Flow & Directional Control Valves

STUDENT MANUAL

Valves can be divided into 3 categories; pressure, flow and directional control valves.
Chapter 9 covered pressure control valves; let’s take a better look at flow and directional
control valves now.

We’ve represented each category of valve using an overlapping diagram, because these
categories are a little bit “fuzzy”. Even though a valve can be strictly cataloged as a direc-
tional, flow or pressure control, it can often be used in other ways. For example, you can
use a directional control valve as a flow control, or use a pressure control to accomplish a
directional control task.

Directional Pressure
Control Control
Valves Valve Ports Valves
• 2 Port
Valve Positions • 3 Port
• 2, 3 and 4+
• 4 Port
Positions Valve Positions
Valve • Normally Open
Responses Valve Operators
• Normally Closed
• Spring-centered • Solenoid, Pilot etc.
• Detent
Valve Types
• Cartridge, Spool &
Logic

Valve Positions Valve Ports

• Fixed • 2 Port
• Variable • 3 Port

Flow
Control
Valves
Figure 1. “Valve operators” includes buttons, handles, solenoids, plungers, rollers, pedals, pressure pilots,
etc.

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Flow & Directional Control Valves

Schematic Symbol - Positions

Infinite Positions
A DCV can be proportional, i.e., align
anywhere between the positions rep-
resented by each valve envelope.
3 Position

2 Position

Two parallel lines are drawn along Figure 2. Valve envelopes can be placed side by side, or stacked vertically;
either side of a proportional valve they will be drawn in whichever way makes the schematic easiest to read.
to represent its infinite positioning
capability.
All valves begin with a valve envelope as their basic sche-
matic shape. Directional valves, though, add more enve-
lopes; as many as that valve has positions.

Schematic Symbol - Ports

Next, we need to add ports to a DCV symbol. Ports are indicated by the lines attached to
the valve.

Figure 3. Examples of two, three and four port valves.

It’s not uncommon to find examples of three port directional valves. For example, you
could use a three port valve to control a cylinder, if that cylinder is returned by a force
such as gravity, or a spring.

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 Flow & Directional Control Valves

Cylinder Is Extending Cylinder Is Retracting

Figure 4. A three port directional valve in use.

Selecting one branch over another is another very common use for a three port valve.

Straight-though and crossover porting are the most common positions found in a 4 port
directional valve.

Figure 5. Straight Through Porting Figure 6. Crossover Porting

Now we can power our cylinder in both directions, rather than depending on a forced
return.

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Flow & Directional Control Valves

Cylinder Is Extending Cylinder Is Retracting

Figure 7. A four port directional valve in use.

We’re talking about

Operators
this operator...
All valves, whether they are flow, pressure or direc-
tional control, need valve operators to know when
and how to function. Directional control valves, how-
ever, are of the the place that we see the most variety
...not this operator! and combinations of operators, so it makes sense to
study them a little closer at this point.

Operator is a category that describes the part of a

valve that drives the valve to change its position.
Some of the most common operators include:

Direct Operation Mechanical

Figure 8. Operator vs. operator.
Override

Plunger Roller Palm Button

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 Flow & Directional Control Valves

Handle Mechanical Pedal

Control

Solenoid Rocker Hydraulic Pilot

Responses

Detent Surface Area - Surface Area -

Spring Large Small

Responses are similar to operators, but they are not directly operated. Instead, they
provide an automatic “response” that describes the valve’s behaviour when its operator is
not active.

AND Combinations
Sometimes one operator isn’t enough. Valves can be driven by a combination of opera-
tors, using either AND or OR to describe their logic.
Handle
What’s with the all caps?

Valve
Hydraulic Pilot
Figure 9. Just operating the handle or the hydraulic pilot
won’t make this valve move. Both the handle AND the pi-
lot must be activated to signal the valve to change state.
As great as logical terms are, the reason for
using all caps for AND and OR isn’t an ex-
cess of enthusiasm. This is a commonly ac-
cepted way of writing a logic term. It helps
make it clear that we are using the word
AND as a logic term, not as a conjunction.

AND means that a valve needs all of its operators to receive instructions to operate be-
fore the valve moves. The schematic convention for AND is shown here, with the opera-
tors stacked as though they are in series with each other. There is no theoretical limit to
the number of operators that could be combined in an AND instruction.

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Flow & Directional Control Valves

Here are some examples of operators in an AND configuration, along with a narrative
description of what they require to operate.

Figure 10. 2 port, 2 position, handle Figure 11. 3 port, 2 position, solenoid Figure 12. 4 port, 3 position, float cen-
AND pilot operated spring returned controlled, AND pilot operated valve. ter pilot AND pedal operated valve.
valve.

OR Combinations
OR means that a valve will operate when
Handle any of its operators receive a signal. The
Hydraulic
schematic convention for OR is shown
Pilot here. The operators are drawn side by
Valve side, as though they are in parallel with
the valve. Just like the AND configuration,
there is no theoretical limit to how many
operators can be added to a valve in OR
Figure 13. Activating the handle OR the hydraulic pilot
configurations.
will cause this valve to change its state.

Here are some examples of operators in an OR configuration.

Figure 14. 2 port, 2 position, handle Figure 15. 4 port, 3 position, closed Figure 16. 3 port, 2 position, solenoid,
OR solenoid operated, spring returned center solenoid OR hydraulic pilot button, hydraulic pilot OR handle oper-
valve. operated valve. ated valve.

Notice that the last valve has too many operators to fit on the side of the valve. The draw-
ing convention is to just extend the line at the side to whatever height can comfortably
fit all of the operators required.

All of the examples for AND and OR combinations have been shown in a horizontal lay-
out to save space, but they could have been shown vertically; the same rules apply.

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 Flow & Directional Control Valves

AND/OR Combinations
Valves can also have AND and OR combinations on
Figure 17. This valve is a 2 port, 3 position, handle AND
the same valve, as shown here. This valve would
hydraulic pilot, OR solenoid operated, spring returned
operate when both a handle AND a pilot are given
valve.
signals, OR when a solenoid is energized, OR return
to center under the power of the springs.

Directional Control Valves (DCVs)

So what is a directional control valve? Directional
control valves, or DCVs, are used to change the
direction of an actuator. This is the valve that lets you
spin a motor clockwise or counter clockwise, or
extend instead of retracting a cylinder. And, of Figure 18. A pair of a modular directional valves.
course, this valve often gives you a neutral position,
where your actuator does not move at all.
Lands
Spool Type
This type of valve uses a cylindrical spool with lands
and undercuts machined into it. The spool is the
primary control element. Spools are governed by
the valve operators and responses that we discussed Undercuts
earlier; hydraulic pilots, solenoids, handles, springs,
etc. They can be pushed or pulled into different posi- Figure 19. A valve spool
tions, changing the available flow paths.

Maintenance Issues

Solenoid operated spool valves are often subject to

silting where fine contamination (5 microns and less
in size) accumulates at the end of the spool in the
area occupied by the spring and push pin.

This silt may prevent the spool from returning to its

normal (center) position, resulting in undesired flow
through particular valve ports. If the valve is a part of
a fail-safe safety scenario where a de-energized
solenoid is supposed to allow a valve to close com- Silt
pletely, silting may be a real concern. A regular Figure 20. Silting can impair and even prevent normal
maintenance routine should include opportunities to valve operation, including re-centering when a solenoid
operate the valve a number of times while the hy- is de-energized.
draulic power unit is running to check for proper

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Flow & Directional Control Valves

functioning. This will also wash away some silt that may be starting to settle in the
clearance between the spool and the valve body.

Improper assembly of Valves have some of the smallest clearances among

part alignment may cause all hydraulic components. Micronic filtration of hy-
sticking or improper
spool movement. draulic fluid in order to capture contaminant particles
Dirt and hard particles is especially important for reliable valve performance.
here may cause valve to Filtration rating is dependent on valve manufactur-
leak internally or stick. er’s clearance ratings.

Incomplete spool motion in hand operated valves

may be caused by dirt build up, and by lubricant that
has degraded into a wax like substance. Both the dirt
and the wax may be trapped in the spool cover on
the valve’s handle end or the end opposite from the
Rust, dirt and degraded grease may build up handle.
here, and cause the valve to stick. Ice may
form in colder climates. Solenoids
Figure 21. Contaminants may cause the valve to stick or
to develop increased cross port leakage. Burned out solenoids on directional valves may also
be a frequent or occasional cause of system malfunc-
tions. Frequent burn out usually means that the solenoid’s winding is being subjected
to excessive current, leading to overheating and resulting in an open winding. The most
common cause of this excessive current is failure to bring the armature (block of steel
that pushes the spool) into the center of the solenoid’s magnetic field.

1. When the solenoid is first

energized, the armature has
not yet been pulled into
the center of the solenoid’s
winding.

2. This results in a large

magnetic field and high
solenoid current (heat).

Center of Armature Center of Solenoid Winding

Figure 22. The current is higher when the solenoid is first energized. This is due to the larger magnetic field needed to engulf
the armature.

When the solenoid is energized it builds a magnetic field that engulfs the armature.
When the armature is pulled into the center of the magnetic field it creates a push force

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 Flow & Directional Control Valves

that moves the valve’s spool. The current drops down to a level that can be handled by
the gauge (diameter) of the solenoid’s wire.

1. Once the armature is at

“home” in the center of the
solenoid...

2. ...current and heat are at

ambient (sustainable) levels.

Center of Armature Center of Solenoid Winding

Figure 23. Solenoid current has stabilized at a normal, lower value now that the armature has centered.

When the armature cannot move to the center of the Troubleshooting Tip
solenoid the current remains at an excessively high
level, leading to solenoid burn out. This is usually due Improper travel of
to sticking or binding in the valve, or because the the solenoid ar-
opposing solenoid on the other end of the valve has mature will cause
already pulled its armature into center of the mag- reduced movement of the directional spool,
netic field, resulting in reduced output flow.

2. ...and then this

solenoid is energized
1. If this simultaneously...
solenoid is
energized first...

3. ...this armature will not

arrive in the central position.
Figure 24. When the armature cannot center in an energized solenoid, the current through that solenoid remains high, and
produces a lot of heat. The heat is what will cause the solenoid to burn out eventually.
120 VAC Common
CR1 CR2 Sometimes solenoids will get overlap-
CR3
CR1 CR2 ping signals for a very short amount of
time, which can be easy to miss. A test
CR3 Lamp 1 circuit like the one in this diagram will
detect even short moments of both sole-
noids being energized at once, because
it illuminates a test lamp every time both

Figure 25. Test circuit - left solenoid is energized.

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Flow & Directional Control Valves

solenoids are energized at the same time. The lamp stays lit until power is reset to help
detect short overlaps.
120 VAC Common 120 VAC Common
CR1 CR2 CR1 CR2
CR3 CR3
CR1 CR2 CR1 CR2

CR3 Lamp 1 CR3 Lamp 1

Figure 27. Test circuit - both solenoids are energized
simultaneously. This is undesirable, and will be detected
by the test.
Figure 26. Test circuit - both solenoids have been turned
off, but the lamp remains lit until the test circuit power
is removed. This allows a very short overlap to leave
the lamp turned on as an indicator of a faulty control
condition.

Diagnosing Problems

What is a ferrous material? The problem with burned out solenoids is that they
usually don’t look any different than functional sole-
This is a fancy way of saying that the noids. There is a simple test that you can perform to
material contains iron, and so is reactive to quickly check solenoid health without removing it
a magnetic field. Most metal screwdrivers from its circuit.
will be made of ferrous materials; you can
make sure that yours is too by testing it for Find a small screwdriver with a lightweight handle.
attraction against a permanent magnet. (It’s important that the screwdriver itself is made out
of a ferrous material.) Hold it close to the solenoid
you want to test, and it should “snap” to the solenoid
whenever that solenoid is energized. When the solenoid de-energizes, the screwdriver
will fall away as the magnetic field disappears.

Figure 28. The solenoid is energized, and the screwdriver Figure 29. The solenoid is de-energized; the screwdriver
“snaps” against it. is released.

If a solenoid operated spool valve appears to be the cause of system problems you can
diagnose and confirm with the following procedure.

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 Flow & Directional Control Valves

• Observe that the proper signal voltage is present at

the solenoid. If the solenoid connector has an indi-
cator lamp, be aware that illumination does not
always guarantee that the voltage level is correct.
Many valves will not move when even a slight
under-voltage problem is present.
Figure 30. Testing for problems at the actuator. If a
• Install test pressure gauges in the A and B work gauge indicates pressure when the valve is operates
ports (or into the hoses from the A and B work then the actuator should be moving. Look for a binding
ports with a t-fitting) and operate the valve by or blockage problem at the actuator instead of a valve
pushing the manual override. If the gauges regis- problem.
ter pressure as the valve is operated, then the
problem is likely at the actuator (mechanical binding or internal leakage and bypass
flow at the cylinder or motor).

• If the actuator is moving but is slower than usual,

then there may be an actuator problem or the
valve may not be shifting completely. Take a tem-
perature measurement of the valve and the actua-
tor. The component that indicates a slightly higher
temperature is likely the cause of the problem.

• Install a pressure gauge on the P port. If the correct

pressure is registered and the solenoids are receiv-
ing their correct voltage signals, yet no pressure
becomes available on the A and B ports when the
valve is operated, then the valve may need to be
repaired or replaced.
Understanding what caused the valve to fail is very
important to proper system maintenance and future
troubleshooting routines. To learn as much as pos-
sible, take the valve apart and carefully examine the
components.
• Is the spool and/or valve bore scored?
• Is there evidence of contamination or an obvious
valve defect?
• Sticky or improper solenoid operation may also be
caused by trying to force excessive flow through
the valve.
All valves are rated for a maximum flow value. If you
have increased the pump size on your system, the
Figure 31. Understanding what caused a valve to fail is
very important in correct system maintenance.
Have you considered retrofitting?
If you are still maintaining the older air gap
solenoid style directional valves, the push
pin o-ring or packing may be the source
of considerable frustration. This is a tiny
component that is capable of causing valve
malfunction. The o-ring may be partially
extruded into the clearance between the
pin and the valve body preventing the
solenoid from moving the spool. A u-cup
style seal may be available as a retrofit to
prevent this problem in the future and to
minimize the occurrence of leakage from
the valve into the solenoid housing.

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Flow & Directional Control Valves

valves may not perform correctly until you change to valves that are rated for the in-
creased flow.

Flow Control Valves

At it’s most basic, flow control is about creating a
pinch in the line, or restricting flow. But it’s not quite
as simple as just throwing a fixed orifice in the line.
Consider the following schematic symbols; there are
a lot of different kinds of valves in the flow control
family, to solve a lot of different problems!

Figure 32. A flow control is a simple device that restricts Figure 34. Adjustable Flow
flow in one direction. Figure 33. Fixed Orifice Control

or

Figure 37. Pressure/tem-

Figure 35. Throttle Valve Figure 36. Pressure com- perature compensated flow
(with back flow check) pensated flow control control

Figure 38. Pressure/tem-

perature compensated flow Figure 39. Pressure Com- Figure 40. Flow Divider
control pensated Bypass-Type (Pressure Compensated)

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 Flow & Directional Control Valves

Figure 41. Ball Valve Figure 42. Ball Valve

(Normally Open) (Normally Closed)

You’ve seen flow controls before; they are used to control the speed of the actuator. But
should it be placed upstream (on the way into the actuator), or downstream (leaving the
actuator) of the motor or cylinder it is controlling? The answer to this question deter-
mines whether you are doing meter-in or meter-out flow control.

Meter-in Flow Control

Flow Control

Cylinder

Directional
Control Valve

Flow Control
Relief Valve

Pressure
Compensated
Pump
Tank Tank
Figure 43. This system is set up for meter-in. The flow is restricted, producing a slow and steady extension of the cylinder
against the load.

To meter-in means to control the fluid flow on its way into the actuator. Some mistakenly
believe that to meter-in means to control flow while the cylinder is extending and to me-
ter-out means to control flow while the cylinder is retracting. This is not correct. First of
all, metering flow for the purpose of controlling actuator speed applies to both cylinders
and motors. Furthermore, meter-in flow control can be achieved for both extension and
retraction of cylinders.

It works well, until the load goes over-center and tries to pull the cylinder, rather than
resisting it.

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Flow & Directional Control Valves

Flow Control

Cylinder

Directional
Control Valve

Relief Valve Flow Control

Pressure
Compensated
Pump
Tank Tank
Figure 44. As the load falls over center, it tries to pull the cylinder out of the barrel. Suddenly, meter-in is working against the
system, producing cavitation and jerky cylinder rod motion.

Meter-in flow control takes place on only one actuator port at any one time. Thus a by-
pass check valve typically allows fluid to pass through a flow control unrestricted in the
opposite direction.

Meter-in works well whenever there is resistance to the actuator’s motion. A vertical lift
application or a spring pushing back on the extending cylinder would be examples of
this. When the load has a tendency to run away or go over-center, then the circuit may
cavitate and motion may be uneven as the load tries to move the rod and piston faster
than oil can supplied to the cylinder.

Meter-in can be just as useful when applied to a motor.

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 Flow & Directional Control Valves

Flow Control Flow Control

with bypass with bypass
check valve check valve

Figure 45. Meter-in, both sides. Flow into the motor is controlled to prevent the reel from spooling or unspooling too quickly

Meter-Out Flow Control

Flow Control

Cylinder

Relief Valve Flow Control

Pressure
Compensated
Pump
Tank Tank
Figure 46. The system has been swapped to meter-out flow control. This produces a smooth and controlled motion as the
cylinder raises its load.

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Flow & Directional Control Valves

To meter-out means to control the rate of flow as fluid is leaving the actuator. Meter-out
can be used for both extension and retraction. The flow control acts as an in-series load
to the cylinder, imposing a back pressure that will steady the motion of a runaway load.
Flow Control

Cylinder

Flow Control
Relief Valve

Pressure
Compensated
Pump
Tank Tank
Figure 47. The load has gone over-center and is now trying to shove the cylinder rod back into the barrel, but the cylinder
continues to retract in a smooth and controlled way thanks to the meter-out flow control.

Like meter-in, meter out is also used on rotary actuators.

Flow Control Flow Control

with bypass with bypass
check valve check valve

Figure 48. Meter-out, both sides.

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 Flow & Directional Control Valves

Meter-out is not a perfect solution in all circumstances. The flow control on the rod-end
port of a cylinder may, under certain load conditions, cause pressure to become intensi-
fied. This effect may damage the rod-end of the cylinder or may cause fitting to leak or
possibly rupture. We’ll discuss this problem further in the Actuators module.

Oops...

One of the most common problems we’ve seen with meter-in and meter-out systems is
installing one of the flow controls backwards. Not only does this fail to provide the me-
tering function in one direction, but it also increases the pressure created in the meter-
ing direction by adding an extra and unnecessary load.

Figure 49. Meter-in mistake - When the direction of flow Figure 50. The direction of flow is reversed. The hydraulic
is from left to right, the fluid must negotiate three loads - fluid escapes the flow control on both sides of the motor,
the motor plus both flow controls. so there is no metering, in or out, when the motor spins
counter-clockwise.

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