Ball Valves: How it Works, Types, and Common Applications

Ball valves are specially designed valves that are used in pipeline applications to turn off and on flow of a substance. For instance, they’re commonly used in gas processing, plumbing and industrial piping systems to control the flow of a gas or liquid through a pipe. And they’re also used in food and beverage systems, including in brewing, water pipeline systems and liquid food processing factories.

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Here’s how the system works: The valve features a pivoting ball, with an opening in the middle that is connected to a stem and handle. With a quarter turn of the handle, the ball’s opening comes into alignment with the pipeline flow, enabling a liquid or gas to flow freely through the valve. When the ball opening is in the off position, the flow of a substance is blocked.

Ball valves are most commonly used because they provide fast, effective shutoff of a system. Plus, they are durable, provide a secure seal for long periods of use, and they’re easy to repair and operate. Thus, these types of valves are often preferred over other quarter-turn stopping valves.

Common Types of Ball Valves
In general, there are five types of ball valves that provide a similar function and are operated the same. The biggest difference, though, is in body construction and how the balls are contained in the assembly’s casing. Body styles include split body, top entry, single body, three-piece body and welded.

Plus, ball valves are also determined by the type of opening within the ball. Different types of bores result in added precision when turning off the valve, they can contain more than one open or closed setting, and they can be fashioned to prevent buildup behind the ball. The size of the bore, or port, can also be the same size as the pipeline or a reduced size, which results in a restricted flow. Bore types include:

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Full Port Ball Valves: The floating ball of a full-port ball valve is oversized, and the bore is the same size as the pipeline. This results in the free flow of a substance, and that’s why full port ball valves are commonly used in oil and gas pipelines, as a flow restriction can disrupt the material and cause buildup. These valves are larger, and thus they’re more expensive.
Reduced Port Ball Valves: As known as reduced-bore or standard ball valves, the bore in this type of valve is smaller compared to the pipeline, and thus flow is restricted and pressure drops. These are typically used when flow rate is not a major concern. Plus, they’re smaller and more cost-effective compared to full-port valves.

Cavity Filled Ball Valves: The constant flow of gas or liquid through a ball valve can result in buildup behind the ball. A cavity filled ball valve prevents this from happening. This type of valve has a seat, or casing, that completely surrounds the floating ball to prevent buildup. They’re commonly used in systems where this buildup could result in bacteria, i.e. in brewing and food systems, or where a material can crystallize behind the ball like paint.

V Port Ball Valves: Instead of a cylindrical-shaped bore, the V Port ball valve has a v-shaped bore or seat. Thus, as the valve moves from off to on, the narrower end of the V is positioned in front of the flow, and slowly, as the wider parts of V-shaped bore reach the pipeline more material can flow through the valve. This results in greater precision and more control, compared to other styles.

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