What is Another Name for a Ball Valve: 23 different names

23 Different Names for Ball Valves

In the intricate world of industrial fluid control, few components are as ubiquitous and vital as the ball valve. Renowned for its simple quarter-turn operation, reliable shut-off, and versatility, it’s a cornerstone of piping systems across countless sectors. Yet, if you’ve ever searched for one, browsed supplier catalogs, or discussed specifications with engineers, you’ve likely encountered a bewildering array of names beyond just “ball valve.” Why does this single valve type have so many aliases? Understanding “what is another name for a ball valve” is crucial for clear communication, accurate procurement, and selecting the perfect valve for your specific needs.

This proliferation of names stems from how we describe the valve’s fundamental purpose, its internal design, the materials it’s built from, its installation method, or the extreme conditions it’s engineered to handle. Let’s demystify this terminology landscape.

Core Functional Aliases: Defining the Job

The most common alternative names for ball valves directly describe their primary action in a system:

1. On-Off Valve:

Why it’s used: This name perfectly captures the valve’s core function – providing a simple, reliable means to completely start (On) or completely stop (Off) the flow of fluid. It highlights the valve’s design for full-open/full-close operation, distinct from valves used for throttling or flow regulation.

Usage Context: Universally understood across industries. When the priority is rapid isolation or initiation of flow without the need for fine flow control, it’s an “On-Off Valve.”

2. Shut Off Valve / Shut Down Valve:

Why it’s used: These terms emphasize the valve’s critical role in safety, isolation, and emergency stoppage. They underscore the valve’s ability to achieve bubble-tight shut-off, preventing leakage when closed. “Shut Down Valve” often implies its use in critical safety sequences to isolate equipment or sections of a process.

Usage Context: Extremely common in maintenance procedures, safety systems, and anywhere absolute isolation is required. Often seen on P&IDs (Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams).

Structural & Design-Based Names: How It’s Built

Variations in the internal mechanism and assembly method lead to distinct classifications:

3. Floating Ball Valve: The ball is not mechanically fixed to the stem. Sealing relies on the pressure of the fluid pushing the ball against the downstream seat. Common for smaller sizes and lower pressures.

4. Trunnion Mounted Ball Valve (Fixed Ball Valve): The ball is anchored on a trunnion (pivot) at the top and bottom. Seats are spring-loaded. This design handles much higher pressures and larger sizes, as the line pressure doesn’t force the ball into the seat. Essential for critical and high-pressure applications.

5. Top Entry Ball Valve: The valve body has a single main body piece and a removable top bonnet/cover. This allows for easy maintenance and repair (like seat/ball replacement) without removing the entire valve from the pipeline. Highly desirable for costly or critical installations.

6. Fully Welded Ball Valve: The body is welded shut during manufacturing. Offers maximum strength and leak integrity, especially for **high-pressure gas applications (like pipelines)** or hazardous fluids where external leakage is unacceptable. Maintenance is difficult or impossible.

7. Three-Way Ball Valve (or Multi-Port / Diverting Valve): Features an L-shaped or T-shaped bore in the ball, allowing flow to be directed between different ports (e.g., from one inlet to one of two outlets, or mixing flows). Crucial for flow direction control and diversion.

8. Full Port (Full Bore) Ball Valve: The bore (hole) through the ball is the same size as the connecting pipe’s inner diameter. Minimizes pressure drop and allows for pigging (cleaning device passage). Used where flow capacity is critical.

9. Reduced Port (Reduced Bore) Ball Valve: The bore through the ball is smaller than the pipe’s inner diameter. Results in higher pressure drop but is often more economical and compact. Suitable where minimal flow restriction isn’t the primary concern.

10. V-Port Ball Valve: Features a V-shaped notch or a ball with a contoured V-port. Allows for moderate flow control and throttling (unlike standard on-off ball valves), providing a more linear flow characteristic. Also used for slurry applications to reduce clogging.

Material Composition Names: What It’s Made Of

The valve’s construction material directly dictates its compatibility and application:

11. Stainless Steel Ball Valve (SS Ball Valve): Made from various grades (304, 316, 316L). Offers excellent corrosion resistance for water, chemicals, food, beverage, and marine environments. The most common material for demanding applications.

12. Carbon Steel Ball Valve (CS Ball Valve): Made from materials like WCB (A216). Offers high strength and pressure rating at a lower cost than stainless, but less corrosion resistance. Common in oil & gas (non-corrosive streams), power generation, and general industrial service. Often requires protective coatings.

13. Duplex Steel Ball Valve / Super Duplex Ball Valve: Made from duplex (e.g., 2205) or super duplex (e.g., 2507) stainless steels. Provide exceptional strength (2x 316 SS), superior stress corrosion cracking resistance, and high pitting/crevice corrosion resistance. Essential for offshore oil & gas, chemical processing with chlorides, and seawater applications.

14. Metal Seated Ball Valve: Utilizes hard-faced metal seats (e.g., Stellite, Inconel) instead of soft seats (PTFE, RPTFE). Designed for high temperatures (far exceeding soft seat limits), abrasive services, and frequent cycling where soft seats would wear out quickly. May have higher leakage rates than soft-seated valves but much longer life in harsh conditions.

Application & Performance Specific Names: Where and How It Performs

Valves are engineered for specific operating environments or performance requirements:

15. High-Pressure Ball Valve: Specifically designed and tested to handle extremely high line pressures (e.g., thousands of PSI/Bar). Often Trunnion Mounted, with robust bodies, stems, and seals. Common in oil & gas production, wellheads, hydraulic systems, and chemical processing.

16. Cryogenic Ball Valve: Engineered for very low temperature service (typically below -40°F/-40°C, down to LNG temperatures like -320°F/-196°C). Features extended bonnets to protect seals from ambient heat, special low-temperature materials (e.g., stainless steels with specific impact toughness), and often metal seats. Used in LNG, LPG, liquid nitrogen/oxygen, and other cryogenic fluid handling.

17. Vacuum Ball Valve: Designed to achieve and maintain high vacuum levels without internal outgassing or leakage. Features special seals (often elastomers compatible with vacuum), smooth internal surfaces, and sometimes all-metal construction for ultra-high vacuum (UHV). Used in semiconductor manufacturing, analytical instruments, and space simulation chambers.

18. Mini Ball Valve / Compact Ball Valve: Small, lightweight ball valves, often with threaded ends (NPT, BSP). Used in instrumentation lines, sampling points, laboratory equipment, and tight spaces where standard valves are too bulky.

19. Large Diameter Ball Valve: Refers to ball valves with bore sizes typically 12 inches (DN300) and larger. Require specialized design (almost always Trunnion Mounted), robust actuation (gears, hydraulic/pneumatic actuators), and precise manufacturing. Found in main pipeline transportation (oil, gas, water), large process plant intakes/discharges, and power plant cooling systems.

End Connection Names: How It Attaches to the Pipe

While the valve type is defined by its internals, the end connection is often specified alongside it:

20. Flanged Ball Valve: Features flanged ends (ANSI, DIN, JIS, etc.) for bolting between pipe flanges. The most common connection for larger sizes and higher pressures in industrial plants, offering ease of installation/removal and robust sealing.

21. Threaded Ball Valve (Screwed End Ball Valve): Features male (NPT, BSP) or female threaded ends. Common for smaller sizes (typically under 2 inches / DN50), instrumentation, and lower pressure applications. Easy to install but less robust for high vibration or thermal cycling than flanged.

22. Socket Weld Ball Valve: Ends have sockets to fit the pipe, which is then fillet welded. Provides a strong, leak-tight connection, stronger than threaded but more permanent. Common in high-pressure small-bore piping (e.g., power plants, hydraulic lines).

23. Butt Weld Ball Valve: Ends are beveled to allow direct butt welding to the pipeline. Offers the highest integrity, permanent connection, ideal for high-pressure, high-temperature, hazardous, or critical services where leakage is unacceptable (e.g., subsea, refineries).

Conclusion: The Right Name Ensures the Right Valve

So, “what is another name for a ball valve?” As we’ve seen, the answer is far from simple! From the fundamental On-Off Valve or Shut Off Valve describing its purpose, to the intricate classifications like Trunnion Mounted, Top Entry, or Metal Seated, and the application-specific Cryogenic or High-Pressure variants, each name provides critical information.

Understanding this rich vocabulary is essential. Specifying just “ball valve” is rarely sufficient. Knowing whether you need a Stainless Steel, Full Port, Floating Ball Valve for general water service, or a Duplex Steel, Trunnion Mounted, High-Pressure Ball Valve with Metal Seats for a sour gas application makes the difference between a successful installation and a costly failure.

By mastering these alternative names and classifications, you empower yourself to communicate precisely with suppliers, engineers, and maintenance teams, ensuring you select the optimal ball valve solution for performance, safety, and longevity in your specific industrial context. The right name truly leads to the right valve.