1. Structural differences

Gate valves have a more complex structure than globe valves. First of all, gate valves are classified into rising stem gate valves and non-rising stem gate valves based on their different structures, while globe valves do not. Secondly, in terms of appearance and structure, the length of a gate valve is shorter than that of a globe valve, but its height is higher than that of a globe valve. Therefore, gate valves require a larger installation space, especially rising stem gate valves.

2. Differences in principle

The operation methods of gate valves and globe valves are similar. Both involve turning the handwheel, and the valve stem drives the valve plate to move up and down to control the flow rate. The difference between the two lies in that a gate valve can only be fully open or fully closed. When the gate plate is opened or closed, the stroke is larger and the opening and closing time is longer. The distance between the valve plate of a stop valve and the sealing surface is short, the movement stroke of the valve plate is small, and the valve plate of a stop valve can stop at a certain place during movement to be used for flow regulation. This is something that gate valves do not have. In addition, when installing gate valves in pipelines, there are no requirements for the direction of inlet and outlet, and the medium can flow in both directions. The stop valve is specified with inlet and outlet directions. The "Three Standardizations for Valves" in China once provided regulations on the flow direction of stop valves, uniformly from top to bottom.

3. The difference in flow resistance

Because the gate valve can only be fully opened and fully closed, when it is in the fully open state, the flow path in the entire pipeline is straight. When the fluid medium flows through the valve body channel, there is no obstruction at all, and the flow resistance is almost zero. For a stop valve, when the medium flows through the valve body channel, the flow direction is from top to bottom, and it is subject to greater resistance from the valve plate.

4. Differences in maintenance and repair

When maintaining and repairing gate valves, they need to be removed from the pipeline, which incurs relatively high labor costs for maintenance and repair. In most cases, the valve seat and disc of a stop valve can be directly replaced online without disassembling the entire valve. Therefore, when used as a shut-off valve, a stop valve is suitable for applications where the valve and pipeline are welded together.