Valves, Flanges And Flow Control

When it comes to industrial design, pipes, valves, and flanges work hand in hand to ensure that there is perfect flow of liquid from one area to another. The flow should be uninterrupted and leaks should also be avoided. High quality flow control parts are important to ensure that the fluid passes from one area to another.

What is a Valve?

We have all heard about flanges and valves and how they work in industrial machinery. A valve is actually a device that controls the flow of liquid from one area to another. Aside from that it also helps regulate the pressure of the fluid; it can make the water or the liquid flow faster and can restrict the flow altogether. 

High quality products should ensure that there are no leaks and that the valves are working perfectly to start or stop the flow, relieve and control the pressure inside the pipe, prevent back flow of water, and even help divert the flow from one place to another. In short, a valve is the connection from one pipe to another. It serves as a seal or a barrier that can restrict or permit the flow of liquid from one pipe to the next.

Brief History of Valves

Man has been controlling the flow of water since the beginning of time. We have used dams, stones, and even wood to restrict, allow, and altogether control the flow of the water. Control of water was even practiced in the middle ages with the invention of canals and the irrigation system. Hydraulic works during this time already included sophisticated designs of the valve.

All this changed since the beginning of the industrial revolution. When the first steam engine was invented, valves were used to control the pressure and regulate the steam. As time went by, valves continued to evolve turning into the high quality product that we know of today.

Valve Functions

Valve and flanges work hand in hand to ensure that industrial processes continue. Some of the most significant functions of the valve include:

Overpressure protection
Immediate closure once there is detected over speed flow. This happens if a pipeline is broken resulting to over speeding of the fluid inside. 
Control and regulation of pressure inside the pipes. Whether it is solid, liquid, or gas valves can help control and regulate the traffic happening inside the pipes.