What type of valve is specifically designed for on/off control with minimal pressure drop?

The ball valve is designed for on/off control with minimal pressure drop, making it an excellent choice in applications where quick and reliable operation is needed. This type of valve features a spherical disc (the ball) with a hole through its center. When the ball is rotated 90 degrees, the hole aligns with the flow, allowing fluid to pass through with very little resistance. This results in a low-pressure drop across the valve, which is particularly important in refrigeration and other fluid-handling systems where maintaining pressure is critical for efficiency and performance.

In comparison, while globe valves can provide good throttling capability, they are not as effective for on/off control since their design tends to create higher pressure drop due to the fluid flow path being more obstructive. Check valves primarily allow flow in one direction but do not control flow in the on/off sense. Gate valves are often used for on/off control, but they operate by raising or lowering a gate within the flow path, which can cause more resistance and a higher pressure drop when fully open compared to a ball valve.