 Flow controls are widely used in the plumbing industry.

Their main use is to control the

flow of water in a system. Different flow controls have different flow rates meaning there
is one available for all applications. Although all flow controls have the same job, they
can be designed slightly different.

What is a Flow Control?

Flow controls, or flow regulator valves main purpose is to restrict the output to a specified flow
rate. Flow controls are self cleaning and are specially designed to remain accurate within 15% of
the valves rated Gallon Per Minute (GPM), for pressure drops and pressure up to 125 PSI. The
internal mechanism has no moving parts, it only has a flexible orifice that varies with applied
pressure keeping a constant flow rate.
You may have came across flow controls that look different from one another, but they all do the
same job. Typically the smaller sizes, 3/8” through 1” look similar to a pipe coupling from the
outside and sizes 1 ¼” through 3” look similar to pipe nipples.

Three Key Features

Water Management
A flow control provides good water management. When water systems are properly engineered
with a flow control, a specific amount of water will be delivered to all desired areas. By
including a flow control in your system, you will be saving water which will ultimately save you
money. A win for you and the environment.

One Hole VS Three Hole Design

Most commonly, flow controls are found to be made with either a single or three hole design.
Single hole design tends to be noisier but the larger single port is less likely to become plugged,
they are the most widely accepted. Three hole design flow controls are more quiet in operation
but the smaller ports have a greater chance of becoming plugged. The picture shows the one hole
design flow control.
Pressure Variations
Having a precise flow control will improve your systems performance. It works well at both low
and high pressure. When there is no flow the o-ring becomes relaxed. As the pressure slowly
starts to increase, the o-ring constricts into the seating area and it keeps compressing until the
pressure starts to decrease, allowing the o-ring to relax. No matter if there is high or low
pressure, there will always be constant flow.
What is Cavitation?
When liquid travels through a flow control, a vena contracta (point of narrowest flow restriction)
develops downstream. The flow area is generally smaller than the rest of the flow path so as the
flow area starts to compress, tlhe momentum of the liquid rises. Once the fluid has passed the
vena contracta the momentum goes down.

In some cases, the pressure at the vena contracta drops way below the pressure of the liquid. This
would cause small bubbles of gas as the liquid starts to vaporize. Once the pressure starts to rise,
the small bubbles collapse. When this happens, it could cause damages to both the piping and the
control valves which could cause major failures. Even low levels of cavitation can cause severe
damages.

Cavitation makes a distinct sound. When the cavitation is more severe, the noise turns into a
steady hiss or rattle. Cavitation can be avoided entirely by not allowing the pressure to fall below
the vapour pressure. By doing this, you would eliminate any bubbles from forming and therefore
saving your system and valves from failing.
Flow controls are a simple device but if not properly used, they can cause very expensive
damages. Understanding all of the features that a flow control has to offer is the key to using it to
it’s full potential.

A flow control structure is a device that alters the flow of water in a stream, drainage channel or
pipe. As a group these are passive structures since they operate without intervention under
different amounts of water flow and their impact changes based on the quantity of water
available. This includes weirs, flow splitters and proprietary-design devices that are used for
stormwater management and in combined sewers.
Water & Wastes Digest
VALVES
Tips for Effective Flow Control
Controlling opening & closing valve speed to increase the life of butterfly valves
Nate Ventress is a water specialist and Craig Correia is head of process automation for Festo
Corp. Ventress can be reached at
Nate Ventress & Craig Correi

Undefined
Smooth opening and closing of butterfly valves has a large impact on system performance and
long-term reliable operation. It not only extends the life of the valve and actuator, but protects
other components and piping in the system. With systems utilizing pneumatic actuation, flow
control is achieved by metering the flow of compressed air as it enters or exhausts from the
actuator.

There are several problems that could occur if butterfly valves are actuated too quickly, the most
notable of which is known as water hammer or hydraulic shock. This is caused by a valve
closing rapidly, resulting in a buildup of pressure that quickly travels upstream. The resulting
noise or vibration can damage piping or instrumentation upstream of the valve.

Properly controlled opening and closing speed of the valves protects seal material, which
increases the life of the butterfly valve. The same can be said for the components inside the
actuator itself.
This article identifies ways to control the speed of pneumatic actuators, both single and double
acting, using effective flow control. The methods described apply to quarter-turn and linear
actuators, as well as vane, rack and pinion, and scotch yoke actuators.

Flow Control Applications

Flow control is achieved through a throttling device or an orifice that limits the flow of air. The
controlled flow of air in or out of a pneumatic actuator regulates the volume or rate of pressure
increase against the piston or vane. This in turn regulates the rotation speed of quarter turn
actuators, or the extend and retract speed of linear actuators.

Flow control valves differ from needle valves or orifices because this type of valve restricts flow
in one direction but allows free flow in the opposite direction. A needle valve or orifice restricts
the flow in both directions.

There are a few different ways to achieve proper flow control and therefore extend butterfly
valve life.
Care should be taken to select a flow control valve that matches the environmental specifications
of the application
Festo, for example, offers calibrated flow control valves. The best control and performance will
result from mounting an inline adjustable flow control valve directly on the pneumatic actuator.
Maintenance and troubleshooting manuals can be referenced for an exact number of turns for
optimal performance. This fact makes the process of adjustment simple.

Consider the pilot valve manifold

Most commonly, water treatment OEMs install the flow control valve on the pilot valve
manifold. One advantage of this design is that the flow control valve comes preinstalled on the
valve manifold. With this design, the flow control valve is immune to inadvertent adjustment at
the plant. The system also is environmentally protected because the valve manifolds are installed
in a controlled environment. Initial adjustment of these flow control valves, however, can be a
challenge because the process valve might not be visible from the valve terminal. The longer the
distance between the two, the harder it is to obtain precise control and system performance.

Another design that is sometimes seen is the lower-cost application of a needle valve; however,
this option should be dismissed because needle valves have a major disadvantage in this
application. Unlike an adjustable flow control, needle valves restrict flow of air in both
directions. This fact does not allow for separate control of open and close speeds.

Consider fixed orifice control

Fixed orifice control is the least expensive control option and is available in multiple diameters.
Manufacturers of treatment skids who are certain of consistency between installations can use
this method effectively. Small changes in line pressure or compressed air volume, however, can
have an impact on flow through an orifice. For these cases, adjustable flow control valves are
preferred.