A ball valve is a flow control device which uses a hollow, perforated, and pivoting ball to control fluid flowing through it. It is open when the hole through the middle of the ball is in line with the flow inlet, and closed when it is pivoted 90 degrees by the valve handle, blocking the flow.
They can be operated manually or by using an actuator. The simplest operation of a ball valve is through the use of a wrench or a lever manually turned by an operator. Torque is applied to rotate the lever arm by 900 by either clockwise or counterclockwise to open or close the valve. If the lever arm is parallel to the pipe, it indicates that the valve is open. If the lever arm is perpendicular to the pipe, it indicates that the valve is closed.
Ball Valves are used for flow and pressure control and shut off for corrosive fluids, slurries, normal liquid, and gases. They are used in the oil and natural gas industry, but also find a place in many manufacturing sectors, chemical storage, and even residential uses.
Ball valves are simple to operate and maintain
Quick to open
Can be operated manually or by actuation
Causes little turbulence when fully open
Has a low pressure drop and can handle relatively high flow capacities
Ball valve is a shut-off valve that allows, obstructs, and controls the flow of liquids, gases, and vapors in a piping system by rotating the ball having a bore inside the valve. The ball is mounted against two seats and has a shaft that connects it to the operating and control mechanism that rotates the ball. When the cross-section of the bore is perpendicular to the area of the flow, the fluid is not permitted to pass through the valve. The fluid flows through from the valve, and the fluid flow rate depends on the area of the bore exposed to the flow.
A ball valve has 7 essential parts that make up its structure:
- Body and cover (3): These are the pressure retaining parts, being the container for the internal parts of the valves. The body is where all the parts are assembled.
- Ball (4): It is the element located in the flow passage that allows (or prevents) the flow inside the line, through a 90º turn on an axis perpendicular to the flow direction.
- Stem (1): This is the element that actuates the ball, and can be manually or automatically operated (electrically or pneumatically).
- Handle: This is the lever that allows the ball to be operated through the stem.
- Seats (5): These components, made of different materials, are positioned to hold the ball between the sealing surfaces of the seat itself, thus allowing the fluid to be hermetically sealed.
- Body seals: These are the elements that prevent fluid leakage to the outside between the body and the valve cover. They can be made of various materials.
- Valve stem seals (2): Valve stem seals are the sealing elements that are placed between the valve body and the valve stem to prevent leakage of fluid to the outside. They can be made of different materials.
DN
mm |
Flange
drilling |
L
mm |
H
mm |
H3
mm |
F
mm |
F1
mm |
F2
mm |
| 40 |
PN10/16 |
240 |
200 |
263 |
14 |
16 |
30 |
| 50 |
PN10/16 |
250 |
209 |
292 |
14 |
16 |
30 |
| 65 |
PN10/16 |
270 |
243 |
336 |
17 |
20 |
34 |
| 80 |
PN10/16 |
280 |
282 |
382 |
17 |
20 |
34 |
| 100 |
PN10/16 |
300 |
319 |
429 |
19 |
22 |
34 |
| 125 |
PN10/16 |
325 |
346 |
471 |
19 |
22 |
34 |
| 150 |
PN10/16 |
350 |
403 |
493 |
19 |
22 |
34 |
| 200 |
PN10/16 |
400 |
490 |
660 |
24 |
28 |
34 |
| 250 |
PN10/16 |
450 |
664 |
864 |
27 |
31 |
47 |
| 300 |
PN10/16 |
500 |
740 |
968 |
27 |
31 |
47 |
| 350 |
PN10/16 |
550 |
947 |
1207 |
32 |
37 |
55 |
| 400 |
PN10/16 |
600 |
959 |
1249 |
32 |
37 |
55 |
| 450 |
PN10/16 |
650 |
958 |
1278 |
32 |
37 |
55 |
| 500 |
PN10/16 |
700 |
958 |
1316 |
32 |
37 |
55 |
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