Actuators and Valves

How to ‘marry’ the correct actuator to the correct valve?

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

What is an actuator? Why are actuators installed on valves?

An actuators is a type of motor use for moving or controlling a

mechanism or system.
The actuator can be operated using the following:
1)Pneumatic pressure (Air)
2)Electrical current
3)Hydraulic fluid

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

What is the functions of actuated valves?

Typically, there are three main functions of actuated valves:

1)On/Off – The actuator is used to fully open or close the valve
2)Shutdown – The actuator together with help of springs will
open or close the valve in an event of an emergency.
3)Modulating – Precision control of either the flow rate or
pressure flowing through the valve.

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Pneumatic Actuators

There are two main designs of pneumatic actuators:

1)Rack and Pinion Design
2)Scotch and Yoke Design

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ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Rack and Pinion Actuators

• Rack and Pinion actuators are designed

for use in low and high cycle service. Used
for ball, plug and butterfly valves.
• Torque that a typical rack and pinion
actuator can generate – from as low as 6 Nm
to 4,000 Nm
• Two type of rack and pinion actuator:
- Double acting actuator
- Single acting actuator

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Double acting actuator

Operating principle of double acting actuator

- Air to port A Forces the piston outwards, causing the piston to
turn counter clockwise while air is being exhausted from Port B

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Single acting actuator

Operating principle of Single acting actuator

- Air is pumped into the port on the left forcing the piston
outwards, causing the springs to compress. The counter
clockwise action of the piston will open the valve. When air
pressure is stopped or lost, the release tension of the springs
will close the valve.

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Question:
What happens if you want the actuator to have a ‘fail open’
function?

Very simple – all you need to do is to switch the racks of the

actuator to the opposite ends!

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Scotch and Yoke actuators

Scotch Yoke actuators are designed to meet the higher torque

requirements of large sizes quarter turn valves

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Construction of a Scotch Yoke Actuator.

PTFE
Standardized Guide Reduced Safe Spring
Bar Roller Hydraulic
Mounting Wear Lock
Override

PTFE Replaceable Travel

Housing
Guide Bearings Adjustment
Vent
Ring

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Advantages of Pneumatic Actuators

.
• Generally cheaper than electric actuators if the number of
actuated valves is large
• Torque of the actuator can be increased by increasing the air
pressure entering the actuator
• Actuator has a faster response time, opening and closing of
valve is much faster compared to an electric actuator
• Able to continue working even when there is a power failure,
as long as the air line is working. Actuator will remain in ‘fail last’
position

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Hydraulic Actuators

.
Operation of hydraulic actuators is typically the same as the
operation of a pneumatic actuator, with the main difference
being that oil instead of air is used to pressurize the cylinder.
One unique difference that a spring return hydraulic actuator
can offer over a pneumatic actuator is that it can offer a ‘slower’
shutoff time for the valve if needed.

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Motor Operated Valves (MOV)

There are several reasons when electric actuators are used/

preferred over pneumatic actuators

• When there is an absence of an air line in the facility

• When the valve is linear and not quarter turn
• More cost efficient if the number of actuated valves is not
many as there will not be a need to install a compressor
• When both local and remote control is required

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Motor Operated Valves (MOV)

One of the greatest fear when sizing a MOV is to

undersize it as unlike pneumatic actuators, there
is no way to increase the torque of the actuator.
This lead to many operators over sizing their
actuators!

< 24” CL150

actuated gate
valve sized by
others

32” CL 150>
actuated gate
valve sized by us

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Optimization for MOV

Optimization – to choose the most suitable actuator to match

the valve and produce the most cost effective outcome for the
customer.

• Lower hardware cost

• Lower risk of damage
• Over sizing of actuators – stem will bend over time,
increased cable cost, higher power consumption
• Under sizing of actuators – Overtime, actuator may not be
able to overcome fractional wear and tear in the valve and
result in leakage

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Heaton MOV Optimization Program

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 ACTUATORS AND VALVES

Linear Actuators

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 THANK YOU

INQ@mrctransmark.com

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