MOTORIZED VALVES
An overview of the differences among the four most common
motorized valve types and applications for which they are most commonly suited
Selecting Motorized Valves
for HVAC Control
By ROBERT R. HERRON,
Project Manager and
Senior Project Engineer,
SASCO,
Fresno, Calif.
U
ntil recently, many system
designers and contractors
limited themselves to only
three types of motorized valves for
electronic HVAC control systems
in commercial and light industrial
applications—butterfly, globe,
and zone (or unitary) valves. They
gave up on, or avoided, a fourth
type of HVAC valve-and-actuator
combination, motorized ball
valves, because of long running
reliability concerns.
Even though motorized ball
valves are positioned as “the
lower cost option,” their accep-
tance has been limited because
early users often wrestled with
the perception of low quality. The
reliability concerns can be traced
to the use in automated HVAC
control applications of standard,
off-the-shelf ball valves that were
designed for infrequent manual
operation. Recently, however,
highly durable and reliable mo-
torized ball valves designed
specifically for HVAC control sys-
tems have become available.
With the continuing trend to-
ward electronic rather than pneu-
matic HVAC control systems, it is
important for system designers
and contractors to understand the
differing capabilities of the four
primary types of motorized valves
and the applications for which
each is appropriate. Several hun-
dred motorized valves may be
needed in a large new construc-
tion or retrofit job. No single type
can handle all applications; the
right choices play a key role in
successful system design and op-
eration.
This article explains the differ-
ences among the four most com-
mon motorized valve types. It pro-
vides an overview of applications
for which they are most commonly
suited and covers the major fac-
tors in sizing and selecting valves.
Valve types
In a highly complex application,
valve and actuator combinations
Stem
Body Resilient seal
Disc
1 Butterfly valve.
September 1998
can be controlled by a building
management or DDC system. In a
less complex application, motor-
ized valves are controlled directly
by individual thermostats.
HVAC control applications for
motorized valves fall into the fol-
lowing three broad categories:
▲ Central plant, including boil-
ers, chillers, cooling towers, heat
exchangers, and thermal storage
equipment.
▲ Air handling units, including
heating/cooling water, steam
heating coils, and humidifiers.
▲ Unitary equipment, including
unit heaters, unit ventilators, fan-
coil units, radiant panels, and
convectors.
Butterfly valves are most often
used on larger pipes, typically 21/2
to 12 in. and larger. They are of-
ten the only choice for controlling
large-pipe central plant applica-
tions such as chillers, boilers,
cooling towers, and thermal stor-
age systems.
A butterfly valve controls flow
by rotating a disc within the valve
body 90 deg from open to closed
(Fig. 1). The disc sits against a re-
silient body liner or a metal seat.
Resilient seat models are de-
signed for tight shutoff. Metal
seat models have reduced operat-
ing torque and do not provide
tight shutoff.
Motorized butterfly valves are
available in two- and three-way
configurations. In three-way appli-
cations, two butterfly valves are
HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning 43
MOTORIZED VALVES
mounted on a pipe tee and are usu-
ally linked to a single actuator that
opens one valve as it closes the
other. For example, two butterfly
valves can be piped to control the
temperature of water going back to
a condenser by proportionally mix-
ing tower water into the condenser
water supply line.
A key consideration when using
butterfly valves for proportional
control is their vulnerability to an
extreme pressure drop in some
applications. Unbalanced forces
on the disc during high drops can
cause oscillations, poor control,
and/or damage to the linkage and
actuator, even when the critical
flow point is not reached. As a re-
sult, butterfly valves must be
sized and selected using conserva-
tive pressure drop criteria.
A globe valve uses a contoured
(throttling) plug that extends
through the center of the seat to
provide precise control for modu-
lating service. The valve can be ei-
ther push-down-to-close or push-
down-to-open (Fig. 2).
Motorized globe valves have
strengths that make them popu-
lar for use with HVAC controls.
First, they provide tight shutoff
and precise control over a broad
range of conditions. Second, they
are available in many pipe sizes,
typically from 1/ 2 to 6 in. Third,
they can handle a wide range of Cv
capacities (from <1 to 400), flow
characteristics, temperature, and
pressure requirements. Fourth,
they are available in two-way,
straight, or angle configurations
In
Push-down-to-close
2 Two-way globe valve.
44 HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning
and in three-way mixing and di-
verting designs.
Common motorized globe valve
applications include controlling
hot or cold water or steam flow in
equipment such as heat exchang-
ers, air handling units, and uni-
tary equipment.
Zone valves are sometimes
called unitary valves, since they
are used predominately on uni-
tary equipment. Although origi-
nally designed for smaller, cen-
tral heating and cooling systems,
zone valves are widely used in
commercial and industrial appli-
cations.
Common zone valve applica-
tions include fan-coils, variable
air volume (VAV) boxes, base-
board heaters, and radiant floor
heating systems. There are mod-
els designed for use only with hot
and cold water systems and mod-
els specifically for controlling
steam flow.
Like other two-way valves, they
provide tight shutoff. Pipe sizes in
zone valve applications typically
range from 1/8 to 1 in.
A ball valve has a precision ball
with a port drilled through it. The
stem rotates the ball 90 deg from
open to closed between two seats
within the valve body (Fig. 3).
They are typically used on smaller
pipes (1/2 to 3 in.) with Cv ranging
from 1 to 400 and at close-off pres-
sures up to 150 psi. A given body
size may be available with several
different port sizes to provide cor-
rect flow rate.
Motorized ball valves provide
Stem
Seats
In
Push-down-to-open
3 Ball valve.
September 1998
tight close-off and are available in
two- and three-way configura-
tions. Two-way ball valves have
equal percentage flow control
characteristics, and the flow can
be in either direction. Three-way
models have linear flow control
characteristics and can be used in
diverting or mixing service, with
some restrictions.
When good but not precise con-
trol is necessary, motorized ball
valves can be used instead of
globe valves in many applications.
These include heat exchangers;
air handling unit heating/cooling
water coils and steam heating
coils; preheat coils; humidifiers;
and unitary equipment such as
reheat coils, unit heaters, convec-
tors, radiant panels, fan-coil
units, and unit ventilators.
Even if precise control is neces-
sary, the effective difference be-
tween a globe and ball valve may
be negligible, which raises an op-
portunity for noteworthy savings.
Lower cost is a major advantage
of a motorized ball valve; it might
cost only half as much as a compa-
rably sized linear globe valve or
other valve type.
In the past, there was a disad-
vantage to the use of motorized
ball valves. Early models used
standard, off-the-shelf ball valves
that were designed for infrequent
manual non-HVAC operation.
Such off-the-shelf ball valves of-
ten have chrome-plated brass balls
and an adjustable packing nut.
These components make such ball
valves prone to leaks or a short life
Body
Ball
Port
span when subjected to Unlike globe valves,
100
the frequent cycles and differential (close-off)
repositions common for pressure across a ball
80
HVAC controls. The pack- valve has a negligible ef-
ing nut must be manually fect (at typical HVAC hy-

Flow, percent
60
tightened to stop leaks dronic system pressures)
along the stem. Stem stroke on the actuator torque re-
40
The first motorized ball Stem rotation quired to close the valve.
valves designed specifi- The actuator torque re-
20
cally for use in auto- quired is more dependent
mated HVAC control sys- 0
on breakaway torque (es-
tems were introduced in 0 25 50 75 100 pecially after periods of
the early 1990s. They Stem stroke and rotation (90 deg), percent non-movement) than on
have a heavy-duty stain- close-off torque due to dif-
less steel ball and stem 4 Typical globe and ball valve flow charateristics. ferential pressure.
standard. The packing Ball valve hysterisis
nut is permanently sealed, which of the added pressure loss created can be slightly greater than that
eliminates maintenance, and fea- by the pipe reducers. of a globe valve. For ball valve as-
tures an O-ring that further re- In some applications, ball semblies, there typically is more
duces the chance of a leak. In test- valves can be noisier than globe mechanical hardware tolerance
ing, these new HVAC-specific valves. The amount of noise in- build-up than on globe valves
motorized ball valves operated creases because the fluid flow can- with direct coupled actuators. The
without leaks at least 10 times not be generally quantified; it de- hysterisis difference is usually
longer than ordinary valves. pends on the pressures and flow negligible, from an application
When selecting motorized ball conditions of the medium and the viewpoint, as long as the valve
valves, designers should choose a size and port configuration of the bracket and stem extension are
model specifically designed for ball valve. If noise is a primary well designed.
HVAC applications. concern, a globe valve may be a Ball valves have an “equal per-
better choice. centage” flow characteristic, simi-
Globe or ball valve? When ball valves are not reposi- lar to a typical globe-type water
While motorized ball valves can tioned for extended periods of valve, except at the first few de-
be used in most common non-cen- time, the breakaway torque in- grees of stem movement from the
tral plant HVAC control applica- creases because the seat material closed position (approximately
tions, they cannot always replace “creeps” into the microscopic the first 10 to 12 percent of the
globe valves. Here are other fac- pours and imperfections of the stem rotation). This is an inherent
tors to consider: ball and around its edges. The ball valve flow characteristic.
▲ Globe valves should be used amount of torque increases, de- The amount of stem “no flow”
when precision control is a higher pending on valve size, production rotation depends on the valve
priority than cost. lot tolerance differences, and body and port size (Fig. 4).
▲ In a modulating control loop, other factors. For example, a
1/2 in. ball valves with very small valve that has a normal operating Selecting the right valve type
reduced ports are most suitable torque of 25 in.-lb might require a The process of sizing, then se-
for two-position control due to the torque of approximately 37 in.-lb lecting the proper valve and actu-
lack of a “throttling” ability of the to move the ball after the valve ator combination for the job has
small port. has been sitting idle for one week. traditionally been a slow, cumber-
▲ For low-flow modulating con- The same valve can require ap- some and sometimes mistake-
trol at Cv <1, globe or zone valves proximately 49 in.-lb to move af- prone process—even for experi-
are suggested. ter sitting idle for one month. enced system designers and
When sizing a ball valve, the Ef- Using an actuator that has less contractors. Proper valve selec-
fective Cv must be used, not sim- torque than the higher long-term tion requires matching the valve
ply the Cv of the valve alone. Be- breakaway torque may require to the physical requirements of
cause of the inherent high that the valve be manually actu- both the control and the hydronic
capacities of ball valves, pipe re- ated after a long period of no system. The most important ques-
ducers will normally be required movement, such as building tions include the following:
for modulating service; the reduc- startup or seasonal changeover. ▲ What is the piping arrangement
ers must be considered when siz- Make sure you select a ball valve and size? —The piping arrange-
ing the valve. There is a decrease and actuator combination that ment indicates whether a two- or
in effective valve capacity because will open under all circumstances. three-way mixing or diverting

September 1998 HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning 45

 MOTORIZED V A L VES
valve is needed. The piping size
helps you decide whether the
valve requires a threaded end or
flanged connection.
▲ What is the medium being con-
trolled, and what are the tempera-
ture and pressure ranges? — The
valves must be able to handle the
full range of minimum-to-maxi-
mum temperatures and pressures
of the medium in the system.
▲ Does the application require
two-position or proportional con-
trol with linear or equal percent-
age flow control?—Butterfly,
globe, and ball valves have dif-
ferent flow characteristics. But-
terfly valves are generally lin-
ear, up to approximately 60
percent open. Globe valves are
available with equal percentage,
linear, or quick open character-
istics. Most ball valves are in-
herently equal percentage.
Linear flow models are com-
monly used for proportional con-
trol of steam or chilled water or in
applications that do not have wide
load variations. Equal percentage
models are commonly used for
proportional control of hot water
applications and in other applica-
tions where wide load variations
can occur. Quick opening models
are used when the only control po-
sitions necessary are fully open
and fully closed.
▲ Is a normally open or normally
closed valve required?—For
chilled water coils, it is sometimes
preferable to close the valve on
fan shutdown to prevent excessive
condensation around the duct and
coil and save pumping energy.
Steam valves should be normally
closed. Outdoor preheat valves
should be normally open.
▲ Is tight shut-off necessary?
And, what differential pressure does
the valve have to close against?—
Single-seated valves provide tight
shutoff. Because a single-seated
valve has nothing to balance the
force of the fluid pressure exerted
on the plug, it requires more clos-
ing force and more actuator force
than a double-seated valve of the
same size.
46 HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning September 1998
Double-seated valves do not
provide tight shutoff. Instead,
they are commonly used in pres-
sure bypass and in-line throttling
applications as well as in applica-
tions where the fluid pressure is
too high to permit a single-seated
valve to close. However, because
the pressure on the discs is essen-
tially balanced, a double-seated
valve requires less closing force
and a smaller actuator than a
comparably sized single-seated
valve.
▲ What is the pressure drop
across the valve? — The fully-
opened pressure drop must be
high enough to allow the valve to
exercise control over its portion of
the hydronic system. But it must
not be so high that it exceeds the
valve’s ratings for quiet service
and normal operating life. The
closed pressure drop must not ex-
ceed the valve and actuator close-
off rating.
Summary
As electronic building manage-
ment and DDC control systems
become more common, system de-
signers and contractors will need
to specify motorized valves when
designing HVAC control systems.
These types of jobs can require
dozens to hundreds of motorized
valves. Three types of motorized
HVAC control valves—butterfly,
globe, and ball—can generally
handle most HVAC needs in these
commercial and light industrial
applications.
The recent introduction of mo-
torized ball valves designed
specifically for HVAC control sys-
tems now provides a significantly
more cost effective alternative to
globe valves in many applications.
While globe valves provide the
most precise control, the effective
difference between them and mo-
torized ball valves is negligible in
many typical HVAC control sys-
tems. HPAC