What are the Key Features of Blind Valves

Valves provide several functions, including: starting or stopping flow based on the valve state, regulating flow and pressure within a piping system, controlling the direction of flow within a piping system, throttling flow rates within a piping system.
While blind valves are primarily designed for absolute isolation, they can exhibit secondary functional capabilities depending on their design and operational context. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the listed features and their technical validity:

Blind valves act as on-off isolation devices. When fully open, the blind plate retracts entirely into the valve body, allowing unrestricted flow with minimal pressure drop. When closed, the plate creates a zero-leakage seal, halting all media movement. This is critical for maintenance (e.g., isolating sections of a pipeline for repair) or emergency shutdowns.

Most blind valves are bidirectional (no flow direction restriction). However, specialized designs (e.g., wafer-style valves with asymmetric seating) may offer preferential flow paths. Directional control is not a primary function but can be an incidental benefit in specific configurations.