Different manufacturing materials, different designs, applications, and variable uses ... industrial valves can be of very different types. The different sectors in which they are useful to demonstrate that these devices are extremely useful cover a myriad of different needs related to fluid management. In this article, you will know the main types of valves that exist, as well as their main characteristics and how they work.
These are the main types of industrial valves used today:
- Globe valves. This device is used to control the flow of liquid in a pipeline. It is made up of a movable disc-type element and a stationary ring seat. The body is usually spherical in shape, although it is also shaped like a 'Y,' 'T,' or a balloon. These types of industrial valves are designed to offer complete tightness, as well as high flow effectiveness. They stand out for their durability, something related to the type of material in which they are.
- Ball or spherical valves. Also called ball valves, they are characterized by the fact that inside the house, a sphere with perforations through which one is produced to regulate the passage of fluids from the pipes. At the moment when the valve is in the closed position, the perforation is perpendicular to the inlet and outlet. However, when the ball valve is open, there is an alignment between the inlet and outlet of the valve itself. To easily distinguish the position of the device, a handle is used, which is used to manoeuvre with it. They can be operated manually or automatically and can have a one-piece, two or three-piece body. the non slam check valve is also good for industries.
- Gate valve. The procedure by which they open the way to a liquid is the raising of a blade or gate that can have rectangular or round shapes. They are not used for regulating, but for uninterrupted clean fluid flows. The opening and closing process causes frictional wear and is slow.
- Needle valves. These valves facilitate efficient regulation of a high-pressure liquid for small pipes. They have a conical shaped closure shaft that acts as a plug-in a reduced opening. These valves are especially appreciated in the hydraulic sector, where they are used in bypasses, route cuts, and diversions as bypass, directing the flow to ball valves or butterfly valves as a previous step to introducing the liquid in turbines or engines. These valves are immune to strong contrasts between different pressures and have a good seal due to their design and stability. Bellows valve is also famous.
- Butterfly valves. Useful to allow or prevent the passage of liquid. They have activated automatically or with actuators. These valves open with a 90º rotation of the disc. Globe valve are widely used.
- Check valves. Also called non-return, check, or single flow, they close the flow of fluid in one direction and circulate in the opposite direction. One of the advantages it offers is that it prevents pump stripping and water hammer. There are several different types of check valves, such as swing flap valves, spring valves, ball check valves, and piston valves.