Types of steam valves

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In big industries, there is always a need for a medium that makes it easier to transfer the bulk of raw and final products. For the solid material, it is easier as it can be done using a trolley or other vehicles, but it is pretty tough in fields of fluid transportation. So massive pipelines are installed in companies to allow the flow of fluids.

A valve is used for controlled flow to establish a connection between the inlet and outlet pipelines. 

These valves restrict and manage fluid flow, so in this article, we will discuss high-pressure steam valves which control steam flow and temperature.

In various industries like pharmaceuticals and hydroelectric plants, steam is used to run turbines, so there are specially valves used for steam flow in these pipelines. The steam is heated fluid with extremely high pressure, so these high pressure steam valves ensure pressure control.

There are some most used high-pressure steam valves listed below.

1. Ball Valve

Ball valves are particular types of valves that contain a quarter spherical shape placed in the pipeline connecting the inlet and outlet pipelines. The same concept is used in home taps; this quarter spherical ring between the pipe cuts off the steam flow when the handle is turned 90 degrees. 

Ball valves are extremely useful in shutoff applications. They block the path for further movement of fluids and cause a significant pressure drop as they become a blockage between fluid movement in the pipeline. 

Used in: Corrosive fluids, movement of oil, air, gasses, and steam.

Advantages

• Easily manageable as the user needs to turn the handle to 90 degrees, and flow could be allowed or restricted.
• Provides top-notch block services preventing chances of any leakages.
• It also comes in a multi-connection design, making it easier to reduce the number of valves used in a pipeline connection.

Disadvantages:

• The residue material can clot on the body resulting in valve failure. 

2. Gate Valve

As the name suggests, the gate valve works simply like a gate as it acts as a barrier between the inlet and outlet pipelines. A gate is placed on the valve, and when the handle is moved, the gate lifts, the fluid movement begins. When the handle is moved in another direction, the gate closes. 

These valves are suitable when you are looking for an on/off pipeline because there is no pressure drop between the flow of fluid in these valves. 

Used in :

Oil and gas industry, automotive, pharmaceuticals.

Advantages

• These valves are Affordable and durable.
• Gate valves are available in a variety of sizes.
• The setup for these valves is straightforward as they can be assembled and disassembled easily.
• The flow of fluids through these valves is Bidirectional.

Disadvantages

• There is almost no pressure drop on the inlet and outlet side.
• The open and close time of these valves is high.
• These valves are hard to repair once they are corrupted.

3. Plug Valve

The ball and gate valves are used in the pipelines with linear connections, but the plug valves are placed in different channels. The plug valve consists of either a cylinder or a frustum, and these plugs are placed on the intersection point of the inlet and outlet. 

The inlet and outlet pipelines are supposed to be overlapping, and at that connection point, the plug is placed perpendicular to restrict the flow. Also, these plug valves are handy with the pipelines used in fluids containing residues. These are used as on/off valves in pipelines.

Used in : These are used in low temperature, low pressure, and residue-containing fluids.

Advantages

• These valves provide significantly less resistance to the flow.
• These valves are easy to operate with a simple design.
• They prevent leaks, and also you can do their maintenance quickly.

Disadvantages

• These valves allow the only unidirectional flow of fluids.
• These valves are more expensive than other valves.

4. Butterfly valve

Butterfly valves are most helpful in transferring the fluids with suspended particles; the valve consists of a metal disc placed vertically in the inlet and outlet pipeline. As the flow moves towards the valve, then with little torque, users can easily twist the actuators to 90 degrees, and fluid movement takes place because the metal disc placed in the center turns to 90 degrees horizontally. 

This is the most helpful technique because it provides the least friction and ensures almost no pressure drop aerodynamically. When the movement is completed, the valve is closed by moving actuators, which prevents residue collection.

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Used in: Chemical, Oil, Waste Management, water supply

Advantages

• They are small in size and easy to manage.
• The disc used in these valves is relatively thin, providing minimum possible resistance.
• The maintenance is relatively low, and they are pretty durable.

Disadvantages

• Viscous liquids can affect the disc.
• The disc remains exposed to liquid flow even when the valve is entirely open.

5. Cartridge valves

These are complex valves that manage various factors simultaneously in a pipeline connection like pressure, flow, and direction. These valves are often known as 2/2 way valves. These valves are handy for enhanced efficiency as they ensure high flow and prevent leakages in a connection.

Used in: Fluid power system

Advantages

• These valves are affordable and durable, making them a good pick for industrial purposes.
• This valve maintenance is easy and convenient.
• They are available in various sizes.
• These valves provide top-notch services and ensure leakage prevention.

Disadvantages

• The replacement of specific components of this valve is complex.
• The repair cost of these valves is high.

Conclusion

The valves are a tiny part of a big setup and transportation chain in the industry, but they prove to be very useful. As different types of valves serve other purposes and movement of different materials. With the use of a valve, you can easily regulate the pressure in the pipelines and prevent the collection of suspended particles.

So in this article, we discussed a particular category of valves known as steam valves. Further, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of choosing each type of valve.