Valve Types

There are many types of valves available to accommodate a wide range of applications. GlobalSpec offers industrial
buyers over 30 valve varieties, each with a unique method of control, function, or media application.

Classification
There are two major methods used to classify valves. These include method of control and valve function. Most
valves fall into one or more of the classifications listed below. It is important to understand how the valve operates,
as well as how it is best used, to reduce the need for valve maintenance and extra wear on the valve parts.

Methods of Control
The mechanism that the valve uses to control the flow depends on the type and situation of the closure element in
the valve body. In general, there are two methods of controlling flow through a valve.
Linear motion valves use a closure member that moves in a straight line to start, stop, or throttle the
flow. The closure device could be a disc, slat or flexible material, like a diaphragm. Linear motion valves tend to
be slower in operation, but they have a higher level of accuracy and stability in the position of the closure
member.
The closure device can be used to:
Move a disc, or plug into or against an orifice
Slide a slat, cylindrical, or spherical surface across an orifice
Move a flexible material into the flow passage

The most common example of linear motion valves includes gate valves, globe valves, fixed cone valves,
needle valves, and pinch valves.
Rotary motion valves rotate a disc or ellipse about an angular or circular shaft extending across the
diameter of an orifice. They are also known as quarter turn valves. Quarter turn valves will be in their fully open
or fully closed state (0) after a 90 turn of the stem. Their operation is much quicker than linear motion valves.

The most common examples of rotary motion valves include ball valves, butterfly valves, plug valves, and
spherical valves.

Valve Function
Valves are a part of many daily-used machines and perform a variety of functions. The three common valve
functions include stopping and starting flow, throttling (control) flow, and acting as a non-return check for flow
(check).
Start/stop valves are used for systems that do not need the flow throttled. The valve opens to allow
flow and closes to stop flow. They are also known as on/off service or block valves. These valves are often used
with a manual hand wheel, but can be automated with an actuator. Start/stop valves are used when flow needs
to be diverted or for mixing applications when exact measurements are not required. Automated start/stop
valves are used in safety management systems to immediately shut off the system in an emergency situation.
Some start/stop valves can be considered self-actuated valves because their mechanisms operate based on
system flow without direct input from the operator. Relief valves are also used to protect the system from overspeed flow by immediately closing if a downstream pipeline is broken or blocked. For systems with air or gas,
on/off valves can be used to regulate the pressure through the piping and protect against overpressure by
allowing gas out of the piping.
Throttle or control valves control the speed and capacity of flow, temperature, or pressure, through a
system. Control valves can be moved into any position, including fully opened and fully closed. They can be
operated with a manual hand wheel or can be equipped with an automated actuator. Actuation systems provide
greater thrust and positioning capacity. Pressure regulators are responsible for varying the valves position to
maintain constant pressure downstream. The regulator opens and closes to increase or decrease the pressure in
the system.
Non-return or check valves control the direction of flow. Flow in the desired direction opens the valve, while flow in the opposite
direction forces the valve closed. These valves are important for preventing backflow to systems in applications such as wastewater
management and in process systems that have varying pressures and must be kept separate.

Some valve types, depending on their design, may be used for one or more of the functions listed above.
Type

Description

Advantage

Gate

Linear motion valves used to start and stop flow. The valve is

No resistance to flow

Flow changes

completely opened when the disk is removed from the flow

when open

nonlinearly with stem

stream. Classification of gate valves is made by the type of

disk used: solid wedge, flexible wedge, split wedge, or
parallel disk.

Disadvantage

travel
Little pressure drop

Vibration/cavitation
when partially open

Good sealing when closed

Subject to wear

Little/no leakage

Repair work is difficult

Linear motion valves used to start, stop and regulate flow.

Throttling and regulating

High head loss due to

The disk moves perpendicular to the seat to open or close the

flow

flow direction changes

Less seat leakage than

Dynamics can create

Gate Valve

pulsation and damage

valves

flow so the annular space between the disk and seat ring
Globe

gradually changes. There are three body designs for globe

valves: Z-body, Y-body, and angle and three designs for the

trim/packing/actuators

disk: ball disk, composition disk, and plug disk.

Noisy in high pressure

applications
valves
Valves can be very
heavy/large in size for a
given application
Rotational motion valves used to start, stop or throttle flow.

Less expensive

The valve uses a ball shaped disk with a hole in it. When the
valve is opened the hole of disk is turned in-line with the
direction of the flow. When the valve is shut, the ball is

Relatively poor for

throttling

Low maintenance costs

Throttling leads to seat

erosion

rotated so that the hole is perpendicular to flow direction.

Low torque
Quick action on/off

Ball valves

Compact
No lubrication
Tight sealing
Plug

Rotation motion valves used to stop and start fluid flow. The

Rotational motion

disk is a solid tapered or cylindrical plug with a bored

passage at the right angle to the longitudinal axis of the plug.
When open, the plug lines up with the inlet and outlet port of
the valve body. The plugs are either round or cylindrical with
a taper. Plug valves are easy to adapt

Typically NOT for

throttling

Suitable for multi-port

designs

Diaphragm

valves

Linear motion valves that are used to start, regulate, and

Well-suited for difficult

stop fluid flow. The disk is flexible and seals with the seat in

environments (corrosive

an open area at the top of the valve body.

chemicals, slurries,
radioactive fluids)
Ability to throttle

valves
Automatic valves that reduce supply pressure to a
Reducing Valves

Pinch

Automatically reduces

preselected pressure. The supply pressure must remain at

supply pressure to

least as high as the selected pressure.

preselected pressure

The simplest of any valve design. Pinch valves consist of a

Relatively inexpensive

sleeve molded of rubber or other synthetic material and a

pinching mechanism. The pinching mechanism, a bar or gate,
is lowered onto the valve body to cut off the flow through the
system.

valves

On/off as well as
throttling/regulating
Good for slurries, solids
Well-suited for difficult
environments

Butterfly

Rotary motion valves that can be used in on-off and throttling

On/off as well as

systems. They are quick and easy to operate. The flow

throttle/regulate

control element is on either a vertical or horizontal axis and is

opened when the handle is rotated 90 degrees and closed
when the valve is turned an additional 90 degrees.

Easily/quickly operated
Good for large flow/low
pressure applications due

Image Credit: Cameron

to saving in
weight/size/cost

valve

Good for
slurries/suspended solids.

Needle

Needle valves have a long, tapered, needle-like point that is

Good for fine adjustment

used to make relatively fine adjustments in the amount of

throttling

fluid flow. They are sometimes used as component parts for

other valves because the needle allows for a gradual change
valves

in the size of the fluid flow opening.

Check valves are used in systems employing gate valves

Check

Prevents reverse flow

because they prevent the reversal of flow in the piping

system and there is a low pressure drop across the valve. The
pressure of the fluid through the system opens the system,

valves

Relief and safety

while the weight of the check mechanism will close the valve
if the flow is reversed.

A relief valve opens slowly as the pressure increases about

Prevents over-

the set-point and only opens as necessary. A safety valve

pressurization

rapidly opens as the pressure setting is reached and will stay

open until the pressure is lower than the actuating pressure
set-point. Both valves are used to prevent damage by
relieving accidental over- pressurized fluid systems.

valves

Relief valves are used for

incompressible fluids such
as water or oil
Safety valves are used for
compressible fluids such
as steam.