Source: Depositphotos
A butterfly valve is a process that controls, stops, and begins the flow of materials in a big pipe by a quarter-turn rotation of a disc. It contains a disc mounted on a rotating shaft – when it is fully closed, the disc helps block the line and when it is open, the disc sets at a right angle to the flow. Its invention has permitted the upgrade in applications in various industries that we will learn about here.
This valve functions using a rod that feeds through the center of a disc. It is joined to an actuator that controls the motion of the disc. It is positioned either parallel or perpendicular to the flow. It differs from other valves because its disc is always in the flow, making it change its positions due to pressure.
It is known as a butterfly valve because its movement is similar to a wing for flight. It has a rod analogous to its body, and the disc motions like a wing. The action of this valve is identical to that of a butterfly that lands with its wings moved up and down with a 90-degrees motion.
Using a Butterfly Valve in Various Industrial Applications:
Source: Depositphotos
The butterfly valve application in industry starts, regulates, and stops the flow of media. Its disc opens and closes with a low-torque rotation of a right angle and suits all applications. Since these items are lightweight and cost less, they are preferred over other valves. A few other factors that make them preferable is their ability to withstand extreme temperatures and even corrosion.
As corrosion and extreme temperatures are the factors that easily compromise a valve’s seal, a butterfly valve ensures to maintain its integrity. This feature is helpful for high-stakes applications such as energy production and petrochemical processing.
Some processes require more tolerance and wear-resistance valves with unique features. For such functions, a butterfly valve is an ideal choice. So, let’s learn about a few typical applications that rely on the unique mechanisms of a butterfly valve:
In Food Processing
The food processing industry is a complicated and diverse network of businesses that supplies edibles to the world’s population. As the food is provided on a massive scale, it is crucial to maintain quality, safety, and cleanliness. In a factory or a plant, the workers rely on it to make their jobs less strenuous and get the process done quickly, proving its efficiency.
This modern piece of equipment also maintains cleanliness, so those who have food allergies or dietary restrictions can be assured of zero contamination. Besides, they are easy to clean and maintain than gate valves.
In industry, if you’re spending an excessive amount of time cleaning equipment, it will slow down the overall production and cost the managers and supervisors valuable money. For eliminating such inconveniences, the design of a butterfly valve application in industry is ingenious. Its material is easy to upkeep and provides the control for ensuring quality and safety.
As these items have a clamp, it is easy to manipulate media flow, giving you authority and allowing you to streamline operations. It is adjustable, with an opening and closing range of 0-90 degrees, giving the workers complete customization for the specific job. Lastly, it is reliable as its parts undergo rigorous testing to ensure they are right for the job and suitable for processing.
Source: Depositphotos
Oil & Gas Refineries
The remote offshore oil rigs and gas pipelines work in harsh environments, so only heavy-duty valves, such as triple-offset valves (TRVs), can withstand hostile environments and aggressive media involved in refineries. The operating conditions for these valves are challenging as the extreme environments range from temperature exceeding 816-degrees C to a pressure exceeding 25,000 PSIG and cryogenic environments for LNG down to -162-degrees C.
A butterfly valve application in industry provides an incredible amount of reliability in oil and gas applications, ensuring minimal maintenance and long life. As they employ materials that handle aggressive media and withstand explosive environments, they are rugged, heavy-duty, and fit for the purpose.
TVs are the most efficient solution in terms of cost, weight, and space savings for critical and non-critical refinery applications that require isolation. They offer superior performance in the turret of floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSO), water treatment, and gas compression by offering zero leakage and pressure ratings up to ASME Class 1500.
As Shut Off Valves
A butterfly valve is used as a general shut-off valve above 1.5” to 148”. In industrial applications, it provides a tighter seal than the gate of a globe valve and is bubble tight. It is helpful when trying to stop the flow of fluid passing through the pipe when closed. Employing a simple design, it takes up less space and is lighter in weight compared to other types of valves.
It is used for flow regulation and fluid stoppage in large-diameter pipes and functions as a throttling valve to control flow rates. Its versatile design covers a range of applications and is produced in various designs and sizes for different pressures and usages.
Source: Unsplash
In the Ship Building
As butterfly valve application in industry provides a high degree of reliability and durability, they are used in power generation industrial applications where ABS-approved materials are employed. It works by creating a water-tight shut-off in the piping to avoid fluid flow in the pipe. Having a small size allows them to be used in tight spaces common aboard the ship.
These valves are used for jack-up rigs, ballast systems, ship side, firefighting apparatus, domestic piping, and in a variety of other applications. They are used for capacity lines such as forward and aft seawater suction lines or lines from the tanks to pumps.
A Few Typical Applications of a Butterfly Valve in Industry:
- Cooling air, water, and gases.
- Slurry and vacuum services.
- High pressure, water temperature, and steam service.
- Compress air or gas applications.
- Regulating and isolating the flow.
- Preventing backflow in some situations.
A butterfly valve is usually installed with the stem oriented vertically with the actuator above it, but the branch is positioned horizontally in some cases.
Source: Depositphotos
Final Words
The technology used in making butterfly valves has progressed over the years, attributed to the quarter-turn operations. Their increasing demand in a variety of construction processes has given rise to the number of industries producing these items on a large scale of reliable quality. They provide various advantages in different industrial applications, making them preferred among the sectors.
Large butterfly valve application in industry are equipped with a gearbox that makes it easy and fast to open and close the device. It is economical to build, requiring less material for its simple design. Besides, due to their compact design, they take less space, are highly reliable, and require very little maintenance, allowing their useful life to be longer.
Thus, using these items in industrial applications reduces direct operating costs and cuts the hours for valve maintenance. Please contact us for purchasing high-quality butterfly valves.
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