What is a characterized ball valve? What's difference between ordinary and characterized ball valve?

Ordinary ball valves are not suitable to be used as modulating control devices. The reason for this is that an ordinary ball valve has an extremely high flow coefficient (kvs value) compared with its nominal size, several times that of a comparable globe valve. Therefore, an ordinary ball valve is not very suitable for performing control functions.

Characterized ball valve looks like similar with the regular ball valves, but it is modified an additional v-notch in the ball or a v-notched disc which provides better flow control over a regular ball valve design. The notching of the ball or disk is a V-shaped aperture, and it can be made of any material needed to support the application. The V- shaped aperture in the ball or disk converts the ball valve into a precise modulating control ball valve. 

The characterized control valve (CCV) combines the high close-off capabilities of a ball valve with a characterized disc that ensures a true equal percentage flow characteristic to achieve superior light load flow control.

Characterized ball valve is used to control and modulate flow, and it offers a high level of stability in comparison with other valves. It is lighter in weight, more compact, much more affordable, and able to withstand higher pressure than comparably sized globe valves.