A globe valve is used to control or shut off flow in a pipeline and consists of a movable disc or plug which seals against a round stationary seat housed in an often spherical (globe-shaped) housing.
Globe valves are used in applications where variable flow control (throttling) is required.
A globe valve works by slowly raising or lowering the moveable plug away from or against the seat to vary the rate of flow.
A globe valve is specifically designed to provide variable flow control (throttling) while a gate valve should only to be used to achieve either full flow or complete shutoff. If a gate valve is used for throttling, there is a strong risk of damaging the edge of the gate which can lead to leakage.
A needle valve is a special kind of globe valve in which the plug is needle-shaped rather than disc shaped. A needle valve is able to provide a very fine level of flow control which is useful for precision equipment.
Globe valves are generally operated using a hand wheel. As the disc or needle only travel a short distance, few turns are required to operate them.
