Electric Ball Valve-FAQ 

The electric ball valve is the shut-off valve that controls the flow of liquid or gas. By rotating a quarter-turn of 90 degrees around the axis, the medium can flow. Electric ball valve has a long service life. Due to their reliability, they are more popular as a shut-off valve than the other valves.

In this guide, we will discuss the common FAQs about the electric ball valve. The answers will assist you in purchasing the high-quality and durable electric ball valve. These answers will also provide you with in-depth information about the electric ball valve so that you can understand it before using it.

What is an electric ball valve?

An electric ball valve, also known as a motorized ball valve, controls the flow of liquid or gas with the help of the rotating ball with a bore. The electric actuator controls the rotating ball, and the valve stem drives the ball and rotates around the axis. The electric ball valve is also effective for fluid adjustment and control.

The electric ball valve is a popular device because of its simple structure, reliability, durability, and wide applications. In addition, an electric ball valve has operating efficiency and is preferable because of its cost-effectiveness.

 

Q1 – How does the electric ball valve work?

Electric ball valve controls the flow of media, liquid, or gas. 2-way electric ball valves consist of two ports, an inlet, and an outlet. The media flows from one direction to another while the valve opens or closes the flow. 3-way electric ball valve has three ports. The bore is not straight in the ball but in L or T formation. It distributes, mixes, and manages the flow in a specific direction.

Electric ball valve has more popularity because they are more resistant against the contaminated media. When you operate the valve at 90°, it opens or closes. The ball’s hole is in the flow direction when the valve is open. Therefore, the lever aligns with the pipe and is perpendicular to the pipe when it is closed.

Q2 – What are the benefits of an electric ball valve?

The popularity of the electric ball valve has increased significantly over the last few years because it offers excellent solutions for diverse business applications. In addition, it is easy to use and maintain. The engineers prefer to use an electric ball valve because of its easy fitting and maintenance.

The electric ball valve has good sealing performance, and there is no leakage while operating. It can withstand high pressure up to 400 bars and high temperature up t0 350°C. They are available in various types, including flange, thread, welding, and wafer-thin. It is a cost-effective solution for your projects, with long service life and durability.

Q3 – What are the disadvantages of an electric ball valve?

Despite the number of advantages that electric ball valve offers, there are some disadvantages as well. For example, while operating the electric ball valve, the medium can suspend particles. This suspension can cause the valve body and the ball valve to wear, damaging the valve.

It has a limited size range which could exceed 8 inches maximum. You can get the one with a larger size per your requirement, but it will be costly. The rotation speed of the electric ball valve is a pneumatic ball valve.

Q4 – What are the components of the Electric Ball Valve?

The electric ball valve can be divided into two components, the electric actuator, and the ball valve. The electric motor has the ability to turn the ball 90 degrees for a 2-way ball valve. The electric motor can turn the ball between different circuits for a 3-way ball valve. The electric actuator and the electric bill can be mounted together for the standard adhering to ISO 5211.

The 2-point or 3-point control can control the electric actuated ball valve. These 2-point or 3-point control requires the electric control valve to open or close the valve completely. A modulating electric ball valve can position the ball valve opening between 0% and 100%.

Q5 – What is the working principle of an Electric Ball Valve?

The electric ball valve uses a hollow and pivoting ball to control flow through it. The electric ball valve relies on the electric current in the electric actuator to operate the ball valve.  The input and output signal of the electric actuator is 4-20mA and the standard signal of 220 VAC.

The motor group drives the gear, which controls the opening and closing of the ball valve. The motor distributes and changes the flow direction of the medium to the proportional degree of the rotation. Thus, the valve opening is proportional to the control fluid.

 

Q6 – What are the precautions for using Electric Ball Valve?

If the electric ball valve is selected carelessly, it will impact your business’s application and bring serious issues. To overcome these issues, you should choose the electric ball valve carefully within the pipeline engineering design. Along with selecting the pipeline parameters of the electric ball valve, you should pay attention to the operating environment as it is affected by the environment.

The outdoor installation can be affected by wind, sunlight, sand, etc., so the environmental conditions should be considered. The primary purpose of the electric ball valve is to complete the non-manual electric control of the opening and closing of the valve. Different manufacturers produce different qualities of products, so you should select the electric ball valve carefully for your project.

Q7 – What are the features of the Electric Ball Valve?

The installation direction does not restrict the ball valve, so the flow direction is arbitrary. However, the electric ball valve has so simple structure, easy to operate, and has easy maintenance.

• The electric ball valve has two sealing surfaces that are close and reliable. The sealing surface materials of the electric ball valves have good sealing performance and can achieve complete sealing. It is used in vacuum systems.
• As the electric ball valve is easier to close and open, it is suitable for frequent operation.
• The electric ball valve has a wide range of applications, ranging from a few millimetres to a few meters. You can use it from high vacuum to high pressure.

Q8 – What are the considerations while operating an electric ball valve?

You should operate the electric ball valve wisely. In the production process, you need to consider all the environmental factors. The electric ball valve is operated differently in high pressure, high temperature, and low pressure, low temperature. While operating the electric ball valve, you should consider the following points in mind:

• You do not need to adjust the material too much for low temperature and low pressure.
• While operating the electric ball valve in high temperature, and high pressure, you should use high temperature and pressure-resistant materials, such as stainless steel and alloy.
• You should replace the internal parts of the electric ball valve to reduce the damage to the valve core.
• During the operation, you should install the machinery to avoid vibration to prevent the internal structure of the electric ball valve.

Q9 – What are the structural characteristics of the electric ball valve?

The flowing direction of the medium in the electric ball valve should be arbitrary and must not limit by the installation direction.

• The electric ball valve is reliable and compact. Its small size and easy maintenance make it a popular choice in various industrial operations.
• The lightweight electric ball valve made it suitable for operation with fast opening and closing. You need to install the rotation move from entirely operated to close fully.
• The electric ball valve has no vibration and low noise and conveys liquid containing solid grains.

Q10 – What are the types of electric ball valves?

The electric ball valve uses an electric motor to rotate the ball. It is the shut-off valve that controls the flow of liquid and gas by the rotary ball. Some of the standard electric ball valves are following:

2- Way electric ball valve

2-way electric ball valve has two ports, inlet, and outlet. The fluid flows from one side of the port to the other end, while the valve function opens or closes the flow.

3-Way electric ball valve

3-way electric ball valve has three ports. Out of these three ports, any two of them are inlet and outlet. They distribute, mix, and divert flow in a specific direction.

Q11- What are the main parts of the electric ball valve, and how do they work?

The electric ball valve has five main parts. The five components of the electric ball valve are:

• The valve stem (1) is connected to the ball (4), either manually or pneumatically.
• The ball is supported by the ball valve seat (5) and the rings around the valve stem (2).
• All are inside the valve housing (3).

The bore opens to the flow allowing media when the valve stem is turned a quarter turn.

Q12 – What are the designs of electric ball valves?

The most common designs of the electric ball valve are the floating ball design, which is supported by the valve seats. In addition, the electric ball valve with large diameters and high operating pressure has a trunnion design, where the ball is suitable for the bottom and top on the seat rings.

Most electric ball valve has a reduced bore, which causes friction in the system. The full bore electric ball valve has the same bore diameter as a pipe. As a result, there are no friction losses, so the system is easier to clean. In addition, the V-shaped design of the electric ball valve has a more precise flow rate.

Q13 – What are the housing materials of the electric ball valve?

The electric ball valves are consist of various materials, such as brass, stainless steel, and PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). The ball has the material of stainless steel, chrome-plated brass, and chrome-plated steel. Brass electric ball valve has the largest market share as brass is an alloy of copper or zinc and has good mechanical properties.

You can use the stainless steel ball valve for corrosive media. Most of them are austenitic and are suitable for applications with high temperatures. The stainless steel 304 and 316 are more common. 316 offers good corrosion resistance. PVC electric ball valve is used mainly in irrigation, water supply, and corrosive media and has a lower price.

Q14 – What are the applications of electric ball valves?

The electric ball valve is an essential part of various oil and gas industries. They are common in use in recent years because of their simple structure, ease of use, and more minor cost features. For upstream applications, the electric ball valve controls the flow of oil, and for midstream, they control the flow of gas or oil.

Apart from various oil and natural gas industries, you can use the electric ball valve in many manufacturing sectors, chemical storage, and other applications. They are compact, lightweight, and handle high-pressure situations. They are a simple solution for many on/off applications.

Q15 – What is the comparison of electric ball valves with pneumatic ball valves?

The electric ball valve has typically slower rotation speed. This is because the electric ball valve has complex components more affected by the wear than the pneumatic ball valve. In addition, the accurate electrical signals give the electric ball valve more precise positioning.

Although the installation cost is slightly higher, it has a lower operating cost and longer service life than a pneumatic ball valve. It has lower torque to size ratio, while the pneumatic ball valve has a higher torque ratio. The electric ball valve can operate at moderate temperature conditions than the pneumatic ball valve.

Q16 – How to install an electric ball valve?

The electric ball valve has been used in various industries because of its cost-effectiveness and accessible maintenance properties. There are some installation tips for electric ball valves for fluid control. Before installing the electric ball valve, read the instructions carefully and verify that the electric ball valve is suitable for specific applications.

The valve specifications of the electric ball valve should be checked carefully on the type label on the actuator match. Various types of electric ball valves are designed for different parameters.

Q17 – How to position the electric ball valve?

You should consider the following steps while positioning the electric ball valve.

• The valves must be appropriately fastened to the pipes by using suitable types of fittings. For tightening the valves, use the wrench for the valve and the pipe. Don’t put unnecessary stress on the system.
• You need to install the valve with the actuator facing upward at 90 degrees, reducing the possibility of collecting moisture in the actuator.
• Set the ball to angular position. The 2-way ball valves are closed in standard position, and the 3-way valve is in two different ways by rotating them at 180 degrees.

Q18 – How is the pipe system installed in the electric ball valve?

You need to install the pipe system of the electric ball carefully. Ensure that the piping is not under pressure and is cooled down before you start operating it. The actuators of the AW series are splash-proof, but they are not anti-resistant to extreme weather conditions. So it is rational to install the electric ball valve in a dry and sheltered spot.

Check the pipes regularly, and clean the dirt if necessary. The electric ball valves are less sensitive to dirt, but it is still advisable to avoid dirt as dirt can increase the wear. Use thread sealant for the pipe thread. Use the correct fittings between the pipe and the valve. Avoid stress in the piping and fix the pipe to avoid vibrations.

 

Q19 – How to do electric ball valve calibration?

The electric ball valve controls the flow of liquids and gasses. Calibration is the determination of errors in the measuring device, and adjustments are made accordingly. The HART communicator is used to calibrate the electric ball valve. First, you connect the HART to the valve positioner. Then the valve stimulates command to enter 0% to observe the valve position.

Next, the valve stimulates enter 25% and observe the valve travel position. Similarly, enter 50%, 75%, and 100% and then observe the valve stem travel position.

Q20 – What are the electric ball valve technology and selection?

For FO applications, you should not use electric ball valves. You can reduce the opening time of the actuated valve by installing a quick exhaust valve on the control panel to release the air from the pneumatic actuator. However, the valve’s seat and disk are in contact during the opening and closing, which is not applicable for FO applications.

Moving the large and heavy ball needs an enormous stem torque and a longer opening time. In addition, the manufacturers of the electric ball valve believe that FO could damage the soft seat because of the contact with the ball.

Q21 – What are the safety considerations of the electric ball valve?

You can use the electric ball valve with the spontaneous opening and closing of two or three valves. End flanges should be cast with the body or end piece of the split body and should be one piece in the minimum design of the vital body.

The ball port should be cylindrical on full bore valves. Sealed cavity balls should withstand full hydrostatic body test pressure.

Q22 – What is the rangeability of the electric ball valve?

The electric ball valves have advantages, including better rangeability, durability, high-pressure bodies, higher capacity, and lower cost. The rangeability of the electric ball valve is the flow through the valve, divided by the minimum usable flow.

The typical ranges of the electric ball valve are about 350: 1. The electric ball valve offers good internal resistance, and minimum flow is controllable under part-load conditions.

Q23 – What are the storage conditions of the electric ball valve?

The electric ball valves usually have a longer service life and are easy to use if installed and maintained correctly. For protecting the seats and seals of the electric ball valve, do not unpack the valves unless they are ready to operate. This will protect the valve from dust and debris, which may cause leakage eventually.

You should keep the electric ball valve in a cool and ventilated space if you need to store it longer. In addition, the body of the electric ball valve may need additional application of oil to avoid any corrosion.

Q24 – What are other factors to consider while using an electric ball valve?

You can install the electric ball valve in every orientation. Before installation, verify the material of the valve ball body, seat, and ball. Make sure that there are no defects due to storage or transportation. Verify the temperature and pressure rating of the valve. Complete all welding works before valve installation. Before installing, make sure that the flange has cooled down to moderate temperature.

You should test the electric ball valve within the rated work pressure. If it exceeds that limit, it may cause damage to the valve. Also, excessive torque can cause damage to the internal valve parts.

Conclusion

The electric ball valve controls the flow of liquids or gases by the rotating ball, turning the ball valve 90 degrees. The electric ball valve is an efficient, easy to clean, and low-maintenance tool for various applications.

We offer high-quality and latest designs of electric ball valves to our customers at a very low cost. At Instruthink, we have professionals who will provide you with all the necessary information about the electrical ball valve products. You can e-mail your product requirement at sales@instruthink.com or directly call us on +44 7700 307784. Our technical staff will be here to assist you in every possible way.