Valve selection is a critical aspect of fluid system design, directly affecting the system’s operational safety, reliability, and economy. Choosing the right valve requires considering multiple factors.
General Process of Valve Selection
1. Determine the valve’s function: What role does the valve play in the system?
- Shut-off function: Choose gate valves, ball valves, butterfly valves, etc.
- Regulating function: Choose control valves, butterfly valves, etc.
- Safety protection function: Choose safety valves, check valves, etc.
2. Determine operating conditions: Medium, pressure, temperature, etc.
- Working medium: Determine the type of fluid (water, oil, gas, etc.), temperature, pressure, corrosiveness, viscosity, and whether it contains solid particles.
- Working pressure: The valve must be able to withstand the system’s maximum working pressure.
- Working temperature: The valve material must be able to withstand extreme operating temperatures.
- Flow rate: Select the appropriate valve nominal diameter based on the pipe’s diameter and flow velocity.
3. Select valve type: Choose the appropriate valve type based on function and operating conditions. Common Valve Types and Characteristics as below:
- Gate valve: Simple structure, low flow resistance when fully open, suitable for shutting off or connecting pipelines.
- Ball valve: Quick opening and closing, good sealing performance, suitable for frequent operation.
- Butterfly valve: Simple structure, small size, light weight, suitable for large-diameter pipelines.
- Globe valve: Simple structure, good sealing performance, suitable for regulating flow.
- Safety valve: Automatically opens when the system pressure exceeds the set value to protect system safety.
- Check valve: Prevents the backflow of the medium.
4. Determine valve material: Choose the appropriate valve material based on the medium’s characteristics.
- Corrosion resistance: Select corrosion-resistant materials based on the medium’s corrosiveness.
- High-temperature resistance: Select high-temperature resistant materials based on the operating temperature.
- Strength: Consider the working pressure and temperature to select a material with sufficient strength.
5. Determine actuation method: Choose the appropriate actuation method based on operational requirements.
- Manual: Operated by hand, suitable for low-frequency operations.
- Electric: Motor-driven, suitable for remote control or frequent operations.
- Pneumatic: Air-driven, suitable for flammable, explosive, or corrosive media.
6. Determine connection method: Choose the appropriate connection method based on the pipe’s connection method.
- Flange connection: Commonly used for large-diameter valves.
- Wafer or Lug connection: Commonly used for small-diameter valves.
7. Comprehensive consideration: Consider all of the above factors and select the optimal valve.
- Sealing performance: Select the appropriate sealing material and structure based on the medium’s leakage requirements.
- Lifetime: Consider the valve’s service life and maintenance costs.
- Cost: Choose a cost-effective valve while meeting performance requirements.
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