Butterfly valve actuation type:
There are multiple ways to operate, or actuate, a butterfly valve – manual, or fully automatic.
1) Electric: Uses an electric actuator for controlling the valve with a 4-20mA control signal and are typically used for high precision regulation and time-sensitive application.
2) Pneumatic: Also used for high precision application and uses compressed air for actuation.
3) Hydraulic: Typically used for applications requiring large torques for opening and closing the valve, such as high pressure and high viscosity applications.
Advantages of butterfly valves
Depending on the application, butterfly valves can offer significant advantages over other types of valves, especially for dimensions over DN 200 (200 mm) in size:
Lightweight and Compact: With a compact design and a smaller face to face dimension, butterfly valves have a considerably less installation footprint and offer savings in the form of lower installation costs including labour cost, equipment, and piping support.
Low Maintenance Requirements: An inherently simple, economic design that consists of few moving parts, and hence fewer wear points, significantly reduces their maintenance requirements.
Fast Acting: A 90° rotation of the handle, or the actuation mechanism, provides a complete closure or opening of the valve. However, with larger butterfly valves, a gearbox is often required as part of the actuation mechanism which reduces the operational torque and simplifies the operation of the valve but comes at the expense of speed.
Low Cost: Owing to their simple design, butterfly valves require less material and are simpler to design and manufacture and are often the more economical choice compared to other valve types. The cost savings are mainly realized in larger valve sizes, typically above DN 300.
Versatility: Butterfly valves have a wide variety of use cases including the ability to be installed underground.
