A valve is an element that allows controlling and regulating the flow of a substance.
A valve is a device that allows the regulation or control of a certain flow of gases , liquids or other substances. The term comes from the Latin word valvŭla , which is the diminutive of the term valve (that is, “door” ).
Through a valve, it is possible to allow or interrupt the passage of something thanks to a piece that moves to release or block a conduit. Industrial valves are those used in machines , such as a gate valve , a seat valve , or a check valve , among others.
A safety valve , for example, is one that acts if a fluid exceeds the pressure level considered appropriate, preventing the system from exploding due to excessive pressure. The purpose of these valves, therefore, is to relieve pressure .
Different industrial valves
Within the industrial field, ball valves play a fundamental role. These have a long list of advantages and relevant hallmarks that have made them a reference:
- They are very easy to open and close, since all you have to do is move the crank they have about 90 degrees in one direction or the other.
- They offer long durability.
- They significantly reduce the risk of a leak occurring.
There are also so-called globe valves . These are usually found very commonly in flow controls, they are “S” shaped and have the peculiarity that they allow a greater pressure drop than in other types of valves.
At an anatomical level, valves are folds of membranes.
The term in anatomy
In the context of anatomy , the fold of a membrane that prevents fluids circulating through the body's vessels from backing up is called a valve. Heart valves , in this framework, allow blood to not flow in the opposite direction when it leaves the heart.
These valves cause blood to be momentarily retained in a cavity of the heart and then, through the contractions of the organ, to be pumped to where it belongs. If the heart valves were not present, each contraction would cause the blood to return through the same tube and irrigation of the entire organism would not be possible.
The heart has four valves: the pulmonary valve , the aortic sigmoid valve , the tricuspid valve and the bicuspid valve . Disorders in the functioning of the valves are known as valvular heart disease.
Exhaust valves
In addition to all of the above, we cannot forget that the word in question is also used colloquially with another meaning. We are referring to the expression escape valve , which is used to refer to tools or resources that a person has to release the stress, worry or anguish that plagues them.
In this way, for example, we find that there are individuals whose escape valve to forget about their problems or the tension they accumulate is cycling , climbing , fishing , hiking , music or practicing any kind of activity. group activity that you like.