Gilmore August Product Spotlight: GEN2 Regulator Valve Series

We speak to Gerardo Martinez, Account Manager Drilling Solutions about the improvements of the GEN2 Regulator Series recently launched

Gerardo Martinez has been a valued member of the Gilmore Engineering team for over 9 years.  He has proven himself as a pacesetting leader and contributor within the company serving as Engineering Manager through 2020 with the execution of multiple product improvement projects all aimed to meet increasing system demand and maintaining reliability of product.  He now serves as Gilmore’s Drilling Solutions Account Manager and Product Specialist.

Tell us about the GEN2 Regulator Series?

The GEN2 Regulator Series was included in a 5-year engineering plan for the development and execution of the next generation of essential control flow products.  Products under the GEN2 product qualification had to exceed industry guidelines to provide a more robust and reliable control flow solution, setting a new standard in product reliability.

Gilmore’s GEN2 pressure regulators are the ideal solution for maintaining and limiting downstream pressure. The tungsten carbide shear seals, hydraulic damping and improved guidance create a more resilient, debris tolerant valve with an extended service life. The GEN2 Regulator Series includes four pressure regulator valves: Manual Spring, Compensator, Air Motor and Hydraulic Pilot. These serve to fulfill application specific parameters in various service and operating conditions.

All four regulators are designed with the same footprint as the legacy products which enables ease of product installation out in the field. This allows our customers to upgrade their systems with greater ease and minimum disruption.

What are the key engineering enhancements that operators need to know?

Every added feature to the GEN2 regulator is specific to address observed field performance

• The refined tungsten carbide seal trim design extends cycle life performance
• The guided hydraulic damping technology reduces dynamic oscillation
• The enhanced bolted plunger guide improves guidance
• The upgraded dynamic plunger T-seal eliminates spiral wound O-ring failures
• The improved set point resolution lowers deadband

What will the increase in life cycle mean to the end-user?

The goal is for our Regulators to be maintenance free in alignment with major BOP recertification cycles of 3-year and 5-year service intervals.  The published flow and deadband performance data will help users understand the valve performance without need for premature disassembly and inspection.

Closing statement regarding the product line.

“The qualification philosophy for the GEN2 product line has yielded the most robust and reliant equipment in the industry. Each feature and iteration done at the qualification stage is an improvement that addresses and eliminates weak points in previous designs. We are proud of our work, we put our best foot forward with our products to ensure resiliency and robustness in the harshest environments.” Gerardo Martinez, Drilling Solutions Account Manager