Origin of ball valve

Ball valve, as an important fluid control device, is widely used in various industrial fields.

Origin of ball valve
The origin of ball valve can be traced back to the 1950s. At that time, with the rapid development of industrial technology, the demand for high-performance valves in the field of fluid control became increasingly urgent. In this context, ball valves were born with their unique working principle and excellent performance. After decades of development, ball valves have become an indispensable member in the field of fluid control.

Working principle of ball valve
The working principle of ball valve is very simple, and its central component is a sphere. When the sphere rotates 90 degrees in the valve body, the valve can be opened and closed. There are usually one or more channels on the sphere. When the sphere rotates to align the channel with the inlet and outlet of the valve body, the fluid can pass smoothly; when the sphere rotates 90 degrees, the channel is staggered with the inlet and outlet of the valve body, the fluid is cut off, thereby closing the valve. This working principle makes the ball valve have the advantages of fast switching, low flow resistance, and high sealing.

Structural features of ball valves
1. Rapid opening and closing: Since the ball can be opened and closed by rotating 90 degrees, the ball valve has the characteristics of rapid opening and closing, and is suitable for occasions where fluid needs to be cut off quickly.
2. Compact structure: The structure of the ball valve is relatively simple, small in size, light in weight, and easy to install and maintain.

3. Good sealing performance: Metal or non-metallic sealing rings are used between the ball and the valve seat, which has good sealing performance and can effectively prevent leakage.
4. Wear resistance: The contact area between the ball and the valve seat is small, and the friction and wear are small, so it has high wear resistance.
5. Wide range of application: The ball valve can be used for various fluid media and temperature and excitation ranges, and has strong versatility.

Application field of ball valve
Due to the many advantages of ball valves, they have been widely used in the fields of petroleum, chemical industry, natural gas, metallurgy, electricity, urban water supply, etc. The following are several specific application scenarios:
1. Oil and gas industry: In the process of oil and gas extraction, transportation and processing, ball valves can be used for cutting, regulating and diverting pipelines and equipment. Due to its excellent sealing performance and high pressure resistance, it ensures the safe transportation of fluids in harsh environments.
2. Chemical industry: In chemical production, the properties of fluid media are diverse and complex, and ball valves are widely used due to their corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, high pressure resistance and other characteristics. For example, in synthetic ammonia, ethylene and other devices, ball valves can ensure precise control and safe isolation of fluids.
3. Power industry: In the fields of thermal power generation, nuclear power generation and new energy power generation, ball valves can be used in key parts such as boiler feed water system, cooling water system and steam pipe. Its fast switching and high sealing performance ensure the safety and efficiency of power station operation.
4. Urban water supply system: In the urban water supply network, ball valves can be used in key nodes such as water plants, pumping stations and water pipelines. Its wear resistance and long life characteristics help reduce maintenance costs and improve the reliability of water supply systems.
5. Environmental protection projects: In environmental protection projects such as wastewater treatment and garbage incineration, ball valves can withstand corrosive media and high temperature and high pressure environments to ensure the normal operation of environmental protection equipment and emission compliance.

With the advancement of science and technology and the development of industry, ball valves, as a high-performance fluid control device, will play an important role in more fields.