Shadowing Practice: What is a Control Valve? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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The control valve receives a signal from a controller, such as a PLC or a DCS, in order to operate.
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The controller compares the actual flow rate to the desired flow value, called the setpoint.
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The controller will produce an output to move the valve to bring the flow rate to the setpoint value.
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A control valve is a power operated device used to regulate or manipulate the flow of fluids,
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such as gas, oil, water, and steam.
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It is a critical part of a control loop and is an example of a final control element.
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The control valve is by far the most common final control element used in industry today.
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A control valve can be operated electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically.
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A control valve receives a signal from a controller, such as a PLC, in order for it to move, resulting in a change in flow.
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Because the PLC signal is electrical, the control valve may require a device to convert that electrical signal so that it can operate.
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A control valve has two separate components, the valve and the actuator.
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Valve bodies are of different types or styles depending on service conditions, piping layout, and desired application.
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The two classes of control valves are linear motion and rotary motion.
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On a linear motion valve, the stem and valve movement is up and down.
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A common type of sliding control valve is the gate valve.
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A rotary motion valve in almost all cases rotates 90 degrees from open to the closed position.
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A commonly used rotary valve is the butterfly valve.
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The actuator is the device connected to the valve through the valve stem that provides the force required to move the valve.
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As we said earlier, the actuator can be controlled electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically.
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The most common and the most reliable is the pneumatic actuator.
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The control valve receives a signal from a controller, such as a PLC or a DCS, in order to operate.
22
The controller compares the actual flow rate to the desired flow value, called the set point.
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The controller will produce an output to move the valve to bring the flow rate to the setpoint value.
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Because of how pneumatic actuators are built, a control valve will fail to a specific position when a loss of the control signal occurs.
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As the supply air pressure is increased, the rubber diaphragm pushes against the spring and moves the valve stem down into the valve body.
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As the supply air pressure is reduced, the spring will move the valve stem out of the body.
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The position to which the control valve is moved if a loss of signal occurs is referred to as the fail-safe mode.
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The type of fail-safe mode depends on the application for which the control valve is used.
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The actuator causes the valve to close in a fail-closed control valve.
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The actuator causes the valve to open in a fail-open control valve.
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In normal operation, the force of the spring must be overcome by the electrical or pneumatic actuator.
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In the event of a power failure to the actuator, the electrical or pneumatic force is no longer present, and the spring pressure forces the valve to open.
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You might wonder how much the valve opens or closes when the flow rate changes.
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Well, that depends on a number of things, such as the percentage of flow rate change, and the diameter of the pipe.
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Regardless, the controller must be tuned so that it produces the correct response to any change in flow rate.
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This is most commonly achieved by using PID control within the PLC or controller.
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We have already created several easy to follow videos on what a PID controller is.
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If you want to learn more about this topic, just head on over to realpars.com slash blog.
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Type in PID in the search bar and all the relevant articles and videos will pop up.
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We will also put a link in the description if you are watching this on YouTube or any other social media platform.
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In this video, we have learned
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that a control valve can vary the flow of a liquid or gas used in a process.
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We also learned that a control valve can be one of two main types,
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linear or rotary, and that we can use a fail-safe type of valve in critical areas.
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Finally, we introduced you to how control valves are controlled by the use of PID instructions in the PLC or DCS system.
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Want to learn PLC programming in an easy to understand format and take your career to the next level?
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Head on over to realpars.com Hey!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “What is a Control Valve?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: valve, flow, controller, actuator, Plc. This video has 47 sentences and 783 words to shadow. The speech runs for 6:00. The speaker talks at a steady 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 75% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 14 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| actuator noun | /ˈæk.tjuː.eɪ.tə(ɹ)/ | Something that actuates something else. |
| pneumatic adjective | /n(j)uːˈmæ.tɪk/ | Of, relating to, or resembling air or other gases |
| rotary adjective | /ˈɹoʊ.tə.ɹi/ | Capable of rotation. |
| setpoint noun | /ˈsɛtpɔɪnt/ | The command signal or value which is fed into a controller to establish the target or desired position or state of the controlled device or process. |
| electrically adverb | /ɪˈlɛk.tɹɪk.li/ | By means of electricity. |
| hydraulically adverb | Using hydraulics. | |
| pneumatically adverb | In a pneumatic manner. | |
| diaphragm noun | /ˈdaɪəˌfɹæm/ | In mammals, a sheet of muscle separating the thorax from the abdomen, contracted and relaxed in respiration to draw air into and expel air from the lungs. |
| rotate verb | /ˈɹoʊ.teɪt/ | To spin, turn, or revolve. |
| manipulate verb | /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/ | To move, arrange or operate something using the hands |
| regulate verb | /ˈɹɛɡ.jə.leɪt/ | To dictate policy. |
| butterfly noun | /ˈbʌ.tə(ɹ).flaɪ/ | A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring. |
| layout noun | /ˈleɪ.aʊt/ | A structured arrangement of items within certain limits. |
| diameter noun | /daɪˈæmɪdɚ/ | Any straight line between two points on the circumference of a circle that passes through the center of the circle; a chord that passes through the center of… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pop up verb | To come up with a "pop" sound. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | can be operated · can be controlled · are built |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have already created · have learned |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: actuator /ˈæk.tjuː.eɪ.tə(ɹ)/, electrically /ɪˈlɛk.tɹɪk.li/, manipulate /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/, diameter /daɪˈæmɪdɚ/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like actuator, pneumatic, rotary.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.