April 4, 1996
Four Lockheed Martin Idaho technologies licensed to an Alaskan Native American corporation for manufacturing and marketing have a potential worldwide market in a vast array of industries.
The license calls for Piquniq Management Corporation (PMC), Anchorage, Alaska, to manufacture a unique valve, valve stem and packing assembly, air jet pumping and fluid sampling system, all developed at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The devices involve four Lockheed Martin Idaho patents that offer industry control and sampling technologies that greatly reduce leaks in fluid and gas transport systems, significantly reduce the associated maintenance and equipment replacement costs and promote worker and environmental safety.
Under the license, PMC will form a new corporation with Lockheed Martin Idaho as part owner. The agreement offers PMC incentives, in the form of reduced equity in the company on the part of Lockheed Martin Idaho, to establish assembly or marketing facilities for the devices in southeast Idaho. For Lockheed Martin Idaho, the deal contributes to its INEL contract commitment to create new businesses and employment opportunities in the region. The assembly plant could initially employee 10-20 persons and potentially could grow to several hundred depending on sales of the products. A decision on an Idaho plant could be made by summer. Additional manufacturing sites are also being considered in Alaska.
PMC is owned 45.5 percent each by two other Native Alaskan corporations, Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corp. and Arctic Slope Regional Corp. and nine percent by Textron Marine. PMC has annual revenues of $50 million and is a minority service contractor currently with contracts at military and government installations including Wake, Midway and Kodiak. They also provide manufacturing and telecommunications products and have a machine shop and warehouse in Panama City, Fla.
Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies is the Department of Energy-Idaho Operations Office contractor at the INEL.
The key technology in the license is a revolutionary-shaped plug valve, called a tractrix valve, and valve stem and packing assembly. The valve plug is uniquely, cone/tractrix-shaped and allows for tighter seating with fewer leaks as the valve or valve stem wears and less breakdown from wear compared to conventional plug and ball valves. The torque or force required to turn the valve is about 10 percent of that required for current plug and ball valves, giving a tremendous advantage in electric or pneumatic actuation.
Designed by retired INEL employee John Wordin, the valve has applications in dozens of industries where replacement of worn, leaking valves is costly and potentially exposes workers or the environment to hazardous materials. Applications include aerospace, cryogenics, chemical and hazardous materials, food processing, oil and gas, nuclear and medical industries.
The design allows the valve to be made from any type of metal and plastic and permits metal-to-metal seating which is ideal in harsh environments. The valve can be made for an estimated 10 percent to 25 percent less than conventional ball valves.
Associated technologies with the valve are a vortex diode jet pump technology, and fluid sampling system developed by Lockheed Martin Idaho engineer David Houck. The vortex diode jet pumps liquids and small solids suspended in liquids using air pressure instead of mechanical pumps that can be damaged by harsh liquids or solids in the fluid.
The fluid sampling system provides a method of capturing samples from a line while eliminating leaks and spills and maintaining the integrity of the sample. The jet and sampler systems could reduce the maintenance needs for mechanical pumps, saving industry millions of dollars, as well as help industries maintain the purity of samples collected for analysis.
Potential applications of the pump and sampling system are in the food, pharmaceutical and hazardous chemical industries.
Media Contact: John Walsh (208) 526-8646