In
hydraulic engineering
Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the mov ...
, a gate is a rotating or sliding structure, supported by hinges or by a rotating horizontal or vertical axis, that can be located at an extreme of a large pipe or canal in order to control the flow of water or any fluid from one side to the other. It is usually placed at the mouth of
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
channels to avoid water loss or at the end of
drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditio ...
channels to elude water entrance.
Gate Valve
When using a gate, one thing that is used in certain applications such as manufacturing, mining, and others is the gate valve. Fluids will run through the valve to help lubricate the moving parts of a machine, transmit power, close off openings to moving parts, and to assist evaporating the amount of heat coming through. These fluids will flow throughout the gate valve with little resistance to flow and there is additionally small drops in pressure. Within the gate valve, there is a gatelike disk that moves up and down perpendicular to the path of flow and seats against two seat faces to shut off flow.
Best Uses
Gate valves are ideal for services that require little valve operation and where the disk is kept either opened or closed. For the usual type of gate valves that are out there today in industry, close regulation of these parts is recommended, however, it is impossible to do so. The Velocity of the fluid against a partly opened disk may cause vibration and chattering which will ultimately lead to damage to the seating surfaces and this is a common way that gate valves fail.
Type of Fluid
When using a gate valve, one must consider the type of fluid to use in the machine. Since gate valves are used in so many different types of machines that are used in so many different environments for different kinds of applications, it is highly recommended to use a fluid with a high
viscosity index
The viscosity index (VI) is an arbitrary, unit-less measure of a fluid's change in viscosity relative to temperature change. It is mostly used to characterize the viscosity-temperature behavior of lubricating oils. The lower the VI, the more the v ...
because it is a great multi-purpose fluid.
See also
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Sluice
Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...
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Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
References
Hydraulic engineering
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