Applications
Motorized control valves are widely used in industrial processes that require precise regulation of liquid and gas flow rates. Some key applications of it include:
- Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems: Motorized control valves help modulate the flow of hot or cold water/glycol through variable air volume terminals, fan coil units, chilled beams, and other HVAC devices to maintain zone temperatures.
- Oil and gas pipelines: Motorized ball valves, butterfly valves, and pinch valves remotely control the flow of crude oil, natural gas, and other fluids through pipelines over long distances.
- Water treatment plants: Motorized globe valves regulate the dosage of chemicals like chlorine and fluoride during various stages of water purification and filtration.
- Power plants: Control valves outfitted with electric actuators are used to control steam, water, fuel, and flue gas flows in turbines, boilers, and other power generation equipment.
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing: Precise metering and blending of ingredients, solvents, and other process fluids are achieved using sanitary control valves with motorized actuators.
Advantages of Electric Actuators
The use of electric actuators to automate motorized control valves provides several advantages over pneumatic and hydraulic actuators:
- Remote operation: Motorized valves can be operated from a central control room located far away using control signals transmitted over cables or wireless networks.
- Easy commissioning: Actuator setup is simpler as it does not require compressed air lines, hydraulic pumps, or other auxiliaries commonly needed for pneumatic/hydraulic actuation.
- Reduced maintenance: Electric actuators have no oil/gas reserves or compressors to maintain. Their operating life is also longer as they have fewer moving parts than pneumatic actuators.
- Enhanced positioning control: Microprocessors in smart actuators enable high-resolution valve positioning to accurately meet process variable setpoints.
- Integrated diagnostics: Digital communicaiton protocols allow actuators to transmit real-time valve data for predictive maintenance and troubleshooting.
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