VALVES A valve is a mechanical device that controls the flow of fluid and pressure within a system or process.

A valve controls system or process fluid flow and pressure by performing any of the following functions: Stopping and starting fluid flow Varying (throttling) the amount of fluid flow Controlling the direction of fluid flow Regulating downstream system or process pressure Relieving component or piping over pressure Gate Valve A gate valve is a linear motion valve used to start or stop fluid flow however! it does not regulate or throttle flow. "he name gate is derived from the appearance of the dis# in the flow stream. "he dis# of a gate valve is completely removed from the flow stream when the valve is fully open. "his characteristic offers virtually no resistance to flow when the valve is open. $ence! there is little pressure drop across an open gate valve. %hen the valve is fully closed! a dis#&to&seal ring contact surface e'ists for ()*+! and good sealing is provided. %ith the proper mating of a dis# to the seal ring! very little or no lea#age occurs across the dis# when the gate valve is closed. ,n opening the gate valve! the flow path is enlarged in a highly nonlinear manner with respect to percent of opening. "his means that flow rate does not change evenly with stem travel. Also! a partially open gate dis# tends to vibrate from the fluid flow. -ost of the flow change occurs near shutoff with a relatively high fluid velocity causing dis# and seat wear and eventual lea#age if used to regulate flow. .or these reasons! gate valves are not used to regulate or throttle flow. A gate valve can be used for a wide variety of fluids and provides a tight seal when closed. "he ma/or disadvantages to the use of a gate valve are: 0t is not suitable for throttling applications. 0t is prone to vibration in the partially open state. 0t is more sub/ect to seat and dis# wear than a globe valve. Repairs! such as lapping and grinding! are generally more difficult to accomplish. Ball Valve A ball valve is a rotational motion valve that uses a ball&shaped dis# to stop or start fluid flow. "he ball! shown in .igure 12! performs the same function as the dis# in the globe valve. %hen the valve handle is turned to open the valve! the ball rotates to a point where the hole through the ball is in line with the valve body inlet and outlet. %hen the valve is shut! the ball is rotated so that the hole is perpendicular to the flow openings of the valve body and the flow is stopped. -ost ball valve actuators are of the 3uic#&acting type! which re3uire a 4*+ turn of the valve handle to operate the valve. ,ther ball valve actuators are planetary gear&operated. "his type of gearing allows the use of a relatively small handwheel and operating force to operate a fairly large valve. Some ball valves have been developed with a spherical surface coated plug that is off to one side in the open position and rotates into the flow passage until it bloc#s the flowpath completely. Seating is accomplished by the eccentric movement of the plug. "he valve re3uires no lubrication and can be used for throttling service. Advantages A ball valve is generally the least e'pensive of any valve configuration and has low maintenance costs. 0n addition to 3uic#! 3uarter turn on&off operation! ball valves are compact! re3uire no lubrication! and give tight sealing with low tor3ue. Disadvantages

Conventional ball valves have relatively poor throttling characteristics. 0n a throttling position! the partially e'posed seat rapidly erodes because of the impingement of high velocity flow. Butterfly Valves A butterfly valve! illustrated in .igure 14! is a rotary motion valve that is used to stop! regulate! and start fluid flow. 5utterfly valves are easily and 3uic#ly operated because a 4*o rotation of the handle moves the dis# from a fully closed to fully opened position. 6arger butterfly valves are actuated by handwheels connected to the stem through gears that provide mechanical advantage at the e'pense of speed. 5utterfly valves possess many advantages over gate! globe! plug! and ball valves! especially for large valve applications. Savings in weight! space! and cost are the most obvious advantages. "he maintenance costs are usually low because there are a minimal number of moving parts and there are no poc#ets to trap fluids. 5utterfly valves are especially well&suited for the handling of large flows of li3uids or gases at relatively low pressures and for the handling of slurries or li3uids with large amounts of suspended solids. 5utterfly valves are built on the principle of a pipe damper. "he flow control element is a dis# of appro'imately the same diameter as the inside diameter of the ad/oining pipe! which rotates on either a vertical or hori7ontal a'is. %hen the dis# lies parallel to the piping run! the valve is fully opened. %hen the dis# approaches the perpendicular position! the valve is shut. 0ntermediate positions! for throttling purposes! can be secured in place by handle&loc#ing devices. Needle Valves A needle valve! as shown in .igure 2*! is used to ma#e relatively fine ad/ustments in the amount of fluid flow. "he distinguishing characteristic of a needle valve is the long! tapered! needleli#e point on the end of the valve stem. "his 8needle8 acts as a dis#. "he longer part of the needle is smaller than the orifice in the valve seat and passes through the orifice before the needle seats. "his arrangement permits a very gradual increase or decrease in the si7e of the opening. 9eedle valves are often used as component parts of other! more complicated valves. .or e'ample! they are used in some types of reducing valves. 9eedle Valve Applications -ost constant pressure pump governors have needle valves to minimi7e the effects of fluctuations in pump discharge pressure. 9eedle valves are also used in some components of automatic combustion control systems where very precise flow regulation is necessary Check Valve Chec# valves are designed to prevent the reversal of flow in a piping system. "hese valves are activated by the flowing material in the pipeline. "he pressure of the fluid passing through the system opens the valve! while any reversal of flow will close the valve. Closure is accomplished by the weight of the chec# mechanism! by bac# pressure! by a spring! or by a combination of these means.

Relief and Safety Valves Relief and safety valves prevent e3uipment damage by relieving accidental over&pressuri7ation of fluid systems. "he main difference between a relief valve and a safety valve is the e'tent of opening at the setpoint pressure. A relief valve! illustrated in .igure 2:! gradually opens as the inlet pressure increases above the setpoint. A relief valve opens only as necessary to relieve the over&pressure condition. A safety valve! illustrated in .igure 24! rapidly pops fully open as soon as the pressure setting is reached. A safety valve will stay fully open until the pressure drops below a reset pressure. "he reset pressure is lower than the actuating pressure setpoint. "he difference between the actuating pressure setpoint and the pressure at which the safety valve resets is called blowdown. 5lowdown is e'pressed as a percentage of the actuating pressure setpoint.

Relief valves are typically used for incompressible fluids such as water or oil. Safety valves are typically used for compressible fluids such as steam or other gases. Safety valves can often be distinguished by the presence of an e'ternal lever at the top of the valve body! which is used as an operational chec#. As indicated in .igure 24! system pressure provides a force that is attempting to push the dis# of the safety valve off its seat. Spring pressure on the stem is forcing the dis# onto the seat. At the pressure determined by spring compression! system pressure overcomes spring pressure and the relief valve opens. As system pressure is relieved! the valve closes when spring pressure again overcomes system pressure. -ost relief and safety valves open against the force of a compression spring. "he pressure setpoint is ad/usted by turning the ad/usting nuts on top of the yo#e to increase or decrease the spring compression.

Nipple: A ;ipe 9ipple is a short pipe (12 inches or less)! with small opening which provides way for the li3uids or gases to pass through the pipe. 0t has a male thread on each end and is used for e'tension from a fitting. Some of the popular usages of ;ipe 9ipple are :

<sed in fluid application to connect two .;" fittings. <sed in plumbing system or for ceiling and wall supports and e'tensions. <sed for ceiling or wall supports. <sed to e'tend shower riser.

%e saw different types of nipples in our fluid mechanics lab. "hese are: 1. 5arrel nipple 2. $e'agonal nipple Barrel Nipple: Applications: -ale ;ipe to -ale ;ipe connections

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#igure: Barrel Nipple '" $e%ag&nal Nipple: Applications: -ale ;ipe to -ale ;ipe connections

#igure: $e%ag&nal Nipple

El(&): A pipe fitting installed between two lengths of pipe or tube allowing a change of direction! usually 4*+ or =>+. "he ends may be machined for butt welding! threaded (usually female)! or soc#eted! etc. %hen the two ends differ in si7e! it is called a reducing or reducer elbow. -ost elbows are available in short radius or long radius of types. %e saw different types of elbows in our fluid mechanics lab. "hese are: 1. 2. (. =. 4* degree elbow => degree elbow -ale female elbow ?3ual elbow

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*+ degree el(&): 4* degree elbow! also called 84* bends or 4* ells8! are manufactured as SR (Short Radius) elbows and 6R (6ong Radius) elbows. Applications: "he main application area of an elbow (4* degree) is to connect hoses to valves! water pressure pumps! and dec# drains. "hese elbows can be made from tough nylon material or 9;" thread.

Figure: 90 degree elbow

'" ,- degree el(&): => degree elbow! also called 8=> bends or => ells8 are typically made as 6R (6ong Radius) elbows. Available in various si7es (in mm or inches)! => degree pipe elbow is available with different male to female 5S; thread connections. Applications:

%ater supply facilities .ood industrial pipeline networ#s Chemical industrial pipeline networ#s ?lectronic industrial pipeline networ#s Air conditioning facility pipeline Agriculture and garden production transporting system

Figure: 45 degree elbow

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/ale fe0ale el(&) and c&nnect&rs: Application of -ale .emale Connector and elbow -ale .emale connectors and elbow are put to use in a number of industries depending on their specifications and internal and e'ternal diameter.

;harmaceutical fittings ;neumatic tube fittings Air bra#e fittings @as fittings Refrigerant fittings

female elbow
," E1ual el(&):

Figure: male

?3ual elbows are 3uic#&connect fittings that are e'tremely helpful in routing water lines that are laid in confined areas. "hey are #nown as Aelbow fittingsA because they display an angular bent so that two pipes can be easily fi'ed in the same manner.

Applications:

1. 2. (.

-ains fed and indirect cold water systems. Vented and unvented hot water systems. Vented and sealed central heating systems.

2ni&n Cr&ss

Figure: Equal elbow

<nion cross is essentially used for piping of tube to tube industrial fittings and connect fractional tubes. "hese metal fittings offer high mechanical connections for vacuum applications and positive pressure in tube to tube piping systems. <nion cross are so designed! that they can be used with orbital weld e3uipment! these uni3ue fittings have enhanced surface to prevent out gassing and prevent corrosion. "hese widely used tube fittings allow smooth flow paths and prevent any #ind of turbulence or entrapments. "hese tubing connections eliminate costly! ha7ardous lea#s in instrumentation and process tubing and are available in metric and inches specifications according to various applications.

2ni&n and S&cket: A union is similar to a coupling! e'cept it is designed to allow 3uic# and convenient disconnection of pipes for maintenance or fi'ture replacement. %hile a coupling would re3uire either solvent welding or being able to rotate all the pipes ad/acent as with a threaded coupling! a union provides a simple nut transition! allowing easy release at any time. %e saw different types of unions in our fluid mechanics lab. "hese are: 1. 2. -ale female union <nion /oint

An opening in any fitting that matches the outside diameter of a pipe or tube! with a further recessed through opening matching the inside diameter of the same pipe or tube. %e saw different types of unions in our fluid mechanics lab. "hese are: 1. 2. $alf soc#et Co&centric reducing soc#et

Application of male female union! union /oint! half soc#et are 3uite e3uivalent. "hese are:

;harmaceutical fittings ;neumatic tube fittings Air bra#e fittings @as fittings Refrigerant fittings

as

Male union
Reducer:

Female union

Half Soc

Concentric Reducing Socket

A reducer normally refers to a fitting that is used to reduce the diameter of the suction piping to fit the pump inta#e. 0t is thus used to /oin two pipes of different si7es. Reducer is available in both eccentric and concentric designs. Concentric or eccentric reducers are used to properly reduce into and out of circulating pumps. "he various advantages include #eeping big pipes and small pipes together as well as reducing noise and vibration at the same time. Applications: Some of the industries where they find application are oil! gas! petrochemical! onshore and offshore sectors. "hey are used in both cargo transfers operations and vapor recovery systems. Reducers for vapor recovery include a pin on one flange and vapor hole on the opposite flange. Concentric reducer save installation space and reduce costs. ;iping systems must be anchored when using concentric reducer.

#igure: reducer 30peller: An impeller is a rotor inside a tube or conduit to increase the pressure and flow of a fluid. %e saw different types of unions in our fluid mechanics lab. "hese are:

=. >. ).

Semi&open impeller Closed impeller ,pen impeller

Figure: Impeller

Reducing c&upler: Application: <sed for reducing area! pressure! flow and used for connections.

#igure: Reducing C&upler $e%ag&nal nut: Application: <sed for /oining pipes.

#igure: $e%ag&nal Nut E1ual 4ee: A tee is amongst the most common pipe fittings and is available with all female thread soc#ets! all solvent weld soc#ets! or with opposed solvent weld soc#ets and a side outlet with female threads. "his is a "&shaped device which has three openings that act as an outlet for the pipe. Applications: A tee is used for connecting pipes of different diameters or for changing the direction of pipe runs.

#igure: 4ee L&ng and Sh&rt (end: Applications: <se for small and large pipe connections between pipes.

Figure: Short Bend

Figure: Long bend

Centrifugal 5u0p: A centrifugal pump is a rotodynamic pump that uses a rotating impeller to increase the pressure of a fluid. Centrifugal pumps are commonly used to move li3uids through a piping system. "he fluid enters the pump impeller along or near to the rotating a'is and is accelerated by the impeller! flowing radially outward into a diffuser or volute chamber (casing)! from where it e'its into the downstream piping system. Centrifugal pumps are used for large discharge through smaller heads.

#igure: Centrifugal 5u0p GAS6E4 A gasket is a mechanical seal that fills the space between two ob/ects! generally to prevent lea#age between the two ob/ects while under compression. @as#ets save money by allowing "less& than&perfect" mating surfaces on machine parts which can use a gas#et to fill irregularities. @as#ets are commonly produced by cutting from sheet materials! such as gas#et paper! rubber! silicon! metal! cor#! fiberglass or a plastic polymer. @as#ets for specific aplications may contain asbestos. 0t is usually desirable that the gas#et be made from a material that is to some degree yielding such that it is able to deform and tightly fills the space it is designed for! including any slight irregularities. -any gas#ets re3uire an application of sealant directly to the gas#et surface to function properly.