BALL VALVES

Sharma MVSRK
15 October 2013
Ball Valves
Valve is a mechanical device that is used to manipulate the flow of
fluids by opening, closing, or partially obstructing passageways. The
common types of valves are:
• Gate Valve
• Ball Valve
• Check Valve
• Globe Valve
• Butterfly Valve
• Plug Valve
• Diaphragm Valve
• Needle Valve
BALL VALVE
BALL VALVE

A ball valve is a rotational motion valve that uses a ball-shaped

disk to stop or start fluid flow.
General Characteristics
• It is a bidirectional valve.
• Used to get less pressure drops.
• Used more in transportation of liquids.
BALL VALVES

Advantages
• Can be closed or opened quickly against flow given its inherent quarter turn design.
• Minimal pressure loss when fully opened.
• Zero leakage.
• Inherent self-cleaning action is ideal for slurries and processes with particulates.
Disadvantages
• Extremely bulky in larger diameters.
• Expensive in large diameters, and when metal to metal seats are required.
• the approximate Pipe Material & Grade according to the spec’s base material,
corrosion allowance and special requirements.
• Perform the Pipe wall thickness calculation according to the ASME B31.3 for the
size range required as per P&ID.
TYPES OF BALL VALVES
Based on Port Patterns: Based on Valve Ends: Based on Operation:
• Full Bore • Threaded Ends • Lever Operation
• Reduced Bore • Socket Welded Ends • Hand-Wheel
• Venturi Pattern Operation
• Butt Welded Ends
Based on Mounting : • Gear Operation
• Flanged Ends
• Floating Ball
Based on Body: • Chain-Wheel
• Trunnion Mounting
• Single Piece Body Operation
Based on Valve Bonnet:
• Split Piece Body • Actuated
• Screwed Bonnet
Based on Entry: Operation
• Welded Bonnet
• Bolted Bonnet • Top Entry
• Pressure Seal Bonnet • Side Entry
FULL BORE VS REDUCED BORE
• Full Bore Ball Valve
has a ball with a
bore equal to the
inside diameter of
the pipe
• Reduced Bore Ball
Valve has a ball
with a bore less
than the inside
diameter of the
pipe.
FLOATING BALL VALVE
A floating ball valve is one where
the ball is not held in place by a
trunnion.
In normal operation, this will cause
the ball to float downstream
slightly. This causes the seating
mechanism to compress under the
ball pressing against it. In the event
of some force causing the seat
mechanism to dissipate (such as
extreme heat from fire outside the
valve), the ball will float all the way
to metal body which is designed to
seal against the ball providing a
somewhat failsafe design.
TRUNNION MOUNTED BALL VALVE
A trunnion ball valve has
additional mechanical anchoring
of the ball at the top and the
bottom, suitable for larger and
higher pressure valves.
In this design, sealing takes place
by allowing the seat to move
towards the ball along the flow
axis
VALVE BONNETS
Threaded Bonnet
Threaded bonnets are used in smaller
size valves for services such as air and
water.
Welded Bonnet
Welded bonnets are used in smaller
sizes for higher pressure applications
and difficult services.
Bolted Bonnet
Most common type of bonnet design.
Used in applications ranging from Class
150 and above for all types of services.
In higher pressure ratings, valves with
bolted bonnets become very bulky
VALVE BONNETS
Pressure Seal Bonnets
• Generally used in higher pressure
applications ranging from Class 900
and above
• In some cases, it was found that
pressure seal valves with welding
ends weighed only 40% as much as
flanged end valves with bolted
bonnets.
• The pressure seal design seals better
with higher operating pressure. The
bonnet is forced up into the gasket
with increasing pressure, which in
turn forces the gasket to seal against
the valve body.
VALVE ENDS
Socket Weld Ends
• For sizes NPS ½ to 2
• Used in ASME Class 150-2500
rating
• For hydrocarbons, steam, etc.

Threaded Ends
• Generally used for low pressure,
benign services
• For sizes NPS ½ to 2
• Used in ASME Class 150-300 rating
• For air and water lines
VALVE ENDS
Flanged Ends
• Generally for sizes NPS 2 and up
• Used in ASME Class 150-2500
rating
• For all services

Butt Welded Ends

• Generally used for high pressure
applications
• For sizes NPS 2 and up
• Used in ASME Class 600-4500
rating
• For all services
SINGLE PIECE BALL VALVE
Single-piece ball valves are high
performance valves, which come with
a one-piece integrally flanged body.
This design offers the unique
advantage of eliminating the
possibility of external leakage to the
atmosphere through bolted body
joints.
These environment-friendly and high
integrity valves are preferred in critical
applications where the media is
expensive, volatile or toxic, and where
external leakage or wastage is
unacceptable.
SPLIT PIECE BALL VALVE
Split piece ball valves are
the most easily on-line
maintainable in their class.
This reduces maintenance
downtime to a bare
minimum.
VALVE BASED ON ENTRY
Top Entry Ball Valves
• Permits in-line access for seat
replacement
• Can be welded into line without
disassembly

Side Entry Ball Valves

Side Entry Ball Valves can be
easily serviced on site without
the need of special tools,
providing the valve is removed
from the line.
VALVE PARTS
FLOATING BALL
VALVE
COMPONENTS
Trunnion
Mounted Ball
Valve
Components
BALL VALVE MATERIALS BODY
BALL VALVE
MATERIALS
TRIM
BALL VALVE MATERIALS SEAT
INSPECTION
EXAMINATION
INSPECTION, EXAMINATION
• Inspection – This is normally done by the
purchaser or an inspection agency appointed
by the purchaser.
• Examination and Testing – These are done by
the manufacturer at its manufacturing facility.
EXAMINATION
• Visual examination including examination of
castings, dimensional check, etc.
• Examination of valve for compliance to valve
specification
SUPPLIMENTARY EXAMINATION
Castings and forgings are subjected to Non-
Destructive Examinations (NDE) such as:
• Magnetic Particle
• Radiographic
• Liquid Penetrant
• Ultrasonic Examination
VALVE
TESTING
VALVE TESTING
The following tests are generally performed on ball valves.
• Shell Test
• Backseat Test
• Low Pressure Closure
• High Pressure Closure
These tests are generally in accordance with API 598.
PRESSURE TESTS (API 598)
PRESSURE TESTS (API 598)
SHELL TEST PRESSURE (API 598)
OTHER TEST PRESSURE (API 598)
DURATION OF REQUIRED TEST PRESSURE
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE LEAKAGE RATES
FOR CLOSURE TESTS
SPECIAL
FEATURES OF
BALL VALVES
SPECIAL FEATURES OF BALL VALVES
• Self-Relieving Design
• Double Piston Effect
• Upstream Self Reliving Design
• Metal Seating
• Anti-Explosive Decompression
• Double Block and Bleed
• Stem Extensions
• Anti-Static Capability
• Fire Safe
SELF-RELIEVING DESIGN
• According to API 6D definitions, the standard design for all
mounted ball valves are bi-directional, twin-seat (with two
seats, both seats uni-directional) valves. This means valves
designed for blocking the fluid in both directions, with two
SELF RELIEVING seats, each sealing in one direction (from
the valve ends to the valve body cavity) are able to relieve
the body cavity overpressure generally downstream.
DOUBLE PISTON EFFECT
• Valves designed for blocking the fluid in both
downstream and upstream directions, with two seats,
each sealing in both directions i.e. from the valve ends
to the valve body cavity and from the body cavity to
valve ends. This valve design improves the sealing
capability of the valve adding a double seating surface in
line, but an external safety relief valve is needed to allow
the release of the cavity over-pressure.
UPSTREAM SELF RELIVING DESIGN
Uni-directional, twin-seat valve with the upstream
seat uni-directional and the downstream seat bi-
directional. This combination maintains the sealing
capability of the valve in the event of failure of the
upstream seat. In addition, as the upstream seat
automatically releases the body cavity over-pressure,
no safety relief valve is needed for this purpose.
METAL SEATING
• Hard-faced Ball and seats to provide a
positive seating action in case of abrasive
service or in case that the high service
temperature does not allow the use of any
kind of soft seat insert material.
ANTI-EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION
• Anti explosive decompression O-rings or Lip
seals are used to eliminate the possibility of
O-ring explosion due to the sudden
decompression of gas absorbed into the
molecular structure of elastomeric sealing
elements.
DOUBLE BLOCK AND BLEED
• According to API 6D definition: Valves with
two seating surfaces which, when in the
closed position, block flow from both valve
ends and allow the cavity between the seating
surfaces to be vented through a bleed
connection provided on the body cavity.
STEM EXTENSIONS
Ball Valves can be provided
with optional stem extensions
to permit buried or
underground installations in
remote or inaccessible areas.
Extended bonnets and stems
are used in valves working in
extremely low or high
temperatures to increase the
distance between the body
and the sealing area of the
stem.
ANTI-STATIC CAPABILITY
Build-up of static electricity can occur as a result of constant rubbing of the ball
against the PTFE seats. This can be a potential fire hazard, especially while
handling inflammable fluids. Ball Valves are provided with built-in antistatic
design features. In general, this is achieved through 35% Carbon-filled PTFE stem
seals and Graphite gland packing's to provide electrical continuity between the
body and the stem / ball, discharging any build-up of static charge. In addition,
spring-loaded plungers are provided between the stem and the ball in single-
piece and two-piece reduced bore (80mm and above) and full bore (40mm and
above) valves. Depending on the choice of seals, the designs also provide for
additional spring-loaded plungers between the stem and the body for full
mechanical antistatic capability.
FIRE SAFE VALVES AND FIRE PROOFING
• The soft seals for seat and stem commonly used in ball valves
will disintegrate if the valve is exposed to fire for a long
enough period . If such valves are used for flammable fluids,
they must be designed so that loss of the soft seals due to an
external fire does not result in gross internal and external
valve leakage. Such designs provide emergency seals for seat
and stem that come into operation after the primary seals
have failed.

Fire-resistant Seat
Arrangement—Floating
Ball Valve
FIRE RESISTANT SEALS
• The emergency seat seal may be provided by a secondary metal
seat in close proximity to the ball, so that the ball can float
against the metal seat after the soft seating rings have
disintegrated. The stuffing box may be fitted with an auxiliary
pure graphite packing, or the packing may be made entirely of
pure graphite.
• Numerous standards have been established to cover fire-
proofing of soft seated valves. These include BS 5146, API 607
and API RP 6F

Fire-resistant Seat
Arrangement—Trunnion
Ball Valve
 BALL VALVE STANDARDS
ASME B16.10 - Face to Face and End to End Dimensions of Valves
ASME B16.34 - Valves – Flanged, Threaded and Welding Ends
API 598 - Valve Inspection and Testing
API 607 - Fire Test for Soft-seated Quarter-turn Valves
API 608 - Metal Ball Valves – Flanged, Threaded and Welding Ends
API 6D - Specification for Pipeline Valves
API 6FA - Specification for Fire Test for Valves
BS EN 17292 - Metal ball valves for petroleum, petrochemical and
allied industries
MSS SP25 - Standard marking System for Valves, Fittings, Flanges
and Unions
Summary
• Types of Ball Valves
– Advantage's as well as disadvantages
• Special Features of Ball Valves
– Metal Seating, Antistatic Features, DBB, Self
Reliving
• Examination & Testing Requirements
– NDE, Pressure Tests, Closure Test
QUESTIONS?