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RU Many people are not clear about butterfly valve design calculations und butterfly valve design standards, so this article brings you more butterfly valve details.
Butterfly valve overview
Butterfly valve is a valve that realizes fluid switching and flow regulation by rotating the butterfly valve plate (≥90°), and belongs to the category of stop valves. It is characterized by simple structure, small size, light weight, rapid opening and closing, and good sealing performance, and is widely used in industrial pipeline systems.
Core structure and working principle
1. Main structural components
Valve body: usually a symmetrical structure, divided into flange type, clamp type and other connection forms.
Valve stem: connects the valve plate and the operating mechanism (manual/electric/pneumatic), and must meet corrosion resistance and strength requirements.
Butterfly plate: core component, common materials are stainless steel, copper, nylon, etc., and the shape is a round thin sheet.
Seal: includes valve seat ring and O-ring to prevent medium leakage (such as EPDM, PTFE and other materials).
Drive device: manual handle, worm gear, pneumatic piston or electric actuator.
2. Working principle
Open/Close: Rotate the valve stem to drive the butterfly plate to rotate 90° around the valve axis to achieve full opening (flow) or full closing (cutoff).
Flow regulation: Control the butterfly plate opening by partial rotation (15°~85°), change the cross-sectional area of the pipeline, and adjust the flow rate.
Classification of butterfly valves
1. Classification by connection method
Flange butterfly valve: Connect the pipeline through flange bolts, suitable for high pressure and large diameter scenarios.
Wafer butterfly valve: Adopts double flange clamping structure, easy to install, suitable for medium and low pressure pipelines.
2. Classification by sealing form
Elastic sealing butterfly valve: Rely on the preload of rubber or plastic sealing ring to achieve sealing (such as soft sealing).
Metal sealing butterfly valve: Use metal material (such as stainless steel, hard alloy) contact sealing, resistant to high temperature and high pressure, long life.
The core advantages of butterfly valves
Compact and light: The volume is only 1/3~1/2 of the ball valve, light weight, saving installation space.
Flexible operation: Short opening and closing time (usually <30 seconds), suitable for high frequency operation.
Reliable sealing: Soft-sealed butterfly valves have low leakage rates (up to ANSI VI level), and metal seals are resistant to high temperatures and high pressures.
Easy maintenance: Some structures can be quickly disassembled and replaced with seals without overall maintenance.
Typical application scenarios
Water treatment system: Control water flow direction and flow (such as sewage treatment plants).
Petrochemical: Transporting crude oil, natural gas and other media requires high pressure and corrosion resistance.
HVAC: Regulate the flow of chilled water and steam pipelines.
Pharmaceutical industry: Clean room pipeline control that meets GMP standards.
Fire protection system: Emergency shut-off valve in fire water pipes.
Key selection parameters
Nominal diameter: DN15~DN3000 (small diameter is often used for home use, large diameter is mostly used for industry)
Pressure level: PN16~PN40 (Class 150~Class 2500, metal sealing structure is required for high pressure scenes)
Media type: water, air, oil, acidic and alkaline liquids, natural gas, etc. (need to match the corrosion resistance of the material)
Temperature range: -20℃~+400℃ (heat-resistant alloys or special sealing materials are required for high temperature conditions)
Connection method: Select according to the pipeline flange standard (such as DNPN, ANSI, JIS, etc.)
Drive mode: manual/electric/pneumatic (determined according to the operating frequency and automation requirements)
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