Plug valves and gate valves are two common industrial valves that differ significantly in their structure, working principles, applications, and other aspects.

1. Structure

l  Plug Valve:

-Key components include the valve body, plug, and handle.

-The plug is cylindrical or conical, with one or more through-holes inside.

-Fluid flow is controlled by rotating the plug.

l  Gate Valve:

-Key components include the valve body, gate, stem, and handwheel.

-The gate is flat and controls fluid flow by rising and falling.

-The handwheel is rotated to drive the stem, which moves the gate up and down.

2. Working Principle

l  Plug Valve:

-Fluid flow is controlled by rotating the plug to change the alignment of the through-holes with the pipeline.

-Full opening or closing can be achieved by rotating 90 degrees.

l  Gate Valve:

-Fluid passage is opened or closed by raising or lowering the gate.

-Multiple rotations of the handwheel are required to fully open or close the valve, making it suitable for prolonged opening and closing operations.

3. Application Scenarios

l  Plug Valve:

-Suitable for situations requiring quick opening and closing.

-Commonly used in industries such as oil, natural gas, and chemicals.

-Suitable for liquids, gases, and steam.

l  Gate Valve:

-Suitable for situations requiring complete opening or closing, not suitable for flow regulation.

-Commonly used in water treatment, power generation, and heating industries.

-Suitable for liquid media, especially in high-pressure, large-diameter pipelines.

4. Sealing Performance

l  Plug Valve:

-Offers good sealing performance.

-The sealing surface is prone to wear due to direct contact between the plug and valve body, typically used in lower-pressure applications.

l  Gate Valve:

-Relatively good sealing performance, but the larger sealing surface compared to a plug valve can lead to leakage.

-Suitable for high-pressure, high-temperature applications.

5. Operation Mode

l  Plug Valve:

-Operated by rotating the handle, making it simple and quick.

-Suitable for frequent operations.

l  Gate Valve:

-Operated by rotating the handwheel, which can be more laborious and slower.

-Suitable for infrequent operations.

6. Fluid Resistance

l  Plug Valve:

-The channel within the valve body is relatively small, resulting in higher fluid resistance.

l  Gate Valve:

-The channel within the valve body is relatively large, resulting in lower fluid resistance.