DEFINITION
Gate valves are on-off valves to open and close the flow of the fluid in a pipeline. The valve is opened and/or closed by the vertical movement of a disc on the valve’s seat.
The main advantages of this type of valve are:
- Easy to maintain and disassemble
- Optimal as a shut off valve
- Bidirectional
- Low cost
- Can be used with slurries and viscous liquids
- Available in large sizes
- Inherently fire-safe (when used with a metal sheet)
The disadvantages are:
- Slow open and close time
- Low-pressure limitations
- Erosion of the seat and disk can occur
- Poor throttling characteristics
- Difficult to repair