Function of ball valve
The ball valve evolved from the plug valve, with its closing member serving as a sphere. It achieves opening and closing by rotating the sphere 90 degrees around the axis of the valve stem.
Ball valves are primarily used in pipelines for cutting off, distributing, and changing the direction of medium flow. Those designed with a V-shaped opening also offer excellent flow regulation capabilities.

Ball valves not only feature a simple structure and excellent sealing performance, but also boast a compact size, lightweight design, minimal material consumption, and small installation dimensions within a certain nominal diameter range. Additionally, they require low driving torque, offer easy operation, and enable quick opening and closing. As one of the fastest-growing valve types in recent decades, ball valves are widely used in industrialized nations such as the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Their application continues to expand, with ongoing advancements toward high temperatures, high pressure, large diameters, superior sealing, extended service life, and enhanced flow control capabilities. These valves now achieve high reliability and performance standards, partially replacing gate valves, globe valves, and control valves.
With the advancement of ball valve technology, it is foreseeable that in the near future, especially in oil and natural gas pipelines, refining and cracking facilities, and the nuclear industry, ball valves will be widely utilized. Additionally, in other industrial sectors involving medium to large diameters and medium to low pressure applications, ball valves will also become one of the dominant valve types.
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