Cryogenic Globe Valves

Globe valves are so called because of their spherical body shape, but the name is used to describe any valve that has the same internal working principle – a movable disc (obturator) that moves at 90°C to the plane of its mating body seat.

Advantages
1. Due to the fine control that can be obtained by this design, globe valves are more suited to regulating/throttling service than Gate or Ball valves.

2. Due to the valve disc moving directly away from its mating seat the valve is less prone to seat damage/wear than gate or ball valves therefore globe valves have been considered more reliable for long term sealing performance.

Disadvantages
1. The internal shape of the body gives greater flow resistance then gate and ball valves; typical resistance factors are between 5 and 7, (the lower the resistance factor the better the flow characteristic).

2. Globe valves are more susceptible to problems caused by moisture ingress which freezes on cool down and causes ice to build up inside the valve which can stop it from sealing and operating correctly. The Bestobell globe valve is designed with drain holes in order to alleviate this problem.

Applications
Globe valves are used in the majority of cryogenic applications where long term reliability is required, typical uses are on the fill lines of static storage tanks and isolating services for end of line or maintenance requirements.

The larger the pipe diameter, the less cost effective globe valves become relative to the alternatives. As a result, for valve sizes over DN300 (12”) bore, globe valves are only used where unique characteristics are particularly important.