Needle valves have a small opening and plunger to control the flow of liquids or gases with precision. They are used in utility meters, engines, and water heaters, but lack a visual indicator of open/closed position.
Needle valves are designs of valves constructed with a small opening accompanied by a plunger that looks a lot like a common sewing needle. The purpose of this type of valve is to create a means of controlling the flow of liquids or gases through the valve mechanism. You can easily adjust the flow rate to any specific amount desired, making the needle valve useful in a number of applications, including engines.
Along with the elongated and somewhat tapered plunger, a needle valve also features a screw that fits into what is known as a seat. The seat is located so that it is possible to turn the screw and increase or decrease the flow through the valve. Since the device is constructed in such a way that it takes a certain number of revolutions to move the plunger, it is possible to regulate this flow with great precision.
It is this ability to control flow with such precision that makes needle flow ideal for situations where the desired flow must be maintained with little or no variation. A common use of stainless steel and brass needle valves is with utility meters where there is a need to accurately measure how much energy, water or natural gas a customer has consumed during a given billing period. At the plant level, valves of this type are often used to regulate the flow in the plant used to dispense product to various destination points. By controlling the speed of the needle valve, stress on the delivery system is minimized which in turn helps improve the safety of personnel working at various points along that system.
For engines where carburetors are commonly included, a needle valve is often the fixture that helps regulate the flow of fuel into the fixture. This is very important, as too much fuel can choke the carburetor and stall the engine. At the same time, a lack of sufficient fuel flowing into the carburetor will cause further wear and stress on the engine over time, a factor that can lead to costly repairs. An alternative to using a needle valve is to include what is known as a float valve. In some situations, this type of valve is also referred to as a needle valve, although the design is different.
A needle valve is also sometimes used in equipment that controls the water temperature within a specific system. For example, some residential water heaters use this type of valve as a type of relief valve that allows you to relieve pressure on the water flowing through the device. As with other applications, the valve allows you to control the flow of water through the heater, a factor which can also help minimize the amount of energy required to maintain a fair supply of hot water.
While there are many benefits to using a needle valve, the basic design does include one drawback. Unlike other types of valves, there is no way to visually observe the position of the screw or handle used to control screw placement and determine whether the valve is open or closed. For this reason, other devices are often included in the design of the equipment to allow the flow to be monitored and the valve to be used to adjust the flow accordingly.
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