Valve Overview

Gate valves, ball valves, and butterfly valves are the three essential commonly used valves on pressure vessels, each with unique functions.

Gate valves, ball valves, and butterfly valves, as the three essential commonly used valves on pressure vessels, each play a unique role. But do you understand the specific differences and characteristics between them? Next, let's delve into the differences between these three types of valves together.

Characteristics of gate valves

The flat plate inside the gate valve is perpendicular to the direction of medium flow, providing good sealing and low fluid resistance, making it suitable for large-diameter pipelines. In the internal structure of a gate valve, there is a flat plate that is perpendicular to the flow direction of the medium, and the opening and closing of the valve is controlled by the lifting and lowering of the flat plate. This design enables the gate valve to have good sealing performance, while the fluid resistance is relatively small, and the force required for opening and closing is also relatively small. Therefore, gate valves perform well in various applications, not only with a wide range of uses, but also with certain flow regulation functions, especially suitable for large-diameter pipelines.

Characteristics of ball valves

The valve core of a ball valve is a ball with a central opening, which has a simple structure and can replace a gate valve. It is particularly suitable for applications with low flow resistance. The valve core of a ball valve is a ball with a central opening, which is rotated to control the opening and closing of the valve. This design makes the structure of the ball valve relatively simple, the volume more compact, and the fluid resistance relatively small. In some cases, ball valves can even replace the function of gate valves.

Characteristics of butterfly valve

The valve plate of a butterfly valve rotates around a fixed axis, suitable for large diameter valves, but mainly used in low-pressure environments where regulating flow is relatively difficult. The opening and closing components of butterfly valves are disc-shaped, and the fluid flow is controlled by rotating around a fixed axis inside the valve body. Its structure is simple, the external dimensions are compact, and the weight is light, making it particularly suitable for making large diameter valves. However, due to limitations in sealing structure and materials, it is mainly suitable for low-pressure environments and is commonly used for transporting media such as water, air, and gas. Although the valve plates of butterfly valves and ball valves rotate around their axis, the valve plates of gate valves move up and down along the axis. In terms of flow regulation, butterfly valves and gate valves can be adjusted by changing the opening degree, while ball valves are relatively difficult.