Manipulating Flow With Multi Turn Valves

It is desirable for companies to have control over the liquid or gas flowing through their systems. This flow may need to be stopped, started, or adjusted according to production goals and needs. Multi turn valves allow for this control to be exercised over liquid substances that are located in pipelines. Multi turn valves are valve systems that can be turned to open, closed, or partially opened positions, depending on the amount of process media that is needed on the other side of the created opening at any given time.

Multi turn valves are comprised of a disc that actually forms a seal between pipelines when the valve is in the closed position. A threaded stem connects to the disc and controls its position, and a handwheel is located outside the pipeline and turned to manipulate the position of the valve itself. Multi turn valves are stable and reliable, and the exact number of turns can be delivered to ensure that the valve is positioned in exactly the right place for the desired amount of flow to occur. Some valve systems do not have these specific options for placement, and their movements can not be as precisely controlled. If a finite amount of control is desired or needed regarding exactly how much liquid is permitted to flow through a system at any given time, then multi turn valves may be the most appropriate choice for installation for a company.

Multi turn valves can be attached to a handwheel, which is then turned to create the desired valve position. This process could be slow and tedious, however, and result in a little bit of time before the appropriate volume flow goes into effect. Actuators can be attached to multi turn valves, which helps to speed the process along, and allows valve positioning to occur automatically in response to certain sensor stimulations. The different types of actuators available for multi turn valves include electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic actuators. These different types of actuators are powered by electricity, liquid, or gas. These actuators can be set to open or close the multi turn valves a certain amount depending on system conditions. If a temperature falls into a certain range, the appropriate amount of liquid flow can be provided as a response to that change. Sensors can also be set to other conditions, such as pressure levels. The actuator will then respond by delivering the appropriate number of turns to the valve, and the threaded stem will move the disc accordingly.

Multi turn valves require more movement and positioning time than other types of valves, but they also have more options regarding the different sized spaces that can be created when the valves are moved to different positions. Additionally, multi turn valves are stable at each new position, which allows them to maintain the exact amount of space necessary for however long that flow volume is required. This specific level of detailed control might be mandatory for the successful operation of an industrial system.