Ball valves were first created in the 1950s, and gained widespread use in a range of sectors, from chemical and petroleum to papermaking and even water treatment plants. This simple component consists of a ball that sits inside a pipe. The ball has a hole in the centre, and this allows liquid and gas to pass through it when the hole is lined up with the pipe. When the ball turns and the hole is no longer flush with the pipe, movement of substances cease.
Features of Ball valve
1. Ball valve has the lowest flow resistance, which is actually zero.
2. The ball valve will not jam when working without lubricant, so it can be reliably used in corrosive medium and low boiling point liquid.
3. Ball valve can achieve 100% sealing in the large pressure and temperature range.
4. The ball valve can realize ultra-fast opening and closing, and the opening and closing time of some structures is only 0.05 ~ 0.1s, which can ensure that it can be used in the automation system of the test bench. When opening and closing the valve quickly, the operation is shock-free.
5. The ball-type closure of the ball valve can be positioned automatically in position.
6. The working medium is reliably sealed on both sides.
7. When fully open and fully closed, the sealing surfaces of the ball and valve seat are isolated from the medium, so the medium passing through the valve at high speed will not cause erosion of the sealing surface.
8. Ball valve has compact structure and light weight. It can be considered as the most reasonable valve structure which is suitable for low temperature medium system.
9. The body of the ball valve is symmetrical, especially when welding the body structure, it can well withstand the stress from the pipeline.
10. The closing part of the ball valve can withstand the big difference of pressure when closing.
11. The fully welded ball valve can be directly buried in the ground, so that the internal parts of the valve are not eroded, and the maximum service life is 30 years.
Application of Ball valve
Many unique characteristics of ball valves determine their relatively wide application. Generally in two adjustment, strict sealing performance, mud, wear, retraction, fast opening and closing action, high pressure cut-off, low noise, no cavitation and gasification phenomenon, small leakage to the atmosphere, small operating torque, fluid resistance in the pipeline system, the recommended use of ball valves. Ball valves are also suitable for lightweight, low-pressure cut-off and corrosive media piping systems. Ball valves can also be used in cryogenic installations and piping systems. Strictly degreasing ball valves are used in the oxygen piping system of metallurgical industry. When oil pipelines and natural gas pipelines need to be buried underground, full diameter welded ball valves are required. When it is necessary to adjust the performance, the special structure of the V-shaped ball valve should be selected. In petroleum, petrochemical, chemical, electric power and urban construction, metal-to-metal sealed ball valves can be used in piping systems with operating temperatures of more than 200 degrees.
