Flow Control Valves versus Variable Speed Drives – Which You Should Choose, and Why
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Until relatively recently, flow control valves (FCVs; also sometimes referred to as throttling valves) were the most common means of regulating flow in a process line. Over the decades that FCVs have been in use, both control technology and mechanical construction have improved greatly, significantly reducing the process inefficiencies – hysteresis, lag, pressure drop, etc. – associated with these valves. And despite the sophisticated control systems often used to operate them, valves are relatively simple devices. With maintenance properly scheduled and performed they can last a very long time indeed.