Checkvalve

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Acheckvalve,clackvalve,nonreturnvalveoronewayvalveisavalvethat
normallyallowsfluid(liquidorgas)toflowthroughitinonlyonedirection.
Checkvalvesaretwoportvalves,meaningtheyhavetwoopeningsinthebody,
oneforfluidtoenterandtheotherforfluidtoleave.Therearevarioustypesof
checkvalvesusedinawidevarietyofapplications.Checkvalvesareoftenpartof
commonhouseholditems.Althoughtheyareavailableinawiderangeofsizes
andcosts,checkvalvesgenerallyareverysmall,simple,orinexpensive.Check
valvesworkautomaticallyandmostarenotcontrolledbyapersonorany
externalcontrol;accordingly,mostdonothaveanyvalvehandleorstem.The
bodies(externalshells)ofmostcheckvalvesaremadeofplasticormetal.
Animportantconceptincheckvalvesisthecrackingpressurewhichisthe
minimumupstreampressureatwhichthevalvewilloperate.Typicallythe
checkvalveisdesignedforandcanthereforebespecifiedforaspecificcracking
pressure.
Heartvalvesareessentiallyinletandoutletcheckvalvesfortheheart
ventricles,sincetheventriclesactaspumps.

Tiltingdiscinconel
checkvalve

Checkvalvesymbolon
P&IDs.Thearrow
showstheflow
direction.

Contents
1Technicalterminology
2Typesofcheckvalves
3Applications
3.1Pumps
3.2Industrialprocesses
3.3Domesticuse
4History
5Images
6Seealso
7References
8Externallinks

Technicalterminology
Crackingpressuretheinletpressureatwhichthefirstindicationofflowoccurs(steadystreamof
bubbles).
Resealpressurethepressureatwhichthereisnoindicationofflow.

Backpressurethedifferentialpressurebetweentheinletandoutletpressures.

Typesofcheckvalves
Aballcheckvalveisacheckvalveinwhichtheclosingmember,the
movableparttoblocktheflow,isasphericalball.Insomeballcheck
valves,theballisspringloadedtohelpkeepitshut.Forthosedesigns
withoutaspring,reverseflowisrequiredtomovetheballtowardthe
seatandcreateaseal.Theinteriorsurfaceofthemainseatsofball
checkvalvesaremoreorlessconicallytaperedtoguidetheballinto
theseatandformapositivesealwhenstoppingreverseflow.
Ballcheckvalvesareoftenverysmall,simple,andcheap.Theyare
Aballcheckvalveintheopen
commonlyusedinliquidorgelminipumpdispenserspigots,spray
positiontoallowforwardflowand
devices,somerubberbulbsforpumpingair,etc.,manualairpumps
closedpositiontoblockreverse
andsomeotherpumps,andrefillabledispensingsyringes.Although
flow
theballsaremostoftenmadeofmetal,theycanbemadeofother
materials,orinsomespecializedcasesoutofartificialruby.High
pressureHPLCpumpsandsimilarapplicationscommonlyusesmallinletandoutletballcheckvalveswith
bothballsandseatsmadeofartificialruby,forbothhardnessandchemicalresistance.Afterprolonged
use,suchcheckvalvescaneventuallywearoutortheseatcandevelopacrack,requiringreplacement.
Therefore,suchvalvesaremadetobereplaceable,sometimesplacedinasmallplasticbodytightlyfitted
insideametalfittingwhichcanwithstandhighpressureandwhichisscrewedintothepumphead.
Therearesimilarcheckvalveswherethediscisnotaball,butsomeothershape,suchasapoppet
energizedbyaspring.Ballcheckvalvesshouldnotbeconfusedwithballvalves,whichisadifferenttype
ofvalveinwhichaballactsasacontrollablerotortostopordirectflow.
Adiaphragmcheckvalveusesaflexingrubberdiaphragmpositionedtocreateanormallyclosedvalve.
Pressureontheupstreamsidemustbegreaterthanthepressureonthedownstreamsidebyacertain
amount,knownasthepressuredifferential,forthecheckvalvetoopenallowingflow.Oncepositive
pressurestops,thediaphragmautomaticallyflexesbacktoitsoriginalclosedposition.[1]
Aswingcheckvalveortiltingdisccheckvalveischeckvalveinwhichthedisc,themovableparttoblock
theflow,swingsonahingeortrunnion,eitherontotheseattoblockreversefloworofftheseattoallow
forwardflow.Theseatopeningcrosssectionmaybeperpendiculartothecenterlinebetweenthetwo
portsoratanangle.Althoughswingcheckvalvescancomeinvarioussizes,largecheckvalvesareoften
swingcheckvalves.Theflappervalveinaflushtoiletmechanismisanexampleofthistypeofvalve.Tank
pressureholdingitclosedisovercomebymanualliftoftheflapper.Itthenremainsopenuntilthetank
drainsandtheflapperfallsduetogravity.Anothervariationofthismechanismistheclappervalve,used
inapplicationssuchfirefightingandfirelifesafetysystems.Ahingedgateonlyremainsopeninthe
inflowingdirection.Theclappervalveoftenalsohasaspringthatkeepsthegateshutwhenthereisno
forwardpressure.Anotherexampleisthebackwatervalve(forsanitarydrainagesystem)thatprotects
againstfloodingcausedbyreturnflowofsewagewaters.Suchriskoccursmostofteninsanitarydrainage
systemsconnectedtocombinedseweragesystemsandinrainwaterdrainagesystems.Itmaybecaused
byintenserainfall,thaworflood.

Astopcheckvalveisacheckvalvewithoverridecontroltostopflowregardlessofflowdirectionor
pressure.Inadditiontoclosinginresponsetobackfloworinsufficientforwardpressure(normalcheck
valvebehavior),itcanalsobedeliberatelyshutbyanexternalmechanism,therebypreventinganyflow
regardlessofforwardpressure.
Aliftcheckvalveisacheckvalveinwhichthedisc,sometimescalledalift,canbeliftedupoffitsseatby
higherpressureofinletorupstreamfluidtoallowflowtotheoutletordownstreamside.Aguidekeeps
motionofthedisconaverticalline,sothevalvecanlaterreseatproperly.Whenthepressureisnolonger
higher,gravityorhigherdownstreampressurewillcausethedisctolowerontoitsseat,shuttingthevalve
tostopreverseflow.
Aninlinecheckvalveisacheckvalvesimilartotheliftcheckvalve.However,thisvalvegenerallyhasa
springthatwill'lift'whenthereispressureontheupstreamsideofthevalve.Thepressureneededonthe
upstreamsideofthevalvetoovercomethespringtensioniscalledthe'crackingpressure'.Whenthe
pressuregoingthroughthevalvegoesbelowthecrackingpressure,thespringwillclosethevalveto
preventbackflowintheprocess.[2]
Aduckbillvalveisacheckvalveinwhichflowproceedsthroughasofttubethatprotrudesintothe
downstreamside.Backpressurecollapsesthistube,cuttingoffflow.
Apneumaticnonreturnvalve.
Multiplecheckvalvescanbeconnectedinseries.Forexample,adoublecheckvalveisoftenusedasa
backflowpreventiondevicetokeeppotentiallycontaminatedwaterfromsiphoningbackintomunicipal
watersupplylines.Therearealsodoubleballcheckvalvesinwhichtherearetwoball/seatcombinations
sequentiallyinthesamebodytoensurepositiveleaktightshutoffwhenblockingreverseflow;andpiston
checkvalves,wafercheckvalves,andballandconecheckvalves.

Applications
Pumps
Checkvalvesareoftenusedwithsometypesofpumps.Piston
drivenanddiaphragmpumpssuchasmeteringpumpsand
pumpsforchromatographycommonlyuseinletandoutletball
checkvalves.Thesevalvesoftenlooklikesmallcylinders
attachedtothepumpheadontheinletandoutletlines.Many
similarpumplikemechanismsformovingvolumesoffluids
aroundusecheckvalvessuchasballcheckvalves.Thefeed
pumpsorinjectorswhichsupplywatertosteamboilersare
fittedwithcheckvalvestopreventbackflow.

Industrialprocesses
Checkvalvesareusedinmanyfluidsystemssuchasthosein
chemicalandpowerplants,andinmanyotherindustrialprocesses.

Thecheckvalvesonthissteamlocomotive
arelocatedunderthesmallcover
betweenthechimneyandthemaindome

Typicalapplicationsinthenuclearindustryarefeedwatercontrolsystems,dumplines,makeupwater,
miscellaneousprocesssystems,N2systems,andmonitoringandsamplingsystems.[3]Inaircraftand
aerospace,checkvalvesareusedwherehighvibration,largetemperatureextremesandcorrosivefluids
arepresent.Forexample,spacecraftandlaunchvehiclepropulsionpropellantcontrolforreactioncontrol
systems(RCS)andAttitudeControlSystems(ACS)andaircrafthydraulicsystems.[4][5]
Checkvalvesarealsooftenusedwhenmultiplegasesaremixedintoonegasstream.Acheckvalveis
installedoneachoftheindividualgasstreamstopreventmixingofthegasesintheoriginalsource.For
example,ifafuelandanoxidizeraretobemixed,thencheckvalveswillnormallybeusedonboththefuel
andoxidizersourcestoensurethattheoriginalgascylindersremainpureandthereforenonflammable.

Domesticuse
Sometypesofirrigationsprinklersanddripirrigationemittershavesmallcheckvalvesbuiltintothemto
keepthelinesfromdrainingwhenthesystemisshutoff.
Checkvalvesusedindomesticheatingsystemstopreventverticalconvection,especiallyincombination
withsolarthermalinstallations,alsoarecalledgravitybrake.
Rainwaterharvestingsystemsthatareplumbedintothemainwatersupplyofautilityprovidermaybe
requiredtohaveoneormorecheckvaluesfittedtopreventcontaminationoftheprimarysupplyby
rainwater.
Hydraulicjacksuseballcheckvalvestobuildpressureontheliftingsideofthejack.

History
FrankP.Cotterdevelopeda"simpleselfsealingcheckvalve,adaptedtobeconnectedinthepipe
connectionswithoutrequiringspecialfittingsandwhichmaybereadilyopenedforinspectionorrepair"
1907(U.S.patent#865,631).
NikolaTeslainventedadeceptivelysimpleonewayvalveforfluidsin1916,calledaTeslavalve.Itwas
patentedin1920(U.S.patent1,329,559(http://www.google.com/patents?
id=Lt1PAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false)).

Images

Hastelloycheckvalves

Stainlesssteelwafer
checkvalve

Flangednozzleinconel
checkvalveoraxial
checkvalve

Inconelcheckvalve

ThisSiameseclappered
inletallowsoneortwo
inputsintoadeluge
gun.

Discforanalloycheck
valvealsoknownas
axialcheckvalve

Wafercheckvalve

Seealso
Diode,theelectricalanalogofacheckvalve
Topfeed
Vacuumbreaker
Reedvalve
Ballvalve

Insideviewofatilting
discinconelcheckvalve

Insidehastelloycheck
valve,wafer
configuration

Largecarbonsteel
swingcheckvalve

Butterflyvalve
Controlvalve
Gatevalve
Globevalve
Diaphragmvalve
Needlevalve

References
1. Wright,Stephen."Norvalvalveperformance"(http://www.northvalekorting.co.uk/prodnorvalperf.asp).
NorthvaleKorting.Retrieved20090519.
2. Fleming,Jennifer."ValveManBlog"(http://www.valveman.com/valvemanbrandvm6800/).ValveManBrand
VM6800InLineCheckValveProductOverview.ValveManLLC.Retrieved1August2012.
3. http://www.valcor.com/nuclearpower/checkexcessflowcheckvalves/
4. http://www.valcor.com/aircraft/aircraftcheckvalves/
5. http://www.valcor.com/missilesandaerospace/aerospacecheckvalves/

Externallinks
WorkingPrincipleofSpringCheckValves(http://www.theflowcontrolvalves.com/springcheck
valve.html)
CheckValvesTutorial(http://www.spiraxsarco.com/resources/steamengineering
tutorials/pipelineancillaries/checkvalves.asp)Theoperation,benefits,applicationsandselectionof
differentdesigns,includinglift,disc,swingandwafercheckvalvesareexplainedinthistutorial
Apictureofamicroscopiccheckvalve(http://physics.ucsd.edu/~groisman/windows/win8.htm),a
scaleddownversionofTesla'soriginalfluidicdiode.
USPatent1,329,559(https://www.google.com/patents/US1329559),Tesla'soriginalfluidicdiode(a
testofadesignshowingverypoorperformance(http://www.mne.psu.edu/me415/fall04/APC2/)
n.b.thetestprotocoldidnotmatchtheconditionsdescribedinthepatent)
CheckValveInstallationandBenefits(http://www.tlv.com/global/TI/steamtheory/checkvalve
installationandbenefits.html)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Check_valve&oldid=650742553"
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