Preface
Nearly every fluid control process system has some common components. It is likely that pumps, piping, tanks, and valves are part of the system, regardless of the scale. The plug valve come into action when the flow line required a barrier.
There are many types of valves that control the flow rate, direction, and routing of fluids in a processing operation. Using a proper size and configuration valve, flow can begin, stop, or modulate between zero and full rate. As oppose to using a single inlet and outlet pair, some valves offer the option of diverting media flow to one or more outlets. Valve specialization controls inlet or outlet pressure or prevents fluid flow in an undesirable direction. A process designer or engineer can choose from a variety of valve products offering all of these capabilities.
Overview
Generally, industrial flow control valve types are organized according to how the valve body obstructs fluid flow. Among the most common types are the ball valve, butterfly valve, gate valve, globe valve, and plug valve. We don’t intend to list all valve types in this article since there are undoubtedly more types. In this article, we will look at one of the oldest valve types.
The shaft of this valve, like a ball or butterfly valve, rotates 90 degrees from fully open to fully closed. Plug valves have a “plug” that is installed in the flow path within the valve body and is rotated by a shaft that extends from the outside of the valve body. In valve bodies, plugs are often tapered at the bottom and seated on a seating surface, preventing them from bypassing the fluid. A port, a hole through a plug, can be shaped in order to provide a particular flow characteristic. This type of valve is available in a wide variety of variants that suit a variety of applications. The lined or sleeved valve has an insert or lining on the inside that creates an isolating barrier between the body of the valve and the media. Due to this, less expensive materials can be used for body construction that may otherwise corrode when exposed to aggressive media.
Plug Valves have the following advantages:
- Fast operation is provided by the 90-degree rotation from open to closed.
- Suitable for frequent operation with proper configuration.
- The use of corrosion-resistant liners may provide comparative cost savings since less expensive materials can be used to build the valve body.
- Simple design and low parts count are employed.
- Service can be performed on the valve while it is in place.
- When fully open, there is generally low resistance to flow.
- Some variants provide leak-tight service due to a tapered plug wedging action, a replaceable sleeve, and lubricant injection.
Plug Valves have the following disadvantages:
- In plug closure mechanisms, friction is higher than in other valve types, so a higher operating torque may be required.
- Not well suited to throttling without a specially designed plug.
- Some applications where hammering is possible may not be able to benefit from rapid shutoff delivered by plug design.
A plug valve is a valve that uses a plug to block or unblock a flow passage. It is a one-way valve that is opened and closed by a plug. It is a non-return valve. These are used in a wide range of industries for various processes and applications like water, air, gas, oil, etc. There is a valve manufacturing company in India that boasts to make all kinds of industrial plug valves. They also offer various ball valves, control valves, and globe valves.