Next, let’s talk about whether knife gate valves have fire-resistant and anti-static requirements.

Release time:

2023-05-11

　　Are there fire-resistant and anti-static requirements for knife gate valves?

　　In pipelines carrying natural gas, manufactured gas, liquefied petroleum gas, city gas, and non-corrosive gases, antistatic ball valves are equipped with antistatic and fire-resistant devices. Specifically, conductive springs are installed between the ball and the valve stem, as well as between the valve stem and the valve body. During valve operation, any static electricity generated is conducted through these specially designed static discharge channels into the ground, thereby effectively eliminating static charges and preventing static ignition of flammable media. This ensures system safety and enhances fire protection. The ball valve itself is designed with dual seals: when the soft gasket melts due to high temperatures, the valve’s ball core forms a rigid, right-angle seal behind the softened gasket, maintaining a secure sealing relationship. Compared to conventional gate valves, fire-resistant and antistatic ball valves can be widely used across numerous industries, and their safety performance has been significantly improved. This enhanced safety feature is primarily achieved through the ball valve’s sealing mechanism, which employs a double-sealing structure—a soft seal on one layer and a metal seal on the other. When the soft seal is damaged by combustion, the metal seal can step in to provide an additional barrier, playing a crucial role in alternating sealing and, to some extent, preventing large-scale medium leakage and the spread of fire.

　　When an electrostatic knife gate valve is opened or closed, the sphere and the valve seat experience mutual friction. The static electricity generated by this friction tends to accumulate on the sphere—something that is unacceptable in ball valves used in gas, fuel, and chemical pipelines, as it could potentially lead to pipeline explosions. Ball valves with antistatic designs are equipped with static discharge devices that promptly dissipate the static electricity accumulated on the sphere, thereby effectively ensuring the safe operation of the pipeline. Both domestically and internationally, a connection method using elastic components is commonly employed. According to standards, the resistance between the ball and the valve body, as well as between the valve stem and the ball, should be below 10 ohms at voltages of 12VDC or lower.

　　It is important to note that the fire- and static-proof design of knife-gate valves is not foolproof; it can only serve as an emergency response measure, buying more time to address unexpected incidents. In addition to fire- and static-proof ball valves, appropriate explosion-proof and fire-resistant technical measures should be implemented in gas and fuel pipelines, and strict compliance with relevant national laws and regulations as well as company-specific rules is essential.

　　That’s all for today’s explanation on “Do gate valves have fire-resistant and anti-static requirements?” Does everyone understand now? We hope the information shared above has been helpful to you. Thank you for watching, and we’ll see you again in the next episode.

　　Zhejiang Yingbei Valve Co., Ltd. is located in Oubei, Yongjia, Zhejiang—the nationally renowned “Town of Pumps and Valves”! We are a valve manufacturing enterprise integrating product R&D, sales, and production.

The vast majority of stainless steel knife gate valves employ forced sealing: that is, when the valve is closed, an external force is applied to forcibly press the gate against the high-pressure valve seat, thereby ensuring a tight seal on the sealing surfaces. Some gates can also be designed to undergo slight deformation, which helps improve their manufacturability and compensate for any misalignment in the sealing surface angles that may occur during the manufacturing process. Such gates are referred to as flexible gates. The majority of knife gate valves rely on forced sealing—meaning that when the valve is closed, an external force is used to press the gate firmly against the high-pressure valve seat, thus guaranteeing a secure seal on the sealing surfaces. Valves of this type are generally installed horizontally in pipelines.

2023-05-11

Next, let’s talk about several operating procedures for knife gate valves.

When a gate valve is closed, the sealing surfaces rely solely on the pressure of the medium to achieve a seal—specifically, the sealing surface of the gate is pressed against the valve seat on the opposite side by the medium’s pressure, thereby ensuring a tight seal. This type of sealing is known as self-sealing. In contrast, most gate valves employ forced sealing: when the valve is closed, an external force must be applied to press the gate against the valve seat in order to guarantee the sealing performance of the sealing surfaces. Such valves should be installed vertically in the pipeline.

2023-05-11

Next, let’s talk about whether knife gate valves have fire-resistant and anti-static requirements.

2023-05-11

Next, let’s talk about some important considerations for the installation, operation, and maintenance of pneumatic knife gate valves.

Pneumatic knife gate valves have a wide range of applications, spanning from ordinary fields to more diverse industries—from coal preparation, gangue removal, and slag discharge in coal-fired power plants to urban wastewater treatment; from general industrial pipelines to pipeline systems used in food, sanitation, and pharmaceutical industries. So, what are the key considerations when installing, using, and maintaining pneumatic knife gate valves?

2023-05-11

Slurry Valve Manufacturer: How are stainless steel knife gate valves good?

Slurry valve manufacturer: How to improve the compliance rate and productivity of stainless steel gate valves and prevent a large number of maintenance tasks—this is Skafu Valve’s top priority. The stainless steel gate plate effectively prevents sealing leaks caused by corrosion. The stainless steel gate plate effectively prevents sealing leaks caused by corrosion. Features: This valve boasts advantages such as simple and compact structure, reasonable design, lightweight and material-saving, reliable sealing, easy and flexible operation, small size, smooth flow passage, low fluid density, light weight, ease of installation, and ease of disassembly.