Design and Manufacturing of Ball Valve

The availability, performance and distribution of petroleum products in the oil and gas industry depend largely on the workability of pipeline and its fittings. Pipelines and its fittings, used for the transportation of crude oil are regarded as one of the most important asset to the economic development of any nation, and to ensure the safety of the environment and the population living and working around the lines, there is need for a regular test, assessment and study of the design, materials and the manufacturing processes. Ball valves are widely used industrial fittings for the construction of liquid and gas products transportation facilities (piping systems). They are quarter-turned (90 degrees), straight through flow valves having a round closure element with complementing rounded seats, which permits uniform sealing stress. The type of seat can vary according to the valve pressure rating and materials of construction. The main objective of this dissertation is to analyse the design and manufacturing processes of the ball valves used in the oil and gas industry, with special attempt to identifying and proposing solution to the major problem with its applications (leakage). Leakage in a valve is not only a concern in terms of safety, but can also contribute to high maintenance costs and the loss of supply. Any improvements to the methods available for monitoring the condition to the valve may yield substantial cost savings and safer working conditions. The dissertation covers area like cost reduction, changing manufacturing process, the analysis of the materials used for the design, analysis of the design model (computer aided design CAD) using the finite element method FEM, simulation, rapid prototype of the ball valve and the manufacturing process of the ball valve (computer aided manufacturing CAM).