From oil refineries and water treatment plants to manufacturing and power generation, industrial valves play a crucial role in controlling the flow of liquids and gases. Let’s explore the world of industrial valves and how they ensure efficiency, safety, and functionality across a variety of industries.
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A valve is a device for controlling the passage of fluid through a pipe or duct allowing movement in one direction. Industrial valves are beneficial in a multitude of sectors, including drinking water processing, wastewater processing, power generation, manufacturing, chemical processing, petrochemical processing, fire suppression, washdown, biopharmaceutical applications, and food and beverage manufacturing.
Most industrial valves have parts that share common duties. These components include the actuator, body, bonnet, trim, stem, and obturator.
An actuator provides the force to open and close the valve. Actuators can be manual, pneumatic, or electric. Read The Art of Actuation to learn more.
The outer casing of the valve is the body. It provides structural support and houses the internal components.
The valve bonnet is the top portion that houses the stem and other internal components.
The trim is the term used to describe all the internal elements of the valve that come into contact with the media being controlled. This includes the obturator, seat, and stem. The seat and disc are the primary sealing mechanism of the valve. The obturator is the generic term for the ball, wedge, or disc depending on the type of valve. In the graphic above, the disc is attached to the stem and moves to block or allow flow. It presses against the seat to form a tight seal. The stem connects the actuator to the disc to transmit the actuator’s motion, causing the valve to open or close.
There are numerous types of valves for industrial applications including ball, butterfly, check, control, drum gate, gate, globe, and needle valves.
Ball Valves
Ball valves can be used for on-and-off service or throttling and are used when positive shut-off is necessary. Most ball valves are a quick-acting type which require a 90° turn of the valve handle. A ball with a hole in it is used to start or stop the flow. Ball valves are smaller and lighter than gate valves of the same size and rating. Full, standard, and reduced port options are available for various flow requirements.
Butterfly ValvesButterfly valves are used to start, stop, and regulate flow. They offer a compact, lightweight design suitable for large valve applications. Butterfly valves are easy and fast to open, requiring a 90° rotation of the handle for complete opening or closure. Butterfly valves possess many advantages over other industrial valves, especially for large valve applications. Savings in weight, space, and cost are the most obvious advantages. Maintenance of butterfly valves is easy and affordable because they have minimal moving parts and no pockets to trap fluids.
Check ValvesCheck valves are used to prevent backflow in a piping system. The pressure of fluid opens the valve, and any reversal of flow closes the valve. Check valves should not be used in a rapid recycling system such as reciprocating pumps or air compressor service where they could cause chatter and damaging vibration. Dixon offers industrial and sanitary check valves depending on the application.
Control ValvesControl valves are used to reduce the rate of flow. Flow is controlled in one direction and free flow is allowed in the other direction. The finely threaded stem provides fine adjustments.
Drum Gate ValvesAlso called drum faucets, drum gate valves are ideal for drawing non-flammable liquids from drums and tanks. Dixon offers drum gate valves in 3/4” and 2” sizes in iron or aluminum.
Gate ValvesGate valves are the most common type of valve in any process plant. The valve opens by lifting a barrier, the gate, out of the path of the fluid to start or stop fluid flow. Gate valves should not be used for control or throttling. They are designed for minimum line pressure drop, minimum fluid entrapment in the line, and relatively infrequent operation.
Globe ValvesGlobe valves are used to start, stop, and regulate flow in a piping system where flow control and leak tightness are required. Applications for globe valves include cooling water systems, feed water for chemical processes, boiler water inlets and drain systems, and water supply lines for fire suppression. Bronze globe valves are most common in industrial applications, while forged steel globe valves are utilized in higher-pressure applications.
Needle ValvesSimilar to control valves, needle valves are used for finer control of pressure. However, whereas control valves only control flow in one direction, needle valves can control flow in both directions. Needle valves are used for air and water applications, compressed gases, and chemical processing. The metal-to-metal seats allow positive sealing and flow adjustment.
Dixon offers a wide variety of industrial valves to ensure you always have The Right Connection®.
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The company is the world’s best industrial valve types supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
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The products listed above are just a small sampling of Dixon’s industrial valves. View our full offering on our website.
Industrial valves may not always be in the spotlight, but their significance cannot be overstated. From regulating flow rates in chemical processing plants to ensuring safe drinking water in municipal systems, industrial valves are imperative for the function of countless industrial processes.
Valves are essential for the regulation of fluid flow and to open and close the fluid flow path. Various valves are used in different applications, and they all have their pros and cons.
A few valves have been discussed in this article, along with their advantages and disadvantages. The working principles and components have also been discussed.
Several components of a butterfly valve include a metallic disc or butterfly disc, an outer body/casing, an actuator, and a positioning plate. A strong seal is made due to the packing. This seal surrounds the stem and protects the stem. The disc is mounted on a rod and stops fluid passing when the valve is closed.
The disc moves depending on the opening or closing of the valve. When the disc rotates perpendicular, the valve is entirely open, and a large amount of fluid can pass through the pipe. A seat is also fixed on the body. This seat gives a proper seal to the body. Most manufacturers provide an additional seal in case the seat gets damaged.
Butterfly valves are widely used for several reasons. Some advantages of check valves are as follows:
There are a few disadvantages of using butterfly valves. They are discussed below:
There are some types of ball valves like flanged, hydraulic, standard, vented ball valves etc. Ball valves consist of a valve stem, a valve seat, O-rings, and a valve housing. The valve seat can either be automatically operated or manually operated.
Ball valves have some significant advantages that make them a part of a variety of applications. Some benefits to using ball valves are as follows:
While ball valves are very beneficial, they also have certain advantages:
A globe valve is a type of valve that is linear motion and used to regulate, stop, and start liquid or fluid flow. You can detach/remove the disc entirely from the fluid’s path or place it in the path of fluid to stop the flow. The disc moves at 90 degrees angle to the seat when the valve is opening or closing.
There is annular space between the disc and the seat ring. This space is produced by movement, and space is removed as soon as the valve shuts off. So throttling is possible when globe valves are used. In other words, flow can be controlled using globe valves.
Fluid can either be above or below the disc. This depends entirely upon the area or application of use. You can arrange the globe valves in a way so that the disc closes against the flow of liquid. When the disc is closed against the fluid flow path, the kinetic energy resists closing and allows the valve to open.
Gate valves shut the inflow and outflow of fluids by the insertion of a rectangular gate to the liquid’s path. A wedge type structure can also block flow. They require very little space in the pipe. When the gate is opened fully, all the fluid can freely pass without the slightest resistance and low-pressure drop. You’ll find that these valves are mainly used with large pipe diameters, and they are simple in design with not so complex construction.
Gate valves have three components called the bonnet, the body, and the trim. The bonnet contains all the moving parts and is attached to the body. The body is usually attached to the body with the help of flanges, screws, or connections. The bonnet is connected to the body with bolts, so it allows effortless cleaning. The trim includes a stem, gate, disc, seat rings, and the wedge.
The three components work in unison to give you the best of results. The working principle is relatively simple. The stem is rotated whenever the handwheel is turned. This results in vertical movement of the gate by the threads. It takes a full 360 degrees turn to close and open the valve. To put in simple words: when the gate is put in the path of fluid, the flow stops. But when the gate is shut back and put in the fluid flow path, the valve closes completely.
Gate valves are simple to understand and have a multitude of advantages. Some of these advantages are stated below:
Gate valves may be advantageous in several areas, but they also have some disadvantages, which may need to be considered. They are as follows:
The body of a check valve features two openings. One opening is for fluids to join. The second opening is so that you can leave the body with the fluids. They are called two-port valves for this purpose.
The speciality of check valves is that they are self-automated and one of the few valves that do not need to be cycled by a human being. They are receptive to flow and take the media’s aid to open their seat and close it.
It is straightforward to have the working theory of the check valves. The valve allows the fluids to flow in one direction, thus preventing their flow in the opposite direction at the same time. The disk’s interior allows the fluids to flow in the forward direction to cause the valve to open. The valve closes when the flow reverses.
Check valves are very beneficial. That is why they are used widely and find room in several applications. Some advantages of using check valves are as follows:
While check valves are very beneficial and have applications in several industries, they also have certain limitations due to which they cannot be used everywhere. These disadvantages are as follows:
Sometimes it becomes difficult to determine whether the valve is closed or open because the moving parts are closed.
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