Process Valve HandBook

E N G I N E E R S
 ABOUT US
Micron engineers, an ISO 9001:2000 Company with a team of young, energetic

and enthusiastic engineers engaged in the field of Overhauling, Refurbishment,

design & modifiation of Valves, manufacture and supply of Valve Spares

since more then a decade in the region of highly industrialized zone of

Vadodara to cater the need of various industries like Oil, Fertilizer,

Petrochemicals, Chemica, Agrochemicals, Dairy etc.

Micron has a track record to cater the Valves Overhauling in earliest possible

time to avoid shut down and to minimize the down time in continues

process plants by offering its quality services & product.

The valves of various manufactures from world’s top most

renown manufacturer. We try to achieve global quality standards in

Overhauling. Valve after the Assembly are pass through various strict Testing

Procedures & Testing control parameters to withstand highly critical service

condition and to match as per process requirment.

Micron Repairs a wide range of valves which cover almost all critical and

non critical services including high pressure, high temperature and

toxic&acidic applications.

E N G I N E E R S

1107, GIDC, Ranoli Industrial Area, NH-8, Dist: Baroda-391350 Ph: 0265-2242320, 2241579. Fax: 0265-2242320.
www.micronenggs.com
BALL VALVE

A ball valve (like the butterfly valve and plug valve are one of the family of valves called
quarter turn valves) is a valve that opens by turning a handle attached to a ball inside the
valve. The ball has a hole, or port, through the middle so that when the port is in line with
both ends of the valve, flow will occur. When the valve is closed, the hole is
perpendicular to the ends of the valve, and flow is blocked. The handle or lever will be
inline with the port position letting you "see" the valve's position.

Ball valves are durable and usually work to achieve perfect shutoff even after years of
disuse. They are therefore an excellent choice for shutoff applications (and are often
preferred to globe valves and gate valves for this purpose). They do not offer the fine
control that may be necessary in throttling applications but are sometimes used for this
purpose.

Ball valves are used extensively in industry because they are very versatile, pressures
up to 10,000 psi, temperatures up to 200 Deg C. Sizes from 1/4" to 12" are readily
available They are easy to repair, operate manually or by actuators.

The body of ball valves may be made of metal, plastic or metal with a ceramic center.
The ball is often chrome plated to make it more durable.

Types of ball valve

There are four general body styles of ball valves: single body, split body, top entry, and
welded.

There are four general types of ball valves: full port, standard port, reduced port, and v
port.

 A full port ball valve has an over sized ball so that the hole in the ball is the same
size as the pipeline resulting in lower friction loss. Flow is unrestricted, but the
valve is larger.

 A standard port ball valve is usually less expensive, but has a smaller ball and a
correspondingly smaller port. Flow through this valve is one pipe size smaller
than the valve's pipe size resulting in slightly restricted flow.

 In reduced port ball valves, flow through the valve is one pipe size smaller than
the valve's pipe size resulting in restricted flow.
  A v port ball valve has either a 'v' shaped ball or a 'v' shaped seat. This allows
the orifice to be opened and closed in a more controlled manner with a closer to
linear flow characteristic. When the valve is in the closed position and opening is
commenced the small end of the 'v' is opened first allowing stable flow control
during this stage. This type of design requires a generally more robust
construction due to higher velocities of the fluids, which would quickly damage a
standard valve.

 A trunnion ball valve has a mechanical means of anchoring the ball at the top
and the bottom, this design is usually applied on larger and higher pressure
valves(say 4" and above 600 psi and above)

Manually operated ball valves can be closed quickly and thus there is a danger of water
hammer. Some ball valves are equipped with an actuator that may be pneumatically or
motor (electric) operated. These valves can be used either for on/off or flow control. A
pneumatic flow control valve is also equipped with a positioner which transforms the
control signal into actuator position and valve opening accordingly.

Straight through, two way, or three way ball valves

schematic 3 way ball valve - L-shaped ball right, T-shaped left

Three-way ball valves have an L- or T-shaped hole

through the middle. The different combinations of flow are
shown in the picture.

Multi port ball valves with 4 or more ways are also

commercially available, the inlet way often being
orthogonal to the plane of the outlets. For special
applications, such as driving air powered motors from
forward to reverse by rotating a single lever operated 4
way ball valve. This valve has two L-shaped ports in the
ball that do not interconnect, sometimes referred to as an
"x" port.

Ball Valves in sizes up to 2 inch generally come in single

piece, two or three piece designs. One piece ball valves
are almost always reduced bore, are relatively inexpensive and generally are throw-
away. Two piece ball valves are generally slightly reduced (or standard) bore, they can
be either throw-away or repairable. The 3 piece design allows for the center part of the
valve containing the ball, stem & seats to be easily removed from the pipeline. This
facilitates efficient cleaning of deposited sediments, replacement of seats and gland
packings, polishing out of small scratches on the ball, all this without removing the pipes
from the valve body. The design concept of a three piece valve is for it to be repairable
 GATE VALVE

A Gate Valve, or Sluice Valve, as it is sometimes known, is a valve that opens by lifting
a round or rectangular gate/wedge out of the path of the fluid. The distinct feature of a
gate valve is the sealing surfaces between the gate and seats are planar. The gate faces
can form a wedge shape or they can be parallel. Gate valves are sometimes used for
regulating flow, but many are not suited for that purpose, having been designed to be
fully opened or closed. When fully open, the typical gate valve has no obstruction in the
flow path, resulting in very low friction loss.

Gate valves are characterised as having either a rising or a nonrising stem. Rising stems
provide a visual indication of valve position. Nonrising stems are used where vertical
space is limited or underground.

Bonnets provide leakproof closure for the valve body. Gate valves may have a screw-in,
union, or bolted bonnet. Screw-in bonnet is the simplest, offering a durable, pressure-
tight seal. Union bonnet is suitable for applications requiring frequent inspection and
cleaning. It also gives the body added strength. Bolted bonnet is used for larger valves
and higher pressure applications.

Another type of bonnet construction in a gate valve is pressure seal bonnet. This
construction is adopted for valves for high pressure service, typically in excess of 15
MPa (2250 psi). The unique feature about the pressure seal bonnet is that the body -
bonnet joints seals improves as the internal pressure in the valve increases, compared
to other constructions where the increase in internal pressure tends to create leaks in
the body-bonnet joint.

Gate valves normally have flanged ends which are drilled according to pipeline
compatible flange dimensional standards. Gate valves are typically constructed from
cast iron, cast carbon steel, gun metal, stainless steel, alloy steels, and forged steels.
 GLOBE VALVE

A Globe valve is a type of valve used for regulating flow in a pipeline, consisting of a
movable disk-type element and a stationary ring seat in a generally spherical body.[1]

Globe Valves are named for their spherical body shape with the two halves of the body
being separated by an internal baffle. This has an opening that forms a seat onto which
a movable plug[2] can be screwed in to close (or shut) the valve. The plug is also called a
disc or disk.[3][4] In globe valves, the plug is connected to a stem which is operated by
screw action in manual valves. Typically, automated valves use sliding stems.
Automated globe valves have a smooth stem rather than threaded and are opened and
closed by an actuator assembly. When a globe valve is manually operated, the stem is
turned by a handwheel.

Although globe valves in the past had the spherical bodies which gave them their name,
many modern globe valves do not have much of a spherical shape. However, the term
globe valve is still often used for valves that have such an internal mechanism. In
plumbing, valves with such a mechanism are also often called stop valves since they
don't have the global appearance, but the term stop valve may refer to valves which are
used to stop flow even when they have other mechanisms or designs.

Globe valves are used for applications requiring throttling and frequent operation. For
example, globe valves or valves with a similar mechanism may be used as sampling
valves, which are normally shut except when liquid samples are being taken. Since the
baffle restricts flow, they're not recommended where full, unobstructed flow is required.

Parts of a typical globe valve

Body

The main pressure containing structure of the valve and the most easily identified as it
forms the mass of the valve. It contains all of the valve's internal parts that will come in
contact with the substance being controlled by the valve. The bonnet is connected to the
body and provides the containment of the fluid, gas, or slurry that is being controlled.

Globe valves are typically two-port valves, although three port valves are also produced.
Ports are openings in the body for fluid flowing in or out. The two ports may be oriented
straight across from each other on the body,[5] or oriented at an angle such as a 90°
angle.[6] Globe valves with ports at such an angle are called angle globe valves. A
globe valve can also have a body in the shape of a y.

Bonnet

Provides leakproof closure for the valve body. The threaded section of stem goes
through a hole with matching threads in the bonnet. Globe valves may have a screw-in,
union, or bolted[7] bonnet. Screw-in bonnet is the simplest bonnet, offering a durable,
pressure-tight seal. Union bonnet is suitable for applications requiring frequent
inspection or cleaning. It also gives the body added strength. A bonnet attached with
bolts is used for larger or higher pressure applications. Bonnets also contain the
packing, which is a wearable material that maintains the seal between the bonnet and
the stem during valve cycling operations

Plug or disc (disk)

The closure member of the valve. Plugs are connected to the stem which is slid or
screwed up or down to throttle the flow. Plugs are typically of the balance or unbalanced
type. Unbalanced plugs are solid and are used with smaller valves or with low pressure
drops across the valve. The advantages are simpler design, with one possible leak path
at the seat and usually lower cost. The disadvantages are the limited size; with a large
unbalanced plug the forces needed to seat and hold the flow off become impractical.
Balanced plugs have holes through the plug. Advantages include easier shut off as the
plug does not have to overcome static forces. However, a second leak path is created
between the plug and the cage, cost is generally higher.

Stem

The stem serves as a connector from the actuator to the inside of the valve and
transmits this actuation force. Stems are either smooth for actuator controlled valves or
threaded for manual valves. The smooth stems are surrounded by packing material to
prevent leaking material from the valve. This packing is a wear material and will have to
be replaced during maintenance. With a smooth stem the ends are threaded to allow
connection to the plug and the actuator. The stem must not only withstand a large
amount of compression force during valve closure, but also have high tensile strength
during valve opening. In addition, the stem must be very straight, or have low runout, in
order to ensure good valve closure. This minimum runout also minimizes wear of the
packing contained in the bonnet, which provides the seal against leakage. The stem may
be provided with a shroud over the packing nut to prevent foreign bodies entering the
packing material, which would accelerate wear.

Cage

The cage is part of the valve that surrounds the plug and is located inside the body of
the valve. Typically, the cage is one of the greatest determiners of flow within the valve.
As the plug is moved more of the openings in the cage are exposed and flow is
increased and vise versa. The design and layout of the openings can have a large effect
on flow of material (the flow characteristics of different materials at temperatures,
pressures that are in a range). Cages are also used to guide the plug to the seat of the
valve for a good shutoff, substituting the guiding from the bonnet.
Seat ring

The seat ring provides a stable, uniform and replaceable shut off surface. Seat rings are
usually held in place by pressure from the fastening of the bonnet to the top of the body.
This pushes the cage down on the lip of the seat ring and holds it firmly to the body of
the valve. Seat rings may also be threaded and screwed into a thread cut in the same
area of the body. However this method makes removal of the seat ring during
maintenance difficult if not impossible. Seat rings are also typically beveled at the
seating surface to allow for some guiding during the final stages of closing the valve.

Economical globe valves or stop valves with a similar mechanism used in plumbing often
have a rubber washer at the bottom of the disc for the seating surface, so that rubber
can be compressed against the seat to form a leak-tight seal when shut.

Many globe valves have a class rating that corresponds to the pressure specifications of
ANSI 16.34. Bibcocks and sillcocks are variations of globe or stop valves used in
plumbing. Needle valves are variations of globe valves where instead of a separate
attached disc piece, the internal end of the stem is conically tapered to act as the disc to
fit into a matching seat for fine flow adjustment. Other different types of valve usually are
called globe style valves because of the shape of the body or the way of closure of the
disk. As an example typical swing check valves could be called globe type.

Materials

Typically globe valves are made of metallic alloys, although some synthetic materials are
available. These materials are chosen based on pressure, temperature, controlled media
properties. Corrosive and/or erosive process streams may require a compromise in
material selection or exotic alloys or body coatings to minimize these material
interactions and extend the life of the valve or valve trim components. Typically, carbon
steel alloys are specified for noncorrosive applications. Other alloys such as Hastelloy,
Monel, Inconel and others are available.

Packing material must also be considered during valve selection. Typically the
requirement for a low friction packing conflict with a durable material that will provide low
maintenance requirements during service life. Corrosive applications can further
complicate packing material selection as the typical packing materials may or may not
be compatible with the processed materials. Typically graphite or PTFE is used due to
its low friction coefficient. Enviro-seal applications also have the availablilty of constant
applied force (live-load) packing. While more complex, it allows for constant packing
force load throughout the life of the packing material. This packing helps meet
contemporary environmental laws.
 BUTTERFLY VALVE

A butterfly valve is a type of flow control device, typically used to regulate a fluid flowing
through a section of pipe. The valve is similar in operation to a ball valve. A flat circular
plate is positioned in the center of the pipe. The plate has a rod through it connected to
an actuator on the outside of the valve. Rotating the actuator turns the plate either
parallel or perpendicular to the flow. Unlike a ball valve, the plate is always present
within the flow, therefore a pressure drop is always induced in the flow regardless of
valve position.

A butterfly valve is from a family of valves called quarter-turn valves. The "butterfly" is a
metal disc mounted on a rod. When the valve is closed, the disc is turned so that it
completely blocks off the passageway. When the valve is fully open, the disc is rotated a
quarter turn so that it allows an almost unrestricted passage of the process fluid. The
valve may also be opened incrementally to regulate flow.

There are different kinds of butterfly valves, each adapted for different pressures and
different usage. The resilient butterfly valve, which uses the flexibility of rubber, has the
lowest pressure rating. The high performance butterfly valve, used in slightly higher-
pressure systems, features a slight offset in the way the disc is positioned, which
increases the valve's sealing ability and decreases its tendency to wear. The valve best
suited for high-pressure systems is the tricentric butterfly valve, which makes use of a
metal seat, and is therefore able to withstand a greater amount of pressure.
The butterfly valve has a body, a resilient seat, a butterfly disk, a stem, packing, a
notched positioning plate, and an actuator. The resilient seat is under compression when
it is mounted in the valve body, thus making a seal around the periphery of the disk and
both upper and lower points where the stem passes through the seat. Packing is
provided to form a positive seal around the stem for added protection in case the seal
formed by the seat should become damaged. To close or open a butterfly valve, the
actuator is turned only one quarter turn to rotate the disk from 0° to 90°. Actuators used
on butterfly valves vary based on the application and size of the valve. A simple handle
oriented in the same direction of the metal disc (to indicate valve position) is common.
Some larger butterfly valves may have a handwheel that operates through a gearing
arrangement to operate the valve. This method is used especially where space limitation
prevents use of a long handle. Acuators may also be air driven or electrically operated
when used as part of an automated control system.

Butterfly valves are relatively easy to maintain. The resilient seat is held in place by
mechanical means, and neither bonding nor cementing is necessary, Because the seat
is replaceable, the valve seat does not require lapping, grinding, or machine work.

Butterfly valves are valves with a circular body and a rotary motion disk closure member
which is pivotally supported by its stem. A Butterfly valve can come in various styles
including eccentric and high-performance valves. These are normally a type of valve that
uses a flat plate to control the flow of water. As well as this, Butterfly valves are used on
fire apparatus and typically are used on larger lines, such as front and rear suctions and
tank to pump lines. A Butterfly valve is also a type of flow control device, used to make a
fluid start or stop flowing through a section of pipe. The valve is similar in operation to a
ball valve. Rotating the handle turns the plate either parallel or perpendicular to the flow
of water, shutting off the flow. It is a very well known and well used design.
 PLUG VALVE

Plug valves are valves with cylindrical or conically-tapered "plugs" which can be rotated
inside the valve body to control flow through the valve. The plugs in plug valves have
one or more hollow passageways going sideways through the plug, so that fluid can flow
through the plug when the valve is open. Plug valves are simple and often economical.

When the plug is conically-tapered, the stem/handle is typically attached to the larger
diameter end of the plug. Plug valves usually do not have bonnets but often have the
end of the plug with the handle exposed or mostly exposed to the outside. In cases like
that, there is usually not much of a stem. The stem and handle often come in one piece,
often a simple, approximately L-shaped handle attached to the end of the plug. The
other end of the plug is often exposed to the outside of the valve too, but with a
mechanism which retains the plug in the body.

The simplest and most common general type of plug valve is a 2-port valve, which has
two positions, open to allow flow, and shut (closed) to stop flow. Ports are openings in
the valve body through which fluid can enter or leave. The plug in this kind of valve has
one passageway going through it. The ports are typically at opposite ends of the body;
therefore, the plug is rotated a fourth of a full turn to change from open to shut positions.
This makes this kind of plug valve a quarter-turn valve. There is often a mechanism
limiting motion of the handle to a quarter turn, but not in glass stopcocks.

Slightly conically-tapered metal (often brass) plug valves are often used as simple shut-
off valves in household natural gas lines.

It is also possible for a plug valve to have more than two ports. In a 3-way plug valve,
flow from one port could be directed to either the second or third port. A 3-way plug
valve could also be designed to shift flow between ports 1 and 2, 2 and 3, or 1 and 3,
and possibly even connect all three ports together. The flow-directing possibilities in
multi-port plug valves are similar to the possibilities in corresponding multi-port ball
valves or corresponding multi-port valves with a rotor. An additional possibility in plug
valves is the have one port on one side of the plug valve and two ports on the other side,
with two diagonal and parallel fluid pathways inside the plug. In this case the plug can be
rotated 180° to connect the port on the one side to either of the two ports on the other
side.

Stopcocks used in laboratory glassware are typically forms of conically-tapered plug

valves. When fused with the glassware, the valve bodies are made of glass. Otherwise,
they can be made of an inert plastic such as Teflon. The plugs can be made of a similar
plastic or glass. When the plug is made of glass, the handle and plug are fused together
in one piece out of glass. When glass is used for both the stopcock body and the plug,
the contacting surfaces between them are special ground glass surfaces (see
Laboratory glassware) often with stopcock grease in between. Special glass stopcocks
are made for vacuum applications, such as in use with vacuum manifolds. Stopcock
grease is always used in high vacuum applications to make the stopcock air-tight.
 SAFETY VALVE

A safety valve is a valve mechanism for the automatic release of a gas from a boiler,
pressure vessel, or other system when the pressure or temperature exceeds preset
limits. It is part of a bigger set named Pressure Safety Valves (PSV) or Pressure Relief
Valves (PRV). The other parts of the set are named relief valves, safety relief valves,
pilot-operated safety relief valves, low pressure safety valves, vacuum pressure safety
valves.

Safety valves were first used on steam boilers during the industrial revolution. Early
boilers without them were prone to accidental explosion.

A safety valve is a valve mechanism for the automatic release of a gas from a boiler,
pressure vessel, or other system when the pressure or temperature exceeds preset
limits. It is part of a bigger set named Pressure Safety Valves (PSV) or Pressure Relief
Valves (PRV). The other parts of the set are named relief valves, safety relief valves,
pilot-operated safety relief valves, low pressure safety valves, vacuum pressure safety
valves.

Safety valves were first used on steam boilers during the industrial revolution. Early
boilers without them were prone to accidental explosion.

The earliest and simplest safety valve used a weight to hold the pressure of the steam,
(this design is still commonly used on pressure cookers); however, these were easily
tampered with or accidentally released. On the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the
safety valve tended to go off when the engine hit a bump in the track. A valve less
sensitive to sudden accelerations used a spring to contain the steam pressure, but these
(based on Salter spring balances) could still be screwed down to increase the pressure
beyond design limits. This dangerous practice was sometimes used to marginally
increase performance of a steam engine. In 1856 John Ramsbottom invented a tamper-
proof spring safety valve which became universal on railways.

Safety valves also evolved to protect equipment such as pressure vessels (fired or not)
and heat exchangers. Safety valve term should be limited to compressible fluid
application (gas, vapor, steam).

The two general types of protection encountered in industry are thermal protection and
flow protection.
For liquid-packed vessels, thermal relief valves are generally characterized by the
relatively small size of the safety valve necessary to provide protection from excess
pressure caused by thermal expansion. In this case a small valve is adequate because
most liquids are nearly incompressible, and so a relatively small amount of fluid
discharged through the relief valve will produce a substantial reduction in pressure.

Flow protection is characterized by safety valves that are considerably larger than those
mounted in thermal protection. They are generally sized for use in situations where
significant quantities of gas or high volumes of liquid must be quickly discharged in order
to protect the integrity of the vessel or pipeline.