What is the Difference Between a Butterfly Valve and a Gate Valve
Butterfly valves and gate valves are both common industrial valves, and there are some differences between them in regard of structure and working principles.
1.Different structures.
A butterfly valve is a valve that uses a disc-shaped plate as a flow cutting element. The valve plate rotates around the axis to open or close the fluid channel. A gate valve, on the other hand, controls the opening and closing of the fluid channel by the gap between a movable gate plate and a fixed seat plate.
2.Different working principle.
- Butterfly valve adjusts the fluid by rotating the valve plate. It usually has the characteristics of fast opening and closing, and is suitable for occasions where the fluid channel needs to be switched quickly.
- The gate valve controls the on and off of the fluid by lifting the gate plate, and the operation is relatively slower.
3.Different scopes of application.
- Butterfly valves are suitable for medium and low pressure, large diameter pipeline systems, and are widely used in water supply, drainage, air conditioning, fire protection and other systems.
- Gate valves are suitable for high pressure, large diameter pipeline systems, and are commonly found in chemical, petroleum, natural gas and other industries.
4.Different sealing performance.
- When the butterfly valve is open or closed, because the contact area between the valve plate and the sealing surface is small, the sealing performance is common compared to the gate valve.
- The gate valve has better sealing performance due to the metal seal between the gate plate and the seat.
It must be bore in mind that the selection of butterfly valves and gate valves should be determined according to specific working conditions and requirements to ensure that the reliability, safety and performance of the valve can meet actual needs.
