What Are The Four Types Of Ball Valves?

Ball valve can be divided into four core types according to its structural form:
Floating ball valves
Structure Features: The sphere has no fixed shaft and the seal is achieved by the pressure of the medium pushing the sphere and outlet end seat (primarily unidirectional sealing, can be designed as a bidirectional sealing). Seats are usually soft-sealed (e.g. PTFE, RTFE) or hard-sealed (metal-to-metal).
Strengths: Simple structure, small size, light weight, low cost, suitable for low and medium voltage applications (e.g. residential gas, water supply, general industrial pipelines, etc.).
Limitations: At high pressure and large diameter, the sphere deforms easily, reducing seal reliability; generally applicable when nominal diameter DN≤200mm and pressure ≤PN40.
Fixed ball valve
Structure characteristics: The sphere is fixed on the valve body by upper and lower axes and does not move with the medium pressure. Seat is spring or medium pressure ball seal (bidirectional sealing available) and bearing is provided to reduce operating torque. Strengths: Stable sealing, strong deformation resistance, suitable for high pressure, large caliber applications (such as petrochemical, long distance natural gas pipelines, high temperature, high pressure steam pipeline, etc.).
Breakdown: Based on the number of seats, it can be divided into single-seat fixed ball valves (compact structure) and two-seat fixed ball valves (more reliable sealing for highly toxic, flammable media).
Elastic Ball Valve
Structural characteristics: The sphere is made of elastic material (such as rubber-coated or metal elastomers) or has an internal elastic groove design. The sealing gap is compensated by the deformation of the sphere itself, and the seal can be reliably sealed under high pressure (mainly hard seal + elastic compensation structure).
Advantages: better sealing performance than normal floating ball valves, can withstand high temperature, high pressure and small particle media (such as boiler steam, pulverized coal pipelines, high temperature oil pipelines, etc.).
Purpose: Suitable for extremely high sealing and pressure resistance.
V-ball valve
Structural features: V-shaped notch in the center of the ball and hard seal (metal or abrasionresistant alloy) for valve seat. The V-shaped opening can be adjusted by rotating the ball, which has the function of closing and adjusting.
Advantages: High accuracy of flow rate adjustment; V-shaped incisions to cut fibers and particles in media (to avoid blockage); suitable for slurry, media containing suspended particles (e.g. paper black liquid, mine tailings and wastewater treatment) and situations requiring precise flow control (e.g. feed regulation of chemical reactants).
Flow rate characteristics: About equal percentage; adjustable ratio up to 100:1.