A flanged electric ball valve is a type of ball valve connected to pipelines via flanges and driven by an electric actuator. It is mainly used to control the on-off or flow regulation of media (liquids, gases, slurries, etc.) in pipelines and is widely applied in automated industrial systems. Below is an introduction to its core information:
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Valve Body and Flanges:
The valve body is mostly made of carbon steel, stainless steel (304, 316, etc.), or fluorine-lined materials, with flanges at both ends. It is connected to pipeline flanges via bolts, ensuring firm installation and reliable sealing. It is suitable for medium and high-pressure working conditions (pressure rating is usually PN16~PN40, and some can reach PN100).
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Ball and Sealing:
The internal core is a ball with a circular through-hole, and full opening or closing is achieved by rotating the ball 90°. Sealing methods are divided into:
- Soft sealing: Using materials such as PTFE or EPDM, suitable for low-pressure, normal-temperature, and particle-free media.
- Hard sealing: Adopting metal-to-metal contact, resistant to high temperatures, high pressures, and particle erosion.
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Electric Actuator:
Composed of a motor, reducer, control module, etc., it receives electrical signals (such as 4~20mA, 0~10V) or switch signals to drive the ball to rotate, realizing remote automatic control. Some are equipped with intelligent positioners, which can precisely adjust the opening (regulating type) with a positioning accuracy of ±1%.
The motor of the electric actuator operates, driving the valve stem to rotate through the reduction mechanism, which in turn makes the ball rotate:
- When the through-hole of the ball is aligned with the pipeline diameter, the valve is fully open, and the medium flows unimpeded;
- When the ball rotates 90° and the through-hole is perpendicular to the pipeline, the valve is fully closed, blocking the medium;
- Regulating ball valves can control the opening within the range of 0~90° to change the flow area, realizing flow regulation.
- Convenient Installation: Flanged connection eliminates the need for welding, facilitating disassembly and maintenance, and is suitable for pipeline systems requiring regular inspection.
- Efficient Operation: Electric drive responds quickly, with full opening/closing time usually ranging from a few seconds to tens of seconds, and can be remotely controlled, reducing manual intervention.
- Reliable Sealing: Soft-sealed models have extremely low leakage rates (≤0.01mL/min); hard-sealed models are suitable for high-temperature (up to 400℃ or above) and high-pressure scenarios, with strong wear resistance.
- Wide Applicability: By selecting different valve body materials and seals, it can adapt to water, oil, steam, corrosive media, and slurries containing a small amount of particles.
- Industrial Automation: On-off control of media in production lines of chemical, petroleum, metallurgy, etc., such as feed valves of reaction kettles and switches of solvent transportation pipelines.
- Building Automation: Water circulation control in air conditioning systems and flow regulation in heating pipelines.
- Municipal Engineering: Used in tap water and sewage treatment systems to control pipeline on-off or regulate flow.
When selecting a model, appropriate materials, pressure ratings, and actuator parameters should be matched according to the medium properties (temperature, pressure, corrosiveness), pipeline diameter, control mode (on-off type/regulating type), and signal type.
