What Is An API Gate Brass Gas Valve

Valves made to the specifications of the American Petroleum Institute are called API valves. Often used in petroleum and industrial processing plants, API Brass Gas Valve use a wedge, or gate, as the closing mechanism. The gate seals against a seat when the valve closes. A unique feature of the gate valve, also known as a sluice valve, is its very low friction loss when open. API valves come in multiple sizes, ratings, and materials.
API Standards
API Standards are meant to increase the safety, compliance and overall efficiency of it’s members operations. Different API standards can specify almost every aspect of a gate valve from its size, to its flange type. API Standard 6D for example specifies the design, manufacturing, testing and documentation of ball, check, gate and plug valves used in pipelines.
Gate Valve
A Brass Gate Valve controls fluid passing through a valve by raising or lowering a square or round wedge into or out of the path of a fluid. When fully closed, the surface of the wedge meets a corresponding seat in the valve body preventing fluid from passing.
Rising Stem Gate Valve
In a rising stem gate valve, the wedge attaches to the valve stem. When the valve is operated, the stem rises and falls along with the wedge giving the operator a visual indication of the state of the valve.
Non-Rising Stem Gate Valve
In a non-rising stem gate valve the valve body captures the stem. Thus the valve stem gives no visual indication of the state of the valve. This valve would be used when vertical clearance is an issue.
Considerations
Gate valves excel in full open applications. You should not use them in throttling operations though as their design leads to accelerated wear.
The article comes from Brass Ball Valve.