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What is the best valve for a control valve?

12, Aug. 2024

Can A Ball Valve Be Used As a Control Valve?

If you have basic valve knowledge, you are probably familiar with ball valves one of the most common types of valves available today. A ball valve is typically a quarter-turn valve with a perforated ball in the middle to control flow. These valves are known for being durable with excellent shutoff, but dont always offer very precise control. Lets talk about when its okay to use a ball valve as a control valve.

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Even though ball valves arent the best device to control flow, they are still commonly used because of their cost effectiveness. You can get away with using a ball valve in an application that doesnt require precise adjustability and control. For example, a ball valve should have no problem keeping a large tank filled at a certain level within a few inches.

As with any equipment, you will need to take the complete process conditions into consideration before selecting your valve. This includes the product or material, size of piping, flow rate, etc. If you are trying to control an expensive material that you are worried about wasting, you might not want to rely on a ball valve.

Ball valves arent very precise because their adjustment isnt proportionate to the large amount of flow that the open hole provides. There is also slop or play in between the stem and ball that hinders precise control. Lastly, the amount of torque required to adjust ball valves doesnt allow for fine adjustment near the closed and open position.

When you need precise control over your application, a globe valve will be more accurate than a ball valve. Globe valves are considered the industry standard for control valves because they are good at regulating flow, whereas ball valves are better for on/off control without pressure drop.

If you must use a ball valve to control your process, you might want to consider different types of ball valves depending on your application. A trunnion or v-port ball valve will perform better and allow for more accurate adjustability in certain scenarios.

Trunnion ball valves have an additional mechanical anchoring of the ball at the top and bottom. They use a splined or keyed stem connection that eliminates any play between the ball and stem. V-port ball valves have a V shaped ball instead of the standard round hole. This allows for more control because of the tapered opening, allowing for more linear flow.

If you're located in Wisconsin or Upper Michigan and need help deciding which valve is best suited for your application, reach out to one of our engineers. Otherwise if you enjoyed this article, you might want to check out our post about when to use soft-seat ball valves vs. metal-seat ball valves.

What Are the 6 Types of Flow Control Valves?

6 Types of Flow Control Valves & What You Need to Know About Them

Regardless of the industry youre in, choosing the right type of valves for your application is essential for safety and customer satisfaction.

Installing and maintaining the proper valves may even be legally required.

Valves are an integral part of any pipeline system and a significant investment for businesses. Its important that your engineers understand how all types of valves work.

How do you know which type of valve is best for your system? Keep reading to learn more about the most common types of flow control valves to help you make an informed decision.

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1. Ball Valves

Ball valves use a spherical plug design that contains a bored-in passage. You can operate these types of valves manually by using a lever, which also indicates whether the valve is open or shut, or automatically, by using an actuator.

This type of valve gives you excellent control of liquid flow through the valve and a secure shutoff when closed. They are often used in sewage treatment, chemical, and paper plants.

2. Check Valves

These types of valves prevent the reversal of fluid flow in piping.

Check valves remain open by the flowing fluid. If the fluid reversed, the valve will close. This type of valve includes lift checks and swing checks.

3. Butterfly Valves

This type of valve is usually used in the oil and gas processing industries, for oil and gas transmission, in water and sewage plants, and in thermal and hydroelectric power stations.

They are commonly used because they are lightweight, easy to operate, they clean themselves, and there isnt much pressure drop across the valve when its open.

4. Gate Valves

Gate valves are best used as isolating or stop valves, where you want full flow or no flow.

When theyre fully opened, the fluid will flow in a straight line and there isnt a significant drop in pressure because of a low resistance to flow.

5. Globe Valves

Globe valves feature a unique construction designed to make the fluid passing through change direction twice.

They are ideal for throttling and regulating flow with wire drawing and seat erosion. They are cheaper than gate valves but have greater resistance to flow.

6. Needle Valves

These types of valves offer precise control of flow. They feature a sharp pointed disc and a matching seat.

They are often used for chemical feed control services or continuous blowoff.

Its worth noting that although needle valves can control flow with precision, they are usually capable of handling only relatively low flow rates.

Purchasing These Types of Flow Control Valves

As you can see, the best types of flow control valves for your operation depend on your application.

Having a basic understanding of your options will ensure you make the right choice. Being informed will help you make the best decision.

If you are looking to purchase one or more of these types of flow control valves, check out our products here.

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