Valves 101: A Brief Guide To Types Of Valves

By Author: Rohan Mehra
Total Articles: 23
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Valves are mechanical devices used to open, close, or partially obstruct passageways to regulate the flow of fluid within a system. Arguably, valves are the workhouse of piping systems.

A valve controls the flow of water in your kitchen sink, and a different valve helps bring gas into the burner of a gas stove. Apart from residential use, valves are also used in several industries. Industrial valves can handle high pressure from fluids and are made to last through years of use in harsh environments. Most industries, from water treatment plants, to oil and gas industries, petroleum industries, and the chemical industries, will not be able to function without heavy-duty, industrial-strength valves.

Many different types of industrial valves perform numerous jobs from isolating fluids to regulating the flow. The following five valve types are the most commonly seen valves produced by industrial valves manufacturers.

**• Gate valve**

Gate valve is a member of the shut off/on valve family. In other words, they are designed primarily for blocking the flow rather than regulating it. ...
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This type of valve consists of a channel that can be opened or closed by moving a metal gate up or down. When it is raised, the gate clears the channels and allows for fluid flow; when lowered, the gate obstructs the channel and blocks the fluid.

Gate valves have been around for decades, and their simplicity allows them to be manufactured at a relatively low cost and with fewer parts than other types of valves. Industrial valves manufacturers in India recommended that gate valves be used only to start or stop the flow and not for throttling as this can substantially damage the disc. Gate valves are often used to prove shut-off or isolating capabilities in wastewater plants, processing plants and other various industries.

**• Check valve**

Check valves have a significant benefit that no other valve on this list has: they are self-automated valves. They allow the flow of fluid to pass through in one direction while automatically preventing backflow. These valves utilize the pressure from the flow to open the disc inside.

The higher the pressure of fluid, the more the disc opens and if the flow decreases or reverses, the disk will close. Due to this ability of check valves to prevent backflow, they are sometimes referred to as Non-Return Valves. These valves are used in pumps, HVAC systems, gas lines and other applications which require one-way fluid movement.

**• Butterfly valve**

A butterfly valve is a quarter-turn valve that has a rotating metal disc that is positioned perpendicular to the stream of fluid when closed. A handle is attached to a stem, which in turn is attached to a disc that is placed inside the valve. When the handle is turned, the disc inside rotates to open and close the passageway.

A butterfly valve is another type of isolation valve. They offer little control over the flow rate but allow large volumes of materials to flow through the channel. Butterfly valves are used in a broad range of applications. They are recommended to be used in water supply and wastewater treatment by valves and pumps manufacturers.

**• Globe valve**

A globe valve is a linear motion valve that uses a spherical disc to start, stop and regulate the flow of fluids. The moveable disc otherwise referred to as a plug, can be closed against a stationary ring seat to constrict the flow. A glob valve comes in two types: manual and automatic. A manually operated globe valve relies on handwheels to control disc movement while an automatic globe valve uses actuators and sliding shafts.
Glove valves are designed as control valves and modulate flow more accurately than other valve types. They have a superb shutting mechanism and are less likely to leak than other valves. Thus, they are used in a regulatory capacity in the fuel oil system, boiler and main steam vents and drains, cooling water systems, wastewater plants, and food processing industries.

**• Diaphragm valve**

A diaphragm valve is a special kind of shut-off valve that is bi-directional in nature. As the name suggests, the diaphragm is made of a soft and flexible material that is elastic, non-corrosive and non-permeable. The diaphragm regulates the flow of the fluid by controlling the area in which the medium can enter and exit the valve while changing its speed and velocity effectively.

Diaphragm valves are used mostly in low pressure, low temperature, and corrosive environments. Due to its affordability and effectiveness, industrial valves manufacturers in India recommend its usage for water treatment facilities, pharmaceutical industry, food and chemical processing plants, power plants, vacuum services and breweries.

**Choosing the Right Valve for a Pipeline System**

The most important question that you need to ask yourself while purchasing a valve is for what purpose do you need the valve? No matter what the demand of your system, there is a valve to serve that purpose. Valves and pumps manufacturers will help you choose the suitable valve for your system, whether is for regulating the flow with butterfly valves to isolating it with a diaphragm valve.