Design and Modelling of a 90-Degree Ball Valve with a Linear Pressure Drop

Authors

  • Daniel A. Gutierrez School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
  • Jose M. Garcia-Bravo School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3017-3354
  • Aaron L. Reid Mechanical Engineer, Idex, Crawfordsville, Indiana, USA
  • Brittany A. Newell School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
  • Paul McPherson School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
  • Mark French School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/ijfp1439-9776.2111

Keywords:

Globe valve, Ball valve, CFD simulation, Valve flow coefficient, Valve linearization

Abstract

Globe valves also known as ball or gate valves are used to control fluid flow in a vast number of applications. Most of the existing applications use them because of their simplicity and very low cost. However, these valves are known for their poor precision for controlling the flow and the lack of electromechanical means for their actuation. Moreover, because of their low linearity their use in closed loop control applications make them nearly unusable. The goal of this research project was to investigate means for redesigning the metering area of a ball valve in such a manner that the pressure vs. flow characteristic would be close to a linear trend. Two different profiles where designed and tested experimentally and modelled using CFD techniques for the estimation of their valve flow coefficients. The model was able to accurately predict the behaviour of the valve with less than a 10% error when fully open. The model can be used for scaling the size of the ball for larger applications and for tuning controlling strategies for flow dispensation in real life applications. 

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Author Biographies

Daniel A. Gutierrez, School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Daniel A. Gutierrez received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology and an M.S. in Engineering Technology from Purdue University West Lafayette in 2017 and 2019. In 2019 he began working as a research and design engineer for Banjo Corporation, a fluid handling device manufacturer in the agricultural industry. As an engineer at Banjo Corporation he has used various Computer-Aided Engineering technologies to design and improve products. His research interests include multi-physics modeling for realworld applications, primarily fluid-structure interactions.

Jose M. Garcia-Bravo, School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Jose M. Garcia-Bravo received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes in 2002Bogota, Colombia, and M.Sc. in Engineering and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University West Lafayette, IN, USA. in 2006 and 2011 respectively. From 2011 to 2012, he was a Research Assistant Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Since 2015, he has been an Assistant Professor with the School of Engineering Technology at Purdue University, West Lafayette. His research interests include electric and hydraulic hybrid drive trains, Additive manufacturing of hydraulic and pneumatic components and energy efficiency and duty cycles of hydraulic systems.

Aaron L. Reid, Mechanical Engineer, Idex, Crawfordsville, Indiana, USA

Aaron L. Reid received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rose- Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN, USA in 1994. From 1994 to 1996, Aaron worked as a Project Engineer at Cadillac Rubber and Plastics, Cadillac, MI. In 1996, Aaron went to work for Banjo Corporation, Crawfordsville, IN, an agricultural liquid handling products company, as a Project engineer. Throughout his time at Banjo Corporation, Aaron has performed cradle to grave product design and development, plastic injection molding and machining department manager for 10 years, and currently design engineering manager leading the product engineering team.

Brittany A. Newell, School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Brittany A. Newell received a B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering, a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Purdue University West Lafayette, IN, in 2009, 2010, and 2012 respectively. From 2013 to 2015, she worked for a contract manufacturing company in quality and regulatory engineering and as a Quality Manager. In 2015, she returned to Purdue as an Assistant Professor with the school of Engineering Technology. Her research interests are intelligent sensors and actuators, adaptive structures, additive manufacturing, and energy efficiency. Dr. Newell is interested in implementation of these technologies into industrial applications.

Paul McPherson, School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Paul McPherson is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the School of Engineering Technology at Purdue University, Paul teaches both mechanical design and quality control courses. Professor McPherson’s research interests include quality systems in manufacturing for process improvement, mechanical design and analysis, and education about technical standards.

Mark French, School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Mark French Received a B.S. in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1985. He received an M.S. in 1988 and Ph.D. in 1993, both in Aerospace engineering from the University of Dayton. He worked as a civilian engineer for the US Air Force from 1985 to 1995, specializing in aeroelasticity and photomechanics. He then moved to the automotive industry, where he was a lab manager for Lear Corp from 1995–1999. He moved to Bosch, where he was a senior engineer in their Noise and Vibration group from 1999–2004. He then came to Purdue, where his now a professor in the School of Engineering Technology. He works primarily on industrial engagement, experimental mechanics and stringed instrument design.

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Published

2020-03-30

How to Cite

Gutierrez, D. A., Garcia-Bravo, J. M., Reid, A. L., Newell, B. A., McPherson, P., & French, M. (2020). Design and Modelling of a 90-Degree Ball Valve with a Linear Pressure Drop. International Journal of Fluid Power, 21(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.13052/ijfp1439-9776.2111

Issue

2020: Vol 21 Iss 1

Section

Original Article