Why is Flanged Ball Valve Better?

Ball valves are widely used because of their durability, strength, and affordability. Simple to install, they have a quarter-turn operation that makes piping systems more efficient. The robust nature of Ball valves has led to their widespread use in a range of industries, including chemical processes, petroleum, and water treatment plants.

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Although they&#;re an easy choice for most applications, there are a few drawbacks you should be aware of when selecting the correct valve for your application. At John Valves, we help businesses choose the right valves for their requirements. Here, we explain the advantages and disadvantages of ball valves.

What is a Ball Valve?

A ball valve is cylindrical in shape and has a hollow and pivoting ball as the flow control element. When the ball is open, the hole through the ball faces the flow, allowing fluid to pass through. When the handle of the valve is turned 90 degrees, the ball closes and the flow of fluid through the valve stops. When the valve is open, the handle (or lever) is perpendicular to the direction of flow, making visual indication of the status of the valve easy. The biggest benefit of ball valves is their long service life and reliable sealing capabilities.

1-Piece Ball Valves

1-piece ball valves are the most economical option and are designed for simple on-off operations. They comprise a single body piece that houses the ball, making them very compact and lightweight. They are best suited where maintenance is not expected to be frequent, and the cost is a significant factor.

2-Piece Ball Valves

2-piece ball valves are a step up in terms of maintenance and repairability. They consist of two separate pieces, with the connection usually occurring around the middle of the valve. This design allows for easier disassembly and access to the internal components, making them suitable for applications where periodic maintenance or inspection is required. 

3-Piece Ball Valves

3-piece ball valves are designed for maximum durability and maintainability. They are constructed from three separate pieces, allowing the valve body to be removed without disturbing the pipeline. This feature is particularly beneficial in critical systems where minimal downtime is crucial. 3-piece valves are used in applications requiring regular cleaning, repair, or inspection, and they can handle higher pressures and temperatures than their 1 and 2-piece counterparts.

Flanged Ball Valves

Flanged ball valves differ not in the number of pieces but in the method of connection to the pipeline. They feature flanges on either end of the valve body, which are bolted to corresponding flanges on the piping. Flanged ball valves are easier to install and remove than threaded types, making them ideal for large-scale or industrial applications where reliability and ease of maintenance are critical.

Ball Valves Advantages and Disadvantages

To assist in informing you when selecting the right valve for your application, we&#;ve listed the advantages and disadvantages of ball valves below:

Advantages of Ball Valves

High efficiency

Due to the size of the opening in the ball, ball valves are considered high recovery valves since they have a low-pressure drop and high flow capacity. There is little turbulence or resistance to fluid flow when the valve is fully open.

Convenient usage

As a result of their simple quarter-turn (90-degree) operation, ball valves are efficient and convenient to use. As the valve is relatively lightweight and small, it is also easy to install and remove.

Low maintenance

Compared to other types of valves, ball valves are simple and require less maintenance. Because the ball valve stem rotates without axial movement, the packing seal on the valve stem does not easily wear or fail. Ball valves are easy to disassemble and repair, and worn parts can be easily replaced.

Cost-efficient

The cost of ball valves is affordable compared to more complex valve types. Also, as they have low maintenance needs, they&#;re cheaper to maintain.implement in the long term.

Robust

Ball valves are among the most robust valve types because of their ability to withstand high pressures. Their wide range of materials enables them to be used in a variety of environments across a variety of industries.

Disadvantages of Ball Valves

Prone to blockages

As a result of the cavities around the ball and seats, they are not suitable for slurry applications. Slurries or other thick liquids tend to solidify or clog inside of the valve cavities, causing a significant increase in the operating torque and, in some cases, rendering the valve inoperable.

Struggle with long term throttling

Ball valves should only be used in either a fully open or fully closed position and should not be used for long-term throttling. As well as having limited accuracy in controlling flow rate, operating in a partially open position for long periods of time can cause the soft seats of the valve to deform around the edge of the hole in the ball, possibly causing it to become locked in that position. Modern design ball valves are available with a special &#;V&#; port shaped ball that can provide precise flow control characteristics.

Summary

Ball valves are simple mechanical devices used to control the flow of fluids through piping systems. Their cost-effectiveness and convenience make them ideal for most industrial applications. Their characteristics make ball valves well-suited to a wide range of applications and environments.

Despite their limitations, they are often the best choice when looking for an efficient and economical valve solution. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of ball valves could help you select the right valve for your application. Need more advice? John Valves can help.

1. What are the advantages of flanged ball valves?

Flanged ball valve is a relatively new type of ball valve, and its own structure has some unique advantages, such as no friction to the switch, small wear on the seal, and small opening and closing torque.

The flanged ball valve is equipped with a multi-turn electric actuator, and the medium can be adjusted. It is widely used in petroleum, chemical industry, urban water supply and drainage, etc. Ball valve and gate valve belong to the same type of valve, the difference is that the closing part of the flanged ball valve is a sphere, which rotates around the center line of the valve body to open and close.

Ball valves are mainly used to cut off, distribute and change the flow direction of the medium in the pipeline. A flanged ball valve is defined as a valve whose opening and closing member (ball) is driven by a valve stem and rotates around the stem axis.

The ball valve flange type and gate valve belong to the same type of valve, the difference is that its closing part is a ball that rotates around the centerline of the valve body to open and close.

The three-piece ball valve is a new type of valve that has been widely used in recent years. The ball valve is mainly used to cut off, distribute and change the flow direction of the medium in the pipeline. The V-shaped opening ball valve also has a good flow adjustment function.

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Flanged ball valve has the following advantages:

1. The fluid resistance is small, and its resistance coefficient is equal to the resistance coefficient of the pipe section of the same length.

2. Simple structure, small size and light weight.

3. Tight and reliable. At present, the sealing surface material of flange type valve is widely made of plastic with good sealing performance, and it is also widely used in vacuum system.

4. Easy to operate, quick to open and close, just rotate 90° from fully open to fully closed, which is convenient for remote control.

5. Easy maintenance, simple structure of ball valve, generally movable sealing ring, easy disassembly and replacement.

6. When fully open or fully closed, the sealing surface of the ball and the valve seat is isolated from the medium, and the sealing surface of the valve will not be eroded when the medium passes through.

7. Wide range of applications, from a few millimeters to several meters in diameter, from high vacuum to high pressure.

&#;. Structural characteristics of flanged ball valve

1. No friction when opening and closing. This function completely solves the problem that the traditional valve affects the sealing due to the friction between the sealing surfaces.

2. Top installation structure. The valve installed on the pipeline can be directly inspected and maintained online, which can effectively reduce the downtime of the device and reduce the cost.

3. Single valve seat design. It eliminates the problem that the abnormal increase of medium pressure in the valve cavity affects the safety of use.

4. Low torque design. The specially designed valve stem can be easily opened and closed with a small handle.

5. Wedge-shaped sealing structure. Through the mechanical force provided by the valve stem, the ball wedge is pressed against the valve seat to seal the valve, so that the sealing performance of the valve is not affected by the change of pipeline pressure difference, and reliable sealing performance is guaranteed under various working conditions.

6. Self-cleaning structure of sealing surface. When the ball tilts away from the valve seat, the fluid in the pipeline passes through the sealing surface of the ball evenly at 360 degrees, which not only eliminates the local scouring of the valve seat by the high-speed fluid, but also washes away the accumulation on the sealing surface of the flanged ball valve. for self-cleaning purposes.