Preferred order of control valve types

Is this from good to bad, from bad to good??

It’s not arranged like that in your case. The general trend is that rotary valves are preferred over straight-stroke valves, due to factors such as adjustable ratio, leakage around the packing, flow capacity, and resistance to cavitation. The rest depends on the situation and operating conditions. Apart from a large diameter, it needs to be inexpensive and have a low pressure difference; otherwise, butterfly valves should not be used as control valves. Ball valves are usually used as on/off valves, while V-ball valves are used as control valves.

What is a fully functional ultra-lightweight control valve? It has never been sold; customer inquiries have never involved this product

We are users; we have used it a lot, and so far the performance has been excellent! Full-Function Ultra-Lightweight Control Valve Abstract: The three major problems of the first generation of control valves—bulkiness, incomplete functionality, and poor reliability—were analyzed, and these were used as guidelines for developing a new product; as a result, the “Full-Function Ultra-Lightweight Control Valve” was created. As soon as it was introduced, it received high praise and significant attention from users and design institutes. As a new type of product, it will gradually replace the current mainstream products and become the standard for control valves in the next century. Keywords: full functionality ； ultra-light ； Control valves 1. A historical overview of control valves: Long before the 1960s, nine main types of control valves were developed, including single-seat valves, double-seat valves, diaphragm valves, angle valves, butterfly valves, ball valves, three-way valves, sleeve valves, and eccentric rotary valves. However, over the following thirty-odd years, no major advancements were made in these products, let alone any replacements; efforts were mainly focused on improving and refining them. A successful example is the CV3000 from the 1970s, as well as the compact single-seat and sleeve valves produced in China during the 1980s. They are 30% lighter and shorter than older models, but there have been no improvements in terms of functionality and reliability. Therefore, single-seat valves, double-seat valves, and sleeve valves, which only represent the standards of the 1960s to 1970s, remain the dominant types of control valves to this day, which is clearly not in line with the rapid development of automation technology. Therefore, the control valve industry is in urgent need of the emergence of a new generation of products. 2. Main problems with current flagship products In order to find directions for innovation in control valves, it is essential to first gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues existing with them. We conducted a special investigation on control valves in 1997, which revealed 9 issues in total: 1) They are too bulky, accounting for 3313% ； 2) The large variety of types causes great inconvenience in use, accounting for 6711% ； 3) Leaks account for 4215% ； 4) Frequent jams and slow operation account for 2518% ； 5) Short lifespan accounts for 1317% ； 6) Insufficient thrust, resulting in poor valve sealing: 916% ； 7) Low flow coefficient and narrow adjustment range account for 512% ； 8) Valve leakage accounts for 413% ； 9) Oscillation, vibration, and whistling account for 117%. The occurrence of these problems is undoubtedly related to the valve’s inherent defects, production quality, and usage quality; however, focusing solely on the valve’s inherent defects presents three main issues. {TodayHot} 2.1, Heavy – Control valves can weigh several dozen kilograms to over a hundred kilograms; in more severe cases, they can weigh hundreds of kilograms or even thousands of kilograms. It causes a great deal of trouble in the transportation, lifting, installation, and maintenance of control valves. 2.2, Functional Imperfection: Functional imperfection inevitably leads to the coexistence of multiple varieties, so as to achieve functional complementarity. It causes considerable inconvenience in the calculation, selection, maintenance, spare parts supply, and factory management of control valves. 2.3 Poor reliability: Poor reliability inevitably leads to problems such as leakage, dripping, blockage, jamming, and poor performance. It causes significant difficulties in the proper operation of the system. 3. Directions for breakthroughs in new products: From the beginning of this century to the present, control valves remain at the level of older models. Based on the aforementioned issues of the old products, we first determined the breakthrough direction for the new products. 3.1 Weight reduction: To truly achieve miniaturization, light weight, and integration with instrumentation, the weight of these valves should be reduced by 60% to 80% compared to the single-seat, double-seat, and sleeve valves that are currently used in existing products; it should also be 30% to 50% lighter than those ultra-small valves. 3.2 Functional advancements: Replacing numerous products with limited functions with a single multi-functional or fully functional product, in order to **reduce the variety of control valve types and specifications** ； To simplify the application of control valves—such as calculation, selection, plant management, spare parts, etc. 3.3, Breakthroughs in Reliability: Addressing one by one the factors of unreliability in the first-generation products to improve the operational quality of the system. 4. A new type of control valve —— a fully functional, ultra-lightweight valve has been developed. After identifying the key areas for improvement in control valves, we focused our efforts on addressing these issues; after more than two years of hard work, we were able to overcome the three major problems associated with the old models: bulkiness, limited functionality, and poor reliability. This led to the creation of the new product. It features three main characteristics. {HotTag} 4.1, Ultra-lightweight 1) Intuitive comparison: This product is small in size and light in weight, and its appearance makes it easy to understand at a glance. For an intuitive comparison, it is connected with single-seat valves, double-seat valves, and sleeve valves of the same size for easy comparison, as shown in the figure below. 2) Weight comparison: The weights of the fully functional ultra-lightweight valves are compared one by one with those of the currently dominant valve types, namely single-seat valves, double-seat valves, and sleeve valves, according to their specifications (comparison table omitted). The comparison result shows that the weight of the pneumatic valve has been reduced by 60% to 70% ； The weight of electric valves has been reduced by 70% to 80%. 4.2, Full Functionality 1) Research and description of the functions of control valves: To achieve functional advancements, it is first necessary to understand the usage functions of control valves, as shown in Table 1. Table 1: Functional purposes of control valves
Serial Number | Functional Purpose | Description
1 | Regulation | The main function, which is manifested in five aspects: flow characteristics, adjustable ratio, performance at low opening degrees, Kv value, and response speed
2 | Shut-off | Reflects the internal quality of the valve; the lower the internal leakage, the better
3 | Overcoming pressure differences | Ensures smooth operation of the valve and proper shut-off; inseparable from the shut-off function
4 | Prevention of clogging | Ensures normal operation of the valve in environments with dirty media ； 5. Resistance to blockage by debris in the pipeline: Ability to resist corrosion by corrosive media, erosion caused by particles and media with high pressure differences, as well as cavitation caused by flashing media.
6. Pressure resistance: Reflects the strength and safety characteristics of the valve.
7. Temperature resistance: Meets the requirements regarding the valve’s strength and performance under different temperature conditions.
8. Appearance: Features miniaturization, light weight, instrumentation capabilities, and an attractive design.
9. Weight: Facilitates use (lifting, transportation, installation, maintenance, etc.).

2) Full functionality: The functions provided by this fully functional ultra-lightweight valve are summarized in Table 2.
Table 2: Characteristics of the fully functional ultra-lightweight valve
Serial Number | Characteristic | Explanation
1 | Good regulation performance: The adjustable range R = 100–200 is 3–7 times that of P, N, and M ； Good performance at low opening degrees ； The Kv value is 2 to 3 times that of single-seat, double-seat, and sleeve valves. It offers excellent shut-off performance: the valve core makes linear contact with the valve seat, resulting in good contact, and the leakage rate for hard sealing is between 10^-6 and 10^-7, which is 1‰3 lower than the leakage rates of single-seat, double-seat, and sleeve valves (10^-3 to 10^-4). It can withstand high pressure differences; the combined force of the medium exerts a small torque on the center, allowing for high shut-off pressures, up to the PN value, which is 5 to 20 times that of single-seat valves. It also has excellent anti-clogging properties: the medium flows directly through, giving a simple flow path, and its anti-clogging performance far exceeds that of single-seat, double-seat, and sleeve valves. The valve boasts good corrosion resistance, as it incorporates measures to resist corrosion and erosion, thus offering excellent protective capabilities against these factors. It has good pressure resistance thanks to its forged valve body, with a PN rating of up to 32 MPa. Its temperature resistance is also good, owing to the use of high-temperature packing, allowing it to operate in a wide temperature range of -60°C to +600°C. Additionally, it has a small size and light weight; the optimal design reduces the overall weight by 60% to 80% compared to single-seat, double-seat, and sleeve valves ； The height is reduced by 50% to 70%. 9. Appearance: An optimized design for the appearance ensures an optimal combination of the actuator and the valve, resulting in a symmetrical and attractive overall design. 3) Comparison with functions of other valves: A comparison of the functions of this fully functional ultra-lightweight control valve with those of the other nine types of control valves is shown in Table 3. Product Type: Regulation, Shut-off, Overcoming Pressure Differences, Anti-clogging, Corrosion Resistance, Pressure Resistance, Temperature Resistance. Weight, Appearance, Number of Best Functions, Function Classification. Straight-stroke single-seat valve: √ 0 × × √ √ √ × × 4 13; Straight-stroke double-seat valve: √ × √ × 0 √ √ × × 4 13; Straight-stroke sleeve valve: √ × √ × 0 √ √ × × 4 13; Straight-stroke angle valve: √ 0 × 0 √ √ √ × × 4 14; Straight-stroke three-way valve: √ 0 × × 0 √ √ × × 3 11; Straight-stroke diaphragm valve: × √ × √ √ × × × × 2 9; Angular stroke butterfly valve: √ √ 0 √ 0 0 √ √ 0 5 19; Angular stroke ball valve: √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 0 × 7 22; Angular stroke eccentric rotary valve: √ √ √ √ √ √ √ × × 7 21; Angular stroke all-functional ultra-lightweight control valve: √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 9 27. Symbols (Scoring): “√” indicates excellent (3 points); “0” indicates satisfactory (1 point); “×” indicates poor (0 points). 4.3 High Reliability: It is not sufficient to make advancements only in terms of weight and functionality; the reliability of the valve must also be **improved. Full-function ultra-lightweight valves address the following issues: 1) The reliability of the valve stem sealing – high-stiffness valve stems along with wear-resistant packing, resulting in a service life that is 2–3 times longer than that of PTFE packing ； 2) Reliability of core and seat sealing —— The core and seat utilize a hard seal, and are further protected by a surfacing layer made of wear-resistant alloy; their service life is incomparable to that of soft valve seats such as those made of PTFE or stainless steel valve seats ； 3) The electric valve is equipped with a highly reliable electronic actuator —— requiring no maintenance for 5–10 years, thus effectively addressing the issue of poor reliability in electric actuators ； 4) The pneumatic valve uses a gear-rack type piston actuator —— connected directly to the valve, which simplifies the structure ； The gear and rack operate smoothly, with minimal backlash and reliable performance ； 5) Sufficient actuator torque —— to overcome pressure differences and frictional torque, with ample margin to ensure smooth operation ； 6) Direct medium passage, streamlined design —— prevents blockages and enhances the reliability of operation ； 7) Reduce friction between the valve spool and seat — further extend the lifespan of the valve spool and seat. 4.4 Performance Indicators and Key Parameters Model: Pneumatic ZSRH, Electric (Electronic) ZDRH ； Nominal diameter: DN20～400 ； Nominal pressure: PN116～32 ； Flow characteristics: approximately logarithmic, approximately linear ； Adjustable range: R = 100～200 ； Leakage rate: 1 ×10-6～1 ×10-7 ； Allowable pressure difference: ≤PN ； Operating temperature: -60 ℃ to 600 ℃. 4.5 Performance and Practical Significance 1) Performance Since its introduction, thousands of these fully functional, ultra-lightweight valves have been produced over the past year; they are used by 10 different manufacturers, and their performance is highly satisfactory. Thanks to their ultra-lightweight design, full functionality, and high reliability, they have attracted special attention from both the manufacturers that use them and the design institutes. 2) Practical significance: The fully functional ultra-lightweight valve (now patented) fundamentally solves the main problems associated with older models, bringing about four major breakthroughs in the history of control valves—one of which is a breakthrough in terms of weight ； The second is a functional breakthrough ； Third is a breakthrough in reliability ； Fourth is the breakthrough in the application of electric valves (which has changed the past situation in which their use was greatly limited due to poor reliability), turning them into true new types of products. It will gradually replace the current dominant position of older valve types such as single-seat valves, double-seat valves, and sleeve valves, becoming the mainstream of control valves in the new century. If that is the case, this will be a significant contribution from China to the history of the development of control valves. This post was last edited by zlky2005 on 2009-3-5 09:36.]

The selection of valves should first be based on process considerations, and then economic factors should be taken into account, right? Apart from full-function valves, the other rankings don’t make any sense. However, full-function valves are also extremely expensive and offer poor value for money; from the perspective of private manufacturers, they aren’t really the preferred choice either, right?

I’ve read this article, but I still don’t know what it is

The ultra-lightweight multi-functional valve seems to have been invented by Chongqing Hualin; you can check their website. The actuator is very compact, and the control valve is essentially eccentric in design

This was ranked by Forbes. . . ?

What was said upstairs is correct; we use that kind as well, and it’s from Hualin too! It is basically eccentric rotation; those produced in Chongqing are of the straight-stroke type, while those from Deyang are of the rotating type. This post was last edited by zlky2005 on 2009-3-5 at 10:13.]

Under normal circumstances, rotary valves are preferred over linear actuators, but the choice of valve is determined based on the properties of the material and the specific requirements of the production process; therefore, discussing the order of valves is meaningless!

I agree that it can’t be arranged this way; at most, it should be bid on based on cost (for materials of the same type and grade)