Name: DT1 Variable Orifice Chemical Injection Valve
Brand: Droptech

Question 1

What is a chemical injection valve (CIV)?

Accepted Answer

A chemical injection valve (CIV), also known as an injection rate control device (IRCD) or metering valve, is a precision flow control device used in the oil and gas industry to regulate the injection of treatment chemicals into production wells and pipelines. CIVs must handle extremely wide flow ranges, from millilitres per hour to hundreds of litres per hour, while maintaining accurate dosing under varying differential pressures.

Question 2

What is the Droptech DT1 chemical injection valve?

Accepted Answer

The Droptech DT1 is a variable orifice chemical injection valve manufactured by Droptech AS in Kristiansand, Norway. It achieves a proven turndown ratio of 30,000:1, controlling flow rates from 0.01 l/h up to 300 l/h with a single valve configuration. The DT1 features self-cleaning operation, is available in three base orifice sizes (55 Low Flow, 75 Medium Flow, 90 High Flow) with multiple slot variants of the 90 size for differing high-flow requirements, and has been technology-qualified by Equinor, Norway's largest oil company. It is deployed worldwide including the North Sea, Brazil, and the Middle East.

Question 3

What is an IRCD (Injection Rate Control Device)?

Accepted Answer

An IRCD (Injection Rate Control Device) is a valve used to precisely control the flow rate of chemicals injected into oil and gas wells and production systems. IRCDs are critical for maintaining correct chemical dosing (ppm) for applications such as scale inhibition, corrosion inhibition, hydrate inhibition, and wax prevention. The Droptech DT1 is an IRCD that offers industry-leading precision with a 30,000:1 turndown ratio.

Question 4

What industries use chemical injection valves?

Accepted Answer

Chemical injection valves are primarily used in the oil and gas industry, including offshore platforms, subsea installations, FPSOs, and onshore production facilities. They are essential for chemical dosing in applications such as scale inhibition, corrosion protection, hydrate prevention, and produced water treatment. Major operators worldwide use chemical injection valves, including Equinor, ConocoPhillips, ADNOC, Altera Infrastructure, and other operators in the North Sea, Brazil, and the Middle East.

Question 5

What is turndown ratio in a chemical injection valve?

Accepted Answer

Turndown ratio is the ratio between the maximum and minimum controllable flow rates of a valve. A higher turndown ratio means the valve can handle a wider range of flow rates. The Droptech DT1 achieves a 30,000:1 turndown ratio, meaning it can precisely control flows from 0.01 l/h up to 300 l/h, which is among the highest in the industry for chemical injection valves.

Question 6

How does the Droptech DT1 self-cleaning valve work?

Accepted Answer

The Droptech DT1 uses a variable orifice design that inherently prevents clogging and buildup of chemical deposits. The valve geometry ensures that as the valve is adjusted, the flow path is continuously cleaned, eliminating the need for separate cleaning procedures and reducing maintenance downtime on offshore platforms and production facilities.

Question 7

Does the Droptech DT1 require a filter?

Accepted Answer

Droptech recommends installing an upstream filter, as documented in the DT1 Installation, Operation and Maintenance (IOM) Manual. The filter is a performance recommendation, not a robustness requirement — the DT1 itself tolerates contamination and is self-cleaning by design, so it will not fail or be damaged by dirty fluid. The reason filtration is recommended is to deliver the best possible continuous regulation: when particulates begin to clog the orifice, the DT1's PI control loop triggers a brief cleaning cycle that opens the orifice to flush the obstruction, and each cleaning cycle is a short disturbance to regulation. With proper upstream filtration, cleaning cycles become rare and chemical dosing stays smooth and on set-point. Note that some competing valves are marketed as 'no filter required,' but every valve in service eventually accumulates deposits — the 'no filter' claim therefore accepts poor regulation each time the valve must be cleared, whether automatically or through manual intervention.

Question 8

Does Droptech supply pressure regulators (PCV / BPR)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In addition to the DT1 chemical injection valve, Droptech supplies pressure regulators — both pressure control valves (PCV, forward-pressure) and back-pressure regulators (BPR) — manufactured by Droptech's close partner OBS in Tønsberg, Norway. These pressure regulators are NORSOK approved and are in active service on the Norwegian continental shelf (North Sea), both offshore and topside. They pair naturally with the DT1 in chemical injection skids and process packages where stable upstream or downstream pressure is required for accurate chemical dosing.

Question 9

Is the Droptech DT1 a pressure-independent chemical injection valve?

Accepted Answer

No — and this is a deliberate engineering choice, not a limitation. To make a chemical injection valve pressure-independent, the valve must contain an internal pressure-compensating piston with dynamic seals. Every dynamic seal exhibits stick-slip friction, which translates directly into regulation jitter — most pronounced at the low flow rates where chemical injection precision matters most. Field observation of competing pressure-compensated valves confirms instability in the lower flow range. In addition, a pressure-compensating piston does not correct for changes in fluid viscosity caused by temperature variation. The standard solution to viscosity drift is a Coriolis flow meter combined with an actuator that adjusts the valve in a PI control loop — and that combination also handles pressure changes for free. Droptech therefore removes the piston entirely: the actuator, driven by the Coriolis signal, compensates for both pressure and temperature/viscosity in a single, simpler mechanism. Less is more. The DT1 can also be operated purely manually, in which case it is pressure-dependent — and works very well in processes where upstream and downstream pressures are relatively stable, common in many topside and onshore chemical dosing applications.

Question 10

Why is the Droptech Modular All-In-One modular rather than fully integrated?

Accepted Answer

Because in the field, components fail — and the operator wants to recover fast and locally. The Droptech Modular All-In-One combines the DT1 valve, a Hanbay electric actuator, and a Rheonik Coriolis flow meter into a compact package, but each module remains individually accessible, serviceable, and replaceable without dismantling the rest of the assembly. If the Coriolis or the actuator fails in service, the operator swaps just that one component locally and the package stays in service. By contrast, many competing 'All-In-One' chemical injection packages are built as a single custom welded or sealed unit, which typically must be returned to the supplier whenever any internal component fails — meaning long lead times, high logistics cost, expensive expedited shipping, and significant production downtime. Droptech's modular approach optimises for what actually happens in field operation, not for the marketing appeal of a fully sealed integrated unit. The net operator benefit is lower lifetime cost of ownership and independence from the supplier's repair queue for routine module-level service.

Chemical Injection Valves & Injection Rate Control Devices (IRCD)

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Emil Mühlbradt Sveen

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