MEC-E5003

FLUID POWER BASICS

Study Year 2016 - 2017
Valves
Lecture themes
How to control actuators’
- direction of movement
- velocity
- force/torque
How about the control forces or power?
Are valves just pure sources of joy?

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Valves
Control of the hydraulic power (= qV∙p)

Control of pressure:
- output forces and torques of actuators
Control of flow magnitude:
- velocities of actuators
Control of flow direction:
- direction of movement of actuators

Pressure valves
Flow valves
Directional control valves

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 Construction
Slide types
- poppet Centralizing
Poppet grooves
- spool
Spool land

qV Control edge
Spool valley
qV
qV
qV
Valve body
Seat land
Valve body
valley
qV

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Construction types - Signal
- normally open
- normally closed

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 Nominal sizes

NS = Nominal Size / NG (Nenngröβe)

Indicates the approximate inner diameter

of a flow channel with circular cross-
section (i.e. pipe or hose) to be connected
to the valve in units [mm]

Most common sizes 6, 10, 16, 25 ja 32

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Directional control valves
Control the direction of flow

Shut-off valves
- either allow or restrain flow
Check valves
- allow flow to one direction and
restrain to opposite direction
Actual directional control valves
- versatile control of flows

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 Shut-off valves
a b
- allow or restrain flow

c d

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 qV
Check valves
- allow flow to one direction and
restrain to opposite direction

b c
f

a
d

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Control piston Poppet

Pilot-operated check valves

A B - allow flow to one direction and
X restrain to opposite direction, but
the flow can also be allowed
X A B to the normally restrained
p qV qV direction when the port X is
Control piston Pilot poppet Main poppet
pressurized

A B
X

X Y A B Throttle
p qV qV

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 Pilot-operated check valves

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 Shuttle valve
Flow direction (either
C C
A B A→C or B→C) is
determined by the
highest inlet pressure

A B

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 Coding the directional control valves
A A A B

P P T P T

A B A B

X P T Y

P X Y T

Code: Number of connections / Number of switching positions

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 A B Slide types
P T

T AP B

P T

T A P

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 Control types

a e
Examples of
Mechanical b f
Muscle
Pressure c g
Electric
controls d h

Monostable

Bistable

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 Examples of different connection variants
a b c

d e f

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 Switching characteristics
Switching time
Positive overlap Spool lap
Spool shape
T A P B Pressure pre-opening Tank pre-opening

Negative overlap

a b c
T A P B

Zero overlap

T A P B

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 Directly operated / Pilot operated

Directly operated = single stage

Pilot operated = multi stage (generally 2 or 3)
Normal Maximum
Nominal Structure
Control force flow range flow Control type
size type
[l/min] [l/min]
demand increases NS 6 0−20 25 directly operated poppet
with flow NS 10 10−30 36 directly operated poppet

Pilot operated = NS 6 0−30 60 directly operated spool

NS 10 20−60 100 directly operated spool
hydraulic
NS 10 20−80 160 pilot operated spool
amplification of NS 16 50−200 400 pilot operated spool
control force NS 25 100−500 700 pilot operated spool
NS 32 250−800 1100 pilot operated spool

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 Pilot operated, spring centered

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 Pilot operated, pressure centered

Amplification
of centralizing
signal

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 Switching time of pilot operated
directional control valve

A B

Ae Be

P X Y T

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 AB
Operating range of
P T P T
∆p 14 B
P
T directional control valve
[bar] A
12
P B
10
A T

6 400
p
4 [bar] 300
1
2
250

0 2
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 200

qV [l/min] 150
3

100

Flow rate 50

Pressure loss 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Control force qV [l/min]

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Pressure valves
Govern/control the pressure
Govern the system on the grounds of pressure signal

Governing/controlling the pressure

- restraining the system main pressure
- restraining the pressure of a subsystem
Governing the system on the grounds of pressure
- sequencing the operation of system
- unloading the pump
- governing external load

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 Construction

qV qV
qV

qV
Slide types
- poppet
- spool

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 Construction types - Signal
- normally open
- normally closed

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 Direct operated / Pilot operated

Direct operated = single stage

Pilot operated = multi stage (generally 2, possibly 3)

Control force
demand increases
with flow
Pilot operated =
hydraulic
amplification of
control force
qV qV

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 Controls and depressurization
of control spring volume
External
leakage channel

Internal
control channel
Internal
leakage channel

External
control channel

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 Pressure relief valve
Restrains the system main max pressure level

Protects the m
hydraulic p System's
maximum pressure
system and
the
structures
T
attached to it
from
overloading
1 2 3 4 5 6 t

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 p
Setting pressure pa
Characteristic of
Opening pressure po an ideal pressure
∆ po ∆ p relief valve
c

Closing pressure pc

qV
p p
[bar] [bar]
45
40 250
35
200
30

Direct operated 25
20
150

15 100

pressure relief 10
50
5

valve 0
0 20 40 60 80
0
0 20 40 60 80 100

qV [l/min] qV [l/min]

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 p
[bar]
250

200

150

100

50

0
0 100 200 300

qVoe qV [l/min]

Pilot operated
pressure relief
valve

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Realizing several pressure levels with one main valve and several pilot valves

1.1

3.3 3.2 3.1

2.3 2.2 2.1

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 Pressure reducing valve
Restrains the max pressure level of subsystem, i.e., reduces the
pressure of a subsystem to a lower level compared with the
main system pressure
→ enables different pressure levels at different subsystems

2-way valve
3-way valve
- contains pressure relief function

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 2-way valve

To main
system
m p System's
maximum pressure

Pressure in
main system

Setting pressure
of pressure
reducing valve

1 2 3 4 t

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 3-way valve
To main
system
m
p System's
maximum pressure

Pressure in
main system

Setting pressure
of pressure
reducing valve

1 2 3 4 t

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 Direct controlled
pressure reducing
valves
Y

A B

B
Y
A

3-way

2-way

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 3-way
Direct controlled
p
pressure reducing
[bar]
210 valve

Setting pressure
160

120 150

80

75
40

25
0
-4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10

B T A B qV [l/min]
Pressure relief Pressure reducing
function function

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 p
[bar]
200

150

100

50

0
0 10 20 30
qV [l/min]

Pilot controlled
pressure reducing
valves

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 ← Constant pressure
A B difference between
A connections
B

Y Y
A B
Constant pressure ratio
A
between connections →
B

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 Sequence valve

Governs the operation of system

on grounds of the pressure signal

Internally controlled valve

Externally controlled valve

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 Internally controlled valve

2.1
1.1
p System's
Plus motion
maximum pressure
1.2
2.2
Setting pressure
of valve 2.2

3.1

1 2 3 t

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 Externally controlled valve

1.1 1.2

p System 2's
Plus motion
maximum pressure
2.1 2.2

System 1's
maximum
pressure

3.2

Opening pressure
of valve 2.2

3.1
1 2 t

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 Direct operated
sequence valve

Pilot operated
sequence valve

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 Unloading valve

Governs the m p System's

maximum pressure
direction of
pump flow on
4.1 Pressure at outlet
grounds of of pump 1.1

pressure signal, 3.1

i.e. “eases” the 5.1

Pressure at outlet
of pump 2.1
operating 1.1 2.1
power of the
system t
1 2 3

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 X
Direct operated
B unloading valve
A

X A B

Pilot operated
unloading valve

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 Pilot operated
relief valve -
Unloading valve

A B

A B

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Pilot operated
pressure
accumulator
charging valve

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 Pilot operated
pressure
accumulator
charging valve
m
p System's
Plus motion
maximum pressure

Pressure in
cylinder Setting pressure
of charging valve

Pressure at
pump outlet

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 Counterbalance valve

Induces a hydraulic counter load to negative external

load thus enabling the governing of the load

Internally controlled valve

Externally controlled valve
Internally and externally controlled valve

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 Internally controlled valve

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 Externally controlled valve

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 Internally and externally controlled valve

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 Direct operated
counterbalance valve

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Flow valves
Govern/control the flow rate

Governing/controlling the flow rate

- affecting the speeds of actuators
- affecting the internal functions of components

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 Operating principle

Throttle
p1 - p2 = ∆ p

qV qV
p1 p2

qV ∆p
qV ∆p

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 Operational precondition
qV,2
qV qV,1
12
[l/min]
10 qV,2
8
6
4 qV,3
2
0 qV,1 qV,3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
t [s]

Governing or controlling flow rate with a throttle

requires existence of an alternative flow path

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 Throttle types

Laminar Turbulent

qV φd qV φd
p1 p2 p1 p2

l l

π ⋅ DH4 π ⋅ DH2
⋅ ( p1 − p 2 ) ⋅ ( p1 − p 2 )
2
qV = qV = Cq ⋅ ⋅
128 ⋅η ⋅ l 4 ρ

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 Throttle shapes

qV
qV x x

A 1,0

Amax 0,8

0,6
qV qV
0,4

x 0,2 ϕ
0

x ϕ
0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0

xmax ϕ max

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 Governing/Controlling speed of actuator

c
Alternative
sites of a
a b
throttle

Eg., named after

movement to positive
d e
f direction
a, d = input channel
b, e = output channel
c, f = parallel channel
of cylinder

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Governing/Controlling the speeds of actuator independently to each direction

Positive direction Negative direction

c c

a b a b

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 Throttle valves

v F
F a)
p2
p p1
b) p1- p2
p1 p2
qV
c) v

t
Loading of the actuator affects the actuator speed

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 Flow control valves

2-way valve
3-way valve
- incorporates pressure relief function

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 2-way valve

p2
p3 v F
F a)

p
p2 -p3 p1
b)
p1 p2
p3
qV
c)
v

t
Loading of the actuator does not affect the actuator speed

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 2-way valve

Pressure compensator Control throttle

Complete
symbol
A B

qV p1
A B
p2 p3 qV Simplified
symbol
A B

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 2-way valve

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 Boundary conditions of control function

qV

0
∆ pmin ∆ pmax ∆p

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 3-way valve
v
F F
p3
a)
p2
p p1- p3
b) p1
p1 p3
qV
c)
v

Loading of the actuator does not affect the actuator speed

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 3-way valve

Control throttle Pressure compensator

Complete
symbol
B A B
qV p1 p3 qV
A

Simplified
symbol
p2
A B

T
T

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 3-way valve

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 3-way valve
Pilot operated

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 Flow divider valves

Single-acting
- flow to only one direction
Single-acting
- controlled flow to one direction,
free flow to the opposite direction
Double-acting
- controlled flow to both directions

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 Single-acting flow divider valve

Pressure compensator
Complete
A B symbol
p4 p5 A B

p3 P
p2
Simplified
symbol
p1 A B

Control throttles P P

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 FA

A B
FB

Actuator speeds ~ equal

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 Effect of flow rate to the control accuracy

∆ qV
[%] 4

0
50 60 70 80 90 100
qVmax [%]

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Lecture themes - Recap

Actuators
- control of direction of movement?
- control of speed?
- control of force or torque?
Can valves be used for other control purposes?
How to produce the force needed to control valve slides?
Any disadvantages in flow valves?
Valve slide types?

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