Many people are not aware of the many complex devices that are part of our everyday modern world. Beneath the streets of the city and behind the walls of apartments and houses there is a whole hidden world that most people, while aware of, try to ignore or forget about. The world of pipes and tubes that ferries all sorts of things from one place to another are an integral part of any modern city, but is a part that most people try not to think about. In this world of pipes and tubes there needs to be way to regulate the flow of water or gas and butterfly control valves are used in a whole variety of places.
Butterfly control valves are important flow control devices that are used in a variety of places to regulate the flow of liquid and sometimes gasses through pipes. As with most other valves - like the ball valve, a flat circular plate is positioned in the center of the pipe to control the flow of the liquid in the pipe. The plate is attached to a rod that is attached to an actuator on the outside of the valve. When the actuator is rotated, the metallic plate can be turned parallel or perpendicular to the flow of the liquid. In the first position it allows the liquid to flow past while in the second position it stops the flow of the liquid. Unlike the ball valve, however, the butterfly valve is always present in the pipe with the result that there is still a drop in overall pressure within the pipe.
There are many different kinds of butterfly control valves available. They are each adapted and designed for different usage and different pressures depending on what is required within the pipe. The three most common ones are the resilient butterfly valve, the high performance butterfly valve, and the tricentric butterfly valve. The resilient butterfly valve uses the flexibility of rubber to control the flow of the liquid up to a pressure of about 232 PSI. The high performance valve features a slight offset in the way the disc is positioned. This not only increases its sealing ability but also makes it more resistant to wear and tear. It can be used for pressures of about 725 PSI. The tricentric valve uses a metal seat and is suited for high pressure systems being able to withstand pressures of up to about 1450 PSI.
There are many other butterfly control valves available that are made for any number of different pressures, liquids, gasses and purposes. They are by far one of the most versatile valves that mankind has invented and can be found in a wide number of different areas performing any number of useful tasks. Regulating the flow of gasses, liquids and other substances throughout the hidden pipes of the world is something most people do not think about but luckily the butterfly control valves in these pipes try their best to keep it that way.
