FUNCTIONS, CLASSIFICATIONS, TYPES, THEIR APPLICATIONS, ADVANTAGES AND

DISADVANTAGES OF VALVES

I. VALVES
A valve is a device that control, regulate or direct the flow of fluid by opening closing or
partially obstructing various passageway within a system or process.
The valve serves various function within the piping system such as:
1. Starting or stopping flow based on the valve state
2. Throttling the fluid flow
3. Controlling the direction of fluid flow
4. Regulating flow and pressure within a piping system
5. Relieve pressure or vacuum from the piping system
Different types of valves serve these functions and how they do so can vary mechanically.
Therefore, these valves can be classified or categorized based on:
1. Function
2. End connection
3. How it operates (open and close)
4. Types of actuators
Based on functions they are classified as:
1. Isolation Valve - to isolate or cuts the supply of fluid when needed.
e.g. Ball, Gate, Plug, Piston, Diaphragm, Butterfly and Pinch Valve.
2. Control Valve - to regulate the flow of fluid.
e.g. Globe, Butterfly, Diaphragm, Ball, Plug, and Pinch Valve
3. Pressure and Vacuum Relief Valve - to prevent overpressure and vacuum within
the system which can damage the piping equipment.
Based on end connections they are classified into:
1. Screwed or Threaded Ends
2. Flange Type Ends
3. Butt Welded Valves
4. Socket Welded Valves

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 Classification based on how it operates (open and close) are:
1. Linear Motion
2. Rotary
3. Motion Quarter Turn
Classification based on actuators used are:
1. Electric Motor
2. Air Hydraulic Fluid
3. Solenoid

II. COMMON TYPES OF VALVES THEIR APPLICATIONS ADVANTAGES AND

DISADVANTAGES
GATE VALVE
The gate valve is one of the most common types of valves that uses linear motion to
control the flow of fluid. They are either in a fully open or fully closed positions. They are
used in all fluid service functioning as air, fuel gas, feed water, lube oil, steam hydrocarbon
etc.
Different types of gate valves include:
1. Solid Wedge Gate
• It is the most common used in plants because of simplicity and strength and
very much flexible to install in any position.
• It is suitable for almost all liquids and it is practically for turbulent flow.
2. Flexible Wedge Gate
• This is a one-piece solid disc with a cut around the perimeter to improve the
ability to correct mistakes or changes in the angle between the seats.
• These cuts vary in size shape and depth.
• A shallow narrow cut or wedge perimeter gives less flexibility but retains
strength a deeper and wide cut on wedge perimeter gives more flexibility but
compromise the strength
3. Split Wedge or Parallel Disc Gate
• This consists of two-disc construction which sit between the tapered seats in
the valve body and holds together with the help of a special mechanism.
• The split disc can be in a split wedge shape or parallel disc type parallel disc
type are spring loaded so they are always in contact with seats and give bi-
directional sealing.
• Split wedge is suitable for handling non-condensing gases and liquid a normal
and high temperature.
4. Outside Stem and Yoke Gate Valve
• Also known as rising stem of gate valve
• This means that when the handle is turned opened the stem will rise above the
hand wheel of the valve this is because the handle and the stem are both

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 threaded so they interact together a yoke is an integral part from a rising stem
valve and is mounted to the bonnet
• It is one of the valves used to control the flow of water to fire sprinkler system
5. Inside Screw Valve
• There is no upward stem movement when the valve is opened
• The stem is threaded into the disc as the hand wheel on the stem is rotated
the disc travels up or down the stem on the thread while the stem remains
vertically stationary,

ADVANTAGES OF GATE VALVE GATE VALVES

1. Ideal for nearly all fluid services
2. Provide superior ceiling performance
3. Suitable for use in pipelines where the flow direction may change
DISADVANTAGES OF GATE VALVE
1. Gate valves open and close slowly
2. Gate valves can be prone to scratches
3. Not suitable for high pressure implementations

GLOBE VALVE
This is a linear motion valve that are primarily designed to stop start and regulate the flow
of fluid. Globe valve is extensively employed to control flow. Another stopper occurs at a
place where it has to control the fluid flow and also take into account the leakage and
tightness of the system.
TYPES OF GLOBE VALVE
1. T pattern or Z body type
• This is the most common body type with a z-shaped diaphragm.
• The z-type globular body is designed to consider and simplify the problem in
manufacturing installation and repair.
• T-pattern globe valves are used in applications where pressure drop is not a
concern and throttling are required.
2. Y body type
• This is designed to solve the high pressure drop problem in z-type valves.
• The y-type seats are angled at 45-degree to the axis of the pipe they can be
cracked open for long periods without severe erosion.
3. Angle pattern type
• These valves are able to turn the flow of fluid direction by 90 degrees without
the use of an elbow and extra weld of pipe.
• Fluid flow occurs with a single 90-degree turn.
• They have a slightly lower coefficient of flow than white pattern globe valves
and are used in applications that have periods of pulsating flow.

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ADVANTAGES OF GLOBE VALVE
1. Good shut off capability
2. Easy to machine or resurface
3. The seats can be used as a stop check valve
DISADVANTAGES OF GLOBE VALVES
1. High pressure drop compared to a gate valve
2. Requires greater force or larger actuator to seat the valve
3. Throttling flow under the seat and shut off flow over the seat

CHECK VALVE
Check valves allow the flow to pass in one direction. They are used to prevent the backflow
in the piping system. These valves are typically self-activated allowing the valve to
automatically open when media passes through the valve in the intended direction and
shut off should flow reverse.
TYPES OF CHECK VALVE
1. Swing Check Valve
• A basic swing check valve consists of a valve body a bonnet and a disc that is
connected to a hinge.
• It is used in low fluid velocities and where flow reversal is not continual.
• The disc swings away from the valve seat to allow flow in the forward direction
and returns to valve seat when upstream flow is stopped to prevent backflow.
2. Piston Check Valve
• This type of check valve is known as a plug check valve
• It operates by controlling the flow of fluid in a piping system utilizing the linear
motion of a piston within the valve chamber
• Sometimes the piston has a spring attached which helps stay in close position
when not in use
3. Lift Check Valve
• The seat design of a lift check valve is similar to a globe valve.
• The disc is usually in the form of a piston or a ball
• A lift check valve is to be placed in a horizontal or vertical position and are
particularly suitable for high pressure service where velocity of flow is very high
4. Dual Plate Wafer Check Valve
• The dual plate wafer check valve employs two spring-loaded plates hinged on
a central hinge pin when the flow decreases the plate close by the action of
torsion spring before flow reversal takes place
ADVANTAGES OF CHECK VALVES
1. Prevent reverse flow while typically requiring no external actuation
2. Maintain pressure
3. Most can be used horizontally as well as vertically

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DISADVANTAGES OF CHECK VALVES
1. Inability to determine condition of the valve and its status
2. Can't be used with pulsating system
3. Closing element may slam close causing damage and excessive wear

BALL VALVE
A ball valve is a shut off valve that controls the flow of fluid by means of a rotary ball having
a ball predominantly equipped with quick acting 90 degree turn handles. The ball spigot is
lighter and smaller in size and rating compared to gate valve
TYPES OF BALL VALVES
1. Standard ball valve
• Standard threaded ball valve consists of the housing seats ball and lever for
ball rotation
• They include valves with two three and four port which can be female or male
threaded or a combination of these.
2. Hydraulic ball valve
• They are specially designed for hydraulic and heating systems due to the high
operating pressure rating and hydraulic and heating oil resistance
• These valves are made of either steel or stainless steel
• The seat also makes hydraulic valves suitable for high operating pressure
• The seats of these valves are made of polyoxymethylene palm
3. Flange ball valve
• They are characterized by their connection type
• The ports are connected to a piping system via flanges that are usually
designed in accordance with a certain standard
• These valves provide a high flow rate since they typically have a full board
design
4. Vented ball valve
• They look almost the same as the standard two-way ball valves when it comes
to their design
• The main difference is that the outlet port vents to the environments in closed
position
• This is achieved by a small hole that is drilled in the ball and in the valve body
• When the valve closes, the hole line up with the outlet port and release the
• Pressure
• This is useful in compressed air systems where depressurization provides a
safer working environment
ADVANTAGES OF BALL VALVES
1. Open and close quickly
2. They are manufactured in different sizes and shapes providing flexibility in selection
compared to other valves
3. They are controlled with less force

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DISADVANTAGES OF BALL VALVES
1. Cannot be used for throttling
2. Prone to cavitation
3. Not suitable for slurry application due to cavities around the ball and seats

BUTTERFLY VALVE
A butterfly valve is a mechanism that regulates the flow of material within large pipe
diameters by the quarter-turn rotation of a disc.
It also helps in regulating flow start.
Butterfly valve is ideal for tight spaces thanks to its wafer type design.
The butterfly valve gets its name from how the movement is similar to a wing for flight.

TYPES OF BUTTERFLY VALVE AS PER DISCLOSURE DESIGN

1. Concentric butterfly valve
• Concentric butterfly valve also known as zero offset butterfly valve is the most
basic type of butterfly valve design.
• The stem passes through the center line of the disc.
• The concentric butterfly valve is also called resilient seated or rubber seated
because it relies on the flexibility of the seat rubber to efficiently seal the flow
when closed.
2. Eccentric butterfly valve
• Eccentric butterfly valve also known as high performance butterfly valves the
stem does not pass through the center line of the disk but instead located offset
from the center according to the categories of double and triple offset valves.
• The valve is called single offset butterfly valve when the stem is located right
behind the centerline of the disc.
• It is called double offset butterfly valve when the stem is located behind the
disc with an additional offset to one side

TYPES OF BUTTERFLY VALVE AS PER PIPING CONNECTION DESIGN

1. Wafer type
• Wafer style butterfly valve the most economical version and it is sandwiched
between two pipe flanges and the flange bolts surround the valve body.
• The pipe flanges are connected through long bolts that cross the entire valve
body.
• The ceiling between the valve and pipe is done by using a tightly fitted seal
along with a flat valve face on the downstream and upstream sections of the
valve.

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 2. Lug type
• Lug type butterfly valve they have threaded lugs outside the valve body
• Two sets of bolts connect pipe flanges to each side of the bolt inserts without
nuts
• This enabled the disconnection of one side without affecting the other for dead
end services
3. Double flange butterfly valve
• Double flange butterfly valve the double flange butterfly valve have flanged end
on both sides of valve
• The valve is connected to piping flanges through bolts
• the unique feature of this valve is its adaptability for lined pipes due to negligible
disc protrusion beyond the body laying length
ADVANTAGES OF BUTTERFLY VALVE
1. Butterfly valve is easy and fast to open and close
2. Relatively inexpensive and cost effective
3. Well suited for handling slurries or liquids with large amount of suspended solids
DISADVANTAGES OF BUTTERFLY VALVE
1. Throttling service is limited to low differential pressure
2. Disc movement is unguided and affected by flow turbulence
3. The disc of butterfly valve is always present within the flow therefore a pressure
drop is always induced in the flow regardless of valve position

NEEDLE VALVE
Typically used in small diameter piping system when fine accurate flow control is needed
The needle valve is similar to a globe valve. Its biggest difference is that its disc looks
needle-like needle valve have a slender tapered point at the end of the valve stem that is
lowered through the seat to restrict or block flow
Fluid flowing through the valve turns 90 degrees and passes through an orifice that is the
seat for a rod with cone-shaped tip
ADVANTAGES OF NEEDLE VALVES
1. They can be used for throttling purpose
2. The flow control at a low rate is very accurate
3. They are used as bleed valves for hot water heating
DISADVANTAGES OF NEEDLE VALVE
1. high risk of clogging because of the entrained solids
2. there is a high-pressure loss in the needle valve because of the high restriction of fluid
flow
3. they can be used only for low flow rate piping systems

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PLUG VALVES
A plug valve is a quarter turn rotary motion manual valve.
these valves control flow using tapered or cylindrical plugs.
Plug valves offer a straightway passage through the ports so that fluid can flow through
the opening plug with a minimum of turbulence.
Flow can be in either direction with fully opened or fully closed.

TYPES OF PLUG VALVES

1. Lubricated Plug Valves
• This valve uses lubricants or sealants to reduce friction over a wide range of
operating pressure
• The lubrication film which is used between plug and body provides a seal and
that requires periodic lubricant injection
2. Non-Lubricated Plug Valves
• This plug valve is usually used for lower pressure lines
• This valve contains an elastomeric body liner or sleeve installed in the body
cavity
• Non-lubricated plug valve employs a tapered or cone shape which works as a
wedge and tends to press the sleeve against the body thus the sleeves reduce
the friction between the plug and the body
Three types of Non-Lubricated Plug Valve
a. Lift Type Plug
b. Elastomer Sleeve Plug
c. Fully Lined Plug

3. Eccentric Plug Valve

• This type of plug valve design uses a half plug
• it is advantageous for application that need a higher seating force and minimal
friction from open to close conditions
• They are basically used for flow control and isolation services
• they are used in clean and dirty water sewage sludge and slurries air and other
services
4. Expanding Plug Valve
▪ It is complex in design it is used to prevent product contamination where double
isolation doesn't require
▪ It uses multiple components allowing the plug valve to expand mechanically
and give it a true double block and bleed function in one valve
▪ Expanding plug valves are often used to prevent product contamination
ADVANTAGES OF PLUG VALVES

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1. This valves open and closes fast
2. Provides a dependable leak tight service
3. Offers minimal resistance to the flow
DISADVANTAGES OF PLUG VALVES
1. Need a higher amount of force to operate
2. A pressure drop is encountered due to
3. Reducing port
4. Actuators are required for larger valves

PINCH VALVE
A pinch valve is a flex body valve with a flexible pinch tube that can be pushed together
mechanically through a mechanism or through fluid pressure to create a full closure of the
flow path
This pinch tube is made of normally rubber and in this we can turn the valve on and off
using the pinch mechanism
The flow passage of these valves is straight without crevices and moving parts
Pinch valve is ideal for handling slurries solid materials and liquid with suspended solids
TYPES OF PINCH VALVES
1. Normally Open Pinch Valve
• This valve is in open condition at the non-pressurized state
• To close the valve the pressure is inserted over the rubber sleeve to induce the
pinching effect
• This valve operates on two kind of pressure forces: fluid pressure force and air
pressure force
2. Normally Close Pinch Valve
• This valve is generally closed at the non-pressurized state
• The closing operation is performed by the spring element which forces the
pinch element to be closed at normal conditions
• The operating force of these sleeves is done by spring force fluid pressure
force and air pressure force
3. Changeover Pinch Valve
• This type of valve incorporates dual channel operation which means its half
part is made normally open type and another half is made normally close tight
• The changeover between the both can be done anytime by sliding the
changeover nut
• The force includes spring force fluid pressure force and air pressure force
ADVANTAGES OF PINCH VALVE
1. Highly suitable for abrasive or corrosive media
2. Less friction and turbulence inside the valve
3. Easy and cheaper to maintain

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DISADVANTAGES OF PINCH VALVE
1. not suitable for high temperature feature of the sleeve
2. the rubber sleeve can collapse due to high pressure difference
3. not advisable to use for vacuum applications

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE

A pressure relief valve is used to release excess pressure from a system during over-
pressure situations thus preventing catastrophic failure
It is used to help improve safety
These valves are spring automated and will help to return a system to the desired pressure
during over-pressure events
TYPES OF PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE
1. Spring-Loaded Pressure Relief
2. Balanced Bellow and Balance Piston Valve
3. Safety Relief
4. Pilot Operated Pressure Relief
5. Power Actuated Pressure Relief
ADVANTAGES OF PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE
1. It is versatile and can be used in many services
2. Most reliable if properly sized and operated
DISADVANTAGES OF PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE
1. Susceptible to chatter if built up back pressure is too high r
2. Relieving pressure is affected by back pressure

DIAPHRAGM VALVE
A diaphragm valve used a diaphragm for its opening and closing
The valve doesn't have a valve disc
it is a linear motion valve and it can be used to start to regulate and stop the fluid flow
The diaphragm is connected to the compressor with the help of stud which is molded into
the diaphragm
If the valve is opened then the diaphragm is lifted out of the flow path and the fluid will flow
TYPES OF DIAPHRAGM VALVE
1. Weir type diaphragm valve
• Weir in the flow passage is designed to reduce the flexing of the diaphragm to
a minimum level but it still provides a smooth and streamlined flow passage

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 • Weir type diaphragm with the rising stem, the hand wheels carry a shroud that
covers the stem threads while sliding over a lift indicator sleeve
2. Straight through diaphragm valve
• This type of diaphragm valve requires a more flexible diaphragm than the weir
type due to this the construction material for this type of valve is restricted to
elastomers
• This type has high flexibility in large area
• They are available with full bore and reduced bore flow package
ADVANTAGES OF DIAPHRAGM
1. High corrosion and abrasion resistance.
2. Leakage of steam is eliminated.
3. The construction is simple and they are easy to operate.
DISADVANTAGES OF DIAPHRAGM VALVE
1. Hydrostatic pressure is limited by the diaphragm.
2. Full drainage is prevented by weir type.
3. They cannot be used for high temperature and pressure.

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