Plug Valve: Advantages and Disadvantages

Valves are used for the control of the volume or the pressure of a fluid moving through pipes or in closed vessels. The Plug Valve uses a hand wheel/wrench to operate a valve. It provides tight seals against the hard-to-hold commodities and require a minimum amount of space for installation. These valves use tapper seals and have an extended opening when placed in an open position hence allowing the commodity to pass through the valve. The plug is the only movable part in the valve and its tapered shape has a short positive seating.

The plug valves are designed with HS grooves along with the tapered plug to permit a lubricate that seals and lubricates the internal surfaces as well as provides a hydraulic checking force that lifts the plug within the body. This permits the operation of the opening and closing of the valve. The clear and open passage space through the valve body provides a little opportunity for skill and sediment to collect. In fact, the plug valve sits well so that when the plug is rotated, the width is wide from the plug’s external surface. These valves do require constant lubrication to maintain tight seals between the plug and the body.

The most common openings of Plug Valves are (i) Rectangular Port (ii) Round Port (iii) Diamond Port

• The rectangular port is a highly used plug valve. This port presents 70% of the connected pipe’s cross-sectional area.

• The round port plug valve has a round opening plug. It can be designed in sizes of a full bore and a reduced bore.

• The diamond port plug valve has a diamond-shaped port as venturi restricted flow type which is very useful for throttling service. 

There are different types of plug valves available like (i) Lubricating Plug Valve (ii) Non-Lubricating Plug Valve (iii) Multiport Plug Valve (iv) Eccentric Plug Valve and (v) Expanding Plug Valve.

Advantages of Plug Valve

• The plug Valve is designed simply with a few parts

• It can be opened and closed easily

• Its Maintenance and repair can be easily done at the place of its operation

• It has a low flow resistance

• The plug Valve provides reliable leakage proof

Disadvantages of Plug Valve

• It requires a large amount of force to operate because of high friction

• Plug valves are costlier than other quarter-turn valves like ball valves

• For 4” and larger sized plug valves, they require a gearbox or an actuator.

Aira Euro Automation is a worldwide industrial valve supplier and a plug valve manufacturer in India. They have a wide range of pneumatic & manually operated valves in various varieties with utmost quality products.

About This Author

Aira Euro https://www.airaindia.com/ Joined: September 11th, 2020