ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve

Choosing the right valve can be tricky, especially when it comes to ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve. Each type has its own design, function, and ideal applications. This article will let you know more about the valves and make a small comparison between them, so you can know the key differences and easily choose between ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve.

The types of valve products you choose to use in your piping system will have a major impact on the performance and service life offered.  In this guide, we’re going to compare three of the most common valve types used for on and off operation in modern processing systems. 

By looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each design, you’ll have a solid foundational understanding of the important characteristics of each valve type and be able to identify options applicable to your needs with greater certainty.

A Comprehensive Comparison: ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve

But before we begin comparing, it’s important to establish one flow control characteristic all of what ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve have in common.

Explore Butterfly Valve:

Butterfly valves utilize a flat disc attached to a stem to open or close the flow path that requires only 90 degrees of movement to move from fully open to fully closed position. These valves are fast and easy to operate. 

The valve handle also provides fast verification of the valve’s open or closed state, unlike some valves which rely on screw taps or handwheels for operating.

Butterfly valves from DN200 and above typically require a gearbox for operation rather than a hand lever. As a result, the quick visual verification of valve position mentioned here may not apply in those cases, since gear-operated valves do not offer the same immediate indication as lever-operated ones. Including this clarification would provide a more accurate and complete understanding of valve operation across different sizes.

When properly matched to the connecting pipe sizes, Butterfly Valves create minimal pressure drop and can allow nearly unimpeded flow through the valve. 

However, as the disc sits perpendicular to the flow when open, a minor pressure drop and slight flow turbulence are unavoidable.

Also, butterfly valves don’t suit for the usage in the process that involves suspended solids, grit, or stringy substances, because it might accumulate on the disc and prevent a tight seal when attempting to close the valve.

The lack of flow restriction and quick actuation time also increase the risk of fluid hammering.

If you plan to use Butterfly Valves in your piping system, designing with this risk in mind and careful actuation of the valves is critical to safe operation and minimizing damage risks.

While Butterfly Valves can operate in a partially opened or throttling state, long-term flow-throttling use is not recommended as the precision offered is not as good as alternatives such as Globe valves.

Explore Gate Valve: 

Gate valves feature a flat or wedge shaped gate on a threaded stem. The design provides linear actuation in which the Gate moves into the flow path and seats into a recess opposite the stem, creating a strong seal. 

It gets completely out of the flow path once it’s opened, resulting in zero flow obstruction or pressure drop. For processes involving slurries, suspended solids, or grit, knife gate valves are a specialized form of Gate Valves that features a bevelled edge on the Gate. 

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This shape helps the Gate cut through any build-up that might accumulate in the recess and reduce the amount of torque needed to fully close the gate. Because the valve uses a linear actuation and threaded stem, moving from fully open to fully closed states takes longer than most 90-degree actuation valve types, such as butterfly valves or plug valves. 

However, this virtually eliminates any risk of fluid hammering. When important, rising stem models of gate valves can also provide a quick visual indicator of the valve’s state. However, this comes at the cost of requiring more space above the valve to accommodate the rising stem. 

When space is limited, non-rising stem designs are likely the better choice. Most gate valve designs are not designed for use in a throttled state. 

Extended throttling use can create vibrations and resonance, leading to damage to the valve internals, seals, gaskets, and other critical elements.

Gate valves work best in high pressure systems.It can be used in low pressure systems where a tight seal is critical, special accommodations may be required as low pressure operation might  lead to seepage at the valve when closed.

Explore Ball Valve:

Ball valves are durable, performing well after extended operating cycles, even in fouling and dirty applications, under high differential pressures. Reliable, tight closure after long periods of non-operation is one of the ball valve’s advantages… in shutoff applications. As the name suggests, a ball-shaped trim is used to control the flow of media.

An open ball valve acts like a piece of pipe, creating little to no interference to passing through flow. When the ball is rotated clockwise at 90°, the valve is completely shut. The bore of the ball and its high inherent capacity (Cv) can be utilized also to control high fluid volumes with small energy loss. The ball’s bore can also be equipped with noise- and cavitation-dampening trims, without sacrificing flow capacity in control service.

Depending on the industrial process, application and flow media, different types of ball valves are available, ranging from metal-seated ball valves to soft-seated ball valves in both automated and manual variants.

Different constructions, coatings and noise and cavitation elimination solutions are available to ensure process suitability and lasting reliable performance.

The Core Mechanics of ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve: How Each Valve Operates?

Ball Valves: The Quarter-Turn Wonder

The mechanism of a ball valve is simplistic in design but incredibly effective; it only requires a quarter turn to operate. Within the valve body, a ball is placed, and it has a hole, or bore, passing through its center.
When the handle is rotated 90 degrees, the hole of the ball  aligns with the pipe, thus allowing free and unrestricted flow. Turning the handle 90 degrees in the opposite direction rotates the solid portion of the ball which then fully blocks the flow. This quick action and effective seal is the reason ball valves are so widely used.

Gate Valves: The Lifting Barrier

Gate valves operate differently compared to ball valves since they employ linear motion to regulate the flow of fluid. Gate valves possess a handwheel that raises or lowers a threaded stem control, which lifts or lowers a solid, planar ‘gate’’ that operates like a barrier.
The gate moves transverse to the fluid flow when the handwheel is turned. In a fully opened gate valve, the gate is raised fully, which allows fluid to flow through almost without any resistance. This criterion differentiates ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve.

Butterfly Valves: The Pivoting Disc

A butterfly valve is also quarter-turn, however, instead of moving up the disc rotates.  It means the connecting rod to which the disc is fitted which can be rotated by 90-degree rotation by a handle or a gearbox for sizes larger than DN200 (8″).

When the valve is opened, when opened, the disc is parallel to the flow, allowing fluid to pass. When closed, it is perpendicular to the flow, blocking it. (ie., CLOSED). The main difference to this and the other valves in the ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve comparison is that there is a disk in the flow system at all times when it is fully open. The disk can be different like features of Butterfly Valve using dual-disk or tridisc, but requires less energy for debate due to pneumatic features and the simple construction.

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When to Choose a Ball Valve: Precision, Durability, and Speed?

Pros of ball valves:

• Ball valves are quick-acting, requiring only a 90-degree turn to completely open or close.
• They provide tight sealing, completely preventing the flow of media once in the closed position.
• They allow for precise and reliable flow regulation.
• The spherical build of the stopping mechanism allows it to withstand high pressures.
• When in the fully open position, ball valves rarely cause pressure drops as the ball doesn’t interfere with the flow.

A ball valve will always turn, regardless of the inflow pressure.

Cons of ball valves:

• Ball valves are relatively expensive
• They are larger and heavier than their counterparts of the same capacity, making it impossible to use them in certain scenarios.
  When comparing ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve, remember that ball valves are not designed for throttling, as the partially open ball can lead to erosion and damage to the seat.

When to Choose a Butterfly Valve: Cost-Effective and Space-Saving?

Pros of butterfly valves:

• Butterfly valves are quick-acting, requiring only a 90-degree turn to completely open and completely close.
• They provide good open/close control.
• They are cheaper than ball valves of the same capacity.
• Because of their design, butterfly valves are smaller and lighter than their ball counterparts. This makes it easy for them to fit into tight spaces and complex circuits.

Cons of butterfly valves:

• They do not provide 100% sealing and are relatively leak-prone
• By design, the disc is always in the flow path. While the interference may be minimal, it still has the potential to result in a pressure drop
• Butterfly valves are not suitable for high-pressure applications as the disc is unable to reliably withstand such pressures.
• There are inflow pressure limits above which the valve may fail to turn.

There is a critical point to consider when choosing between a ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve ,That the disc remains in the flow path, which causes a slight pressure drop and provides a less tight seal compared to the other two valves.

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When to Choose a Gate Valve: Unrestricted Flow and High-Pressure Performance?

Pros of Gate Valves

• Minimal Pressure Drop: When the gate is fully open, it is completely out of the flow path so as to reduce flow resistance or pressure loss.
  This is why they are good for systems that require a continuous flow.
• Good Sealing: The design permits a perfect seal when closed, rendering them capable of isolating wellbore sections.
• Reliable: Gate valves are designed to handle high pressures,making them the ideal choice for harsh industrial settings.
• Water Hammer Prevention: They operate slowly (multi-turn operation) to prevent pressure surges in the pipe.
  

Cons of Gate Valves

• Can’t be used for throttling: They are only to be used in the fully open or closed configuration. Vibration and damage to internal parts can be caused by their opening only partially. Slow operation: The valve opens and closes at least after two or more turns of the handwheel, which is not ideal for applications that require immediate action. Bulky: Gate valves, gate valves especially higher of them, are huge and require greater spaces for set up as compared to other varieties of valves. 
• Wear and Tear: The sealing surfaces are pushed across each other when the gate is slid in place, so with a bit of time the cedar will wear those cement lids away, causing the seat to leak.
• Difficult to Repair: Their internal design requires them to be pulled off-line for repair.

This comparison highlights a major difference between a ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve. But in fact the gate valve stands out for one primary reason, it’s unrestricted flow path. When fully open, the gate is completely removed from the fluid’s path, resulting in an almost negligible pressure drop. 

This makes it ideal for large-scale applications like water distribution and high pressure steam systems where a full, smooth flow is paramount.
Its multi-turn operation is slower, which is a benefit as it helps to prevent water hammering. 

Ball Valve vs Gate Valve vs Butterfly Valve: Choosing the Right One for Your Project

Make the right choice for your project from: Ball Valve vs Gate Valve vs Butterfly Valve for Your Project after understanding clearly the application and the process. Your particular requirements will, however, determine the type of valve that is better. When it comes to fast and tight shutoff, you will likely favor the ball valve. When you expect an unobstructed flow path with low pressure drop in a high-pressure system, nothing works better than a gate valve.

The third alternative, the butterfly valve, is offered for a cost-effective start-up volumetric flow control and as a space-saving solution or throttling operation. By carefully considering the details outlined in this ball valve vs gate valve vs butterfly valve guide, you can confidently select the perfect valve for any application.

Learn more about below industries:
Marine Industry
Mining industry
chemical industry
oil and gas industry
power energy industry
the Life Science Industry
food and beverage industry
Pulp, Paper, and Bio Products
water and wastewater industry

The thing is, the best valve selection for you rate depends totally on your specific needs:

The Ball Valve is best for applications needing a fast, positive shut off Include an ageless design as well as lengthy life. With their quarter turn actuation and durable design, ball valves are a great choice for the more demanding applications in high pressure systems.

Used for large scale applications, Gate Valves are best in cases where an unrestricted flow path and a minimum pressure drop are needed. Because they can withstand extreme pressures, these belts play a central role in numerous heavy duty industrial processes.

Butterfly Valves are an economical solution for low pressure systems and large diameter pipelines. Perform quickly and also, you get throttling since they are throttled components.

Find the Best Valve Solution with Anasia Process Automation

At Anasia Process Automation, we are more than just another vendor trying to sell you a valve, we are your partner in finding the right solution that meets your operational objectives. Whether you need expert technical advice through our blogs or end to end system integration and after sales support, our team is here to help.

We are able to assist with an evaluation of your requirements and identify the benefits and drawbacks of each valve services type, conceiving the most effective solution that can provide optimum results within plant operation.

Contact our team today to discover how Anasia can provide you with intelligent, dependable solutions and assist in selecting the right valve for your unique challenges.

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