Pressure Reducing Valves Maintain Flow
One of the most important circulation operations a system can provide is access to water. Piping systems that deliver water to desired locations are necessary for operation, and essential for maintaining other necessary services. Control valves help to ensure that the flow of liquid through a system occurs as scheduled, with the correct amount of liquid flowing through approved areas at certain times. Pressure reducing valves can be utilized to help maintain the necessary amount of flow despite other conditions that might exist in the system.
When pressure reducing valves are installed in a system, they restrict hydraulic forces. This restriction is issued through a series of spring forces. The pressure reducing valves are then able to permit only the desired amount of liquid through the valve and into the next system of piping, to be used for distribution or other purposes. Pressure reducing valves are responsive to the conditions within other parts of a circuit. If pressure reducing valves know that the pressure is too high, they alter the amount of restriction they are providing in order to assume the appropriate amount of pressure when the liquid enters the valve.
Pressure reducing valves are intended for installation specifically at areas where a low pressure area is receiving flow of a high pressure fluid. This helps to protect components of the low pressure area, by not subjecting them to the original full force of liquid flow. There are two very common types of pressure reducing valves. These valves consist of normally open pressure reducing valves and normally closed pressure reducing valves. As their names imply, these valves generally assume one position. Each company considering the installation of a pressure reducing valve will need to decide which design would be most appropriate for their particular application, as one type of valve normally supports flow but can stop it if necessary, and the other type of valve normally prevents liquid from entering an area, but can be adjusted to allow it through.
Most pressure reducing valves are designed to be normally open. This allows liquid to flow through the valve, and if there is too much pressure from the flow for the low pressure area, the valve can be partially closed to allow only the appropriate amount of liquid to pass. The valve can be adjusted as needed in the current stream of pressure. This type of constant and responsive control allows the flow of liquid to be kept at a constant pressure throughout the system.
The cracking pressure of a pressure reducing valve can be ordered for a certain point. The cracking point of a valve determines the amount of pressure that will be necessary to move the spring, which switches the valve from the open position to the closed position. Higher than the cracking point is full-flow pressure, which involves the poppet of the valve actually becoming forced off its seat. This particular action causes the spring in pressure reducing valves to compress, which in turn opens the valve and allows liquid to pass through to the next area.