Why piston valves are better isolation shut off valve

The RP piston valve gives a tight shut off and can be maintained in line without the need to remove the valve.

linear movement isolation valves

Gate valves

most common valves in use . Popular where an uninterrupted flow is required, because the gate fully retracts into the
bonnet, creating a minimal pressure drop

Globe valves
Globe valves; they have become more popular than gate valves as there is a wide variety of configurations available
to suit most applications.

The movement of fluid through the valve seat is longitudinal to the operating motion of the obturator; this means that
for a valve in which the inlet and outlet are horizontally opposed, the fluid must follow a changing course.

The main advantage of this arrangement is that a globe valve opens more rapidly than a gate valve as the disc only
needs to move a small distance from its seat to allow full flow. This is an advantage when there is frequent operation
of the valve.

The disadvantage is that the fluid has to change course, increasing the resistance to flow and generating turbulence.
This results in a higher pressure drop across a globe valve than a gate valve.

Globe valves are less likely to leak than gate valves, which means that they can be used for higher pressure or higher
volume applications, for example in steam systems, or where fluid loss can be hazardous or costly. The increased
cost of globe valves over gate valves is therefore offset by the additional safety they provide, and a reduced chance
of fluid loss.

Piston valves
One of the main disadvantages of linear movement valves is the fact that their seats are prone to damage from dirt
and wiredrawing, and therefore, depending on the application may require regular maintenance. Although these seats
are replaceable in theory, it usually involves significant time and cost, and it is often more advantageous to replace
the entire valve. To overcome this problem, piston valves have been developed.

The piston valve is a variant of the conventional globe valve, with the traditional seat and cone replaced by a piston
and lantern bush. The piston is connected to the valve stem and handwheel, and passes through two sealing rings
that are separated by a lantern bush. When assembled, the two sets of sealing rings are compressed around the
piston by the load exerted along the stem. The upper set of sealing rings acts as conventional gland packing, and the
lower set acts as the seat. Furthermore, the large sealing area between the piston and rings assures a high level of
shut-off tightness.

The piston valve is not designed for throttling duties and must be used in the fully open or closed positions. When the
valve is fully opened, only the bottom face of the piston is exposed to the fluid as the rest of the body is protected by
the upper sealing rings. This means that the sealing surfaces (the sides of the piston) are protected from erosion by
the fluid flow.
If the valve requires maintenance, all the internals can be easily removed by undoing the cover nuts and withdrawing
the piston. The rings and the lantern bush can then be removed using an extractor tool. This operation is simple and
can be undertaken without having to remove the valve from the pipeline.
 In general, the piston should never have to be replaced, but the sealing rings may wear over a long period with
frequent operation.

Bonetti piston valves fact sheet

Piston valve advantages

SLOW OPENING. This helps to stop water hammer. The valve has a cage unit
fitted in which the piston moves, creating a variable orifice by degree as opposed
to simply 'open or closed'
POSITIVE SHUT OFF. The valve has a positive seal between piston and seal the
BSI classification is 1V. No other valve type achieves the shut off of the piston
valve.
CAN BE MAINTAINED IN-LINE. The replacement of the piston rings can be
carried out in-line by removing the yoke, leaving the body seals and cage in-line.
The top seal is removed, the cage unit taken out, the bottom seal removed and
new seats simply installed in reverse order.
NO LEAKS TO THE ATMOSPHERE. Because the top ring has the same leakage
classification as the bottom ring the chances of leakage are as good as or better
than bellows-sealed valves.
NO WIREDRAWING ON SEATING FACE. The valve seals on the sides of the
piston and not on the flat face. This means that if the valve is left in an 'inbetween'
position for any length of time, no wiredrawing can occur on the seating
face.
DIN 2533.The valve's 'face to face' complies with DIN standards and can fit any
comparable DIN valve
.
BELLOWS-SEALED VALVES.
Whilst competitively priced, the operational concept is to stop leaks to
atmosphere, not to provide positive isolation. Piston valves provide the best
isolation.
PARALLEL SLIDE VALVES
The constant issue with these valves is not the valves themselves, but usually
their operation. Many - arguably most - operators do not understand how they
work and many valves are damaged in service. When one factors in the
comparative expense, PS valves are seldom a preferred or recommended option.
STEAM GLOBE VALVES.
Many manufactures provide steam globe valves, the perceived advantage being
one of cost. However the service life is much shorter. Many operators try to
regulate with this valve and end up cutting the seat, and this damage does not
become apparent until it comes to plant isolation.

UKL

UKL Piston Valve is basically Seat less and Glandless valve and by virtue of its design can replace
both, the conventional type of Gate and Globe valves, with distinct advantages over them. The Klinger
Piston valve works on the principle of Resilient rings in conjunction with a Metallic Stainless Steel
Piston, that moves vertically between the rings, giving a Seal that is both effective as well as Durable.
This sealing system gives a bubble tight shut off, equivalent if not superior to Class VI leak
standards.The Sealing rings are the heart of the valves, are available in Non Asbestos, Tanged
Graphite, and Graphited Asbestos varieties, to effectively handle more than 250 Industrial Media.