Ball valves can be classified according to the structure, drive mode, channel type, sealing material, connection mode, application scenario, etc. Here are the details:
By structure:
Floating ball valves:
Floating ball valves have no fixed shaft and are sealed by the pressure of the medium pressing the float ball against valve seat (mainly one-way, some can be designed to be sealed in bidirectional sealing). Simple structure, small size, light weight, low cost, but under high pressure and large diameter, easy deformation, reduced the reliability of the seal. Generally applicable for DN ≤ 200mm and pressure≤PN40, such as civil gas, water supply and drainage, and general industrial pipelines.
Fixated Ball Valve:
The ball is fixed to the valve body through upper and lower axes and does not move under moderate pressure. Seat is spring or medium pressure ball seal (bidirectional sealing available). Seal is stable and resistant to deformation, suitable for petrochemicals, long-distance natural gas pipelines, high temperature, high pressure steam pipelines, etc. DN ≥ 100mm, PN64 pressure ≥ 64mm. Depending on the number of valve seats, it can be divided into single-seat fixed ball valves (compact structure) and two-seat fixed ball valves (more reliable sealing for highly toxic and flammable media). **Elastic Ball Valve:** The sphere is made of elastic material (such as rubber or metal elastomer coating) or has elastic grooves inside. The ball's deformation compensates for the sealing gap and achieves reliable sealing under high pressure (mainly hard seal + elastic compensation structure). The sealing performance is better than that of normal floating ball valves. It can withstand high temperature, high pressure and medium containing small particles, such as boiler steam, pulverized coal pipelines, high temperature oil pipelines, etc.
V-shaped ball valve:
The ball core is V-shaped notch and the valve seat is hard sealed (metal or abrasionresistant alloy). The V-shaped opening is adjusted by rotating the ball, combining "truncating" and "adjusting" functions. It has high accuracy of flow regulation. The V-shaped incision cuts through fibers and particles in the medium (preventing blockage). It applies to slurry, media containing suspended particles (e.g. paper black liquid, mine tailings and wastewater treatment) and situations requiring precise flow control (e.g. feed regulation of chemical reactants).
Three-way ball valve:
valve core has a T-shaped or L-shaped channel that allows for "three-way inversion" (such as media merging, splitting, and flow directions switching). Ball valves are divided into T-ball valves and L-type three-pass ball valves according to channel type. They are used for conversion of pipeline media (e.g. between hot and cold fluids), shunting (conversion of one medium into two media) and merging (conversion of two media into one medium), and are commonly found in air conditioning systems and chemically mixed pipes.
By drive mode, ball valves can be divided into:
Manual Ball Valves:
operated by rotating handle or handwheel (handle type is suitable for small diameters DN≤50mm, handwheel type is suitable for large diameter DN ≥ 65mm). Simple structure, low cost, suitable for low frequency operation and small diameter applications such as household valve and small pipeline maintenance valve.
Electric Ball Valves:
Driven by an electric actuator (motor + reduction gear), remote control and automatic adjustment (with PLC or frequency converter), high precision and easy to operate. It can be used in high-caliber pipeline, or in high-altitude pipeline, toxic media pipelines pipeline, automatic production line, etc..
Pneumatic ball valves: driven by a pneumatic actuator (cylinder), compressed air, quick response (milliseconds), excellent blast resistance (no motor spark), suitable for flammable and explosive media (e.g. petrochemical installations, petrol stations) and high frequency operation scenarios (e.g. assembly lines valve switches).
Hydraulic ball valves:
Driven by a hydraulic actuator and with high output torque, they are suitable for ultra-high pressure, oversized diameter ball valves (DN≥500mm, PN100) such as main pipes in water conservancy projects and large chemical plants.
Type of flow: Straight through ball valves: both inlet and outlet channels are straight (180°), allowing direct media flow with minimal flow resistance (flow resistance factor of 0.05-0.1, close to gate valves). This is the most common type (such as common floating and fixed ball valves, mainly direct ball valves).
Three-way ball valve:
Inlet and outlet have three channels (T or L), used for pipeline branching or reverse.
Four-way ball valve: Four channels allow switching between two media or bidirectional flow. Fewer applications less common (e.g., complex hydraulic systems, multimedia pipeline conversions).
By Seal Material:
Soft Sealed Ball Valve:
Soft Seated valve seat are made of nonmetallic materials (PTFE, PTFE, rubber, nylon, etc.) with excellent sealing performance (almost zero leakage) but limited temperature resistance (PTFE ≤200°C, rubber ≤120°C). Used in corrosive media (such as acid-base solutions), clean media (such as food and pharmaceutical pipelines) and low-pressure cryogenic applications.
Hard Sealed Ball Valve:
Seats and spheres are made of metal (stainless steel, hard alloy, copper alloy, etc.) and are characterized by high temperature resistance (up to 450°C and 600°C for hot alloy), abrasion resistance, particle impact, etc. However, sealing performance is slightly lower than that of soft-seal (leakage ≤0.1%). Used in high temperature, high pressure media (e.g., steam, high-temperature oil), particulate media (e.g., coal powder, pulverized coal) and abrasionresistant conditions (e.g., mining pipelines). Ball valves can be divided into:
Flanged ball valves:
Flanged connection, suitable for all kinds of fluid piping.
Threaded ball valves:
Threaded connection, suitable for small caliber, low pressure fluid pipe. Threaded ball valves is divided into one, two and three, one of which is also known as Guangdong ball valve.
Welded ball valves:
Used for pipeline systems that require permanent connection or operate under high pressure and high temperature conditions by welding connection.
Compression fitting ball valves:
Connected by compression fittings, suitable for small caliber, low pressure fluid piping.
Clamping ball valve:
Connected by clamping mode, suitable for large caliber fluid pipe.
Wafer ball valve:
A connection between a valve and a pipe at either end that is bolted together directly. This compact structure is suitable for pipeline systems with limited space.
By application scenario:
Water balloon valve: suitable for piping piped water, cooling water, hot water, etc..
Steam ball valve: suitable for conveying steam, hot air and other high temperature media pipe.
Gas ball valve: suitable for conveying oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and other gas media pipe.
Acid-base ball valve: suitable for pipelines containing corrosive media such as strong acid and alkali.
