Experiment Study on Flow-Induced Vibration of O-Type Ball Valve

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O-type ball valves are common flow devices that are widely used in different industrial applications. A vibration often occurs when fluid flows through O-type ball valves, and it affects the efficiency and reliability of industrial systems. In this paper, the flow-induced vibration of O-type ball valves is investigated through experimental methods. A vibration experimental platform with the function of isolating the external vibration sources is designed. By analyzing the experimental phenomena and vibration signals, the variation law at various valve openings can be distinguished into two typical conditions, non-cavitation and cavitation conditions. The intensity of vibration exhibits a linear correlation with the square root of the pressure differential across the valve under non-cavitation conditions. The intensity of vibration suddenly rises at specific flow velocities under cavitation conditions. The rise in vibration intensity is concentrated in the higher frequency band of 315–8000 Hz. The relationship between the critical flow velocity at which valve vibration suddenly rises and the valve opening is also proposed based on the nonlinear least squares fitting method. The critical fluid velocities at different valve openings can be predicted through this fitted function. These works are good for the design of vibration suppression of O-type ball valves and further research on the mechanism of the coupling effect between cavitation and vibration.