Cone Valves

Cone valves, also known as Howell Bunger valves, are a type of control and discharge valve used in municipal water and wastewater treatment plants. They are designed to control the flow of water or wastewater under high pressure conditions. Cone valves work by moving a cone-shaped plug up and down within a larger cone-shaped seating. The position of the plug determines the flow rate. 

​

The cone valve's key role in treatment plants is to ensure smooth, controlled, and non-turbulent flow, while minimizing cavitation and noise.

• Reservoir outlets
• Pumping stations
• Hydroelectric power plants
• High-pressure water and wastewater pipelines

• Operators may need to routinely check for wear, leakage, or damage.
• Maintenance involves periodic inspection, cleaning, and lubrication of moving parts.
• Safety considerations include monitoring noise or vibration indicating cavitation or other issues.

• Cone: The cone is the central component that moves within the seating to control the flow rate. Material choice depends on the type of fluid and operating pressure.
• Seat: Houses the cone, typically made of durable metal that withstands high pressure.
• Actuator: Operates the movement of the cone; can be manual, electric, or hydraulic.
• Body: Houses all the components and connects the valve to the pipeline, usually made of cast iron, steel, or ductile iron.

• Critical inputs for sizing cone valves include: 
• Flow rate (in L/s or m^3/h)
• Pressure (in bar or PSI)
• Diameter of the pipeline (in mm or inches)

• MasterFormat Division 40 (Process Integration)
• Section 40 05 19 (Process Control Valves)

• DeZURIK: APCO CVS-6000 to CVS-9000 Series Cone Valves
• Rodney Hunt: Series 30 Howell-Bunger Discharge Valves
• Orbinox: BC model cone valves

• Ball valves: Simpler in design and less expensive but may not be suitable for high-pressure applications.
• Gate valves: Suitable for on/off control but do not allow precise flow regulation like a cone valve.
• Butterfly valves: Can be used in similar applications but may not perform as well under high pressure.