Control valves regulate the flow of fluids or gases in industrial processes. They can be mechanical or automatic, and are controlled by sensors and process controllers. Check valves are commonly used in oil and gas pipelines for safety reasons.
Control valves are instruments that regulate the flow of a fluid or gas. Valves open partially or fully or similarly close to manage the amount of fluid or gas that can pass from one place to another. Valves are used in all industrial processes to control the volume, speed, pressure or other similar values of a fluid or gas within a given process or group of processes.
Industrial processes and the facilities that support them are performed automatically, mechanically or using a combination of automatic and mechanical processes. The control valves used within these systems must function in line with plant processes. Some industrial control valves are mechanical and are operated with a handle, foot pedal, or lever. These are simple on and off valves that function similar to the hot and cold water faucets on a consumer faucet.
Automatic control valves are controlled with some form of computer process, pneumatic or hydraulic. Sensors and control points throughout the industrial process determine the flow rate or temperature at a particular point in the process. Based on the measurements determined by the sensors, the process controller calculates what action needs to be taken to keep the process aligned. The process controller tells the control valve how much and in which direction to move.
Depending on the type of control valve installed at a given point in an industrial process, the process controller sends an instruction either directly to the valve or to a process that causes the valve to move appropriately. An electric control valve receives an instruction directly from the industrial process controller. A pneumatic valve is usually notified via a separate process that the valve needs to move in one direction or another. This process then releases compressed air to move the air valve appropriately. A hydraulic valve is similarly notified that movement is required, but a fluid rather than compressed air causes the control valve to move as instructed.
Oil and gas pipelines make extensive use of check valves throughout their facilities. These valves could be simple mechanical valves for operations that have on-site employees available to initiate or terminate a specific process. Some applications may require an automated valve where a remote system controls the amount of natural gas moving from one point in the system to another. Other valves may be installed for safety reasons and need to trigger an automatic shut-off if the pressure exceeds a set point.
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