Can the flow direction on this type of globe valve be in either direction?  The service is liquid oxygen with this valve located on the upstream side of the liquid oxygen vaporizers.  There is a flow arrow on the side of the valve, but why would it matter if the flow is pushing up on the disc or down on the disc?

It is probably due to the design of the valve, which prescribe no leakage in a particular direction.

The pressure of the fluid may be used to push down the disc against the seat, to have a zero leakage capability in that direction, which would not be true if the fluid tends to take the disc from the seat.

The valve is used for isolation of each vaporizer.  There are three vaporizers in parallel, with a globe valve on the upstream side, and a motorized ball valve on the downstream side.

The valve may seal effectively with flow in the opposite direction; however, the manufacturer should be contacted to verify.  If this is a y-pattern valve, you probably wouldn't want to reverse the installation even if the manufacturer said it could seal.

MORE NEWS