What is a Butterfly Valve?

A kind of valve that is a quarter-turn rotary motion employed to stop, regulate, and start the flow. The term “butterfly” in a butterfly valve is a disk connected to a rod. A 90° rotation of the handle can fully close or open the valve. Butterfly valves are famous because they are lightweight, fast operation, and low-cost. These valves employ handles, gears, or automatic actuators as required. In this blog, you will understand the brass butterfly valve. We will cover its features, selection, design, working temperature, and application. At the end of this article, we will briefly discuss the different types of industrial butterfly valves.

What Is the Design and Role of the Brass Butterfly Valve?

A butterfly valve uses a quarter-turn rotary action to regulate or shut off the flow of fluids and gases. This valve has a disc in the middle of the pipe and is constructed of two sections. Bolts and nuts hold the disc’s stem, body, and disc assembly together.

The disc is moved over a hole throughout the pipe’s diameter while the stem turns. As the pipe is opened or closed, fluid flow reduces or stops accordingly.

What are the Brass Butterfly Valve Parts?

The butterfly valve has only four primary parts: the body, the disk, the stem, and the seat.

Butterfly valve body:

Butterfly valves typically have bodies that nestle between two pipe flanges.

Butterfly valve disk:

This disk is equivalent to a ball in the ball valve, a plug in a plug valve that prevents flow. Various disk designs and orientations exist to optimize flow, sealing, and operating torque.

Butterfly valve stem:

The stem of a butterfly valve may be a one-piece shaft or a divided stem. The stem is covered from the media in the most resilient seated structure. It permits an economical material selection regarding cost and mechanical properties.

Butterfly valve seat:

An interference fit between the disk edge and the seat accomplishes the closure of a resilient-seat butterfly valve. Numerous elastomers and polymers can be used to construct a seat. The seat may be linked to the body, pressed, or secured into place.

How Does the Brass Butterfly Valve Work?

The fluid flow is controlled by rotating the valve disc in a butterfly valve, whose structure is relatively simple. In the closed position, the disc obstructs the valve bore. The open position is perpendicular to the flow direction to permit passage.

Typically, butterfly valves allow for bidirectional flow and shutoff. Yet, as they are not full-bore, they cannot be employed for pigging or swabbing. The body’s internal and external surface areas are coated with an epoxy particle coating. Depending on the technical specifications and application-specific requirements, the valves are typically operated by handwheels, gears, actuators, or a combination thereof.

How it Controlling the Flow of Fluids

A butterfly valve is the best option to control the liquid flow. The external actuator of the valve can be fitted to a fully automatic or remote-controlled system to regulate the liquid flow. A lever can be added to the actuator or the spindle of the valve to allow for manual operation.

When compared to ball valves, butterfly valves function similarly. The plate can be spun perpendicular or parallel to the fluid flow by turning the handle, which can be completed manually or using a pneumatic system. Flow can be controlled with a butterfly valve by adjusting the lever and watching the output closely.

Brass Butterfly Valve Working Temperature and Pressure Range

Brass butterfly valves are suitable for a wide range of temperatures. However, brass is not as heat-resistant as other materials, such as stainless steel or bronze. Hence, its temperature limits are relatively lower. Our brass butterfly valves typically have a working temperature range of around -10°C to 120°C with a pressure range of 16 bar.

Applications

The pharmaceutical, chemical, oil, food, water, wastewater, fire, gas, fuel, and sanitary fittings sectors use the butterfly valves. Water control butterfly valves are used in pipelines to stop water flow completely. Slurries and liquids containing relatively substantial amounts of the particles at low pressures are the perfect fit for the large diameters offered by these valves. Butterfly valves of corrosion-resistant materials like stainless steel or brass are standard in water-based and corrosive environments. 

Butterfly ball valves are widely used in the construction industry. They regulate the flow of water in pipes for purposes like fire sprinklers. In addition, they are widely employed in the oil industry to control the flow of oil or gas through pipelines. They can also be employed in industries to regulate the airflow of ventilation and machinery.

How to Select the Brass Butterfly Valve?

It may seem like choosing a valve is as easy as picking one out and setting it in. Yet, there are several technical factors to think about. The first measure is to know what type of control and service fluid you need. For fluids that cause corrosion, you need valves made of brass and stainless steel or another material that doesn’t rust. You must know the kind of uses and pipe size. Users also look at the pipe system’s capacity and how the pressure and temperature change. There isn’t a full port on a butterfly valve. A valve company can help an individual determine if you do not understand the butterfly valve.

Maintenance Requirements for the Butterfly Ball Valve

Knowing the maintenance needs of this valve is vital for their use in applications. Maintaining your butterfly ball valve will keep it operating smoothly and reliably.

The most crucial part of maintenance is frequently inspecting the valve to catch any issues before they worsen. Gaskets, seals, discs, and stem should be regularly checked for wear and damage. All damaged parts should be replaced immediately to avoid future damage or failure of the valve. Maintain an ongoing practice of checking the valve and its connections to ensure they are tight and secure.

FAQs about Brass Butterfly Valve

Are brass butterfly valves suitable for high-pressure applications?

Brass butterfly valves have lower pressure ratings than valves made of materials like stainless steel or bronze. In contrast, they can handle moderate pressures. Yet, they may not be suitable for high-pressure applications.

Can brass butterfly valves be used for both liquids and gases?

Yes, brass butterfly valves can be used for both liquids and gases. However, ensuring that the valve is compatible with the specific medium is vital. You must know about the operating conditions to prevent corrosion or damage.

Can brass butterfly valves be installed in any orientation?

Yes, brass butterfly valves can be installed in any orientation. It installs in horizontal, vertical, or inclined positions. They offer installation flexibility. It can be mounted between flanges or in line with the pipeline.

How do you select the right size of brass butterfly valve?

The size of a brass butterfly valve is determined based on the pipe diameter. Always consider the pipe size and flow characteristics. The manufacturer’s recommendations for selecting the appropriate valve size.

Brass Butterfly Valve Vs. Brass Gate Valve

• Due to their lightweight and lowered space requirements, butterfly valves are less difficult to handle and install into an application than other types of valves.
• Butterfly valves have smaller face-to-face dimensions than gate valves, making them the proper selection in areas with limited space.
• Butterfly valves have significantly shorter shafts than gate valves, meaning fewer access issues exist.
• Butterfly valves are simpler to operate, which results in faster opening and shutting off. It takes just a quarter turn to open and close the valve fully.
• Butterfly valves are typically more cost-effective than other valves since they have fewer and less expensive requirements.

Why You Choose Plumberstar Butterfly Valve?

Plumberstar manufactures numerous types of high-quality valves, including butterfly valves. The majority of its valve work is very excellent. Our valves are made of high-quality materials such as brass, bronze, stainless steel, and cast iron, which give excellent results. Here are some essential features of Plumberstar valves. 

• High-resistant to corrosion
• Easy to assemble, disassemble the piping
• Suitable price
• Built with high-quality material
• Higher lifespan
• Less pressure loss
• Easy to maintain

Our Butterfly Ball Valve Specification

Brass butterfly Valve Vs. Brass Ball Valve: Difference

Types of Butterfly Valve Based on Piping Connection

• Lug-style butterfly valve
• Wafer-style butterfly valve
• Flanged butterfly valve
• Butt-welded butterfly valve

Here, we will discuss only the lug-style and wafer-style butterfly valve

What are the Lug-Style and Wafer Style Butterfly Valves?

What is the Wafer Butterfly Valve?

In wafer valves, butterfly valves are positioned between two pipe flanges connected by long bolts across the valve’s body. There may or may not be flange openings on the exterior of the valve body. O-rings and gaskets mounted in a flat valve are fixed on both sides between the valve body and the pipe flange to obtain a strong seal.

Wafer butterfly valves have the most cost-effective connection design. Still, they cannot be used as isolation valves or at the termination of a line. The entire pipeline must be turned down when performing maintenance on either side of the wafer butterfly valve.

As with certain varieties of butterfly valves, wafer valves should not be used in high-temperature applications because the valve body will expand, resulting in increased stress on the bolts and possible failure.

Wafer Style Butterfly Valve: Advantages

• The flowing medium may travel through a stream-lined butterfly disc without experiencing a reduction in pressure or limitation in flow.

• Butterfly wafer valves are quick-acting. Move the valve from the completely open to the completely closed position. Yet the stem must be rotated 90 degrees (1/4 turn).

• The butterfly wafer valve design is well-suited for flow regulation. It fails to produce an enormous turbulent flow when partially opened or closed.

What is Lug Butterfly Valve?

To install a lug butterfly valve, bolts are threaded through the lugs (threaded inserts) that protrude from the valve body and into the pipe flanges. Two bolts are set on either side of the valve to hold it in place. Yet, no nuts are needed in either lug. The valve can then be used as an isolation valve or for end-of-line applications. The valve may be disassembled from one side without impacting the other, reducing maintenance downtime.

However, the weight of the pipeline is also passed to the valve body. Thus, the valve must bear a greater load. When a butterfly valve is positioned at the end of a line, its pressure rating typically decreases since no downstream flange keeps the seat in its intended position. The media must distort the seat to get beyond the disc and seat seal.

Generally, the pressure rating of lug-style butterfly valves used in dead-end service is lower. Lug-style valves, in contrast to wafer butterfly valves, support the piping’s load within the valve body.

Lug Style Butterfly Valve: Advantages

• Light is weight
• Bidirectional sealing
• Easy to install in any diagonal, vertical, or horizontal position
• Small-size butterfly valve
• Easy to maintain
• Replaceable body seat and low-pressure drop