Industrial Valve Types with Advantages and Disadvantages

Industrial valve are essential for the regulation of fluid flow and to open and close the fluid flow path in many industrial applications. Various industrial valves are used in different applications, and they all have their pros and cons.

1. Butterfly Valves in Industrial Valve

The butterfly valve is a common fluid control valve, which is widely used in various industrial fields. It regulates the flow of fluid by operating a disc-shaped valve disc.

Butterfly Valves Advantages, Butterfly valves are widely used for several reasons. Some advantages of check valves are as follows:

(1) Simple structure: The structure of the butterfly valve is relatively simple, mainly composed of the valve body, valve disc and valve stem, which is easy to manufacture and maintain.

(2) Light weight: Due to its simple structure, butterfly valves are usually lighter than other types of valves, making them easier to install and operate.

(3) Low cost: The manufacturing cost of butterfly valves is low, especially in large-diameter valves, where the economy is particularly prominent.

(4) Rapid opening and closing: The butterfly valve has a fast opening and closing speed, and usually only needs a 90-degree rotation to complete the opening or closing operation.

(5) Small space occupation: The butterfly valve has a compact structure and small space occupation, which is particularly suitable for applications with limited installation space.

(6) Small fluid resistance: In the fully open state, the fluid has small resistance when passing through the butterfly valve, which is conducive to the efficient circulation of the fluid.

Butterfly Valves Disadvantages, there are a few disadvantages of using butterfly valves.

(1) Poor sealing: Compared with the stop valve, the sealing performance of the butterfly valve is relatively poor, especially in high pressure or high temperature environment, it is easy to leak.

(2) Not suitable for high-precision control: The control accuracy of the butterfly valve is not as good as that of the ball valve or the stop valve, and it is not suitable for applications that require high-precision flow control.

(3) Limited corrosion resistance: The disc and stem of the butterfly valve are usually exposed to the outside and are easily corroded by the fluid, especially in corrosive media, requiring the use of special materials or surface treatment.

(4) Wear problem: After long-term use, the disc and seat of the butterfly valve are prone to wear, especially in media containing particles, which may cause leakage or control failure.

(5) Not suitable for high temperature and high pressure conditions: Butterfly valves may fail due to material expansion or stress concentration in high temperature and high pressure environments, and are generally not recommended for extreme conditions.

Butterfly valves are suitable for occasions that require fast switching, low cost, and low sealing requirements, but in high temperature and high pressure, highly corrosive or high-precision control conditions, other types of valves may need to be selected.

2. Ball Valves in Industrial Valve

Ball valves are mainly used in pipelines for shutting off, distributing, and changing the direction of medium flow. Ball valves designed with a V-shaped opening also have excellent flow regulation capabilities.

Ball Valves Advantages, Ball valves have some significant advantages that make them a part of a variety of applications. Some benefits to using ball valves are as follows:

(1) Has the lowest flow resistance (effectively 0).

(2) Since it does not jam during operation (even without lubricant), it can be reliably used in corrosive media and low-boiling-point liquids.

(3) It achieves complete sealing over a wide range of pressures and temperatures.

(4) It enables rapid opening and closing, with some structures achieving opening and closing times as short as 0.05–0.1 seconds, ensuring suitability for automated systems in test benches. Rapid valve operation occurs without impact.

(5) The spherical closing member can automatically position itself at the boundary position.

(6) The working medium is reliably sealed on both sides.

(7) When fully open or fully closed, the sealing surfaces of the ball and valve seat are isolated from the medium, so high-speed flowing medium through the valve does not cause erosion of the sealing surfaces.

(8) Compact structure and lightweight, making it the most reasonable valve structure for low-temperature medium systems.

(9) The valve body is symmetrical, especially the welded valve body structure, which can effectively withstand stresses from the pipeline.

(10) The closing member can withstand high pressure differentials during closure.

(11) Ball valves with fully welded valve bodies can be directly buried underground, protecting the internal components from corrosion, with a maximum service life of up to 30 years, making them the ideal valve for oil and natural gas pipelines.

Ball Valves Disadvantages, While ball valves are very beneficial, they also have certain advantages: If the switch is operated frequently, the sealing surface will wear out and crack.

3. Gate Valves in Industrial Valve

Gate valves are mainly used to regulate and control the flow of media in pipelines. Specifically, they can precisely control the amount of media flowing through the pipeline by adjusting the position of the gate plate. In addition, gate valves also serve to shut off the flow of media and change the direction of flow, providing great flexibility to the pipeline system.

Gate valves Advantages, Gate valves are simple to understand and have a multitude of advantages. Some of these advantages are stated below:

(1) Simple and clear structure: Gate valves consist of several main components, including the valve body, movable gate plate, and seals. This simple design makes maintenance, cleaning, and component replacement relatively straightforward.

(2) Reliable sealing performance: The sealing design between the gate plate and the valve body is excellent, ensuring effective control of the medium in the pipeline and preventing unnecessary leakage.

(3) High flow capacity: When the gate plate is fully open, the internal flow channel of the gate valve is straight, significantly reducing resistance during medium flow. As a result, gate valves can typically handle large flow rates.

Gate valves Disadvantages
(1) Greater flow resistance.
(2) Water hammer phenomenon.
(3) Operating noise.

4. Globe Valves in Industrial Valve

Globe Valve Advantage

(1) High flow regulation accuracy
(2) Excellent sealing performance
(3) Compact structure, suitable for small diameters

Globe Valves Disadvantages

(1) High flow resistance, not suitable for high flow rates
(2) Prone to clogging, not suitable for media containing particles
(3) Large diameter, high cost

5. Check Valves in Industrial Valve

Check valve is a type of valve that prevents backflow of fluid or gas and maintains stable pressure in a piping system. Its basic principle is to control the unidirectional flow of fluid by opening and closing the valve.

Check Valves Advantages

(1) High reliability: Check valves have a simple structure, are easy to maintain, and offer excellent sealing and reliability, making them less prone to failure.

(2) Energy-saving: The check valve operates using the pressure difference of the medium itself, eliminating the need for additional power equipment and thereby saving energy.

(3) High safety: The check valve effectively prevents backflow of the medium and pipeline ruptures, ensuring the safety of equipment and personnel.

(4) Cost-effective and practical: The check valve is low-cost, easy to operate, and has a long service life, making it widely applicable in various pipeline systems for the flow of different media.

Check Valves Disadvantages

(1) High resistance: Check valves create a relatively enclosed space at the valve location, which generates a certain amount of resistance in the pipeline system, thereby increasing the energy consumption of the pipeline system.

(2) Pressure loss: In industrial production, significant pressure fluctuations in the pipeline system can cause excessive pressure loss in the check valve during operation, affecting the stability of the pipeline system.

(3) Difficult to clean: The internal structure of the check valve is relatively complex. After a period of use, there will be some dirt and deposits inside the valve, making cleaning and maintenance difficult.