Butterfly Valves

Curtiss-Wright Valves Division offers butterfly valves from its Solent & Pratt and Valve Group - Korea product brands. Butterfly Valves isolate or regulate the flow of fluid by using a closing mechanism with a rotating disc. These valves allow for a cost-effective and lightweight solution. 

Among the valves on offer are Double Block & Bleed, Triple Offset Segment Values that provide absolute shut-off and PTFE Sealed Fire-safe Valves. These systems, as well as an absolute commitment to outstanding quality and reliability, have assisted our successes in supplying engineering projects globally. 

We offer high-performance butterfly valves (HPBV) with a variety of custom features:

  • Soft seating or ebonite-lined designs in sizes 2" (50 mm) to 138" (3400 mm)
  • Metal-seated
  • Zero leakage
  • Bi-direction triple offset segment valves (TOSV) in sizes 2" (50 mm) to 84" (2100 mm) in pressure classes up to ANSI 1500# with fully rated trims. 

Our range also includes cryogenic, double block & bleed and our unique triple offset gate valve series.

View our full range of valves below:

3000C1-BV - C1 Butterfly Valve » Valve Group - Korea
Triple Offset Butterfly Valve »
Resilient Seated Valves »
Specialty Butterfly Valves »

 

Butterfly Valves: The Basics: Operation & Functionality

Butterfly Valves isolate or regulate the flow of fluid by using a closing mechanism with a rotating disc. Curtiss-Wright Valve Group offers butterfly valves from its Solent & Pratt and Valve Group - Korea product brands.

The operation of a butterfly valve is very similar to a ball valve. The ‘butterfly’ is a metal disk positioned in the center of the pipe, mounted onto a rod that passes through the disk to an actuator outside the valve. However, unlike a ball valve, the disk is always present within the flow, resulting in a slight drop pressure drop even when fully open; this is offset by lower costs and smaller size used in larger diameter pipes.

Turning the disk once the valve is closed blocks off the passageway but doesn't create as complete a seal as some alternatives, making options such as globe valve's a better fit for controlling gas flows. A full open valve allows the disk to rotate at a quarter turn giving unrestricted passage for the fluid.

Benefits:

  • Easy to open
  • Fast operation
  • Cost-effective solution
  • Lightweight design
  • Minimal pressure loss
  • Available in substantial sizes
  • Built for remote operation
  • Operated by handles, gears, or automatic actuators

Types of Butterfly Valves

At Curtiss Wright, we hold a variety of butterfly valves for many applications. They can come in diverse designs, each of which serves specific environments and pressure ranges. Butterfly valves are categorized based on their disc closure design, connection design, and actuation method.
There are three common types of butterfly valves, zero offset, double offset, and triple offset. 

Zero-Offset Butterfly Valve

A zero offset butterfly valve is known for its concentric design and is often called resilient seated or rubber seated butterfly valves. They rely on the flexibility of rubber to create a seal. The valves have the lowest pressure rating and include a stem and disk centered in the seat and body of the valve. The fully protected seat is used to reduce the risk of any solids damaging the seating surface.

Zero-Offset Butterfly Valve Applications 

A zero-offset butterfly valve is commonly used in applications such as handling:

  • Chemicals
  • Coatings
  • Abrasive 
  • Food

Double-Offset Butterfly Valves

Used mainly for their shut-off and throttle control, high-performance double offset butterfly valves are designed to handle anything from general applications to corrosive liquids and gases. A double offset is used for higher pressures than the zero offset valves.

Valve Design

The valve has two stems offset from the center, creating a cam action when in use. One is offset from the centerline of the disk seat and body seal. The seat is lifted out of the seal, reducing friction resulting in less wear. The other is offset from the centerline of the bore.

Double-Offset Butterfly Valve Applications 

A double offset butterfly valve is commonly used in:

  • Power generation
  • Chemical
  • Oil
  • Gas
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Shipbuilding

Triple Offset Butterfly Valves

Similar to the positioning of a double offset valve, the triple butterfly valve also has a third offset due to the seating surface’s positioning. Using this method allows the disc to seal against the seat without causing any friction.

The uniform sealing allows for a tight shutoff in a metal seat design and is famous for its low cost and low torque requirements.

Triple-Offset Butterfly Valve Applications

A triple offset butterfly valve is commonly used for:

 

  • High-pressure steam
  • Superheated steam
  • High-temperature gases and oils

Curtiss-Wright Butterfly Valve Products

TOSV - QUARTER TURN - TOSV™, TOGV - QUARTER TURN - TOGV™, TOSV - DOUBLE BLOCK & BLEED TOSV, R-SERIES - RESILIENT SEAL BUTTERFLY VALVES, E-SERIES - EBONITE LINED BUTTERFLY VALVES,3000C1-BV - C1 BUTTERFLY VALVE, T-SERIES - PTFE SEALED FIRESAFE VALVE

FAQ

What are the differences between check valves, gate valves, and butterfly valves?

A check valve is a two-port valve allowing the flow of liquid or gas to flow in only one direction; most work automatically with no control.
A gate valve can be fully open or fully closed by a barrier (gate) that lifts up and down; the flow can’t be adjusted. A butterfly valve uses a closing mechanism with a rotating disc to isolate or regulate fluid flow.

What is a butterfly valve used for?

Butterfly valves are used for throttling or regulating flow in the fully open and fully closed position. Most commonly used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries, the valve is used to interrupt product flow, causing separation of a solid, liquid, or gas. If a valve is used in these industries, it is often manufactured according to cGMP guidelines (current good manufacturing practices). 

What type of valve is a butterfly valve?

A butterfly valve is known as a quarter-turn valve and works very similar to ball valves. In operation, the valve is fully open or closed when the disc rotates a quarter turn. The "butterfly" refers to the metal disc mounted on a rod. When the valve is closed, the disc is turned so that it completely blocks the passage.

What is the difference between a ball valve and a butterfly valve?

Although both ball valves and butterfly valves are both used to control gas or liquid flow, they have specific characteristics that make them ever so slightly different. Both components are quarter-turn valves capable of regulating flow at various temperatures for very little expense. But what are the differences? They each have their own set of unique characteristics that make them perfect for a specific application. It’s important to keep factors in mind like pressure, pipe size, and quality of the seal when deciding between a butterfly valve or ball valve for a project.  

How many types of butterfly valves are there?

There are three butterfly valves: concentric butterfly valves, double offset butterfly valves, and triple offset butterfly valves.