2017 | Waters

I. Six Distinct Types of Check Valves ................................................................................ 2

II. Swing Check Valve Types.................................................................................................. 3
III. Properly Sizing a Check Valve ......................................................................................... 4
IV. Sample Equation ................................................................................................................... 5

A Note About the Author

Ross Waters, President of CGIS, has been involved with industrial valves for over fifty years.
Initially working in the bleached kraft pulp and paper industry and learning from Canadian
chemical plant engineering company Chemetics, Ross grew his passion for supplying the
highest performance valves into a life-long pursuit. Today Ross serves on the ASTM Gaseous
Oxygen Committee and the Manufacturer’s Standardization Society as a task force member
on C-114 Steel Valves and C-409 Knife Gates. Currently Ross is chair of the task force
committed to publishing a new Standard on Severe Service Valves.
Most check valves are selected by size and Class to match the size and Class of the pipe. While this is
convenient and simple, it is not necessarily the best way to choose the correct check valve. This paper looks
to examine the consequences of selecting check valves the way most currently are and offers a different
method of selection, why it can lead to far higher and longer performance and the supporting formulas and
fluid dynamics that one can use to prove it yourself.

There are several different types of check valves but all are required to prevent back flow; that is how their
other name came about – “non-return valves” or NRVs. They do this largely independent of any external
device or implement. Instead they rely primarily on the piping system’s internal factors like cessation of flow
and flow reversal; some with assistance only from gravity and some with internal springs. Simply put; all
check valves open by flow and close when flow stops.

Unlike other types of valves that are operated manually or by automation and are placed in their operating
positions like fully open or fully closed; check valves require sufficient flow velocity to open fully and
without knowing some basics like flowrate, pipe ID and specific volume; you cannot know if that condition
exists by simply knowing the pipe size.

The six distinct types of check valves:

• Swing Check (bonneted unassisted gravity swing check; generally RF flanged)

• Dual Disc Check (dual flapper wafer check; generally wafer flanged)
• Wafer Check (single flapper wafer check; generally wafer flanged)
• Axial Disc (axial disc or centre-guided “non-slam” check; generally RF flanged)
• Piston Check (piston check; generally RF flanged above 1” (25mm)
• Ball Checks (also plug checks, generally RF flanged, screwed or SW)

WHY YOU SHOULD SIZE CHECK VALVES 2

We shall focus on the most common of the check valves – the Swing Check. It is available in a very wide
variety of sizes, pressure classes and materials. There are three basic variations as shown above in the
examples below.

Bonneted Unassisted Dual Disc Wafer Body Single Flapper Wafer Body
Gravity Swing Check

All styles of check valve operate under the same principals. The traditional method of choosing a body size
to match the pipe size will often lead to a valve that is not fully open at minimum or even normal flowrates.
While this practice is widely used, in most cases this will not lead to best performance or the lowest cost of
ownership.

The reason is similar for control valves. To obtain a properly sized control valve you must solve for the
required Cv (sizing the valve or orifice); and once that is solved, (usually as Cv Min, Cv Norm and Cv Max) for
the flowrates at the process’ minimum, normal and maximum flow conditions, you select the proper body
size for the trim (internals) you have determined best suits those Cv values.

Cv, the flow coefficient of a device (in SI units it is the Kv flow factor) is a relative measure of its efficiency at
permitting fluid flow. It describes the relationship between the energy (as pressure drop) across an orifice,
valve or other piping component and the corresponding flowrate.

The installed Cv of any valve is the Cv that occurs when the valve is operating in the piping system and the
process is running. The published Cv of any check valve is irrelevant if it isn’t fully opened. As most check
valves offer one inlet and internal trim dimension per size and Class, the chances are low that it will match
the application it will be installed in and without sizing, will only be apparent after installation when it may
be too late.

WHY YOU SHOULD SIZE CHECK VALVES 3

Bonneted Unassisted Gravity Swing Check vs. Venturi Inlet Single Flapper Wafer Swing Check under same flow conditions.

The diagram above shows a typical bonneted unassisted gravity swing check with a normal flowrate of
water at 7 ft/sec (2.2 m/sec) and a same pipe-sized venturi inlet single flapper wafer swing check under the
same flow conditions.

The difference is that the flow is insufficient to fully open the gravity swing check and it fails to open enough
to produce the Cv it is capable of. This also has a detrimental effect on the service life of the valve as it
means the flapper will be unstable and moving constantly, subject to wear and tear; and a shorter life than
could be expected if it were properly sized.

The single flapper wafer check takes the 7 ft/sec water and momentarily increases the velocity at the disc
through a decrease in orifice size to lift the flapper fully, a position where it is stable and achieves the
highest installed Cv. This requires an engineered and sized inlet orifice, what we call a venturi inlet.

If we install line-sized check valves that have not been sized for low and normal flow conditions and they do
not fully open the disc, we should expect shortened life. This is due to the mechanical movement of the disc
as the flowrate varies, however slightly, during the valve’s service life and the turbulence and the vibration
that result from it. If we installed properly sized check valves for minimum flow rates and obtain 100% Cv,
then we will always achieve 100% Cv on the higher flowrates. Once fully open we should expect longer life
through the flapper’s stable position – 100% open is 100% open.

In order to properly size a check valve, you must determine the minimum velocity required to fully lift the
disc. Then find the mean velocity of flow in the piping system and ensure it is greater than or equal to the
minimum required velocity.

WHY YOU SHOULD SIZE CHECK VALVES 4

Variables:

v = mean velocity of flow (ft/s)

r = weight density of fluid (lb/ft3)
V = specific volume of fluid (ft3/lb)
Q = rate of flow (usgpm)
d = internal diameter (in)

To determine the minimum velocity required to fully lift the disc of a wafer body swing check valve, we use
the following formula: (note we use Hy-Grade Inc, series T venturi inlet single flapper for the formula as they
have extensive flow testing results)

vmin = 55 √ V , where V = 1/ r

Determine the mean velocity of flow in the pipe using the following formula:

v = 0.4085 (Q / d2)

Given: A venturi inlet single flapper check valve is required for an 8” Class 150 (Schedule 40) pipe carrying
60ºF water at 650 US gallons per minute.

r = 62.364 lb/ft3
d4” Schedule 40 = 4.026 in
d6” Schedule 40 = 6.065 in
d8” Schedule 40 = 7.981 in
d10” Schedule 40 = 10.020 in
d12” Schedule 40 = 11.938 in

Find: Proper sized venturi inlet single flapper wafer check valve for the application

1. V = 1/62.364 = 0.016035 ft3/lb

vmin = 55 √ V = 55 √0.016035 = 6.96 ft/s

2. v = 0.4085 (650 / 7.9812) = 4.17 ft/s

3. Since v is less than vmin, an 8” valve will be too large. Now try a 6”:
v = 0.4085 (650 / 6.0652) = 7.22 ft/s

WHY YOU SHOULD SIZE CHECK VALVES 5

Based on the calculations above, a 6” Hy-Grade T series check valve should be installed in this 8” Class 150
line because the velocity of 7.22 ft/s is higher than 6.96 ft/s and the valve will be fully opened. Since all
components of Hy-Grade valves are machined in-house, Hy-Grade can custom make a valve with 6”
internals (or virtually any inlet venturi) to fit 8” flanges to eliminate the need of piping reducers.

The data required to properly size check valves may not be readily available, but the effort necessary to
obtain it will more than be repaid by the significant improvement in service life and operational
performance. Our analysis of many check valve installations demonstrates with a high degree of confidence
that the majority of check valves are oversized.

24” Class 300 Duplex swing check on process sea water, an example of an oversized check valve that cost
2-3 times more than the properly sized 18” valve that should have been selected and lasts far shorter due
to early flapper failure. Additionally it is

In summary, when you properly size check valves for the application you will often or always gain several
advantages:

• Smaller valves that cost less

• Longer lived valves due to flapper stability
• Higher performance due to less wear and tear on the flapper and seat
• Lower downstream piping issue

WHY YOU SHOULD SIZE CHECK VALVES 6