27/8/2016

GowiththeFlowtoSelecttheRightValveSchneiderElectricBlog

BuildingManagement

GowiththeFlowtoSelecttheRightValve
JaneBraun|October6,2015|707views
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Sometimesyouhavetogowiththeflow.Whenitcomestofluids,itsthejobofavalvetomakethingsgoor
stop.But,valvesdomorethanthat.Theyalsocontrolflowbyregulatingpressure,and,importantlyfor
someapplications,theypreventbackflow.So,howdoyougoaboutselectingtherightvalveforthejob?
First,considertheoperatingconditions.Thentakealookatthevalvematerialsandthevalvetype.
Examineallthatandyoullendupwiththerightvalveforagivensituation.
Asforconditions,youllneedtostartbyansweringsomebasics:
Areyouhandlingaliquidorgas?
Doesitchangestate?Thatis,isitaliquidthatbecomesagasandviceversa?
Ifaliquid,isitonlyaliquidordoesitcontainsomesolids?
Isitcorrosiveorexplosive?
Whataretheoperatingtemperaturesandpressures?
Whatsthevalvegoingtodo:simpleonoff,throttling,orpreventbackflow?
Howfrequentlywillthevalvebeoperated?
Valvematerialscanrangefromthefamiliar,likesteelorplastic,totheexotic,likerefractorymetalsand
ceramics.Unlessyouhavesomeunusualrequirements,suchashandlingwhitehotgasesorliquids,the
materialswillbethewellknownplastic,bronze,ironorsteel.
Sincemanyofthesewillworkfortypicaloperatingtemperaturesandpressures,whichofthesetopickmay
comedowntocorrosionresistance.Forinstance,ifavalveissupposedtolastforyearsinasteamy
environment,itsbestifitsnotiron.
OK,whataboutvalvetypes?(Figure1providesexamplesofSchneiderElectricscurrentvalveoffering.)

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GowiththeFlowtoSelecttheRightValveSchneiderElectricBlog

Figure1:SchneiderElectricValvesAvalveforeveryapplication.

Well,ballvalves,astheirnameimplies,looklikeballs.Internally,theyhaveasmoothandunobstructedflow
path,
sotheycanhandleviscousfluidsandslurries.Ballvalvesarewellsuitedtoshutoffapplications,cases
whereflowiseithercompletelyonortotallyoff.
Globevalves,ontheotherhand,aregoodforthrottlingapplications.Theinternalzigsandzagsofthefluid
flowleadtoaconsiderablepressuredrop,though.Thatshouldbekeptinmindifthatsimportanttoyour
application.
Butterflyvalvesareusefulinthrottlingapplicationswherealargervalveisneeded.Adiscsitsinsidethe
valve,withthisrotatedtobeeithercompletelyblockingflow,minimallyimpactingit,orsomewherein
between.Itsimportantwhenconsideringabutterflyvalvethatyoulookatallmaterialsusedinit.Theliners,
forinstance,areimportantforsealingandsomustbeabletohandlethetemperatureandpressure.
Formostheating,ventilatingandairconditioning(HVAC)systemsorheating/domesticwaterapplications,
eitheraballorglobevalvewillbesuitable.Beyondthevalveitself,lookforsuchfactorsassimplicity,
efficiencyandcosteffectivenessofoperation.Also,itsbestifthedesignsareinterchangeable.Thats
becausewhenasystemsbeingdesignedanddeployed,itmayseemthatasimpleonoffoperationisall
thatsneeded.Butatsomepoint,itmaybebesttoinsteadhavetheabilitytothrottleflowfromamaximum
toaminimum,adjustingitasdesired.Ifvalvesareinterchangeable,thentheswitchisassimpleas
swappingout,say,agatevalveforaballvalve.
So,startwiththeoperatingconditions,considerthematerialandfinallytakealookatthevalvetype.Do
that,andwhenyouhavetogowiththeflow,youllhavetherightvalveforthejob.

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