What is a Plumbing Valve and What are Their Applications

Posted on August 14, 2010 by theplumbinginfo The plumbing valve, its simplest definition is any valve used to regulate the flow of water in a potable or human waste water system. Pretty simple right? We suppose the the basic premise of a plumbing valve is simple but the types of valves and the broad range of applications are anything but simple. In the next few paragraphs we will give you each type of plumbing valve and its applications. Angle Valve or Stop Angle stops are named because they are manufactured at a 90

degree angle, they are used as shut off valves at the water intake of plumbing fixtures or appliances. They usually have an oval handle or can have a removable handle when vandalism or theft is an issue. In the past the angle stop needed to be rotated many times to ensure a complete water shut of, now most manufacturers make a 1/4 turn valve so the water can be shut off quickly in case of emergency. Well give you one emergency everyone has experienced that will make the 1/4 turn valve extremely valuable. Have you ever had a toilet backup and seen your toilet water level rising ever so slowly maybe you notice a floater or two and you couldnt turn the angle valve fast enough to turn the water off? If you only had a 1/4 turn to close the valve off and that rising water would stop. The angle valve is not meant for high pressure applications. The type of connections used for angle stops are sweat, threaded and compression connections.

Gate Valve The gate valve is a very old valve design. It is still used everyday on large

diameter piping, in high pressure applications and in application where a valve is needed for a complete shut down. The gate valve is typically operated by a wheel handle and that handle lifts and lowers a metal disc or wedge cutting off or opening the flow of water. A gate valve should not be used to throttle or regulate the flow of water. When a gate valve is left partially opened water tends to rattle the mechanism inside eventually wearing out the seats and seals. Gate valves are usually described as rising stem sometimes called an OS&Y (Outside Screw and Yoke) or non-rising stem. An OS&Y valve allows you to see whether or not the gate valve is either open or closed because the stem rises outside the valve body. Non-rising stem gate valves are used in areas where space is an issue. The type of connections commonly used to connect a gate valve to the piping are threaded, flanged and sweat connections.

Check Valve A check valve is a one way valve in that is has one inlet and one outlet

that allows the a liquid to travel in one direction. It is used to halt the flow of the aforementioned liquid in case of a drop in pressure or reverse in directional flow. The majority of check valves used in the plumbing industry work automatically meaning when the pressure or direction changes the valve slams shut. One example of a check valve that is easy to understand is a backwater valve used on a sewer main as it leaves a residential or commercial building. Its main function is to close of the sewer in case the city main cant handle storm water. If the city sewer runs full the only place for the water to go are the buildings connected to it, the valve keeps the water from coming back into the building. These valve can have a manual handle to close the valve, this is especially useful when leaving the residence or building unattended. The only problem is you have to remember to open it back up, you can imagine the mess if you use the toilets, lavatories etc. with no way for the waste to get out.

Backwater Check Valve This valve works just like the above. It is a one way valve

that is used most often in residential applications They are made by several manufacturers and they are basically heavy duty check valves. They are installed on the main sewer right at the foundation wall. They come in a check valve style in that when water starts backing up into the sewer line the valve slams shut or in a manual style. If a home owner chooses a manual style back water valve they have to crank the valve shut during heavy rains and remember to open it back up when the rain is over because if someone uses the facilities while the valve is closed you will have some serious backups. Advantages of having a backwater valve, they work and they work well. Disadvantages, they arent cheap to buy or install. Ball Valve The ball valve is the most popular and widely used type of valve in the

plumbing industry. It is built using a spherical disc or ball with a hole in it.

When the ball is turned to the open position the hole or port is lined up with the flow of liquid letting it pass through. When the ball is turned to the closed position the port is perpendicular to the flow of liquid cutting off the opening. Its early history is a little vague but here are couple known facts, the first ball type valve was patented by John Warren and issued to both Warren and John Chapman the founder of Chapman Valve Co. It was a manufactured out of brass with a brass ball and seats. The valve became an

afterthought and was not mentioned in the Chapman literature. The next mention of the ball valve and the first resilient seated ball valve was developed and patented by Crane Company in 1945 (Resilient Seat this is a real basic definition but youll get the idea, this is a non metallic seat that is resistant to oils, water and hydraulic fluids, has very good strength and works well in a broad spectrum of temperature ranges so it is resistant to expansion and contraction. Some examples of resilient seating materials are Neoprene, Buna-N and EPDM.) but like their historical predecessor Crane could not find a use for the valve. Wafer Check A wafer style check valve is obviously a check valve that is used when space constraints wont allow traditional check valves to be used. Some of the other benefits of using a wafer check is weight, this style of check doesnt need as much support as its traditional full body counterpart. A wafer valve is made using a thin disc that can be fastened in the center or the top or can be spring loaded in the center. This valve is meant to placed between two flanged fittings and secured between the two fittings with all thread rod. The valve is notched in the same positions as the bolt pattern of the flanges so the rod can pass by the valve. The valve is secured at both ends by the flanges.

Butterfly Valve The butterfly valve has some similar features to that of the above

wafer check valve. It is very thin and lightweight so space and support are not issues. It is closed using a wafer or disc that is mounted on a rod that is secured in the middle of the valve. The rod exits the valve at the top and ends with a handle that incrementally controls the internal disc. In the open position the disc is parallel to the pipe in the closed position the disc is perpendicular to the pipe closing off flow. These types of valves can be used to control flow and are especially affective in tight spots. Most times the handles are spring loaded and allow you to lock the valve into a certain position. Circuit Setter This a very specialized valve used in the heating/cooling, HVAC and plumbing industry. We will give you a basic description of the valve and its functions but for further explanation please see our article on System Balancing.It is complex enough to warrant its own article and we would be doing the subject a disservice by not addressing it by itself. A circuit setter is a balancing type valve used in an HVAC or plumbing system to regulate pressure in the whole system or within part of the system. In a plumbing system it is used to regulated pressure between hot and cold water inside the potable water system. Many years ago a check valve and a ball valve where used, the check valve would shut down a hot or cold water supply if there was a sudden drop in pressure and the ball valve with a memory stop was used to regulate flow. This prevented cold or hot water bleed over if the pressure was increased or decreased in either supply piping.

Here are some things you should look for when choosing a circuit setter

What is the adjustment range of valve. Is the valve only able to adjust in quarter turn increments? If precision adjustment is needed look for a valve that has 360 degrees of adjustment.

What kind of test ports are on the valve. You should have a port for temperature and another for pressure. Can you achieve a positive shut down for isolation purposes?

Gas Cock A gas cock is a valve that is used to regulate low pressure natural or LP gas.

The most common place to see this type of valve would be on the incoming gas supply for a kitchen appliance. The old school gas cock is a wedge type valve. Please see diagram below for a cross sectional view. The wedge when closed blocks the flow of gas, when the wedge is turned to the open position the wedge is hollow to allow the flow of gas. This is not a full port valve. New style gas valves are ball valves with small gas valve type handle. Flush Valve The diaphragm type flushometer was introduced by William Elvis Sloan

in 1906. The diaphragm flush valve remains largely unchanged. The flush valve is comprised of two chambers, the upper and the lower. When the valve is not used both chambers are filled with water and equalized by the water supply pressure and it is kept equalized by the by-pass orifice. More about the by-pass orifice in a second. The handle is attached to a handle assembly, the flat end of the handle is butted up against the flat end of the operating stem. When the handle is depressed it pushes the operating

stem which trips the stem of the diaphragm. This stem rocks the diaphragm out of the seat thereby releasing the water from the upper chamber. Because there is now less pressure in the upper chamber the diaphragm is pushed up from the water pressure in the lower chamber and flushing begins. The diaphragm slowly re-seats itself as water from the lower chamber enters through the by-pass orifice equalizing pressure between the two chambers. Globe Valve A globe valve is aptly named for its rather spherical body. A globe valve

can be used to regulate flow in a plumbing line. Think of the valve body being bisected by baffles that are manufactured into the valve body and those baffles come together in the middle of the valve and that opening is closed by seating a disc or plug. The handle is attached to the stem which raises and lower the disc into place. Although this valve is affective as an isolation or regulating valve it does have its drawbacks. Because of the baffles it does not allow for full flow, there are too many right angles. Since the flow is restricted this type of valve may not meet engineering specifications where full flow is required.

Double Detector Check Valve A double detector check assembly is one device that

houses two check valve assemblies in the line of flow. The check valves are spring actuated and are designed to open with 1 pound of pressure. The double detector check assembly is installed with one (1) gate valve on the inlet of the valve and one (1) gate valve on the outlet side of the valve.These assemblies prevent back flow or back pressure in nonhazardous situations and are most used to protect the potable water system of a building from the water in a fire prevention system. A detector check is made with a by-pass assembly and meter to detect any unauthorized or illegal taps, test cocks are also present so that required yearly testing can take place. Each check valve can be isolated and tested independently to see if they are leaking and operating properly. Reduce Pressure Zone Valve (RPZ) An RPZ is very similar to the double detector

check in that it houses two testable check valves. It has two gate valves one (1) on the inlet and one (1) on the outlet. Here is where things change, an RPZ is used in high hazard situations, where contamination of the water supply would pose a significant health hazard.

An RPZ is designed with two check valves like a Double Detector Check Valve and a relief

valve. The 1st check valve is calibrated to open at 5lbs of pressure the 2nd check valve is calibrated to open with 1lb of pressure and the relief valve which is the last line of defense and it is set to open with 2lbs of pressure and discharge to the atmosphere. The relief valve is usually piped to a nearby floor drain so the room doesnt flood if a large discharge occurs. This valve is built with redundancy in mind. If the pressure drops below 5lb of pressure the check closes on the outlet side if the pressure drops below a 1lb of pressure that check closes, if that check fails and the water by-passes the outlet check, it is released by the relief check. Pressure Balance Valve Scald protection and thermal shock are two terms that are used together and can overlap. Scalding can cause thermal shock which can then result in a fall or any number of injuries resulting from the shock of being scalded or blasted with ice cold water. How many of us have accidentally jumped in the shower just a few seconds before the hot water kicks in and nearly slipped and fallen? A pressure balance valve is a valve that protects against these types of issues buy regulating the amount of pressure within the valve. Pressure balance valves come in two varieties. The first is a diaphragm type, this valve has the hot coming from one side and the cold from the other, the balancing disk is in the middle. The disk slides back and forth on a piston. Changes in pressure push against the disk and move the piston in the direction of the lower pressure and cuts off flow from the high pressure side. The second in the spool type pressure balance valve, it has a spool inside the valve, the spool slides towards the supply with the lower pressure. This cuts off the volume of water entering the valve on the high pressure side and allows more water from the low pressure side. Output water temp cannot vary more than 3 degrees. ASSE Code 1016 defines scald protection valves. Both valves do not adjust for fluctuations in temperature.

Thermostatic Mixing Valve This valve adjusts volume of water and protects the user

by sensing water temperature. The most common type of thermostatic mixing valve has a paraffin wax element that expands and contracts based upon the supply temperature. If the wax gets hot the spool slides over to pinch off the hot side and vise versa. This type of valve is usually both temperature and pressure balanced. There is another type of thermostatic mixing valve that uses a bi-metal strip. As the temperature changes so does the shape of the metal. As the metal changes shape it adjusts output temperature. As you can imagine a piece of metal that is constantly expanding and contracting can become brittle and eventually break. Its one the reasons the wax element type valve has become the norm. We hope you enjoyed the article. As with all of our articles feel free to add a comment or point out if you think something can be clarified. theplumbinginfo.com A flow control valve regulates the flow or pressure of a fluid. Control valves normally respond to signals generated by independent devices such as flow meters or temperature gauges. Control valves are normally fitted with actuators and positioners. Pneumatically-actuated globe valves and Diaphragm Valves are widely used for control purposes in many industries, although quarter-turn types such as (modified) ball, gate and butterfly valves are also used. Control valves can also work with hydraulic actuators (also known as hydraulic pilots). These types of valves are also known as Automatic Control Valves. The hydraulic actuators will respond to changes of pressure or flow and will open/close the valve. Automatic Control Valves do not require an external power source, meaning that the fluid pressure is enough to open and close the valve. Automatic control valves include: pressure reducing valves, flow control valves, back-pressure sustaining valves, altitude valves, and relief valves. An altitude valve controls the level of a tank. The altitude valve will remain open while the tank is not full and it will close when the tanks reaches its maximum level. The opening and closing of the valve requires no

external power source (electric, pneumatic, or man power), it is done automatically, hence its name. Control valves are normally fitted with actuators and positioners. Pneumatically-actuated globe valves and Diaphragm Valves are widely used for control purposes in many industries, although quarter-turn types such as (modified) ball, gate and butterfly valves are also used. Process plants consist of hundreds, or even thousands, of control loops all networked together to produce a product to be offered for sale. Each of these control loops is designed to keep some important process variable such as pressure, flow, level, temperature, etc. within a required operating range to ensure the quality of the end product. Each of these loops receives and internally creates disturbances that detrimentally affect the process variable, and interaction from other loops in the network provides distur- bances that influence the process variable. [1] To reduce the effect of these load disturbances, sensors and transmitters collect information about the process variable and its relationship to some desired set point. A controller then processes this information and decides what must be done to get the process variable back to where it should be after a load disturbance occurs. When all the measuring, comparing, and calculating are done, some type of final control element must implement the strategy selected by the controller. The most common final control element in the process control industries is the control valve. The control valve manipulates a flowing fluid, such as gas, steam, water, or chemical compounds, to compensate for the load disturbance and keep the regulated process variable as close as possible to the desired set point.[1] Introduction Valves are integral components in piping systems they are the primary method of controlling the flow, pressure and direction of the fluid. Valves may be required to operate continuously e.g. control valves, or they may be operated intermittently e.g. isolation valves, or they may be installed to operate rarely if ever e.g. safety valves. A valve can be an extremely simple, low cost item or it may be and extremely complicated, expensive item. In piping design the valves probably require more engineering effort than any other piping component. Valve Classifications Isolation/Stop valveThe isolation of the downstream system from the upstream system by use of and isolation /stop valve is a critically important function..The prime requirements of this valve are tight shut off when closed and minimum restriction to flow when open. Valves used for this function include gate valves, globe valves, ball valves, plug valves, butterfly valves, diaphragm valves and pinch valves Regulation of flow

Many applications require the flow of the fluid be regulated (throttled) at some fixed or variable level between fully zero and maximum flow limits. This is achieved by introducing resistance to flow, or by bypassing flow or by changing the direction of the flow. An important feature for control valves is that the output variable (flow) is related to the input variable (valve position). An ideal operating characteristic of a hand operated flow control valve is that the flow is directly proportional to the position of the handwheel Valve types for this function include globe, needle, ball, butterfly. Globe and needle valves are best suited for this duty but ball valves are also easily adapted to give reliable flow control.. Back flow prevention In some circumstances it is important to prevent reversed fluid flow. The type of valve for this duty is a non-return-valve (NRV) or check valve. The important criteria when selecting these valves are, tight shut off against reverse flow, low resistance to flow for forward flow, fast response. The valve can be operated to close by gravity, fluid flow , or spring. Two main valve types are available for this function lift check valves or swing check valves. Pressure Regulation In many applications, more generally associated with gases, there is a need to reduce the supply press to a set fixed value. It is also necessary to maintain this reduced pressure over a range of fluid flow conditions. The pressure regulator valve is engineered for this application. The valve is basically a globe valve biased open by an adjustable spring force with the feedback pressure tending to move the valve to a closed position such that at the set pressure the feedback pressure force just exceeds the spring force The pressure regulator valve operates using the downstream fluid pressure as feedback. This is mostly taken from within the valve (self acting). For more accurate control a feedback connection can be taken from the downstream piping. The pressure regulation at low near zero flows is difficult and it is often necessary to include internal or external relief valve functions to ensure no high pressures in the downstream system. Pressure Relief Valves- Safety valves A very important valve for safety is the pressure relief valve. This valve is used in applications where excessive pressure in the system can cause damage or failure or can introduce a safety risk. Uncontrolled excessive pressures can result in disastrous accidents e.g. when potentially explosive gases are being controlled. Relief valves are mainly spring loaded but they can also be gravity operated and other more specialised designs are available. The bursting /ruputure disc must be included under the general heading of safety valves. This is simply a disc which ruptures when a set pressure is exceeded. The fluid then escapes through the ruptured disc. If the bursting disc operates the system has be be closed down and vented and the bursting disc is then replaced

Relief valves when used for safety applications are engineered in line with safety regulations and require regular inspections to confirm the settings and the operation. An important part of the relief valve installation is the routing of the relieved fluid. This pipe route must be to a safe location and must be engineered such that it is always fully open. Special and miscellaneous valves There are a wide variety of special valves developed for specific industries. Fluid Properties and operating conditions The properties of the fluid to be controlled have a major impact on the design and materials of construction of the valve. The piping industry, over the years, had developed a wide range of valve designs and material to handle virtually all of the fluids being handled. The selection of the valve should take into account fluid viscosity, temperature, density and flowrate. The valve must be suitable to withstand resulting corrosion and erosion and if necessary the valve may have to be designed for no internal hold up of fluids. Important considerations include for absolute internal and external leak tightness when handling toxic or explosive fluids. There regulations also include for the need for a firesafe valve to maintain its internal and external integrity when the valve surrounded by flames from a fire.. Valve Connections There are a number of methods of connecting valves into the piping systems- as follows

Flanges .. The valve is provided with suitable rated flanges. Wafer .. The valve is provided with suitable sealing faces and is trapped between line flanges. Butt Welded ..The valve is provided with butt weld end and welded into the piping system using high integrity joints. Socket Welded ..Socket welds allow and welded into the piping system using fillet welds. Screwed Ends .. Ends can be provided with female or male screwed ends . The threads can be taper or parallel

Compression Fittings .. Ends can be provided with compression fittings Valve Containment

An important requirement in valve design is to minimise the leakage of fluids into the surrounding environment. This is very important in the nuclear industry and when transferring toxic or flammable fluids. The possible leakage points on valves are listed below.

The end connections with the piping.-

The spindle gland seals -allowing axial and rotary motion. For top entry valves the sealed top closure joint For three piece ball valves - the two split joints Valve drain connections and vent connections

The best option for minimising risk of leakage from the pipe connections is to use butt welded joints which can be verified by non-destructive-testing(NDT). This option obviously eliminates the valve types which have to be removed for maintenance. The options for eliminating risk of gland leakage is to use bellows sealed valves. The risk can also be reduced by incorporating dual seals with a test point between. Pinch valves and diaphragm valves do not include gland sealing and are therefore not at risk of gland leakage. Flow Factors It is clear that different sized valves have different flow rate capacities and it is very important to be able to assess the flow through a valve for a fluid at certain conditions. The flow characteristics for an on-off valve are fixed and can be evaluated directly using the relevant flow factor. The flow through flow control valves, relief valves, pressure reducing valves and check valves depend on the operating condition for the valve and require a more detailed evaluation.. The most general method of identifying the flow capacity of a valve is the C v Factor.. The C v factor based on american imperial units and is defined as follow C v = The flow of water through a valve at 60 oF in US gallon/minute at a pressure drop of 1 lb/in2 The metric flow factor (K v) is used throughout outside of america and is defined as follows K v = the flow of water through a valve at 20 oC in m3/hr with a pressure drop of (1 bar) The conversion between the two factors is K v = 0.865 C v Also kv is defined as follows... k v = the flow of water through a valve at 20 oC in litres/min with a pressure drop of (1 bar) The conversion between k v and C v is ...k v = 14.42 C v Liquid Flow To establish the flow ( Q ) in litres /m at a differential pressure ( p )in bar for a liquid with a specific gravity relative to water ( w ).

Note: This relationship only applies for liquids similar to water at reasonable flows (sub-sonic). Gas Flow For gases and supersonic flows more complicated formulae are required.... The formulae below must be used only for rule of thumb estimates. The assumption that the critical p is at P1 /2 does not hold for all valves. For accurate flow calculations the valve manufacturers data sheets must be used For gases flowing at sub-sonic velocities the following relationship holds..

T1 = Inlet gas temperature deg K = Deg C + 273 a =Gas specific gravity relative to air q n = gas flow at normal conditions ... P1 = Inlet Pressure (absolute) For gases flowing at super-sonic velocities the following relationship holds..

Gas Reference conditions Normal conditions: P=1013.25mb and T=273.15K Standard conditions: P=1013.25mb and T=288.75K.

VALVE DESCRIPTIONS Gate Valves Gate valves are generally used in the process industry for on-off service. The design is not suitable for throttling duty because the sealing surfaces can easily suffer from wire drawing (erosion) when low flows are being maintained against high differential pressures and the design

give very poor flow control characteristics.. The gate valve can be manufactured in a wide range of sizes from 5mm to above 2000mm dia. The designs are proven and well tested. There is a tendency to move to butterfly valves as a lower cost option. The valve can be based on a solid wedge, a wedge which can adjust to suit the seal faces, or a parallel faced based on two discs which slide between parallel sealing faces with a mechanism form forcing the discs out on the last part of the spindle travel. The valve can be based on a simple rising spindle design or a fixed spindle which screws into the gate.. There are a large number of gate valve variations including slide valves, knife valves, penstock valves, sluice valves, and venturi valves.

Rising Spindle Gate Valve

Globe Valves

Fixed spindle Gate Valve

The globe valve includes an orifice set into the body through which the fluid flows. A disc located on the end of the spindle is engineered to move in and out along the axis of the orifice. When the disc is moved to sit in the orifice the flow path is shut-off. The flow path is progressively increased as the disc is moved away from the orifice. The surface of the orifice (seat) is generally engineering as a replaceable item made from erosion resistant material with a polished surface finish. The disc can be fitted with a soft seat if a tight shut-off is required. For flow control duties the disc is supplied with an engineered shape often with a contoured skirt. For manually operated valves the spindle screwed so that rotation of the handle moves the disc in

and out. For actuated control valves the spindle is moved in and out using a linear actuator which can be pneumatic, hydraulic or electric.. The fluid flow path through globe valves is such that there is normally a high fluid head loss through the valve. The inline body design has the highest head loss, the angle pattern body design has a lower head loss. There are certain designs of globe valves which have been engineered to have low head loss characteristics. (Ref Dynamic Controls cartridge valves).. Globe valves are supplied in sizes from 3mm bore through 400mm and can be used, size limiting at pressures up to 450 barg. Depending on the sealing systems the valves can be used at temperatures up to 600 oC.

Small Size Screwed Globe Valve

Needle Valves The needle valve is used specifically for accurately controlling the flow of fluids at low flows. The valve is basically a globe valve without the disc. It is generally used provided in small sizes of up to 20mm bore..

Needle Valve
Plug Valves The plug valve is the oldest of the valves. Plug valves have been in use for over 2000 years. This valve has been in continuous development over recent years. The plug valve is basically and onoff valve based on a plug with a rectangular hole through which the fluid flows. The plug is either tapered or cylinderical and is located in the valve body and can be rotated through a quarter turn to line the hole up with the pipe when open or across the pipe when closed. The plug can be adapted for multi-port use allow the valve to be used for diverting flow. The valve can be engineered with a lubricated plug which uses the lubricant to enable convenient operation over a wide range of pressures. The lubrication film also provides a seal. The unlubricated design includes seals in the plug and requires plastic bearing systems. The valve can include a cage between the plug and the body which includes the bearing a sealing systems and allow convenient maintenance. These valves have be specially developed for use in industries requiring high performance operation under arduous conditions and allowing remote maintenance e.g. the nuclear industry. The valve is a full bore and has virtually no internal cavities..

Lubricated Plug Valve

Ball Valves The ball valve is basically a plug valve with a spherical plug and a round hole. Over recent years the materials of construction of the ball valve have been developed such that the ball valve is becoming the most popular valve for most process applications. There are two primary options for the ball valve design

Floating Ball Design- This is low cost option for the lower duties Trunnion Ball Design- This is a more costly option for the higher duties

The ball valve is generally provided as a reduced bore design allowing a smaller body but still with relatively low head loss compared to most other valve options e.g 25nb valve has a 20mm reduced bore,. The full bore option has a larger body but provides zero restriction to flow. The valve can be supplied as a multi-port design for flow diverting but only with the reduced bore option The engineering of the ball valve has to include for fitting and removing the ball and seat system. Ideally this has to be engineered to enable the valve to be maintained inline.. One method of achieving this is to use the top-entry version - all of the internals are accessible by removing the top flange. Another method is to use a three piece body based on a central piece sandwiched between two pieces connecting the valve to the pipework. The central piece can be released and pivotted away from the two outer pieces allowing access to all of the valve components. The ball valve can be engineered as a multi-port valve for flow diverting duties. An important advantage of all full bore valves is that the valve allows certain pipe cleaning operations e.g rodding . Ball valves can also be used on branches to enable instruments to be fed

into pipe systems during operating periods. Ball valves are available in all materials in sizes from 5mm to over 600mm. The valves can be used at pressures up to 700 bar. The main components limiting the performance of ball valves are the ball seals and valves are available with metallic seals.

Ball Valve - With Floating Ball

Butterfly Valves

Ball Valve Trunnion Mounted

The butterfly valve has head loss characteristics of a full bore valve. The design is based on use of an engineered disc of the same dia as the bore of the pipe arranged to pivot such that when it is across the bore is closes off the flow path. When turned through 90o the disc provides minimum resistance to the flow. The valve is a quarter turn valve. The main variations for this valve are the methods of sealing the perimeter of the disc in its closed position. The simplest variation is to use an elastomer lined bore which is an interference fit on the disc. The other variations are based on offsetting the disc plane from the axis of rotation allow the disc to close against a circular face seal such that the fluid pressure increases the seal effect. Metallic seals are available allowing the valve to be used for a wide range of fluids at high temperatures The butterfly valve has been developing such that for many duties it now provides optimum solution for a leak tight on-off valve supplanting the gate valve. The butterfly valve can be engineered as a small valve of 25mm bore and can be made for extremely large sizes above 5000mm bore. Depending on the valve size working pressures up to 100 bar can be handled

Butterfly Valve - Lined

Diaphragm Valves The diaphragm valve has a significant advantage over most of the other available designs, apart from the pinch valve, in that there is no gland seal requirement. The fluid flows straight through the valve via a chamber over which is an elastomer diaphragm. This diaphragm is normally arranged to provide no resistance to the flow. The perimeter of the diaphragm is simply clamped to a seal face of the valve body as a static seal. To close off the valve the diaphragm is simply forced down into the chamber to block off the flow. The chamber can include a weir across the flowpath against which the diaphragm can be pressed to affect a more efficient seal with reduced diaphragm distortion. The straight through variation is effectively a full bore valve design with all the associated benefits. However this option results in a much more arduous duty on the diaphragm which has to be a softer material This type of valve is manufactured in sizes from 6mm to 400mm and is generally limited to relatively low fluid pressures (less than 7 barg). However in the smaller sizes (up to 50mm) valves can be specially engineered for use at pressures up to 30barg. The diaphragm must be chosen to be compatible with the fluid. Whatever the fluid the diaphragms must be replaced at regular intervals and it is advisable to operate the valves frequently. These valves are often used for duties which require a high degree of cleanliness as they can be supplied lined, and polished and can be very conveniently cleaned.

Diaphragm Valve - With weir

Pinch Valves

Diaphragm Valve - straight

The pinch valve is a theoretically ideal solution for fluid on-off duties. The valve is simple a length of pipe made from an elastomeric material with a mechanical system for squeezing the tube closed when a shut off is required. The valve is a true full bore valve - there are no mechanical parts in contact with the fluid- The operation of the valve is ideally simple- The valve can be easily engineered as a tight-shut off valve.. The valve is often supplied with the pinch tube contained within a outer pipe between the end flanges. This option provides a method of monitoring for tube leaks and provides a degree of secondary containment The valve has similar limitations to the diaphragm valve. The diaphragm valve is really a variation on the pinch valve principles.. Pinch valves are supplied is for diameters 25 mm - 1000 mm, temperatures -50 C - +160 C, and pressures 0 - 100 bar.

Pinch Valve

Check Valves

Check valves are automatic in operation and designed to prevent reversal of flow in fluid piping systems. The valves are maintained open by the flow of fluid in the forward direction and are closed by back pressure of the fluid or by the weight of the closing mechanism or by a spring force. Various designs are available as listed below..

Swing check Tilting disc Ball lift type Disc lift type Piston check Stop check

The range of check valve sizes range from 6mm to massive units of 3000mm dia and more. The swing check variation is a low pressure drop unit based on a hinged disc. This type of valve is suitable for low velocity applications with infrequent velocity reversals. The valve can be fitted with external weights to allow faster closure to reduce water hammer or shock pressure on flow reversal. External systems can also be included to force the valve closed in the event of a local fire... The lift check valve and piston check variation are used for higher duty applications. The valve is forced open by the fluid flowing up through the valve and is closed on fluid reversal by gravity, back pressure or by spring force. The tilting disc variation on the swing check valve provides improve speed of operation and pressure performance and is probably the most popular design of check valve used in the process industry..

Swing Check Valve Lift Check Valve Control Valves Do What They Are Told!
Being the Final Control Element in a system is not an easy job. To start with, you are blamed for any and all problems that crop up in the process. You are subjected to corrosion, high velocity, cavitation, flashing liquids, cryogenic temperatures, high temperatures, abrasion, and thermal shock. You are expected not only to throttle along through all this, but most likely, you are also being asked to act as a block valve and shut off tight. As you work with control valves always keep in mind that a control valve only does what it is told to do. A Control Valve is a power-operated device used to modify the fluid flow rate in a process system. Well, what happens if the power is cut off? When a Control Valve is

sized or selected to do a particular job, one of the first questions you should consider is how that valve will respond in the event of a loss of signal or power. This is called its "fail-safe mode" and knowing the failsafe mode is the key to troubleshooting it. In most applications (about 80%), it is desirable for valves to fail closed. In other applications, you might want a valve to fail open or fail in place. Safety concerns and process requirements will mandate the fall mode of the valve. When a valve is not sitting in its fail position, is is being told how and when to move by some external signal. By the comments one hears, you would be led to believe that control valves sit around and think up things to do on their own. Perhaps this will some day be true when all control valves are "smart." If a Control Valve is observed in an unstable condition or appears to not be responding correctly to an input signal, remember that something is telling the valve to behave that way. A control valve is only as strong as its weakest link. When the 1965 Ford Mustang first appeared, it was powered by a 6-cylinder engine with a 3-speed transmission - but it had a 140 m.p.h.(225 k.p.h.) speedometer. The fact that it had a 140 m.p.h.(225 k.p.h.) speedometer did not mean it could actually travel that fast. In the same way, a control valve with a 600# rated valve body cannot throttle and shut off against 1440 pounds of pressure. There are two basic types of control valves: rotary and linear. Linear-motion control valves commonly have globe, gate, diaphragm, or pinch - type closures. Rotary-motion valves have ball, butterfly, or plug closures. Each type of valve has its special generic features, which may, in a given application, be either an advantage or a disadvantage.

Linear Valve Features

TORTUOUS FLOW PATH LOW RECOVERY CAN THROTTLE SMALL FLOW RATES OFFERS VARIETY OF SPECIAL TRIM DESIGNS SUITED TO HIGH-PRESSURE APPLICATIONS USUALLY FLANGED OR THREADED SEPARABLE BONNET

Rotary Valve Features

STREAMLINED FLOW PATH HIGH RECOVERY MORE CAPACITY LESS PACKING WEAR CAN HANDLE SLURRY AND ABRASIVES FLANGELESS INTEGRAL BONNET HIGH RANGEABILITY

In addition to linear and rotary, control valves are also classified according to their guiding systems and the types of services they are used in.

Control Valve Classification