Orifice Gates
Orifice Gate is specifically engineered to handle dry bulk solids in gravity flow, dilute phase, or vacuum conveying systems with pressures up to 15 psig depending on size. Traditional Slide Gates and Butterfly Valves commonly allow packing of material, which prevents positive air and material shutoff.
Unlike common Knife Gate Valves and butterfly valves, the orifice gate is specifically engineered to handle dry bulk powders, pellets, and granules. Knife gates rely on soft elastomeric seals which erode or tear away in service. Butterfly valves incorporate discs that cause significant flow restrictions, thus impacting system performance and throughput. Both designs promote wedging and packing of materials, preventing positive air and material shut off. The orifice gate eliminates design flaws associated with knife gates and butterfly valves.
Applications
- Gravity flow or dilute phase pneumatic conveying (pressure or vacuum)
- Handles non abrasive to moderately abrasive powders, granulars or pellets
- Horizontal or vertical valve orientation
- Open or closed or volume metering of material
Benefits
- Ordinary valves rely on soft rubber seals which erode or tear away in service or bonnet packaging which can relax allowing leakage, necessitating frequent maintenance. The orifice gate eliminates these problems by using live loaded hard polymer seals.
- Round end blade knife gates and butterfly valves commonly allow wedging of materials preventing positive air and material shut off. The patented design of the orifice blade prevents material from wedging at the sides of the gate and the closing action clears material away from the sealing areas to allow positive valve closure.
- Traditional blade retention ledges and open bonnet areas where materials lodge and remain trapped have been eliminated. This permits cleaner system operation and eliminates the associated valve seizing and binding caused by trapped materials.
- System performance and material flow are enhanced over butterfly valves with the elimination of the disk in the material flow area. The excessive shearing of materials in traditional knife gates increase gate seal wear. The scissor action of the sliding orifice minimizes shearing of materials extending seal service life.