🔷 What are full bore and reduced bore ball valves?

In industrial valve systems, ball valves are commonly available in two main types:

• Full bore (full port)
• Reduced bore (reduced port)

👉 The key difference lies in the diameter of the ball opening compared to the pipe diameter.

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⚙️ 1. What is a full bore ball valve?

A full bore ball valve has an internal bore diameter equal to the pipe diameter.

📌 Key features:

• No restriction in flow
• Near-zero pressure drop
• Allows pipeline pigging (cleaning)
• Larger size and higher cost

👉 Full bore = maximum flow with minimal resistance

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⚙️ 2. What is a reduced bore ball valve?

A reduced bore ball valve has an internal bore diameter smaller than the pipe diameter.

📌 Key features:

• Flow is restricted at the valve
• Causes some pressure drop
• More compact design
• Lower cost

👉 Reduced bore = cost-effective with some flow reduction

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📊 Comparison: Full Bore vs Reduced Bore

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🏭 When should you use a full bore ball valve?

Choose a full bore ball valve when:

✔️ Maximum flow is required

• Oil & gas pipelines
• Large water systems

✔️ Pigging is needed

• Long-distance pipelines

✔️ Minimal pressure loss is critical

• High-efficiency systems

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🏭 When should you use a reduced bore ball valve?

Choose a reduced bore ball valve when:

✔️ Maximum flow is not required

✔️ Cost reduction is important

✔️ Pigging is not needed

✔️ Small or auxiliary systems

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⚠️ Common mistakes

• Using reduced bore valves in large pipelines → reduces efficiency
• Using full bore valves in small systems → unnecessary cost
• Not calculating flow requirements before selection

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🔥 Quick selection tips

👉 Large pipelines → choose Full Bore
👉 Small systems → choose Reduced Bore

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🏁 Conclusion

Full bore and reduced bore ball valves mainly differ in flow capacity and internal bore size:

• Full bore = high efficiency, maximum flow
• Reduced bore = compact and cost-effective

👉 Choosing the right type helps optimize:

• System performance
• Investment cost
• Equipment durability

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📞 Contact Information

PHUC MINH ENGINEERING – pm-e.vn supplies full bore and reduced bore ball valves according to international standards.

• 🌐 Website: pm-e.vn
• 📧 Email: info@pm-e.vn
• 📱 Hotline: +84 907 450 506 – +84 902 720 814 – +84 902 800 728