In mechanical engineering, a device for controlling the flow of fluids (liquids, gases, slurries) in a pipe or other enclosure. It exerts control by means of a movable element that opens, shuts, or partially blocks an opening in a passageway.
Valves are of seven main types: globe, gate, needle, plug (cock), butterfly, poppet, and spool. Some
valves operate automatically; check (or nonreturn)
valves, for example, are self-acting
valves that permit flow in only one direction. Safety
valves open at a predetermined pressure; the movable element usually has a weighted lever or a spring strong enough to hold the
valve closed until a particular pressure is reached.