In industrial pipeline systems, ball valves and other regular valves each have distinct characteristics, making the selection process crucial for different operating conditions.
1. Structure and Operating Principle
Ball Valves use a spherical closure element to control fluid flow by rotating 90°. With a straight-through flow path, they offer minimal flow resistance and quick operation.
Conventional Valves include gate valves, globe valves, butterfly valves, and others, each with different closure elements such as a gate, disc, or plate. Most conventional valves regulate flow through linear or rotational stem movement, resulting in a relatively more complex structure.
2. Seal Performance Comparison
Ball valves typically use soft seals (such as PTFE) or metal seals, providing excellent zero-leakage performance, making them ideal for applications requiring high sealing integrity.
Conventional valves employ various sealing methods, such as wedge seals in gate valves and conical seals in globe valves. Some conventional valves, like butterfly valves, may experience minor leakage under low-pressure conditions.
3. Operation Method and Flow Control
Ball valves enable quick opening and closing with just a 90° turn, making them suitable for applications requiring frequent operation. Conventional valves vary in operation depending on the type. For example, gate valves typically require multiple turns for full operation, making them slower but well-suited for large-diameter, fully open or fully closed control. Globe valves, on the other hand, are more suitable for flow regulation.
4. Application Scenarios
Ball valves are widely used in industries such as oil and gas, chemical processing, and water supply and drainage, especially in applications requiring rapid switching and high sealing performance.
Conventional valves are suitable for a broader range of conditions, such as high-temperature and high-pressure pipelines (gate valves), flow regulation (globe valves), and large-diameter, low-pressure transportation (butterfly valves).
5. Maintenance and Service Life
Ball valves have a compact structure with minimal wear on the sealing surfaces, resulting in low maintenance costs and a long service life. Conventional valves, such as gate valves, may experience wear on the disc or sealing surfaces due to prolonged friction and corrosion, making maintenance more complex in some cases.