Which type of valve should be used to minimize pressure drop?

The type of valve that minimizes pressure drop is the ball valve. Ball valves are designed with a spherical disc (the ball) that can be rotated to allow or block the flow. When the valve is fully open, it provides a smooth path for the fluid to flow through with minimal obstruction, resulting in a very low pressure drop across the valve. This efficiency makes ball valves ideal for applications where maintaining flow rates while minimizing pressure loss is critical.

In applications where pressure drop is a concern, other valve types like globe valves are less favorable due to their design, which includes a significant change in flow direction and turbulence, leading to higher pressure losses. On the other hand, gate valves have a straight-through flow path as well, but they are meant for fully open or fully closed operations and can introduce slight pressure drops when partially opened. Check valves, depending on design, often create more pressure drop due to the way they restrict reverse flow.

Due to these reasons, ball valves are highly effective in minimizing pressure drop in fluid systems.