups around X, Y, and Z axis in any view, including 3D views. View here the Revit plugin that will allow you to do all of this.


Read further: How to Connect & Copy Revit families.

Revit is the go-to platform for designing and collaborating with construction partners in BIM projects. But when it comes to specific or complex tasks, the platform has its limitations. Reconnecting specific system parts with native Revit functionality, can be quite time-consuming for example. This is why additional plugins or add-ins come in handy. Below, we have selected four MEP Plugins for Revit that will help you realize your Revit projects faster:

1. Design MEP systems up to 60% faster

Whether you want to connect a fitting to a pipe, rotate entire systems in 3D without leaving your view, or reconnect a saddle to a pipe, you can now save considerable time in Revit. The new Productivity Tools App for Revit features 6 useful functionalities in one ribbon that will help you design your MEP systems up to 60% faster. Here you can check out what these functionalities are and see how they can be used in your project.

2. Create openings in Revit for MEP elements

Generate openings with increased accuracy on places where MEP elements clash with structural elements. You can for example quickly create holes in walls, floors or ceilings where ducts or pipes intersect. The Openings for MEP App allows you to very easily communicate with the structural engineer about these openings. Create opening requests, send them to the structural engineer for approval and update your model with the response file you get back. Check out how you can use this App to optimize your workflow.

3. Generate electrical schematics automatically

If you’re an electrical engineer, you may have run into the fact that you cannot easily create schematics for electrical systems in Revit. The recently updated Electrical Schematics App however, allows you to do exactly this. You just need to select the available main panel(s) in your project, and the schematic will be created automatically. You can choose to generate either a system structure schematic or a block schematic. This way, you’ll have a clear overview of your electrical system. Watch the video to see how the App works.

4. Edit your data quickly in Excel

Revit’s great for modelling systems, Excel is great for updating and sharing data. By combining the best of both, you can save time a lot of time on updating information in your Revit project. The Export and Import Excel App allows you to export data from your Revit model to Excel, where you can update or add data to multiple elements at once, and import the data back into your model. This enables you to easily add manufacturer or calculation data to your model. The app has recently been updated, so now there’s even more information that can be exported from Revit. Learn more about this Revit App.

Start saving time

The Apps listed above will provide you with smart workflows and a better and faster design experience in Revit. And the good news is: you can easily download them from the MEPcontent store and try them for free. So if you want to experience one of the Apps yourself before reaching out to your creditcard, visit store.mepcontent.com and download your free trial. Use the summer with our Apps to complete your Revit projects in no time.

Now available for download as Revit families: ABB Busch-Watchdog detectors. These high-quality detection systems guarantee uninterrupted surveillance in all areas.

Motion detectors (MasterLINE, ProfessionalLINE, BasicLINE)

Electronic motion detectors for detecting e.g. persons or cars by thermal motion.

Occupancy detectors (Presence tech BasicLINE / DualLINE)

For switching lighting systems that depend on brightness and movement. Circular detection range from 6m up to 24m in diameter.

Ceiling/corner adapter for MasterLINE series

Used to increase the inclination of the Busch-Watchdog 220/280. It is mounted at the corner of the house, on the wall or under the ceiling. For flush or surface wiring.

Junction boxes and protective basket

For surface mounting and increase of the protection type.

Download the Revit families now!

Design at a high level of detail

You can now add ABB solar inverters to your ABB collection of Revit families and AutoCAD and .IFC files. Download now the new string inverters recently published on MEPcontent and use them to design your installations at a high level of detail!

UNO-DM-PLUS - Single phase string inverter

The new UNO-DM-PLUS single-phase inverter family, with power ratings from 1.2 to 5.0 kW, is the optimal solution for residential installations. The presence of Plug and Play connectors, both on the DC and AC side, as well as the wireless communication, enable a simple, fast and safe installation without the need of opening the front cover of the inverter. The featured easy commissioning routine removes the need for a long configuration process, resulting in lower installation time and costs.

TRIO-20.0/27.6 - Three-phase string inverter

The TRIO 20.0/27.6 commercial inverter offers more flexibility and control to installers who have large installations with varying aspects or orientations. The dual input section containing two independent Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), allows optimal energy harvesting from two sub-arrays oriented in different directions.

TRIO-50.0 - Three-phase string inverter

The TRIO-50.0/60.0 inverter is ABB’s three-phase string solution for cost-efficient large decentralized photovoltaic systems for both commercial and utility applications. The TRIO-50.0/60.0 inverter has been designed with the objective to maximize the ROI in large systems with all the advantages of a decentralized configuration for both rooftop and ground-mounted installations. Modular design TRIO-50.0/60.0 has a landscape modular design to guarantee maximum flexibility.

REACT - PV + Storage, Residential application

REACT stores and allows to make the most of the energy produced by a residential photovoltaic system. The single phase grid-connected inverter is equipped with a built-in 2 kWh battery that allows storage of unused energy generated during the day for later use. REACT also features two independent MPPT inputs.

Magnetic dirt separator

Swivelling magnetic dirt separator with double filtering action from IVAR is compact, and features a connection kit for the installation under the boiler.

The evacuation of impurities is possible without emptying the system and disassembling the dirt separator, thanks to the removable magnet and to the opening of a 360° swivelling shut-off ball valve.

Equimeter metering module

The equimeter metering module with unit for heat only can withstand a maximum static operating pressure of 10 bar and a maximum fluid temperature of 90 °C.

Brass-Rod manifolds

Manifolds have the purpose of distributing the heat transfer fluid to the various heating and/or cooling take-off points. The IVAR brass bar manifolds can be used for applications in high and low temperature and cooling.

PLS updates

5 PLS have been updated for IVAR Pipes and fittings: 1285 articles in total. Choose between pipes and fittings from IVAR PRESS-Line, IVAR MPC-Line, IVAR MPL-Line, IVAR MPC-Line or IVAR MP-Line.

You can import Product Line Sheets (PLS) in your project through Stabicad and have your articles available both in Stabicad for Revit and Stabicad for AutoCAD. After importing, the articles will include properties and dimensions such as type or diameter, which makes it easy to place them in your project.

A MEPcontent subscription for Stabicad is required for working with the PLS. Read more about the MEPcontent subscription.

A much requested feature has been added to our Revit Apps for piping systems: drawing bendable piping systems. This new feature allows MEP engineers to design flexible piping systems much faster than with native Revit functionality. The MEPcontent Product Line Placer for Piping, the SANHA Product Line Placer and the Henco Product Line Placer have been equipped with the new feature.

Using the Apps, you can now draw flexible pipe systems with special bends that allow you to draw in every direction and report the total length of the pipes with a schedule. It is not needed to configure this; it will work directly when selecting a flexible pipe type. You can simply form the pipe by clicking the next point for the bendable path to follow.

Create schedules
Creating a schedule with the total pipe length, which is required for ordering flexible pipe systems, is very easy. The Apps all provide a schedule for bendable pipe systems with the total pipe length. When showing the total pipe length within your project, you can make use of the included tag.

Easily add Tags
Tag functionality has also been extended, now allowing Revit users to add tags with information on bendable pipes such as measurements, lengths and diameters of the pipe. The 'Create schedule' and 'Tags' options can be found under the Create button in the Apps.

Improve your design workflow
Combining all of the App functionalities, you can now complete the design workflow for your entire piping systems within Revit: easily design the required flexible systems, add the relevant tags, and finally create schedules with all relevant data such as measurements, manufacturer data and article numbers. So your piping system can be ordered and fabricated right from within Revit.

You can now generate a block schematic of your Revit electrical system

A new schematic has been added to the Electrical Schematics App: the block schematic. This schematic will show an overview of all of the panels in the Revit electrical system and has 2 variations: one with the level information included with the panel and one with the levels represented using horizontal lines and placing the panels on the correct level.

For Revit power systems, the panels will include information about the total connected load, the total estimated demand and the apparent load per phase. Great to get a nice overview!

Choose which levels to include in your system structure schematic

When generating the system structure schematic, you can now choose which levels to include in your schematic. This enables you to create system structure schematics that are more compact and easier to print. Offering you more flexibility!

Generate schematics for each panel individually

We are not only showing the main panels, but also all of the sub panels in your Revit electrical system. This enables you to generate a schematic for each main and sub panel individually.

New articles available for download

New Brink Climate Systems heat recovery units are, as of this week, available for download from MEPcontent as Revit families, AutoCAD files or .IFC files. Download now the Flair 300 (NL localization) and the Flair 325 (INT, DE, CH and FR localizations) and start using them in your projects!

Several other localizations have been added and updated for CH, DE, FR, NL and INT for the Renovent Excellent and Renovent Sky families.

Brink Climate Systems heat recovery units

The Flair 300 is more efficient, quieter and consumes considerably less energy than other comparable products. According to calculations, energy consumption is about 30% lower. The new designed fans with integrated controls ensure a constant flow of fresh ventilation air.

The convenient installation wizard of the Flair 325 makes installation quicker. This tool guides you step-by-step through the installation process and makes it impossible to overlook anything. The appliance itself also offers you smart help through the maintenance wizard when maintaining and replacing filters.

The MEPcontent POLOPLAST Product Line Placer for Revit plugin helps BIM experts to get access to the POLO-KAL XS, POLO-KAL NG and POLO-KAL 3S series, made available in this App. Visit the MEPcontent store and watch the video to see the App in action and get a quick impression of what it can do for you. Try the App yourself for free by downloading it from the MEPcontent store and install it for Revit. Create accurate schedules and select the product line, product group or system type of choice from within the POLOPLAST product range. Get the right POLOPLAST coupling or end piece when working with the split elements and cap open ends Revit functionalities. Draw your system and zoom in on the pipe socket, while connecting multiple fittings, bends, tees, reducers and couplings from the POLOPLAST series available in the App.

Optimizer included

Next to autorouting, composites and schedules, this App includes an optimizer which optimizes your system according to your set preferences. Simply specify which solution you want to see in which scenario and the optimizer will adjust all your auto routing fittings to the desired solution.

Free Manufacturer App

The MEPcontent POLOPLAST Product Line Placer App can be downloaded for free on store.mepcontent.com. You can also find this handy plugin on the POLOPLAST website.

Welcome, Attema!

We welcome manufcturer Attema on MEPcontent. Numerous Revit families for Attema ceiling / wall junction boxes, transition boxes, expansion boxes and recess cones have been published today on the MEPcontent platform where they can be downloaded for free by MEP engineers and used in their projects.

Marcel Herssevoort, Marketing Manager at Attema B.V., explains why MEPcontent was chosen: "Attema has been active in the field of BIM for years. We offered our relations Revit files via our website. However, the market asked us whether we could also provide access to these files via MEPcontent. We would like to listen to this and have therefore opted for MEPcontent. We can offer the first part of our range from now on, the rest will follow soon."

Junction boxes for different uses

The complete series of Attema junction boxes can be roughly divided into square, universal junction boxes and round, traditional junction boxes.

The Attema assortment of round, traditional junction boxes includes numerous combinations and positions of the conduit lead-ins. They are especially well suited for surface-mount installations for conduit and conduit clips.

The hollow wall boxes are suitable for installation in “open” and/or “closed” hollow walls.
The (Duo-)UHW50(-BW) and UHW40 can be used in both “open” and “closed” hollow walls. The HWD40 is especially well suited for use in a “closed” hollow wall. The HWD50, HWD50S and HWD50L(-BW) can only be used in an “open” hollow wall.

About Attema

Attema is an ambitious developer and producer of innovative solutions. These are applicable to different areas in the market: Installation, Building, Infra and Special Products. Attema employees always listen closely to their customers so they know better than anyone else what’s happening in the market. This results in the creation of continually surprising products with clearly added specific value for each customer.

This manifold is created on a lot of user requests for sanitary systems. You can change all necessary sizes and dimensions to fit the family into your project. Valves are optional.

Watch the video and see how to easily configure the manifold to meet your system requirements. Download the manifold family here.