VALVES IN PIPE LINES

Types of valves
• Line valves
– Gate valves or sluice valves
– Butterfly valves
– Globe valves
– Needle and cone valves
• Blow off valves or Drain valves or Scour valves
• Air valves
– Air release valves
– Air inlet valves
• Kinetic air valves
• Pressure relief valves
• Check valves or reflux valves
• Ball valves or ball float valves
• Automatic shut-off valves
• Automatic burst control
 Line valves
• Main line valves are
provided to stop and
regulate the flow of water.
• The spacing varies with the
terrain traversed by the line.
• Principal considerations in
location of the valve
– accessibility and proximity to
special points
– Function of economics and
operating problems
• Placed at major summits of
pressure conduits.
 Gate valves or Sluice valves
• Used to regulate the flow of
water through the pipes.
• Usually placed at the
summits of pressure
conduits, they can be
cheaper and less stronger
materials and can be easily
operated with less force.
• For economy, in large dia
pipes, valves of smaller dia
than the pipe itself are
generally used
 Butterfly valves
• Used to regulate and stop the
flow especially in large size
conduits.
• Butterfly valves with sliding
parts have the advantages of
ease of operations, compact
size, reduced chamber or valve
house and improved closing and
retarding characteristics.
• Involve slightly higher head loss
than sluice valves
• Not suitable for continuous
throttling.
• Sealing is not as effective as
sluice valves at high pressures.
 Globe valves
• Used in small bore
pipe work and as
taps and although a
variation is used as
a control valve.
• Have a circular seal
connected axially to
a vertical spindle
and hand wheel.
 Needle and cone valves
• More expensive
• Well suited for throttling flow.
• Have a gradual throttling action as they close.
• Needle valves may be used with counter balance
weights, springs or actuators to maintain constant
pressure conditions either u/s or d/s of the valve or to
maintain a constant flow.
• Resistant to wear even at high flow velocities
• Not commonly used in water supply but occasionally
used as water hammer release valves when coupled to
an electric or hydrualic actuator.
 Blow off valves or Drain valves or
Scour valves
• Used to remove the entire water from the pipe.
• Small gated off-takes are provided at low points.
• Used for inspection, repairs.
• When opened, water comes out of these valves
quickly under gravity and discharged into some
natural drainage channel or sump in which it can be
pumped out.
• There should be no direct connection between the
valve and the sewer or drain, to avoid the possibility
of pollution travelling into the pipe.
• For safety, two drain valves are generally placed in
series.
 Air valves
• Special kind of valves
• placed at summits on both sides
of sluice valves.
• When placed on summits which
are very near hydraulic gradient
line, they ensure the safety of
the pipe against collapse.
• When placed below the ordinary
sluice valve, they will protect the
pipe against negative pressure
which may be developed, when
during steady flow, the sluice
valve is suddenly closed.
• Air inlet valve – will open
out automatically as soon
as the pressure in the
pipe falls below a certain
fixed predetermined
value, and allows air to
enter the pipe.
• Air Relief valves are
required to be provided
at all the summits to
remove the accumulated
air which will obstruct the
free flow of water.
 Kinetic air valves
• In case of ordinary air valve, single orifice
type, the air or water from the rising main is
admitted in the ball chamber of the air valve
from one side of the ball.
• Disadvantage:
– Once the ball goes up, it does not come down
even when air accumulates in the ball chamber.
– Due to air rushing in, it stirs the ball making it stick
to the upper opening which does not fall down
unless the pressure in the main drops.
 Pressure relief valves
• Used to reduce water hammer pressures in
pressure pipes.
• This valve is adjusted to open out automatically
as soon as pressure in the pipe exceeds a certain
fixed predetermined value.
• Due to the opening of this valve, certain water
will get out of the pipe, and thus, reducing the
water pressure.
• As soon as the pressure reduces, the valve will
close automatically.
 Check valves or Reflux valves
• Also known as ‘non-return valves’
• It prevents the water to flow back in the opposite
direction.
• It may be installed on the delivery side of the pumping
set.
• Check valves are also required at inter-connections
between a polluted water system, so as to prevent the
entry of pollution into the pure water.
• Foot valve – check valve installed at the end of suction
line
• Foot valve prevents draining of the suction when the
pump stops.
 Ball valves or ball float valves
• Used to maintain a constant level in a service reservoir or
elevated tank or stand pipe
• Equilibrium type of valve – most effective.
• In most severe operating conditions, needle type of valve
will give better service – more expensive.
• The disadvantage – Valve may operate for long periods in a
throttled condition. This can be avoided by arranging for
the float to function in a small auxiliary cylinder or a tank.
• When water reaches the top of the auxiliary tank, the ball
will rise quickly from the fully open position to the closed
position without shock.
• The valve will not open again until the water level in the
reservoir reaches the base of the auxiliary tank.
 Automatic shut off valves
• Used on the mains to close automatically
when the velocity in the main exceeds the
predetermined value in case of accident to the
line.
 Automatic burst control
• When large steel mains suitably protected against
corrosion and laid properly, particularly at the
change of direction and the ground is not liable
to subsidence, the possibility of a major burst is
ruled out.
• The insertion of a smaller power operated bypass
valve alongside the main valve and provision of
automatic control arrangements for the main
valve to close at a fairly rapid rate, followed by
the smaller bypass valve at a much lower speed.