Wednesday, October 30, 2013

How Cylinder Valves Started And Its Main Types

By Marsha Klein


Cylinder valves, also called a rotary gate, are devices that directs, regulate or control the flow of gas, liquid, or loose masses, and does this through piping or apertures. Due to its usually simple design, and huge range of applications, it has been used in vast arrays of works, from home use to heavy duty manufacturing industries. Valves have proven to be one of the very important inventions of this world.

The beginnings of a valve can be traced back in ancient times where water flow was regulated by the use of stones, branches or trunks of trees. When Romans developed aqueducts and canals, water was delivered from the source into the cities, and had to be stopped often. The fluid gates that were used to restrict the flux of fluid were either plugs or stopcock types.

During the Middle Ages, minute developments were contributed to its design. Sophisticated designs were found only when during the Renaissance and were being used for hydraulic works, canals and irrigation. Further breakthroughs were made during the Industrial Revolution where they were designed to cope with the pressures of steam trains, and still have the option for minor adjustments.

Different versions have been made through the decades through the help of innovators that found ways to take the original concept of valves and use it to have different ways to control fluids. The differences from each type of gates would be dependent on the back flow prevention, pressure to be handled, protection versus over pressure or over speed of flux, flow rate regulation and the on and off option.

There are a total of three general types of flux gates, the most common of which is the multi-turn valve. This consist of a threaded stem, like a screw, which has a rubber seal on the inside of the membrane, while a handle is on the other end. Turning the handle multiple times either closes the rubber seal inside or draws it away to permit flow. This process may be slow but gives better accuracy and stability in the speed of flow that is desired.

The quarter-turn gate, which are also called butterfly valves, are the type of valve where the handle and the stopping member inside the membrane is directly attached to each other. The angle required to either full close or open the gate is only up to ninety degrees. That would mean that this gap is the one that would determine the speed of flow and is usually less accurate than the first type, but easier to use.

The last type of gate is called the check or one-way valve, which is mainly used to ensure that the flow of materials would only go in one direction, even if the pressure would be lower from the source of the mass. This was designed in a way where when the direction is going to the desired path, the closing membrane remains open. When the direction becomes inverted, the pressure would push the closing membrane and stop the flow immediately.

With all of the improvements and developments involved in cylinder valves, this has been made into a device so versatile that our own home probably has lots of them. It may always be safe to assume also that even the simplest things we use daily has a very rich history and makes us fully appreciate how our lives are today, compared to those who had lesser tools in the olden days.




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