VALVE MAGAZINE Fall 2023

The Evolution of the All-Encompassing Ball Valve The compact design, simplicity of use, ease of repair and wide performance capability have helped to make the ball valve a dominant modern design.

The invention of the ball valve has

Early in the life of the ball valve, its current assets and values were not real ized. The lack of machining technology to make a truly round ball did not exist. And sealing materials of the time, associated with the use of natural rub bers, were very limited and prevented the ball valve from being applied to any

significant industrial use. During World War II and into the 1950s, machining technology devel oped for the war effort allowed the inherent advantages of the ball valve to be introduced into military usage. The development of synthetic materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), often known by the brand name Teflon, paved the way for industrial sector applications. Today, the ball valve is used in a wide array of applications for flow con trol of liquids, gases and even solids. These applications are in temperatures that range from -450°F (-267°C) to more than 1600°F (871°C). Pressures can range from full vacuum to in excess of 20,000 psi. BALL VALVE DESIGN The major components of the ball valve are the body, ball, seats and stem. These components can be made from a wide variety of materials. Ball valves are offered in numerous end connec tions, including flanged, threaded, weld end and wafer, as well as special ized end connections. BASICS Ball valve designs fall into the quar ter-turn category of valves, including

EDITED BY GREG JOHNSON

proven to be a revolutionary develop ment for the valve industry, supplying numerous unique solutions that meet modern flow control requirements. But its successful application was not immediately evident.

1. Valve shown open positions.

2. Valve shown closed position. NO PRESSURE.

3. Valve shown closed position. LOW PRESSURE. Initial introduction of media to valve.

4. Valve shown closed position. FULL PRESSURE. Media forces ball into downstream seat.

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Figure 1: How floating ball valves work.

All images are copyright of Flowserve Corporation.