Report score12/21

Dr. Ahmed H. Kaleel

AhmedHkaleel
Baghdad University

College of Engineering

Energy Department

Mechanical Equipment and systems

Direction control valve

(Check Valves)

The report is submitted by students

Hassan Salah Mahdi

Third Level
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 Introduction
The valve is a mechanical device valve used to control fluid or gas flow in a particular flow
system, or to regulate pressure at specific locations of this system. Measurement of valves
ranges from valves several centimeters in diameter, such as those used in household
sanitary installations, to valves several meters in diameter, such as those used in Dams.
Valves are used in urban water distribution networks to achieve a variety of
purposes, such as isolating a tube from the network pipes, or to drain water
from it, or to change the rate of water flow in a pipe, or to control the level
of water in the tanks that feed the network, or to expel the air collected
inside the network tubes , To prevent reverse runoff, or for other purposes.
Directional control valves (DCVs) are one of the most fundamental parts of hydraulic and
pneumatic systems. DCVs allow fluid flow (hydraulic oil, water or air) into different paths
from one or more sources. DCVs will usually consist of a spool inside a cylinder which is
mechanically or electrically actuated. The position of the spool restricts or permits flow,
thus it controls the fluid flow.

 Nomenclature
The spool (sliding type) consists of lands and grooves. The lands block oil flow through the
valve body. The grooves allow oil or gas to flow around the spool and through the valve
body. There are two fundamental positions of directional control valve namely normal
position where valve returns on removal of actuating force and other is working
position which is position of a valve when actuating force is applied. There is another class
of valves with 3 or more positions that can be spring centered with 2 working position and
a normal position.

 Classification
 number of ports
 number of positions
 actuating methods
 type of spool
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 Number of positions
Including the normal and working positions, which a valve spool can take, there are valves
with two position and three position. Proportional valves operate over an electric variable
input signal, and the position of the spool is proportional to the command signal.

 Actuating methods
Manual, spring, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic.

 Manually operated
Manually operated valves work with simple levers or paddles where the operator applies
force to operate the valve. Spring force is sometimes used to recover the position of valve.
Some manual valves utilize either a lever or an external pneumatic or hydraulic signal to
return the spool.

 Mechanically operated
Mechanically operated valves apply forces by using cams, wheels, rollers, etc., hence these
valves are subjected to wear.

 Hydraulically operated
A hydraulically operated Directional control valve works at much higher pressures than its
pneumatic equivalent. They must therefore be far more robust in nature so are precision
machined from higher quality and strength materials.

 Solenoid operated
They are widely used in the hydraulics industry. These valves make use of
electromechanical solenoids for sliding of the spool. Because simple application of electrical
power provides control, these valves are used extensively. However, electrical solenoids
cannot generate large forces unless supplied with large amounts of electrical power. Heat
generation poses a threat to extended use of these valves when energized over time. Many
have a limited duty cycle. This makes their direct acting use commonly limited to low
actuating forces. Often, a low power solenoid valve is used to operate a small hydraulic
valve (called the pilot) that starts a flow of fluid that drives a larger hydraulic valve that
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 requires more force. A bi-stable pneumatic valve is typically a pilot valve that is a 3 ported
2 position detented valve. The valve retains its position during loss of power, hence the bi-
stable name. Bi-stability can be accomplished with a mechanical detent and 2 opposing
solenoids or a "magna-latch" magnetic latch with a polarity sensitive coil. Positive opens
and negative closes or vice versa. The coil is held in position magnetically when actuated.

 Type of spool

Spool is of two types namely sliding and rotary. Sliding spool is cylindrical in cross section,
and the lands and grooves are also cylindrical. Rotary valves have sphere-like lands and
grooves in the form of holes drilled through them.

 Specification

Directional Control Valves are generally specified using the number of ports and the
number of switching positions. It can be represented in general form as np/ns, where np is
the number of ports connected to the direction control valve and ns the number of
switching positions. In addition, the method of actuation and the return method can also be
specified. A hypothetical valve could be specified as 4-way, 3-position direction control
valve or 4/3 DCV since there are four ports and three switching positions for the valve. In
this example, one port is called the pressure port which is connected to the pump; one port
is the tank port and is connected to the tank (or reservoir); and the two remaining ports
are called working ports and are connected to the actuator. Apart from characteristics of
valve the fluid suitable for valve, working temperature and viscosity also thought upon
before selecting a particular type of valve.

 Symbolic representation
While working with layouts of hydraulic machinery it is cumbersome to draw actual
picture of every valve and other components. Instead of pictures, symbols are used for
variety of components in the hydraulic system to highlight the functional aspects. The
symbol for directional control valve is made of number of square boxes adjacent to each
other depending on the number of positions. Connections to the valve are shown on these

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 squares by capital letters. usually they are named only in their normal position and not
repeated in other positions. actuation system of the valve is also designated in its symbol.

 Two-way two-position directional control valve

Gate valve is example of 2W/2P directional control valve which either turns on or off the
flow in normal or working positions depending on need of application. Here arrow
indicates that fluid flow is taking place whereas other position shows cut-off position.

 Four-way two-position directional control valve

4/2 valve has four connections to it and two valve positions. Normally, one port is open to
flow from the pump.

 Four-way three-position directional control valve

It has one way for pump (P), one for reservoir (R) or tank (T) and two for the inlet to the
actuator. And it has 3 positions: one normal, one cross way, and one straight way.

 Check valve
A check valve, clack valve, non-return valve, reflux valve, retention valve or one-way
valve is a valve that normally allows fluid (liquid or gas) to flow through it in only one
direction.

Check valves are two-port valves, meaning they have two openings in the body, one for
fluid to enter and the other for fluid to leave. There are various types of check valves used
in a wide variety of applications. Check valves are often part of common household items.
Although they are available in a wide range of sizes and costs, check valves generally are
very small, simple, or inexpensive. Check valves work automatically and most are not
controlled by a person or any external control; accordingly, most do not have any valve
handle or stem. The bodies (external shells) of most check valves are made of plastic or
metal.

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 An important concept in check valves is the cracking pressure which is the minimum
differential upstream pressure between inlet and outlet at which the valve will operate.
Typically the check valve is designed for and can therefore be specified for a specific
cracking pressure.
Heart valves are essentially inlet and outlet check valves for the heart ventricles, since the
ventricles act as pumps.

 Technical terminology
 Cracking pressure – Refers to the minimum pressure differential needed between the inlet
and outlet of the valve at which the first indication of flow occurs (steady stream of
bubbles). Cracking pressure is also known as unseating head (pressure) or opening
pressure.
 Reseal pressure – Refers to the pressure differential between the inlet and outlet of the
valve during the closing process of the check valve, at which there is no visible leak rate.
Reseal pressure is also known as sealing pressure, seating head (pressure) or closing
pressure.
 Back pressure – a pressure higher at the outlet of a fitting than that at the inlet or a point
upstream

 Types of check valves

 A ball check valve is a check valve in which the closing member, the movable part to block
the flow, is a ball. In some ball check valves, the ball is spring-loaded to help keep it shut.
For those designs without a spring, reverse flow is required to move the ball toward the
seat and create a seal. The interior surface of the main seats of ball check valves are more
or less conically-tapered to guide the ball into the seat and form a positive seal when
stopping reverse flow.
Ball check valves are often very small, simple, and cheap. They are commonly used in
liquid or gel minipump dispenser spigots, spray devices, some rubber bulbs for pumping
air, etc., manual air pumps and some other pumps, and refillable dispensing syringes.
Although the balls are most often made of metal, they can be made of other materials; in
some specialized cases out of highly durable or inert materials, such as sapphire. High
pressure HPLC pumps and similar applications commonly use small inlet and outlet ball

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 check valves with balls of (artificial) ruby and seats made of sapphire or both ball and seat
of ruby, for both hardness and chemical resistance. After prolonged use, such check valves
can eventually wear out or the seat can develop a crack, requiring replacement. Therefore,
such valves are made to be replaceable, sometimes placed in a small plastic body tightly-
fitted inside a metal fitting which can withstand high pressure and which is screwed into
the pump head.
There are similar check valves where the disc is not a ball, but some other shape, such as
a poppet energized by a spring. Ball check valves should not be confused with ball valves,
which is a different type of valve in which a ball acts as a controllable rotor to stop or
direct flow.
 A diaphragm check valve uses a flexing rubber diaphragm positioned to create a normally-
closed valve. Pressure on the upstream side must be greater than the pressure on the
downstream side by a certain amount, known as the pressure differential, for the check
valve to open allowing flow. Once positive pressure stops, the diaphragm automatically
flexes back to its original closed position.
 A swing check valve or tilting disc check valve is a check valve in which the disc, the
movable part to block the flow, swings on a hinge or trunnion, either onto the seat to block
reverse flow or off the seat to allow forward flow. The seat opening cross-section may be
perpendicular to the centerline between the two ports or at an angle. Although swing check
valves can come in various sizes, large check valves are often swing check valves. A
common issue caused by swing check valves is known as water hammer. This can occur
when the swing check closes and the flow abruptly stops, causing a surge of pressure
resulting in high velocity shock waves that act against the piping and valves, placing large
stress on the metals and vibrations in the system. Undetected, water hammer can rupture
pumps, valves, and pipes within the system.
The flapper valve in a flush-toilet mechanism is an example of this type of valve. Tank
pressure holding it closed is overcome by manual lift of the flapper. It then remains open
until the tank drains and the flapper falls due to gravity. Another variation of this
mechanism is the clapper valve, used in applications such firefighting and fire life safety
systems. A hinged gate only remains open in the inflowing direction. The clapper valve
often also has a spring that keeps the gate shut when there is no forward pressure. Another
example is the backwater valve (for sanitary drainage system) that protects against
flooding caused by return flow of sewage waters. Such risk occurs most often in sanitary
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 drainage systems connected to combined sewerage systems and in rainwater drainage
systems. It may be caused by intense rainfall, thaw or flood.
 A stop-check valve is a check valve with override control to stop flow regardless of flow
direction or pressure. In addition to closing in response to backflow or insufficient forward
pressure (normal check-valve behavior), it can also be deliberately shut by an external
mechanism, thereby preventing any flow regardless of forward pressure.
 A lift-check valve is a check valve in which the disc, sometimes called a lift, can be lifted up
off its seat by higher pressure of inlet or upstream fluid to allow flow to the outlet or
downstream side. A guide keeps motion of the disc on a vertical line, so the valve can later
reseat properly. When the pressure is no longer higher, gravity or higher downstream
pressure will cause the disc to lower onto its seat, shutting the valve to stop reverse flow.
 An in-line check valve is a check valve similar to the lift check valve. However, this valve
generally has a spring that will 'lift' when there is pressure on the upstream side of the
valve. The pressure needed on the upstream side of the valve to overcome the spring
tension is called the 'cracking pressure'. When the pressure going through the valve goes
below the cracking pressure, the spring will close the valve to prevent back-flow in the
process.
 A duckbill valve is a check valve in which flow proceeds through a soft tube that protrudes
into the downstream side. Back-pressure collapses this tube, cutting off flow.
 A pneumatic non-return valve.
Multiple check valves can be connected in series. For example, a double check valve is often
used as a backflow prevention device to keep potentially contaminated water
from siphoning back into municipal water supply lines. There are also double ball check
valves in which there are two ball/seat combinations sequentially in the same body to
ensure positive leak-tight shutoff when blocking reverse flow; and piston check valves,
wafer check valves, and ball-and-cone check valves.

 Applications
 Pumps
Check valves are often used with some types of pumps. Piston-driven and diaphragm
pumps such as metering pumps and pumps for chromatography commonly use inlet and
outlet ball check valves. These valves often look like small cylinders attached to the pump

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 head on the inlet and outlet lines. Many similar pump-like mechanisms for moving volumes
of fluids around use check valves such as ball check valves. The feed
pumps or injectors which supply water to steam boilers are fitted with check valves to
prevent back-flow.
Check valves are also used in the pumps that supply water to water slides. The water to the
slide flows through a pipe which doubles as the tower holding the steps to the slide. When
the facility with the slide closes for the night, the check valve stops the flow of water
through the pipe; when the facility reopens for the next day, the valve is opened and the
flow restarts, making the slide ready for use again.
 Industrial processes
Check valves are used in many fluid systems such as those in chemical and power plants,
and in many other industrial processes.
Typical applications in the nuclear industry are feed water control systems, dump lines,
make-up water, miscellaneous process systems, N2 systems, and monitoring and sampling
systems. In aircraft and aerospace, check valves are used where high vibration, large
temperature extremes and corrosive fluids are present. For example, spacecraft and launch
vehicle propulsion propellant control for reaction control systems (RCS) and Attitude
Control Systems (ACS) and aircraft hydraulic systems.
The injectors in a fuel injection system are check valves with a high opening pressure (5–
8 bar).
Check valves are also often used when multiple gases are mixed into one gas stream. A
check valve is installed on each of the individual gas streams to prevent mixing of the gases
in the original source. For example, if a fuel and an oxidizer are to be mixed, then check
valves will normally be used on both the fuel and oxidizer sources to ensure that the
original gas cylinders remain pure and therefore nonflammable.
In 2010, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory slightly modified a simple check valve design
with the intention to store liquid samples indicative to life on Mars in separate reservoirs of
the device without fear of cross contamination.
 Domestic use
When a sanitary potable water supply is plumbed to an unsanitary system, for example
lawn sprinklers, a dish washer or a washing machine, a check valve called a backflow
preventer is used to prevent contaminated water from re-entering the domestic water
supply.
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Some types of irrigation sprinklers and drip irrigation emitters have small check valves
built into them to keep the lines from draining when the system is shut off.
Check valves used in domestic heating systems to prevent vertical convection, especially in
combination with solar thermal installations, also are called gravity brakes.
Rainwater harvesting systems that are plumbed into the main water supply of a utility
provider may be required to have one or more check valves fitted to prevent contamination
of the primary supply by rainwater.
Hydraulic jacks use ball check valves to build pressure on the lifting side of the jack.
Check valves are commonly used in in flatables, such as toys, mattresses and boats. This
allows the object to be inflated without continuous or uninterrupted air pressure.

Sources
 Christopher., Dickenson, T. (1999). Valves, piping, and pipelines handbook (3rd
ed.). Oxford, UK: Elsevier Advanced Technology.
 "Chromatography on line, from J.W. Dolan, LCGC North Am. 26(6), 532–538
(2008)"
 Fleming, Jennifer. "ValveMan Blog". ValveMan Brand VM6800 In-Line Check
Valve- Product Overview. ValveMan LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-06-
10. Retrieved 1 August 2012..
 Valcor Aerospace Division. "Aerospace Check Valves".

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