Finding the Right Check Valves for the Shipbuilding Industry

Fire and flooding! These are the two greatest threats to a ship’s life while at sea, and by extension, to all souls aboard. Shipbuilders consider this and design safety into all facets of ship construction, from the keel up to the mast top.

No matter what type of waterborne vessel we are talking about, from tugboats to Navy combatant ships to cargo container transports, Archimedes’ principle (the physical law of buoyancy) only applies if the ship retains its watertight integrity.

Many factors contribute to a ship’s ability to maintain watertight integrity and stay afloat. Among them being effective rubber gaskets on doors and hatches, painting and preservation that prevents hull deterioration, and check valves in critical systems.

A fire aboard ship can be caused by carelessness like the incorrect storage of hazardous materials. Fires can also be sparked by flammable liquids or gases leaking or cross-contamination. What prevents this disaster?

The answer is check valves that are properly aligned and functioning correctly.

Let’s learn more about check valves for shipbuilding and how they are used to help keep crews and passengers safe while transiting the world’s waterways.

What Are Check Valves For Shipbuilding?

Check valves are designed to prevent reverse flow of fluids and gases within a system. Their main purpose is to keep media (or “fluid”) flowing in one direction – forward. They are two-port valves, which means they have two openings in the body: one for fluid to enter and the other for fluid to leave.

Because check valves operate automatically without manual intervention, they prevent flooding which may occur due to gravity or upon system shutdown (especially unplanned shutdown due to power loss, for example).

How Do Check Valves Work?

Consider fluid moving through a piping system, such as fuel or lubricating oil for the ship’s engines. Leakage or backflow of such fluids would spell trouble if it occurs. Not only could the ship go “dead in the water,” but a fire could result.

Spring Check valves are commonly used in such systems. These valves are made with a flat disc attached to a cylindrical stem, and a spring retained in the body, keeping the disc closed against a valve seat. When the disc lifts, it allows fluid to enter and flow through the system in one direction. This action causes the valve to open. If fluid pressure decreases or flow begins to reverse, the disc is triggered to close against the valve seat by the spring force against it, thus protecting system safety.

Our Products Help Ships’ Systems Operate Safely

Shipbuilding is a demanding industry. While the finished product, such as an oil tanker or Navy aircraft carrier, can be quite large, the smallest internal components are often the most critical to the safety of the ship, its systems, and its personnel.

We manufacture valves and fittings that are designed and tested to the highest standards in the industry. Our name has been synonymous with high quality and reliability for over 100 years.

We have worked with the US Navy for over six decades, supplying valves and fittings that are currently installed in all Navy aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.

We Are Buoyant About Our Future!

We are your go-to source, whether it’s check valves for shipbuilding, or valves and fittings for other industrial or high pressure applications.

Interested in learning more about CPV Manufacturing’s product lines? Have questions regarding applications and best practices? Contact us today!