Operations in the oil and gas industry heavily rely on pipeline systems. Any fault in these systems may result in environmental disasters, significant fluid loss, and serious contamination. That’s why pipeline systems count on different kinds of valves to regulate the flow of oils and gases in them. Valves play a crucial role in the safe and secure management of industrial operations. Some operations are conducted under extreme pressures and temperatures; hence the valves are made accordingly to adapt to such conditions. Stainless steel, forged steel, cast steel, PVC, etc., are commonly used in constructing such valves. In the oil and gas industry, valves have major applications in upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. Do you want to know more about different types of valves used in oil and gas industry? Fine, Let’s DBV tell you now! We’re a professional oil and gas valves manufacturer in China, has been focusing on providing custom oil and gas valve solutions to global clients since 2001. Some of the frequently used valves in the oil and gas industry are listed below :
Ball valves, a common oil and gas valve type, are designed to maintain the flow of high-pressure liquid and gases with minimum pressure drop. It consists of a ball-shaped disc, which controls the flow of fluid. When the valve is open, the holes in the ball-shaped disc align with the body and permit the fluid to pass through. The ball valve works well even in harsh conditions. It is one of the most durable valves and has long service life because of its metallic composition. However, the seat of the ball valve is made up of a soft material such as Teflon. Due to this composition, the ball valve can operate at an extensively wide range of temperatures, i.e. as low as -200°C to as high as 500°C. Moreover, these valves can be used for any kind of fluid (liquid, gas, air etc.). They have a quarter-turn valve that provides a quick shut on and off feature.
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Globe valves are employed for isolation and throttling services in the oil and gas industries. They are named “globe” due to their spherical body. Globe valve can start, stop and regulate the content’s flow without stopping it completely. Globe valve usually consists of 3 parts, bonnet, body, and handwheel. There is a stem present in the bonnet which moves upon the movement of the handwheel. Whereas the body houses a seat whose opening is closed by a plug. Globe valve turbulence of fluid as it passes through by changing the direction of flow. The fluid may experience pressure drop due to turbulence.
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Another excellent valve used in oil and gas industry is the gate valve. Gate valve is used to either start the flow or completely block it. It can not throttle the flow as the globe valve do. In the gate valve, a flat sheet of metal acts as a disc that is supported by the seat on the sides. It is useful in systems with straight-line fluid flow and minimum flow restrictions. Even though the gate valves are bidirectional, they can not be opened or closed rapidly. Also, they are sensitive to vibrations when open. This valve has an excellent shearing action in the oil and gas industry and guarantees a tight seal to prevent leaking of fluid.
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Check valves are developed to prevent the backflow of any fluid in order to protect the mechanical parts in the piping system. Generally, they are installed in compressors and pumps where there is a huge backflow of fluid. Check valves are known as “non-return valves” and “one-way valves” because they allow the content to flow in one direction. They do not need a handle, lever, or actuator to work correctly. Instead, the operation of these valves depends on the pressure gradient. The pressure on the input side must be higher than on the outlet side; otherwise, the valve will close. Check valves have various applications in the oil industry. They are made into different designs, materials, and sizes to ensure a check valve for every application. Backflow of fluid can be a serious concern, especially when it is contaminated; however, a check valve is a safe and ideal solution to this problem.
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Plug valves are cylindrical or conical valves that control the liquid or gas flow within a high-pressure environment. They are best suited for hazardous liquids and gases which are corrosive in nature. That’s why their time to time maintenance is necessary. These are highly efficient in starting and blocking the fluid flow. Similar to ball valves, plug valves are also quarter-turn valves operated manually. Besides the oil and gas industry, these valves also have applications in food processing, vacuum, and pharmaceutical services. General parts of plug valves include stem, body, bonnet and disc. Furthermore, plug valves have limitations in the systems where there is a wide variation in fluid temperature.
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Butterfly valves are use for the isolation and regulation of oils and gases. The operation is similar to the ball valve, which allows quick on and off. These valves are usually preferred because they are cheaper and lightweight as compared to other valves. A metal disc located in the middle of the valve is used to control the flow. Pressure drop is evident because the disc is always present in the way of fluid. Other parts of the butterfly valve include the stem, seat, body, and actuator. Various types of butterfly valves are present, each suitable for different pressures and applications. They are well adapted to work in high pressure and high-temperature settings.
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Diaphragm valves shut the flow in pipelines with the help of flexible membranes. They provide certain advantages in low-pressure systems not possible with other valves. The flow of liquids and gases is streamlined, smooth with minimal pressure drop. Diaphragm valves offer moderate throttling applications. While the service life of these valves depends on operating conditions. For corrosive gas and liquids, stainless steel or PVC plastic is used in their construction. They are leak-proof and do not allow contamination of contents. Generally, the diaphragm valve can work efficiently up to a pressure of 200 psi and temperature of 400 F.
All valves are vital for of oil and gas industry. Without them, the supply of petroleum products would not be possible. Innovations are being made in valves with the increasing demand for oil and gas each year.
Valves are essential parts of any piping system used to control the flow and pressure of contents, whether that is oil, gas, liquid, or vapors. Here is our list of 10 of the most commonly used types of valves used in the oil and gas industry and the reasons for their existence, with details from Wermac:
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Acronyms for ‘Automatic Recirculation Valve’ and ‘Automatic Recirculation Control’, these valves are multi-functional but has the primary purpose of ensuring that a pre-determined minimum flow is assured through centrifugal pump at all times.
As centrifugal pumps consistently suffer from being over heated, its important to keep the minimum flow otherwise dry valves means permanent damage.
A ball valve is a quarter-turn rotational motion valve that used a ball-shaped disk to control a flow. If the valve is opened, the holes in the ball stay in line with the body inlet allowing contents to pass.
The balls are generally made out of several metallics whilst the seats are made from soft materials like Teflon. The combination of materials means the ball valve can operate at temperatures as low as -200 deg C and as high as 500 deg C.
Mainly used for air, gases and liquids, ball valves are quick to turn on and off and have a tight sealing with low torque. The only downside to these valves are the lack of throttling properties available.
There are two main types of bellow, the forged and the welded versions. Forged bellows are usually made from a thin wall of foil in a tube which is then longitudinally fusion welded.
The welded versions are made by welding washer-like plates of thin metal together at both the inner and outer circumference of the washers.
Traditionally made from stainless steel, they are most commonly used in conjunction with gate or globe designs due to their internal construction and axial movement of the valve stem.
Also known as vacuum relief valves, breather valves are a special type of relief valve designed for tank protection. The valves prevent the build up of excessive pressure or vacuum which can unbalance the system or damage the storage vessel.
Pressure and vacuum protection levels are usually controlled with weighted pallets and can be combined to meet the required settings. This valve must be used in accordance with the American Petroleum Institute’s API standard 2000 for venting atmospheric and low pressure storage tanks.
A quarter-turn rotational motion valve, the butterfly valves is used to stop, start and regulate flow. Easy and fast to open, the valve usually comes equipt with a gearbox where the hand wheel by gear is connected to they stem.
This simplifies the operation of the valve, but at the expense of speed. These valves must also be installed a minimum of 6 pipe diameters away from other line elements.
As well as being lightweight, and quick to use, the butterfly valves are available in large sizes and can cope with low-pressure drop and high-pressure recovery.
Gate valves are primarily designed to start or stop a flow when a straight line flow of fluid and minimum flow restriction are needed. In service, these valves are pretty much kept either fully open, or fully closed.
When turned open, the disc of the gate is completely removed allowing contents to pass. Although this gives the valve good shut-off properties and is bidirectional, they cannot be quickly opened or closed and are sensitive to vibration when open.
Typically used for cooling water systems, transporting fuel oil and turbine lube oil systems, a globe valve is a linear motion valve used to stop, start and regulate flow.
Conventionally used for isolation and throttling services, the globe has become the world’s most common types of valves. With a good shut off ability, available in tee, wye and angle patterns and easy to machine the valve seats – its easy to see why they are so popular.
The slight disadvantages of the globe are that they perform unfavourably when high pressure drops, and require greater force or throttling flow under the seat to shut off valve.
Every ORBIT valve incorporates a tilt and turn operation that eliminates seal rubbing, which is a primary cause of valve failure. When an ORBIT valve is closed, the core is mechanically wedged tightly against the seat assuring a positive shut off.
When an ORBIT valve begins to open, the core tilts away from the seat and line flow passes around the core face. This eliminates localized high velocity flow that typically creates uneven seat wear and a reduced valve life.
Capable of working at -104 deg C to 427 deg C, the valve is used for hot oil systems and mole sieve dryers.
A plug valve uses a tapered or cylindrical plug to stop or start a flow. In open position, the plug-passage is in one line with the inlet and outlet ports. If the plugis rotated from the open position, the solid part of the plug blocks the port and stops the flow.
These are quick to turn off, smaller in size compared to most valves and has minimal resistance flow. However, they do have a reduced port due to tapered plugs and a requires a large force to actuate, due to high friction.
Adopted for valves for high pressure service, pressure seal valves are typically used in excess of 170 bar. The unique feature about the pressure seal ‘bonnet’ is that the body’s joints seals improve as the internal pressure increases.
It should also be noted that these valves also come as a bolted bonnet too seal the valve and the pressure seal gasket.
Obviously there are many more types of valves that are used within the industry, but is important for any oil and gas engineer to know the basic valves, the principals, and what they should be used for.
If you have any more suggestions regarding valves, let us know on the comments box below.
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