What is a Ball Valve?
Introduction
A ball valve is a valve with a circular channel of the ball as the opening and closing parts, the ball with the stem rotation to achieve the opening and closing action. The opening and closing member of the ball valve is a perforated sphere, rotating around the axis perpendicular to the channel so as to achieve the purpose of opening and closing the channel. Ball valves are mainly used to open and close the pipeline and equipment media.
Types of Ball Valves
1. Floating ball valve: the ball floats in the medium, through the medium pressure and spring force balance to achieve the switch.
2. Fixed ball valve: the ball is fixed in the centre of the valve body, switching is achieved through rotation.
3. V-shaped ball valve: V-cut design, with better flow regulation performance.
4. Orbital ball valve: the ball in the valve body has a special track to restrain its movement, to ensure the stability and sealing of the valve.
Materials Used in Ball Valves
Stainless steel ball valve: stainless steel is one of the most commonly used ball valve materials, especially 304 and 316 stainless steel.
Carbon steel ball valve: carbon steel is suitable for low temperature and non-corrosive media, such as water and oil.
Chromium-molybdenum alloy ball valves: this alloy is particularly suitable for high temperature and high pressure environment, at the same time in some chemical media have good corrosion resistance.
Titanium alloy ball valves: titanium alloys are widely used in the aerospace and chemical processing industries due to their excellent corrosion resistance and strength-to-weight ratio.
Plastic lined or all-plastic ball valves: these valves are mainly used in strong acid and alkali applications.
How Does a Ball Valve Work?
Working Principle: The ball valve is used to pass or regulate the fluid by rotating the ball core. When the ball core rotates to the channel and pipeline alignment, the fluid can pass freely; when the ball core rotates to the channel and pipeline perpendicular to the fluid is completely blocked.
Advantages of Ball Valves
1. Compact structure, small volume, light weight, easy to install and maintain;
2. Excellent sealing performance, to achieve zero leakage;
3. Intuitive and simple operation, fast opening and closing;
4. Widely used in a variety of media flow control occasions.
Applications of Ball Valves
1. cut off, distribute and change the direction of media flow: ball valves are widely used in piping systems that need to cut off, distribute and change the direction of media flow.
2. corrosive media and low boiling point liquids: ball valves are reliably used in corrosive media and low boiling point liquids, such as chemical, petrochemical and other industries.
3. high-pressure and high-temperature systems: ball valves are suitable for high-pressure and high-temperature systems, such as oil, natural gas transmission pipelines.
4. automation system: the rapid opening and closing characteristics of ball valves make them suitable for test benches, automation systems and other occasions.
Ball Valve Safety Considerations
During the use of the ball valve, pay close attention to the pressure and temperature changes in the pipeline to ensure that it is within the rated pressure and temperature range of the ball valve. Avoid overpressure and over-temperature operation to prevent the valve from leaking or being damaged due to excessive pressure or temperature.
Choosing the Right Ball Valve for Your Application
1, working pressure: according to the actual working conditions to determine the working pressure range of the ball valve, select the appropriate ball valve pressure rating.
2, temperature requirements: according to the temperature of the medium to determine the temperature range of the ball valve, select the appropriate material and seal structure.
3, the nature of the fluid: according to the nature of the medium (such as acidic and alkaline, corrosive, etc.) to choose the appropriate material and sealing material.
4, flow requirements: according to the fluid flow requirements to select the appropriate calibre and flow characteristics.
5, installation: according to the actual installation conditions to choose the appropriate ball valve connection (such as flange connection, threaded connection, etc.).
Common Problems with Ball Valves
1. Leakage: Leakage of the ball valve may be caused by poor sealing of the valve seat, damage to the ball or aging of the sealing material.
2. Difficulty in turning: the difficulty in turning the handle or operating device of the ball valve may be caused by increased friction or poor lubrication between the valve stem and the valve body.
3. Unresponsive operation: The operation of the ball valve may become unresponsive and unable to open or close quickly. This may be caused by wear and tear of the valve seat, ball or stem.
4. Leakage: Leakage may occur in ball valves, resulting in media leakage. This may be caused by aging of the sealing material, clogging of impurities or loosening of fasteners.
When is a ball valve open?
When the manual ball valve is closed, the handle is perpendicular to the pipeline.
When the manual ball valve is open, the handle is parallel to the pipeline.
Can ball valves fail?
As a widely used fluid control equipment, ball valves play an important role in industrial production and daily life. However, due to the use of the environment, operation mode and other factors, ball valves in the use of the process will inevitably occur some common failures, such as valve jamming, leakage, leakage and so on.
Conclusion
As a common type of valve, ball valve is favoured for its simple structure, reliable sealing and convenient operation. It plays a key role in many fields such as petrochemical, natural gas, water treatment and so on. Different types of ball valves have their own characteristics and scope of application. When selecting ball valves, comprehensive consideration needs to be made according to the actual working conditions and needs to ensure the performance and service life of the valve.