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I. Core Advantages of Ball Valves
1. The fluid resistance is extremely small
The resistance coefficient of full-bore ball valves is comparable to that of pipes of the same length and is much lower than that of stop valves or gate valves. They are particularly suitable for conveying systems with high viscosity or granular media (such as slurries in the chemical industry).
2. Outstanding operational efficiency
A 90° rotation can complete the opening and closing. Combined with an electric/pneumatic actuator, it can achieve a remote response within seconds, making it suitable for emergency shut-off scenarios (such as natural gas distribution networks).
3. High sealing reliability
The double sealing surface design (ball + valve seat) in combination with elastic materials (such as polytetrafluoroethylene) can achieve zero leakage in vacuum to high-pressure (PN40) environments.
Metal-sealed ball valves (such as Monel alloy) can withstand temperatures up to 380℃, meeting the requirements of steam pipelines.
4. Wide structural adaptability
The diameter range covers DN0.5-DN3000, supports fully welded structure buried installation (such as long-distance oil and gas pipelines), and is resistant to soil stress corrosion.
5. Resistance to granular media
The wiping effect when the sphere rotates can handle media containing fibers or crystalline particles (such as papermaking white water and coal mine slurry).
Ii. Main Limitations
1. Temperature sensitivity
The long-term operating temperature of non-metallic seals (such as PTFE) should be controlled below 120℃. If it exceeds 180℃, the metal seal needs to be upgraded.
In low-temperature environments (-196℃), special low-temperature steels (such as 316LN) should be used to prevent material embrittlement.
2. Insufficient adjustment accuracy
The flow regulation error of standard ball valves reaches ±15%. For precise control, V-type ball valves (adjustable ratio 100:1) or intelligent actuators should be selected.
3. Relatively high manufacturing cost
High-precision sphere processing (surface roughness Ra0.2μm) and special materials (such as Inconel) will significantly increase the initial investment.
4. Impurity sensitivity
Large particles or high-hardness impurities may cause scratches on the sealing surface and should be used in conjunction with a Y-type filter.
Iii. Typical Application Scenarios
| Field | Applicable scenarios | Recommended type |
|---|---|---|
| Petrochemical industry | Crude oil /LNG transportation pipelines, catalytic cracking units | Fully welded metal-sealed ball valve (API 6D certification) |
| Electric power industry | Nuclear power cooling water system, main steam isolation of supercritical units | Forged three-piece ball valve (radiation-resistant design) |
| Metallurgical industry | Oxygen/nitrogen transportation (degreasing treatment required), blast furnace gas recovery | Soft-sealed ball valve (with fireproof structure) |
| Municipal engineering | Urban gas pressure regulating stations, sewage pipe networks (including sediment) | Three-way/four-way ball valve (with drain port) |
| Special medium | Hydrofluoric acid transportation, cryogenic LNG receiving station | Fluorine-lined ball valve/low-temperature extended stem ball valve |
Iv. Selection Suggestions
1. High-temperature and high-pressure working conditions: Fixed ball valves (with bearing structure) + metal seals are preferred, reducing the operating torque by 60%.
2. Frequent regulation requirements: Select V-type ball valves or electrically adjustable types, and combine them with 4-20mA signals to achieve linear flow control.
3. Buried installation: Full-bore welded ball valves are adopted, and the valve body material is selected as L485MB (resistant to soil stress corrosion).
4. Media containing particles: The surface of the ball is hardened (such as tungsten carbide spraying), which extends the service life to three times that of traditional ball valves.
With the advancement of materials science, new types of ceramic ball valves (with a temperature resistance of 1200℃) and nano-coated ball valves have gradually been applied in extreme working conditions. In the future, ball valves will develop towards higher parameters, longer service life and intelligence.