The
streamlined predecessor of the RKV and RIKO Plunger Valves
In 1932, Bopp & Reuther developed the so-called annular slide and metering valve, the predecessor of today’s plunger valve. The idea came from America at that time.
The installation of venturi metering tubes together with gate valves in a pipeline needed a lot of space because of the necessary damping zones alone. A streamlined valve with an integrated metering device was the solution.
These valves were installed in pumping stations, transport pipelines and on dams in order to ensure the cavitation-free control of the pressure or flow and to measure the rate of flow at the same time. The valves were available with own-medium control, with actuators or as float-controlled types.
In 1968, engineer R. Weißbrod describes the various types and operating principles of the VAG annular slide valves in the “VAG Valve Technology Manual”. Despite their considerable age, these valves are still in operation worldwide today. In the late 1960s, the design of the annular slide valves was fundamentally revised. The RKV Plunger Valve was born, which has meanwhile been replaced by the VAG RIKO Plunger Valve.
