First, where is the ball valve?
Ball valve, as a key member of the valve family, its exquisite design and excellent performance are amazing. Structurally, it is mainly composed of valve body, ball, valve seat, valve stem and sealing parts. The valve body is like solid armor, providing solid support and comprehensive protection for internal components; The ball is the "heart" of the ball valve, usually made of stainless steel, copper alloy and other materials to ensure its excellent corrosion resistance and wear resistance, and the through hole in the middle of the ball accurately controls the on-off of the fluid; The valve seat, like a loyal guard, closely adheres to the sphere, effectively preventing fluid leakage, and the choice of its material varies according to the working conditions. Rubber and PTFE are commonly used for soft sealing valve seats, which can achieve excellent sealing effect of near zero leakage, while metal materials are mostly used for hard sealing valve seats to cope with severe working conditions such as high temperature and high pressure. The valve stem is like a flexible baton, which accurately drives the ball to rotate and realize the opening and closing action of the valve. Its strength and accuracy are directly related to the handling performance of the ball valve. The seal is like an invisible protective film, which is filled between the gaps of various parts to further strengthen the sealing performance and ensure the stable operation of the ball valve in various complex environments.
The working principle of the ball valve is just like an exquisite "rotating dance". When the valve needs to be opened, the external force drives the valve stem to rotate, and the valve stem is like an agile dancer's arm, which drives the ball to rotate lightly. The through hole in the middle of the ball gradually coincides with the axis of the pipeline, and the fluid flows smoothly along the through hole like a cheerful dancer, and the valve is opened. When the valve needs to be closed, the valve stem rotates reversely, the ball quickly returns to its position, and the through hole intersects the pipeline axis vertically, just like a closed door, which cuts off the fluid and closes the valve. During this opening and closing, the ball valve only needs to rotate 90 degrees to complete the task accurately and efficiently, and its simple operation and quick response are commendable.
Second, the "generalist" in the industrial field
(A) the "gatekeeper" of the oil and gas industry
In the field of oil and natural gas, the ball valve shoulders a vital mission. As far as the oil and gas field exploitation site is concerned, it is like an accurate "flow dispatcher", which finely regulates the flow direction and velocity of crude oil and natural gas after they gush out from the depths of the formation. No matter in the harsh underground environment with high temperature, high pressure and rich corrosive medium, or in the complex working conditions faced by wellhead devices, the ball valve, with its excellent sealing performance and reliable material, perfectly blocks oil and gas leakage and escorts the safe and efficient promotion of mining operations.
Along the long oil and gas pipelines, the ball valve has become a determined "pipeline guardian". They are scattered along the pipeline and are always ready to deal with all kinds of emergencies. In case of pipeline emergency repair, system maintenance or emergency, the ball valve can respond instantly, cut off the transmission line accurately and decisively with its fast 90-degree rotation, firmly lock the potential risks and avoid the disastrous consequences caused by oil and gas leakage.
In the liquefied gas station, the key hub of energy storage and transit, the ball valve plays an indispensable role as a "safety guardian". In the face of flammable and explosive liquefied gas, it ensures that every valve opening and closing action is accurate with almost strict standards. From the filling and storage of liquefied gas to the final transportation out of the station, the ball valve is closely monitored throughout the whole process, and with excellent sealing and stability, every link is operated in an orderly and safe and controllable range, laying a solid foundation for the stable operation of the energy supply network.
(B) the chemical industry's precise "regulator"
The chemical industry is a "fluid kingdom" full of challenges, with various corrosive, high temperature and high pressure, flammable and explosive fluid media criss-crossing, and the ball valve is the "expert" to control this complex situation. In the core link of chemical production-between the reaction kettle and the storage tank, the ball valve, like a wise "valve housekeeper", accurately regulates the inflow and outflow of various chemical raw materials. With its special ball and seat design, the ball valve can not only gently and accurately control the dropping rate of highly corrosive acid and alkali solution, and ensure the chemical reaction to advance steadily according to the predetermined rhythm, but also stably withstand the impact of the medium in the organic synthesis process at high temperature and high pressure, ensure the pressure stability of the reaction system, and lay the foundation for the birth of high value-added chemical products.
When there is a sudden emergency in the chemical production process, such as out-of-control reaction, pipeline leakage and other crisis moments, the ball valve instantly switches to "emergency pioneer". Its rapid response is fully displayed at this moment, and it can realize the emergency closure of the valve in just a few seconds, just like pulling a safety brake quickly, blocking the spread of dangerous fluid in time, gaining precious time for the subsequent accident treatment and minimizing the loss.
Moreover, in order to meet the demand of diversification and refinement of chemical production, the family of ball valves has been constantly evolving, and many special types such as V-ball valves and eccentric semi-ball valves have been derived. These "customized players" have their own magical powers. With its unique V-cut sphere, the V-ball valve can linearly adjust the fluid flow and accurately adapt to the subtle flow requirements of different chemical media in different process stages. With its eccentric structure design, the eccentric semi-ball valve skillfully solves the transportation problem of solid particles or high-viscosity media, ensures the unimpeded transportation pipeline of chemical fluid, and injects a steady stream of power into the vigorous development of chemical industry.
(C) the stability of the power industry "guard."
In the huge and precise system of power production, the ball valve also occupies a decisive position and is the "behind-the-scenes hero" to ensure the smooth operation of power generation equipment. Walking into the steaming boiler room of the thermal power plant, the large ball valve stands firmly on the water supply pipeline, just like a loyal "water flow guardian", accurately regulating the water supply flow of the boiler. Faced with the impact of high temperature and high pressure water flow and the erosion of impurities that may be carried in the water, the ball valve always sticks to its post by virtue of its solid valve body structure and high-performance sealing components, ensuring the stable and accurate water supply, providing a solid backing for the safe and stable operation of the boiler, supporting the continuous burning of the raging fire and transforming it into a steady stream of electric energy.
As the core power generation equipment of power plant, steam turbine has extremely high requirements on the quality and flow of steam, and the ball valve plays a key role as "steam housekeeper" here. It closely controls the transportation process of steam from the boiler to the turbine, ensures that the steam pushes the turbine blades to rotate at a high speed with just the right pressure and flow, effectively prevents steam leakage, and ensures the maximization of power generation efficiency. In the auxiliary fuel supply link of fuel-fired power generation system or power plant, the ball valve shoulders the heavy responsibility of "fuel commander" to accurately allocate the fuel delivery, which can ensure the stable and reliable fuel supply and escort the stable output of power supply, whether in the start-up, operation or shutdown stages.
Third, the "intimate assistant" in the civil field
(A) the water supply and drainage system "housekeeper"
In the waterworks, the source of urban water supply, the ball valve plays a vital role as "water flow commander". Raw water introduced from water sources such as rivers and lakes needs to go through a series of complicated purification processes, such as sedimentation, filtration and disinfection, before it can enter the water supply network and flow to thousands of households. The ball valve accurately controls the water flow switch and flow regulation in all links. On the raw water input pipeline, the large ball valve is like a solid "sluice", which can be flexibly opened or closed according to the treatment capacity and water supply demand of the water plant to ensure that the raw water enters the treatment system stably and appropriately; Between the sedimentation tank and the filtration tank, the ball valve accurately regulates the water flow speed, ensures the best sedimentation and filtration effect, and effectively removes impurities in the water; At the outlet where clean water is transported to the urban pipe network, the ball valve is closely guarded to ensure that the purified high-quality water can be safely and stably transported to meet the daily water demand of urban residents.
The sewage treatment plant closely connected with it is the "guardian" of the urban water environment, and the ball valve is also indispensable. Facing all kinds of complex and diverse sewage from domestic sewage and industrial wastewater, sewage treatment plants shoulder the heavy responsibility of purifying water quality and discharging up to standard. Ball valves are distributed in key nodes such as sewage collection pipe network, reaction tank and sludge treatment system, which fully control the flow of sewage and sludge. In the initial stage of sewage entering the treatment plant, the ball valve quickly cuts off the strong water flow to prevent sewage from overflowing and create a safe and orderly environment for subsequent treatment; In the biological reaction tank, the ball valve finely adjusts the aeration amount and the addition amount of nutrients to help microorganisms decompose harmful substances in sewage efficiently; In the process of sludge dehydration and transportation, the ball valve has strong sealing to prevent sludge leakage, ensure the whole treatment process to be smooth and unimpeded, and finally let the treated clean water return to the natural water body, injecting vitality into the sustainable development of urban ecology.
(B) HVAC system "temperature regulator"
In the HVAC system, the "comfort center" of modern architecture, the ball valve is like a skilled "master of temperature regulation" to protect the comfort of indoor environment. Whether it is the cool air supply in hot summer or the warm hot air transportation in cold winter, the ball valve plays a key role silently behind the scenes.
In the cold water circulation pipeline, the ball valve accurately controls the flow of cold water. When the outdoor sun is like fire and the indoor temperature is soaring, the control system gives an instruction, and the ball valve responds quickly and opens moderately, so that the cold water flows into the air-conditioning terminal equipment, such as fan coil units and air-conditioning units, and the cold water and indoor hot air collide passionately in the heat exchanger, so that the heat is absorbed efficiently, and the cool air immediately permeates the whole space to dispel the summer heat for people. In winter, the role changes and the hot water circulation enters the stage. The ball valve also exerts its force accurately, and strictly controls the flow rate and flow rate of hot water to ensure that the warmth is continuously delivered to all rooms from heat source equipment, such as boilers and heat pumps, so that people can enjoy the warmth in the cold.
Compared with traditional valves, the advantages of ball valves in HVAC system are fully demonstrated. Its operation convenience is commendable, and the flow can be easily adjusted by simple rotation without complicated tools and professional skills, which brings great convenience to the daily maintenance and debugging of the system. In the aspect of energy saving, the ball valve, with its excellent sealing performance and accurate flow control ability, effectively avoids unnecessary leakage and waste of cold water and hot water, reduces energy consumption, helps buildings to save energy and reduce consumption, and contributes to a green and low-carbon life.
(C) gas supply system "security guards."
In the crisscross underground gas supply network, the ball valve is a well-deserved "patron saint of safety". From the natural gas mining area to the city gate station, and then to the gas meters of thousands of households, each section of gas pipeline carries the energy demand of people's daily life, and the ball valve shoulders the heavy responsibility of ensuring the safe and stable transportation of gas.
On the main road of city gas, the large-diameter ball valve is like an indestructible "steel guardian". With its excellent pressure resistance and reliable sealing design, it tightly blocks the leakage of high-pressure gas and ensures that the gas is foolproof in the long-distance transportation process. In case of emergency such as pipeline maintenance and emergency repair, these ball valves can respond instantly and quickly cut off the gas source, just like pulling up a solid safety barrier to nip the danger in the bud, effectively preventing catastrophic accidents such as explosion and fire caused by gas leakage and guarding the peace of the city.
In residential areas and commercial buildings, the small ball valve is the "safety goalkeeper" of every household. They are installed close to the gas meter and are always on standby. When residents use gas every day, the ball valve opens smoothly, and the gas flows smoothly into gas appliances such as stoves and water heaters to ignite the fireworks of life. When you leave home for a long time or encounter a gas leak alarm, you can quickly cut off the gas supply by gently rotating the ball valve, providing timely and effective protection for family safety and making people's lives worry-free.
Four, the ball valve material and selection doorway
(A) a variety of materials to deal with different working conditions
The material selection of ball valve is like a fine "customized journey", and many factors need to be comprehensively considered to ensure its stable operation under various complex working conditions. Cast iron ball valve is just like a simple and durable "veteran". With its advantages of low cost and easy processing, it is widely rooted in low-pressure fluid pipeline systems such as water, steam and gas. Although its corrosion resistance is relatively weak, under general working conditions, with its solid structure and reliable sealing performance, it can stably complete the task of on-off and adjustment for a long time, and make silent contributions to urban water supply, heating and other areas of people's livelihood.
Carbon steel ball valve is a "right-hand man" in high-demand fields such as petroleum, chemical industry and electric power. It has excellent strength and toughness, just like wearing armor, and can calmly cope with the severe test of high temperature and high pressure environment. In the reaction process of long-distance oil and gas pipelines and chemical plants, carbon steel ball valves accurately control the fluid direction to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the production system, which is an indispensable key link in the industrial production line.
Like a noble "guardian", stainless steel ball valves are widely used in food and beverage, pharmacy, papermaking and water treatment industries with strict hygiene standards with excellent corrosion resistance. Its smooth surface and stable chemical properties can not only effectively resist the corrosion of corrosive media such as acid, alkali and salt, but also ensure that the fluid is pure and pollution-free, thus escorting people's health and high-quality life.
As a rising star, plastic ball valves have emerged in the field of fluid treatment such as pure water, sewage and chemical solutions with their light posture, super corrosion resistance and hygienic and non-toxic characteristics. Especially in some small pipeline systems that are sensitive to weight and cost and have strong corrosive medium, plastic ball valves have become the favorite choice of many users because of their advantages of easy installation and convenient maintenance.
(B) selection points, accurately match the demand
When selecting the type, the fluid properties should be "deeply analyzed" first. Make clear whether the medium is liquid, gas or complex mixed fluid containing solid particles; Understand its key indicators such as pH, viscosity and cleanliness. For highly corrosive fluids, stainless steel, plastic and other corrosion-resistant ball valves are the best choice; For high viscosity fluids, the special design of valve seat and ball should be given priority to ensure that the valve has good opening adjustment ability and avoid the risk of blockage.
Working pressure and temperature range are important "scales" for type selection. Be sure to ensure that the rated pressure and working pressure of the ball valve perfectly adapt to the piping system, just like choosing the right size for shoes, it should not be too large to cause leakage, nor too small to withstand the pressure and damage. At the same time, the material and sealing form should be accurately matched with the temperature range of the medium, high-temperature resistant metal materials and special seals should be selected in high-temperature environment, and the low-temperature brittleness of materials should be paid attention to in low-temperature working conditions to ensure that the ball valve is still sealed and reliable and stable in performance under extreme temperature conditions.
Operating frequency is also a factor that cannot be ignored. Frequent operation occasions, such as automatic production lines and chemical continuous reaction devices, require the ball valve to have the characteristics of quick response, durability and reliability. At this time, the ball valves driven by automation such as electric and pneumatic are more competent, and they can accurately execute instructions in an instant, greatly improving production efficiency; In some civil facilities with low operating frequency, such as domestic water supply and gas pipeline, manual ball valve can meet daily needs with the advantages of simple use and low cost.
V. Future development of ball valves
Looking forward to the future, the ball valve industry will stride forward in many directions such as intelligence, high performance, environmental protection and energy saving, and continue to expand its application boundary, injecting new vitality into the global industrial and civil fields.
Intelligence and automation are undoubtedly the bright stars in the development of ball valves. With the deep integration of cutting-edge technologies such as Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence into the industrial field, smart ball valves will gradually become the mainstream. Imagine that in the complex pipe network of petrochemical industry, the intelligent ball valve is like having a "smart brain", which can monitor the key parameters of fluid such as pressure, temperature, flow and viscosity in real time through the built-in high-precision sensor, and transmit the data to the central control system rapidly. According to the preset algorithm and model, the central control system deeply analyzes the data, and then accurately regulates the opening of the ball valve to realize the optimal control of fluid transportation. When the pipeline system is in an emergency such as sudden pressure change and abnormal flow, the intelligent ball valve can respond quickly, automatically adjust to a safe state within milliseconds, and send an alarm message to the operation and maintenance personnel, so as to gain valuable time for troubleshooting and repair, and greatly improve the safety and stability of production. In the aspect of remote monitoring, the operator can control the running state of the ball valve anytime and anywhere by simply tapping the intelligent terminal in his hand, and easily issue the switch and adjustment instructions, whether he is in the central control room of the factory or in the office area thousands of miles away, so as to truly realize "winning thousands of miles in strategic planning" and greatly improve the management efficiency and flexibility of industrial production.
The research and application of high-performance materials is the "sword" for ball valves to break through the limit and conquer harsh working conditions. In the field of high temperature and high pressure, researchers will continue to explore and innovate and develop a series of new alloy materials with high temperature and high pressure resistance and excellent mechanical properties. With their unique atomic structure and composition combination, these alloys can maintain good strength, toughness and stability under extreme temperature and pressure, and ensure the reliable operation of ball valves in harsh environments such as deep-sea oil and gas exploitation and supercritical thermal power. Facing the challenge of strong corrosive medium, corrosion-resistant materials will usher in a new leap. From new stainless steel and nickel-based alloys to high-performance plastics and composite materials, with their excellent chemical inertness and permeability resistance, they put on a solid "anti-corrosion armor" for ball valves, making them play their roles in highly corrosive industries such as chemical industry, hydrometallurgy and seawater desalination, prolonging their service life and reducing maintenance costs.
Environmental protection and energy saving, as the main theme of today's era, will also be deeply integrated into the development of ball valves. Under the background of increasingly stringent environmental laws and regulations and the global eager pursuit of sustainable development, ball valve manufacturers will strive to optimize product design and manufacturing technology and reduce energy consumption and environmental impact in the whole product life cycle. From the structural design, innovative designs such as streamlined flow passage and low-resistance valve seat are adopted to minimize energy loss when fluid passes through and improve energy utilization efficiency; In terms of sealing technology, research and development of new environmentally friendly sealing materials, such as biodegradable materials and low volatile organic compounds (VOC) emission materials, not only ensure excellent sealing performance, prevent environmental pollution caused by medium leakage, but also meet environmental protection standards. In addition, in the production and manufacturing of ball valves, we should promote the use of clean energy, optimize the production process, reduce the discharge of waste and pollutants, realize the green transformation from the source to the terminal, and help all industries protect the green mountains and rivers in their development.