Understanding the Butterfly Valve and its Types

A valve is a device that is used to control the flow of any substance that can flow whether it is liquid or gas. Valves work for the purpose because they are created to control the flow of fluids. There are various types of valves like Gate, globe, butterfly, ball, etc. Today, it is about the butterfly valve. Here we will discuss the butterfly valve, its advantages, disadvantages, and its types so you can get a clear understanding.

Let’s head further:

A butterfly valve falls in the quarter turn valve category that means bi-directional valves in which using a disc it can be fully opened. The valve limits the flow of liquid that goes through a pipe or certain pipes. A butterfly valve barely needs any maintenance, and so they are durable.

Butterfly valve works so efficiently because of its components. The primary one is the disc made of metal, and due to the disc, it is named as the butterfly. The disc gets attached on a rod from where the control of flow works. The limiting works for both air and liquid. Butterfly valves can often be seen in agricultural and wastewater treatment plants.

Advantages of a Butterfly Valve

If you have seen a ball valve, then you can easily understand the looks of a butterfly valve. The butterfly valve seems small in size and works fast for opening and closing. This type of valve tends to stay lightweight than a ball valve, and that makes it easy to use. Those who need a petite yet reliable valve can prefer them.

Disadvantages of a Butterfly Valve

When using the valve, it always blocks somewhat flow even when it is fully opened. This happens due to the wide design of the resilient seat.  So, choked flow can be a considerable flaw of a ball valve. 

Types of Butterfly Valve

·      Zero offset Butterfly Valve

Zero offset design is used in the regulator that maintains low-pressure. For the design, the disc and shaft remain concentric or share the same center with the valve body. When it is open, the flow goes through two equally divided gates. The resilient seat is used to seal the flow, and that also depicts the disadvantage.

·         Double Offset Butterfly Valve

The disk of double offset remains offset for both valve’s center line and its body’s center line. In this offset, you can experience a smooth closing and opening while the friction stays only to some degrees when you open and close.

·         Triple Offset Butterfly Valve

The triple Offset is designed to keep it frictionless while operating the device. The only friction that happens is at the closure or the final point. Metal butterfly valve often uses this mechanism. This happens as the seat forms a right-angled cone-like design.