Compressed Gas Cylinders | The Different Types of Cylinder Valves

A significant portion of AHG’s industrial, medical, and specialty gases are sold in cylinders. Each cylinder has a valve that is opened or closed as needed when filling or when withdrawing the product within the cylinder. Cylinder valves are used similarly to an “on” or “off” switch and should not be used to regulate or throttle the gas flow in any way, regulators are used to control the flow rate for specific flow rates. Cylinder valves are available in multiple types, and this post will differentiate the most common types of valves.

What are the different valve types?

1- Pressure seal valves

Pressure seal valves house a stem that is spring loaded upwards against the packing, when the valve is turned the system pressure serves to assist the spring load in creating a seal between the stem, packing, and the bonnet. These valves are used in a wide range of pressures and are available for various applications.

2- O-Ring Valves

O-Ring valves create a seal by utilizing and an O-Ring that is placed between the stem and the bonnet, depending on the application and manufacturers, the valve can have a single O-Ring or multiple. And similar to pressure seal valves, they are used a wide range of pressures and applications.

3- Diaphragm valves

Diaphragm valves consist of a set of diaphragms to create a seal, this type of seal also comes in two types:

• Spring type: this diaphragm seal provides high integrity protection against leakage and utilizes the upward pressure of a spring to regulate flow which make these types of valve ideal for highly-toxic, pyrophoric, and high purity gases.
• Springless: this diaphragm set is attached to the stem typically by laser welding them together. This seal makes for an excellent chouse for ultra high purity gases and corrosive gases.

4- Packed Valves:
Packed valves use a packing or a set of packing  to provide a leak tight barrier between the gas and the atmosphere. And similar to the diaphragm valves, there are two types of packed valves:

            1-Needle Stem:

The needle stem design houses a small needle that provides the seal at the seat of the valve body by using a gland nut, and is utilized in high purity gas applications.

          2-Sturdy Stem:

This valve is designed very similarly to the needle stem; however the needle is more robust and is used when there is a need for high flow rates.

5- Special Purpose valves:

           1- Dual Outlet valves

This valve has two distinct flow paths where one of which is used to withdraw vapor and the other is connected to a dip tube that allows for liquid withdrawal.

           2- Reverse Seated Valve

These valves are designed to allow the cylinder pressure to load the stem against the valve seat and thereby sealing the cylinder. This type of valve is most commonly used for fire extinguishers.

           3- Integrated valves

These valves have an integrated pressure regulator and are typically used in medical oxygen and some industrial applications to allow quick and accurate flow control

Depending on your application and requirements, AHG provides our customers with assistance, training services, and best safe practice orientation and documentation that allows your operation to safely and efficiently operate.

Why choose AHG as your trusted supplier?

For almost 70 years, Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment has been supplying the Saudi Arabian market with Industrial and Medical gases. AHG have a large fleet of over two hundred vehicles that transport our products across the Kingdom, and our continuously expanding list of branches are scattered across the Kingdom to ensure maximum coverage within the country. However, some of our customers require a fit-for-purpose solution to match their specific requirement or to overcome logistical hurdles that can impact their supply. This is where AHG and AirProducts, our international partners, can proudly say that we have extensive experience in providing our customers with customized solutions that provide their business with their exact requirements.