A flow control valve is a device that controls the flow and pressure of a medium like a gas or liquid in various systems.
Their effective and precise management of flow prevents issues like equipment damage.
Thus, they are vital in many industry applications, including the oil and gas sectors.
Keep reading to learn about their benefits, types, symbols, and roles in industries, all of which make them worth purchasing in bulk.
What are the benefits of a Flow Control Valve?
Flow control valve have numerous benefits, including minimized cavitation and erosion, particularly those with anti-cavitation trims, which decrease the size of vapor bubbles.
Furthermore, they prevent too much fluid from flowing in the system excessively fast, avoiding potentially dangerous forces that could damage the components.
They can also indirectly decrease changes in temperature or pressure imbalances since they manage the flow and keep the entire system balanced.
Hence, if they’re properly installed and selected, they can reduce possible damages like sudden metal failure or leaks in the system.
This explains why they’re widely used in various industries, which this article will cover later.
Flow Control Valve Role in Industries
They are critical in many industries for efficiently managing the flow of substances including liquids, gases, and steam.
So, they can be used for controlling liquid flow within tanks or pipelines, which is crucial for industries like:
- Agriculture
- power stations
- chemical plants
- oil and gas plants.
Furthermore, they can help steam systems or chemical reactors to maintain proper pressure levels.
Flow control valve may also control temperature levels in systems within certain safe ranges via flow regulation, which is vital in industries like petrochemicals.
So, they can improve businesses’ production speed and energy efficiency too by preventing excess flow of mediums in a system without human involvement.
Types of Flow Regulating Valve
There are numerous types of flow control valves, each with its unique operation.
Here are a few examples:
This is a flow control valve with a ball plug with a hole in the center.
It spins and aligns the opening with the flow path, allowing the medium to pass while blocking it by facing the solid part into the route.
Their design enables quick opening and closing.
- Diaphragm Valves
This flow control valve regulates the medium flowing through it by an elastic diaphragm.
The diaphragm presses against the seat to block the medium from flowing through.
However, the medium can flow through if the diaphragm is moved away from the seat.
They’re a suitable option also for throttling applications with low pressure and temperature.
- Meter-out Flow Control Valve
They are similar to meter-in flow control valves, but they control the flow of fluid as it leaves the actuator.
Thus, they are located in the secondary or exhaust line and are more suited to controlling the retraction speed of a double-acting cylinder.
Here’s a YouTube video that shows how this differs from the meter in flow control valves to help you better visualize it.
- Meter-in Flow Control Valves
Meter-in flow control valves restrict the flow of fluid into an actuator by limiting it with a needle valve or other similar device.
So, it was installed in the primary or inlet line to effectively control the speed of the cylinder extension, particularly the single-acting cylinder.
This prevents sudden cylinder extension, which can cause component damage.
They are used to control the speed, pressure, and direction of gas or air in a pneumatic system.
A pneumatic control valve uses compressed air to open or close the valves.
Therefore, it is safer to use because it functions on a non-flammable, hazardous medium.
The Flow Control Valve Symbols
Flow control valve use numerous symbols, some of which are listed below:
| Symbol Name | Visual | Meaning | |
| Orifice and Restriction |   Photos by: Mary Gannon | Consist of two curved lines for simple restrictions and sharpened ones for stronger ones. | It indicates a limit in the flow stream, such as a narrow opening to control the flow rate. It is also the foundation and It demonstrates the valve’s capability to maintain the flow rate even when the medium’s viscosity changes. As a result, sharper lines show they’re less impacted by medium viscosity and have a more constant flow rate. |
| Variable area adjuster |  Photo by: Online Hydraulic Training Courses | A slanted arrow passes through the restriction symbols and orifice. | It demonstrates that the valve opening size could be changed to control the flow rate. |
| Fixed Setting |  Photo by: Online Hydraulic Training Courses | It has a slanted short T through the orifice. | It signifies that the valve’s opening size cannot be adjusted, implying that it’s set to a specified flow rate. |
| Check Valves |  Photo by: Online Hydraulic Training Courses | It often has a circle with an arrow showing flow direction and sometimes a spring. | It prevents backflow by allowing mediums to flow in one direction only. It may feature a spring, indicating that bottom pressure from the input channel must be higher than the outlet route. This will overcome the spring force in order for flow to happen. |
GOWIN: Flow Control Valve Manufacturer
For over 16 years, Gowin has established a strong reputation as a global leader in flow control solutions.
We provide various customizable and durable flow control valves such as ball and gate valves, that are designed to perform well even in the harshest industrial environments.
Furthermore, we use modern technology and machinery to provide products that are both dependable and efficient.
Which also led us to gain different certifications, including ISO 9001, API 607, and API 6FA.
Hence, contact Gowin and start your partnership with a trustworthy manufacturer.
Sources:
Flow Control Manual: 3 Liquid flow
Hydraulic flow control valve symbols
Application of Control Valve in Industry
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