Butterfly Valve Characteristics

Butterfly valves operate to open, close or reduce flow through piping systems with a turn of 90 degrees or less. Their design features a disc mounted on a rod. Turning the valve one way positions the disc to block the flow of fluids through the pipe and turning it the other allows passage. The design and function of butterfly valves is attributable to some simple and consistent characteristics, which are present in all butterfly valves.

Simple Design

• Butterfly valves have an inherently simple and economic design, consisting of fewer parts than other valves. This simplicity lends them an ease of repair and maintenance as well as low costs in production and installation. The amount of time, dedicated equipment and piping support needed to install butterfly valves is less than other more-complicated valves. Because of their ease of installation and use, butterfly valves have become a common fixture in most industrial applications where the flow of contained fluids may need to be stopped or modified.

Shutoff Capabilities

• Butterfly valves provide an efficient way to quickly shut off piping systems with a quarter turn of their handles. Butterfly valves can achieve complete shutoff and can also modulate flow through a piping system. Actuation of flow can be achieve manually with a built in handle, wrench or gear operator or through automated equipment made to monitor and cycle the valve's position. Automated actuators can be electric, pneumatic or hydraulic.

Size and Operations

• Butterfly valves can be built in any size required to fit a piping system and can have pressure capabilities of 150-psi to 740-psi cold working pressure. They can operate in temperatures ranging from 25 degrees to 450 degrees, depending on their specific design and the materials used to make them. Initially designed for water systems, new butterfly valves have been developed to work with a number of industrial fluids and they have become common in almost every operating chemical plant.