Industrial ball valves control the flow and ensure your industrial processes&#; smooth operation and safety. They are highly durable, reliable, and easy to use. ̧
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However, industries face challenges when selecting the optimal ball valve for their specific application. Let&#;s look at the key questions you should ask before choosing ball valves.
Also Read: Key Factors to Consider When Selecting High-Pressure Valves
1. What type of media will flow through the ball valve?
The nature of the fluid type (liquid, gas, or semi-solid) passing through the pipeline greatly influences the industrial valve selection. Different media have varying ike corrosive, abrasive, and viscosity. This analysis will guide engineers in selecting ball valves of ideal material to be compatible with the media to prevent leaks, damages, or malfunction properties, such as corrosive, abrasive, and viscosity. This analysis will guide engineers in selecting ball valves of the ideal material to be compatible with the media to prevent leaks, damages, or malfunctions.
2. What is the right actuation method for the ball valve?
How you actuate (close and open) valves will influence their efficiency. Therefore, it is vital to understand the various types of ball valve actuation.
There are different types of ball valve actuation, such as:
In this regard, you have to consider these things:
For instance, pneumatic actuators are needed for frequent and fast operations, whereas electric actuators are ideal for a reliable power supply. Similarly, hydraulic ball valves are best suited for high-pressure applications where frequent operations are needed, and manual ones are the ideal bet for low-pressure applications that require occasional manual control.
3. What are the maximum and minimum temp & pressure ratings of the fluid passing through the pipeline?
Ball valves also have temperature and pressure ratings. The minimum and maximum values indicate the temperature and pressure range of the working fluid that valves can handle.
Why is adhering to these values important?
The number of times you open and close the valve in a year is known as its annual cycle rating. Ball valves are rated for a specific number of cycles. Using a valve over its annual cycle rating may hamper its durability. If you use ball valves to understand their cycle requirements, they can work for tens of thousands of operations without any performance issues.
5. How are you going to use the ball valve?
Different ball valves are available on the market depending on the nature of their operation.
Standard ball valves can completely restrict the fluid flow. However, specialized ball valves are also available if you need directional control.
Three-way ball valves offer even more control by splitting the flow from a single source to two destinations.
6. How do you choose the right material for the ball valve?
The media flowing through the valve should be compatible with the materials of the valve&#;s body and internal components (ball, seat). Incompatible materials can corrode or weaken the seal, leading to safety hazards or malfunctions. Consider stronger options like Monel, Inconel, or alloys containing molybdenum, chromium, or nickel for highly corrosive fluids.
7. What certifications should the valve have?
It&#;s imperative to select ball valves with the right certifications relevant to the fluid type and application within your facility. Depending on your application, your ball valve and its actuator might require certifications from:
Also Read: How to Choose the Right Valve for your Industrial Requirement?
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As a manufacturer of high performance and engineered ball valves, we are often asked about what industry standards affect ball valve products and what should be referenced when specifying and ordering. The answer to that question is not nearly as straightforward as with the gate, globe, and check valves that have historically been the primary go-to valves in refining. With the more common &#;rising stem&#; valve types, standards such as API 600, API 602, API 603, etc. have taken a lot of the guesswork out because much of the design and sealing methods are well defined. However, as ball valves become more prevalent due to better sealing and reduced emissions, reliance on standards alone is not sufficient. Assurance that the installed product meets process requirements relies on much more.
There are several standards that influence the design and performance of ball valves. At a basic level, ASME B16.34, ASME 16.10 and others govern the dimensions and wall thickness (among other things) of most all valves used in the refining and chemical industries. Standards like API 641 (emissions for quarter-turn valves), API 607 (fire testing for both &#;soft&#; and metal seated quarter-turn valves), and API 608 (requirements for metal ball valves generally up to NPS 24 and class 600 rating) guide the industry.
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However, none of these standards address the suitability of sealing materials for individual processes. Since these valves are typically used in applications where sealing is critical to the process, there are several open questions that must be addressed when specifying ball valves.
Guideline Considerations for &#;Soft Seated&#; Ball Valves
By at least a 10:1 ratio, &#;soft seated&#; ball valves dominate the refining and chemical markets. Although this is evolving as the costs of metal seated valves come down, soft seated ball valves will likely continue to be the most cost-effective solution in relatively clean services under 450ºF.
There are a wide array of options for seating material in these valves. The vast majority used in the refining and chemical industry are based on a form of Teflon &#; / PTFE. Apart from the base material, there are molecularly enhanced versions and compounds filled with glass, carbon fiber and/or graphite. One problem that exists in many specifications for these types of valves is the vague term &#;RPTFE&#; which (not so simply) indicates reinforced PTFE. Without information on the type of reinforcement, this can be misleading. For example, if a request is made for RPTFE in a plant with HF Acid (which dissolves glass) and a valve with glass-filled PTFE is installed, the results will be very undesirable.
In addition, manufacturers offer seat and seal materials like PEEK, Nylon, PCTFE, etc. for specific process requirements. All have certain properties that, when combined with specific seat designs, create allowable maximum (and minimum) temperature ranges and differential pressure.
It is well past the scope of this article to provide an application guide to all these seat types, but if you&#;re involved with selection or specification of these seat and seal materials, here are some guidelines to consider:
A very common question asked in the valve and automation industry is: what is considered a severe or critical service valve application? There are several groups, MSS in particular, that are working on a more objective standard to provide guidance on this question.
As it pertains to ball valves in the refining and chemical industry, the question becomes: when should a severe or critical service metal seated ball valve be considered? This is a rapidly expanding segment of the market that is widely misunderstood. The correct answer to this question is: when process requirements exist calling for ball valves that operate and seal in conditions outside the range of typical products, test protocols and industry standards. This can mean many things to many people, and one must take care to not simply throw money at a problem hoping it goes away.
In the petrochemical, chemical, and refining industries, some examples of applications where metal seats would be the preferred choice are:
It is important to understand that metal- to-metal sealing in ball valves is a misnomer. If uncoated metal balls and seats are in direct contact, they would be damaged due to galling when operated and would never seal well. In reality, it is the ball and seat coatings that provide the sealing and allow the valve to cycle without galling. These coatings are generally lapped for tight shut-off and must resist chemical and thermal attack from the process in which the valve is installed.
The key to reliability of &#;metal seated&#; valves in any process application is the selection of the right coating, and the lapping / grinding process to &#;mate&#; the sealing surfaces.
There is simply no &#;one size fits all&#; for &#;metal-to-metal&#; sealing. Coatings are extremely application dependent. There are literally hundreds of material options and combinations, although certain technologies are more common.
Some of the more standard coating options are:
All have their positives and negatives in terms of performance in given applications and cost. The Cobalt overlays (commonly referred to as Stellite&#;) and Chrome Plating are still widely used in ball valves, as well as other valve types.
The most common ball and seat coating in severe service is the HP-HVOF process in which the coating mechanically bonds to the substrate material. In this process, a robotically controlled &#;gun&#; creates high kinetic energy allowing the coatings to be applied in a compressive state. The mechanical bond created is > 12,000 PSI bond strength for carbides, 5,000 &#; 7,000 PSI for chrome oxide ceramic. Some downsides to this process are that even at the lowest porosity, there is still poor sealing on gas applications. In addition, any carbon content makes these coatings susceptible to oxidation.
In the spray & fused process, the ball and seat surfaces are coated with a relatively thick layer of hardening material, then the part is heated to &#;fuse&#; (similar to welding) the coating to the base material for the highest possible bond strength and lowest porosity. This process is best for small molecule gas and particles.
Finally, is the plasma coating process where the specialty coatings are brought to a very high temperature prior to being robotically applied to the metal. This again creates a good bond strength, and coupled with the ceramic-like materials applied, creates a very corrosion resistant surface.
Ball valves have been around for many years and represent a very large portion of our industry, but they still require attention to detail and an understanding of the applications in which they will be installed. While there is no such thing as &#;zero leakage&#; in valves, by clearly defining the process objectives and properly specifying these products, the greatest reliability can be achieved.
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About the Author
Barry Hoeffner, Director of Quarter Turn Products at Ladish Valves has over 30 years experience in the Chemical and Refining Industries. As a Chemical Engineer, Barry brings a unique perspective to the Flow Control space. His focus for the years in the Valve Industry has been in application engineering and development of severe service and engineered ball valves
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