The Benefits of Kates Valves Self-Contained Design

Many applications take advantage of the Kates Flow Rate Control Valves’ self-contained design to minimize the space required to accurately control flow by substituting several components for a single Kates Flow Controller. At times piping design or limited space requirements, e.g. in a cabinet or an on a skid, will be more feasible and more easily accessed for maintenance by changing the standard orientation valve. The typical mounting position is with the dial on top, inlet from the side (horizontal plane), an outlet at the bottom (vertical plane). However, Kates can also be mounted horizontally with the inlet in the vertical plane and the outlet in the horizontal plane. The reason for this is in the design of the internal components.

Forces within the Kates Valve are created by the initial process fluid pressure entering the valve. The first cavity of the unit is non-functioning and created by the body and bonnet as they relate to flow control operation. This first cavity simply acts as a total containment chamber for the unit, it conforms to ANSI specifications as a pressure-containing vessel. The orifice sleeve outer wall and impeller complete the initial barrier containment chamber. The impeller senses and adapts to pressure changes, while the cylindrical orifice sleeve equalizes forces across its 360° circumference. The interior chamber also contains a cylindrical valve sleeve and tube which again equalizes forces. The unit does not shut off completely, the minimally designed leakage between sleeves and cylinders is intentional to assist equalizing pressures on components. It also acts as a fluid barrier to increase the longevity of the internal moving parts.

Flow Rate Control Valve Standard Mounted Position

All forces within the Kates Valve are balanced in the standard position with the inlet in the horizontal plane and the dial at the top of the unit. When the unit is placed with the inlet in a vertical position the tolerances of the components and positioning of the linkage with the dial adjustment minimize the weight of the orifice sleeve which now is horizontal. This creates a slightly unbalanced force on the stationary orifice cylinder. This same imbalance occurs to a lesser degree because of the reduced mass of the valve sleeve and stationary valve tube. These two unbalanced forces do not have any effect on the operation, accuracy, response time, or longevity of the Kates Valve. Our valve durability has been confirmed by applications that have spanned decades. It is not uncommon to find our Kates Flow Rate Control Valves in the field still functioning after 40, 50, or even 60 years on the job.

Kates Valve Orientations: Upside Down and Other Installations

Kates Valves have also been installed upside down with the dial at the bottom in a vertical orientation and the inlet in the horizontal plane. This position is equivalent to the standard installation with the dial adjustment at the top, a key benefit of this type of installation is that there are no additional unbalanced forces. Stack up tolerances in the unit prevent any cylinder sleeve arrangements from affecting the unit to perform according to its specifications. Orifice slots and valve ports have been designed to function with the unit in this inverted orientation to prevent any repositioning of the internal components that would affect performance.

The bottom line: the Kates Automatic Flow Rate Control Valve may be oriented in the standard vertical position, inverted, put on its side, or any variation in between and continue to perform as designed. Your system will not be limited by the installation orientation of the Kates Automatic Flow Rate Control Valve, leaving you more options for optimal system design.

We’ve Got the Answers to Your Mounting Questions

With so many automatic flow rate controller options and variables, it’s good to know the experts at CVC are here to work with you to explore Kates installation options. We offer everything from our successful line of Kates Valve Automatic Flow Rate Controllers and to PVC Automatic Flow Rate Controllers, ideal for working with corrosive mediums, to I/Q Valves to Flo-Miser Flow Rate Controllers which offer immediate response time to pressure variations, eliminating hunting and oscillation. Kates Micro-Flo Needle Valves and Mini-Flo Automatic Flow Rate Controllers round out the CVC Automatic Rate Controller lineup.

Custom Valve Concepts is unique in its ability to combine extensive direct to market fluid dynamics expertise with broad application product design experience and exceptional manufacturing capabilities developed over 70 years.

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