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What Does a Valve Supply Do?

Tony Mers • May 02, 2019
Over half of the nation's energy is supplied by gas and oil with over four billion metric tons of oil produced worldwide on an annual basis. By 2035, daily global oil consumption is projected to reach 109 million barrels. To retrieve oil, there are a number of different valves useful for regulating the movement of oil from its reserves to industrial use.



A valve supply is a singular valve or a system of valves that control how oil or gas move through a pipeline. Different types of valves control different aspects of the pipeline, but in general, a valve supply system can start or stop fluids, modulate and control flows, change the direction of flows, manage pressure, monitor for safety hazards, and filter debris that could contaminate the line. The amount of control needed will determine the best valve of choice for the job.



What Kind of Valve Supply Systems are There?

1. Ball Valve: Ball valves are used as a high pressure valve typically serving as a complete shut-off valve. They can easily regulate flow and function by the use of a quarter turn lever movement and cease flow with a tight seal. A ball inside the high pressure valve has a hole inside that allows fluid to move through it when it aligns with the two sides of the device. When the lever is turned, the ball valve is shut-off, and the hole in the ball is concealed which prevents the oil from moving through the line. The amount the lever is turned directly indicates the amount the valve is open.

  • Shut-Off Pig Valve: This is another name for a trunnion block-mounted ball valve. It is a high pressure valve designed to withstand heavy loads placed on the ball while requiring little effort to manipulate. They are capable of heavy loads because the ball, shaft, and trunnion all function as one solid unit reinforcing one another. They are also more feasible to use because they accommodate many different size restraints.

  • Flanged Floating Ball Valves: These are similar to the pig valves, but instead of the ball transfixed as one unit, the shaft is only attached to the ball. The ball floats suspended in the fluid line. When the lever is engaged, the weight is applied on the ball and it gets pressed against two rubber seats cutting off the flow. This type of ball valve is useful only in low pressure situations and small volume loads.

2. Gate Valves: These are another type of shut-off valve, but do not function well as an option for a high pressure valve. They also function more as an all or nothing type of shut-off rather than allowing for minimal controlled reductions in flow. There are several different types and models of gate valves depending on the pressure, temperature, and fluid they are meant to control.

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