How Do Butterfly Valves Work?
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What is a Valve?
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A valve is a device that controls the flow of a fluid or gas; it regulates how much fluid or gas is traveling through a space at one time. It generally is not the device responsible for increasing the pressure on a fluid or gas. Valves are controlled externally, by mechanical devices such as cranks or levers. These control devices are directly attached to the valve and are usually very simply operated.
The Components of a Butterfly Valve
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A butterfly valve consists of a relatively flat circular plate with a rod through its diameter. The circular plate creates a perfect seal in the pipe in which it is installed by being flush with the pipe. The rod in the diameter of the circular plate runs out of the pipe to a turning mechanism that turns the rod and, in turn, rotates the circular valve plate. The rod, similar to the circular plate, must be flush with the walls of the hold in which it is placed, so as to eliminate the risk of leaks. It is generally unable to be seen inside the valve, because it is usually bolted between two separate plates that make up the circular plate.
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How a Butterfly Valve Controls Flow
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A butterfly valve only rotates 90 degrees. At a full quarter turn from sealed position, the valve face rests facing perpendicular to the direction of the flow of whatever is in its pipe. That means that fluid flows most easily across the face of the valve, for the pipe is not sealed. When the valve is sealed, the circular face faces in a direction that is parallel with the direction of the flow of whatever is in the pipe. This blocks the flow entirely. All that is needed to turn the valve from any open position to a closed position is a manipulation of the turning mechanism, either directly or indirectly.
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References
- Photo Credit valve-actuators.blogspot.com/
