What is the difference in the use of butterfly valves and gate valves?

The main differences between butterfly valves and gate valves in use are their working principles, structures, flow control capabilities, applicable scenarios, and advantages and disadvantages. ‌

Working principle and structural differences

• Butterfly valve: Butterfly valve is a type of angular stroke valve, with a disc-shaped closing element (valve disc or butterfly plate) that rotates around the valve shaft to achieve the purpose of opening and closing. The fully open and fully closed butterfly valve is usually less than 90 °. By changing the deflection angle of the butterfly plate, the flow rate of the medium can be controlled.

Butterfly valves are mainly composed of valve bodies, butterfly plates, valve stems, and sealing rings. They are designed to be relatively simple, small in size, lightweight, and easy to install and maintain.

• Gate valve: A gate valve is a type of straight stroke valve, with a gate valve as its opening and closing component. The direction of movement of the gate valve is perpendicular to the direction of the fluid flow. Gate valves can only be fully opened and fully closed, and cannot be adjusted or throttled. Gate valves control the flow of fluid through vertical lifting and lowering of the gate, and the fluid channel is linear with low fluid resistance.

Gate valves are mainly composed of valve bodies, gate plates, valve stems, valve covers, and sealing rings, with relatively complex structures, large volumes, and heavy weights.

Flow control capability

• Butterfly valve: Butterfly valves control flow by rotating the butterfly plate, suitable for occasions that require frequent flow adjustment. Its structure is simple, with low fluid resistance, especially suitable for flow regulation of large-diameter pipelines.
• Gate valve: Gate valves can only be fully opened or fully closed and cannot be used for flow regulation. It has good sealing performance and low fluid resistance, making it suitable for situations that require high sealing performance and high pressure.

Applicable scenarios

• Butterfly valve: suitable for applications that require rapid opening and closing and flow regulation, such as chemical, smelting, power generation, and other systems that require regulating and cutting off fluid media. Butterfly valves are also suitable for working conditions with limited installation space, as their clamp type connection saves more space.
• Gate valve: Suitable for high temperature, low temperature, high pressure, low pressure and other working conditions, especially in steam pipelines and large-diameter water supply pipelines. Due to the need for high sealing performance and small fluid resistance, gate valves are more suitable.

Comparison of advantages and disadvantages

• Butterfly valve: Its advantages include simple structure, small size, light weight, easy installation and maintenance, good sealing performance, especially suitable for flow regulation of large-diameter pipelines. The disadvantage is that it can withstand relatively weak pressure and has greater resistance to high-speed fluid flow.
• Gate valve: Its advantages include good sealing performance, low fluid resistance, strong flow capacity, and the ability to withstand high pressure and temperature. The disadvantage is that it has a large volume, heavy weight, and relatively complex installation and maintenance.