Valves

By: Maather Alharrasi

 Definition:

Valves are mechanical devices that control the flow and pressure within a system
or process. They are essential components of a piping system that conveys
liquids, gases, vapours, slurries etc.

 Functions:

1. Stopping and starting flow.

2. Reduce or increase a flow.
3. Controlling the direction of flow.
4. Regulating a flow or process pressure.
5. Relieve a pipe system of a certain pressure.

 Types:

1. Gate valve: (Hand operated)

A gate valve is the most common type of valve used in any process plant. It is a linear
motion valve used to start or stop fluid flow. In service, these valves are either in a fully
open or fully closed position.

2. Ball valve:

A ball valve is a flow control device which uses a hollow, perforated and pivoting ball to
control liquid flowing through it. It is open when the ball's hole is in line with the flow inlet
and closed when it is pivoted 90-degrees by the valve handle, blocking the flow. The
handle lies flat in alignment with the flow when open, and is perpendicular to it when
closed, making for easy visual confirmation of the valve's status. The shut position 1/4
turn could be in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
Ball valves are durable, performing well after many cycles, and reliable, closing securely
even after long periods of disuse. These qualities make them an excellent choice for
shutoff and control applications, where they are often preferred to gates and globe
valves, but they lack the fine control of those alternatives, in throttling applications.

3. Globe valve: (Hand operated)

A globe valve, different from ball valve, is a type of valve used for regulating flow in
a pipeline, consisting of a movable plug or disc element and a stationary ring seat in a
generally spherical body.
Globe valves are named for their spherical body shape with the two halves of
the body being separated by an internal baffle. This has an opening that forms
a seat onto which a movable plug can be screwed in to close (or shut) the valve. The
plug is also called a disc. In globe valves, the plug is connected to a stem which is
operated by screw action using a hand wheel in manual valves. Typically, automated
globe valves use smooth stems rather than threaded and are opened and closed by
an actuator assembly.

4. Plug or cock valve: (Hand operated)

A plug valve is shaped like a cylinder or cone and can be rotated inside the valve body
to control flow of fluids. Plug valves have one or more hollow passageways often placed
horizontally to allow ease of flow through the valve when open. The most common type
of plug valve is the 2 port model with an open and closed position. The two ports are
usually located on opposite sides of the valve with one passageway leading from
inbound to outbound and the stem and handle located on the top. A plug valve also
uses a quarter turn valve, which is useful where quick and frequent operation is
essential. The valve ends can be flanged, hub type, or butt weld.

5. Butterfly valve:
Butterfly valves belong to the family of quarter-turn rotary motion valves and are
primarily used to stop, regulate or start the flow. The term "butterfly" in a butterfly valve
is actually a disc attached to a rod. When this rod rotates the disc by 90 degrees, the
butterfly valve opens or closes. Butterfly valves are very popular in the industry due to
their light weight, fast operation and low costs. These valves use automated handles,
gears or actuators to operate according to the requirements. In addition, the main
functions for using the butterfly valves are:
- Flow regulation.
- Flow isolation.
- Prevention of back flow.

Butterfly Valves provide many advantages as compared to other valve types.

- Compact design; little space requirement.

- Lightweight; easily supported by the piping system.
- Less raw material and less costly.
- Quick operation; less opening or closing time.
- Easy to Install.
- Simple operation due to low operation torque.
- Available in very large sizes
- Improved energy efficiency
- Low-pressure drop and high-pressure recovery
- Long valve life
- Relatively inexpensive to build.
- Less number of parts; hence, reduced maintenance.
- Butterfly valves are suitable for control purposes with linear flow characteristics
between 300 and 700 of opening.
- Butterfly valve offer excellent rangeability from 30:1 to 100:1.
 6. Diaphragm valve:

Diaphragm valves get their name from a flexible disc which comes into contact with a
seat at the top of the valve body to form a seal. A diaphragm is a flexible, pressure
responsive element that transmits force to open, close or control a valve. Diaphragm
valves are related to pinch valves, but use an elastomeric diaphragm, instead of an
elastomeric liner in the valve body, to separate the flow stream from the closure
element.

7. Pinch valve:

A pinch valve is a flex-body valve with a flexible tube that can be pushed together or
“pinched” mechanically through a mechanism or through fluid pressure to create a full
closure of the flow path. The flow passage of these valves is straight without crevices
and moving parts. The soft body of the pinch valves has the ability to seal around the
trapped solids. This property makes pinch valves ideal for handling slurries, foodstuffs,
and pharmaceuticals. Other industries where pinch valves find application are:

 Cement industry
 Plastic industry
 Pneumatic Conveying industry
 Wastewater industry/Sewage treatment plants
 Ceramic Industry
 Environmental industry
 Chemical industry
 Mining industry
 dosing and weighing systems
 Commercial vehicle industry
 Bulk and solid handling industry, etc.

8. Safety valve:

A safety valve is a valve that acts as a fail-safe. An example of a safety valve is a

pressure relief valve (PRV), which automatically releases a substance from a boiler,
pressure vessel, or other system, when pressure or temperature exceeds preset limits.
Pilot operated relief valves are a specialized type of pressure safety valve. A single
emergency use option may be a leak-tight, low cost, ruptured disc.

9. Angle valve:
An angle valve has an inlet and an outlet port which are perpendicular to each other. It
is sorted as the manual valves and it is usually used to prevent or control the flow of a
liquid in a pipe and this is the reason for it is sometimes called simply as stop valve.
Stop valves are valves that entirely stop the flow of the liquid inside the pipe. But angles
are mostly used as regulating device in residential plumbing and industry. Angle stops
usually have an oval knob or twist handle. In public places where vandalism or stealing
is a matter, removable handles are a great solution. The old version of angles’ knobs
needs to be rotated many times to make the flow shut off. But now most of the
manufacturers provide angles with a ¼ turn handles to shut off the flow as fast as it is
possible in emergency situations. Angle valves are the most common-in-use valves that
we see every day around; For example, there is often one connected to toilet and two to
faucet allowing you to work on the repair of faucet without having to shut off the water of
the whole house.

10. Check valve:

A check valve is a safety device designed to allow fluids and gases to flow in one
direction. Under pressure, fluids enter the valve at the inlet and exit through the outlet.
Uninterrupted flow continues until the pressure drops, or the pump is shut down. Check
valves are an automatic safety device that prevents backflow, ensures gases or liquids
are flowing in the right direction, and create a tight seal to prevent leaks. By controlling
the flow of liquids, check valves protect pumps and compressors from serious damage.
The names of check valves change according to their use and how they are
manufactured. Their many names include clack, non-return (NRV), reflux, retention, and
one-way valves.

References:
- 2021. Diaphragm Valves Information. [online] Available from:
https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/flow_control_flow_transfer/valves/diaphragm_valves
th
[Accessed: 29 December 2021].
- Empowering Pumps and Equipment. 2021. What is a Plug Valve and When is it Used? -
Empowering Pumps and Equipment. [online] Available from:
th
https://empoweringpumps.com/what-is-a-plug-valve-and-when-is-it-used/ [Accessed: 29
December 2021].
- Industrial Manufacturing Blog | linquip. 2021. What is Angle Valve: Features, Functions &
Applications | Linquip. [online] Available from: https://www.linquip.com/blog/angle-valve/
th
[Accessed: 29 December 2021].
- Whatispiping.com. 2021. Butterfly Valves: Uses, Types, Working, Advantages, Symbols (With
PDF). [online] Available from: https://whatispiping.com/butterfly-valves-uses-types-advantages-
symbols/#:~:text=Butterfly%20valves%20belong%20to%20the%20quarter-
turn%20rotational%20motion,by%2090%C2%B0%20the%20butterfly%20valve%20opens%20or
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%20closes. [Accessed: 29 December 2021].