EECG Industrial Solutions

Valves

Control Valve Selection: Globe vs Rotary, Sizing, Trim and Positioners

A control valve is the final element of most control loops. Sized and specified well, it gives stable control and long life; chosen poorly, it causes noise, erosion and a loop that never settles.

Oct 20264 min readEECG Engineering Team
GlobeRotaryCv sizingPositioners

Globe or rotary?

Globe (linear)Rotary
ExamplesTop-guided single seat, cage-guided, angle valvesEccentric plug, segmented ball, butterfly
StrengthsPrecise control, wide choice of special trims for high pressure dropHigh capacity, compact, economical in larger sizes
Typical useSteam, feedwater, high-ΔP and severe serviceSlurries, viscous fluids, large flows, lower ΔP

Sizing with Cv

Valve sizing calculates the required flow coefficient (Cv or Kv) from the minimum, normal and maximum flow and the pressure conditions, following standards such as IEC 60534 / ISA-75. Aim for normal operation in the middle of the valve's travel — an oversized valve controls poorly near its seat.

Flow characteristic

Equal percentage characteristics suit most pressure, flow and temperature loops where the available pressure drop changes with flow; linear characteristics suit loops where the valve takes most of the system pressure drop, such as many level loops.

Cavitation, flashing and noise

When liquid pressure falls below vapour pressure inside the valve, bubbles form and collapse (cavitation), damaging trim and body. If outlet pressure stays below vapour pressure, the flow flashes. Gas valves at high pressure drop create noise. Multi-stage trims — for example KOSO's VeCTor trims and cage-guided designs — reduce velocity step by step to control these effects.

Shut-off class

Leakage classes (for example Class IV, V or VI to IEC 60534-4 / ANSI/FCI 70-2) define allowable seat leakage. Specify only what the process needs: tighter classes cost more and may need special seats.

Actuators and positioners

Pneumatic diaphragm or piston actuators are common, with fail-open or fail-closed action chosen for safety. A smart positioner such as KOSO's KGP series compares the control signal with valve position and corrects it, and provides diagnostics over HART.

Information we need to size a valve

Frequently asked questions

Why is my control valve hunting?

Common causes are oversizing, a mismatched characteristic, stiction or a poorly tuned positioner or loop. A valve diagnostic check helps find the cause.

Browse KOSO products at EECG

EECG is an authorised channel partner for KOSO in Central India, with supply, installation and service support from our Raipur team.

KOSO range → Search our catalogue for “control valve” →

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