9 Types of Valves with Different Operation

9 Types of Valves with Different Operation
In this article, we briefly explain the operation and differences between 9 types of valves with their different uses and uses  of each.

1. Needle Valves

Its name is due to its conical closing shaft that functions as a plug in a  small  opening. The needle valve is ideal for regulating the flow, because thanks to its design, precision and stability  allows a good seal, without wear, even with large contrasts between pressures.

In the hydraulic sector, the needle valves are used as  bypass (bypass, bypass or cut of a route) to the butterfly or ball / ball valves before the entry of engines or turbines.

2. Ball or Ball Valves

The ball valves , also called ball valves or spherical , owe their name to that inside contain a ball or sphere with holes to regulate the passage of fluids. You can find them with a body of one piece, two pieces or three pieces, according to your needs.

The position in which the handle is located, will show you the status of the valve: closed or open. When the valve is closed, you will see the perforation perpendicular to the inlet and outlet; while when open, it is aligned with the inlet and outlet of the valve.

The ball valves can be operated manually or automatically with a pneumatic or electric actuator.

3. Gate Valve

Gate valves open the passage to the fluid by raising or lifting your gate or blade (rectangular or round). They are used for the flow of fluids or clean liquids without interruptions, so they are not used to regulate, since the disk could erode.

We do not recommend installing the gate valve where opening and closing is frequent, since the process is slow and wears out due to friction. It needs large actuators that are difficult to automate and is complicated to repair once installed.

4. Globe valves

The globe valves are named for the shape of a sphere of the  body, although today some of these designs are no longer spherical, but keep the traditional name for their operation.

The body of these valves can have different shapes: balloon, angle, control, Y, T, etc.

In between the two halves of the body you will find a deflector, which forms a hole where the disc acts in the seat and is connected to a threaded shaft or stem (manual actuation) or sliding (automatic actuation) to close the valve.

The design of the globe valve is ideal in applications that require perfect tightness, high flow effectiveness and a long service life.

5. Guillotine valves

The operating system reminds you of the guillotine  machines  used as the death penalty in the 18th century.

In the guillotine valves , the blade acts in the seat as a guillotine, which makes its obstruction impossible. Suitable with the handling of fluids with solids. You can install it with ctuadores that offer different solutions to your needs.

6. Butterfly valves

The  butterfly valves  are used to allow or prevent the  passage and in many of the  applications of liquid products in the chemical, pharmaceutical industries and food .

The  butterfly valve  can be operated automatically with an actuator or manually using a handle. In the latter case, the lever locks the valve in one of two possible positions: open or closed, although there are more intermediate positions in other versions of these valves.

You can learn more about its operation, features and types in this article.

7. Regulation and Control Valves

The regulation and control valves allow you to control the flow rate and, therefore, the pressure, speed or fluid level. They usually depend on devices such as thermometers or thermostats and are also often installed with hydraulic, electric or pneumatic actuators for greater control and automation.

The fluid passes through the anti-return path at a normal speed and, depending on the situation of the piston, the velocity of the fluid may become clogged and decreased.

8. Check or Anti-Return Valves

The valves , also known as you'll  valves one iflujo , return anti-way valves,  or valves check . Its function is to completely close the passage of fluid that is moving in one direction and free the opposite.

The internal disk has a minimum travel to the total opening position. They are used when you want to keep the pressure of a pipe that is in operation, and in turn, discharge the other side that is blocked and retained. They can be used to avoid water hammers (breakdowns) and pump dropping.

9. Safety Valves or Relief

The safety valves or relief valves are responsible for relieving or softening the pressure at the time that a fluid exceeds a predetermined limit and try to prevent the system from exploding due to this excess pressure.

Also, there are valves that relieve pressure when the temperature (and pressure, of course) exceeds the limit set by the manufacturer. As you see every peculiar name has its consistency with the operation of the valve, right?

Also read: Relief valve hydraulic