Control Valve · Glossary

What is a Ball Valve?

quarter turn ball valveControl Valve

A ball valve uses a rotating ball with a bore to control or stop flow; segmented V ball designs are used for control.

Ball Valve Explained

Full ball valves give tight shut off and low pressure drop, mostly for on off duty. V notch segmented balls give an equal percentage characteristic and handle slurries and fibres well.

Like butterflies, ball valves have high pressure recovery and lower FL.

Ball Valve: Typical Values

Typical FL	about 0.55 to 0.6
Common uses	isolation, ESD, slurry and pulp control

Calculators for Ball Valve

CalculatorCv Calculator for LiquidsFree online calculator with formula and worked example.CalculatorGas Valve Sizing CalculatorFree online calculator with formula and worked example.

Free Downloads

Free downloadOn Off Valve Datasheet TemplateFree download in Excel and PDF.Free downloadControl Valve Datasheet Template in Excel with Cv CheckFree download in Excel and PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Ball Valve?

A ball valve uses a rotating ball with a bore to control or stop flow; segmented V ball designs are used for control.

Floating or trunnion ball?

Floating balls are pushed onto the seat by pressure; trunnion balls are fixed and suit larger sizes and higher pressure.

Why is a V ball good for slurry?

The shearing edge cuts fibres and the open path resists plugging.

Learn more on the blog

Control valve selection: 16 vital factors

A practical guide on instrumentationblog.in with more detail on ball valve and how it is applied on real plants.

Read Full Article

More Control Valve Terms

Valve termValve TrimValve trim is the set of internal parts in contact with the flow that control it, such as the plug, seat,…Valve termValve PackingValve packing is the seal around the valve stem that stops process fluid leaking out while allowing the…Valve termVolume BoosterA volume booster is a pneumatic relay that copies the positioner output at much higher air flow, to…Valve termControl ValveA control valve is a power operated valve that varies flow in response to a signal from a controller, to…Valve termFlow Coefficient (Cv)Flow coefficient Cv is the flow of water in US gallons per minute through a valve with a pressure drop of…Valve termKv Flow FactorKv flow factor is the flow of water in m³/h through a valve with a pressure drop of 1 bar; it is the…

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