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Air regulators
Air regulators reduce supply pressure to the level required for efficient operation
of downstream pneumatic equipment.
Hydraulics & Pneumatics Jan 1, 2012
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Air regulators reduce supply pressure to the level required for efficient operation of downstream
pneumatic equipment.
Pneumatic pressure controls fall in the category of pressure reducing valves,
commonly referred to as air line regulators. It is also essential, once a system pressure
has been selected to perform a task, that air be supplied at constant pressure to the
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actuator, regardless of variations in flow and upstream pressure. Thus, it is important to
add to a pneumatic system a pressure regulator that: 1. Troubleshooting Challenge:
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supplies air at constant pressure regardless of flow variation or upstream pressure, 2. How To Connect A Forced Air Heat
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helps operate the system more economically by minimizing the amount of pressurized
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air that is wasted. (This happens when the system operates at pressures higher than 4. Hydraulic Hoses Suit LowTemp Apps
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helps promote safety by operating the actuator at reduced pressure, Radiation
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extends component life because operating at higherthanrecommended pressures
increases wear rate and reduces equipment life, Hot Topics
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produces readily controlled variable air pressures where needed, and Automate With Air Fluid Power Handbook
• increases operating efficiency & Directory Digital
Edition
Types of regulators
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Unbalanced poppet, nonpilot
operated — Figure 1 shows the simplest
type of unbalanced poppet regulator.
Normally, supply pressure enters the New blog posts
regulator and flows around the poppet, Videos Give Tips on Hydraulic Clutch and
which is seated, blocking flow. Brake Installation
by Leah Scully
Turning the adjustment screw to compress Posted 1 day ago
the adjustment spring forces the in Fluid Power Talk
diaphragm down. It pushes the stem down
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and the poppet uncovers the orifice. As
by Alan Hitchcox
downstream pressure rises, pressure air
Posted 2 weeks ago
acts on the underside of the diaphragm,
in The Hitch Post
balancing the force exerted by the
adjustment spring. The poppet throttles How To Cool A Hot Hydraulic System
the orifice to restrict flow and produce the by Brendan Casey
desired pressure. As downstream flow Posted 3 days ago
demand varies, the regulator automatically Fig. 1. Simplest regulator incorporates an in Hydraulics At Work
adjustment spring (that is, it is not pilotoperated)
repositions the poppet in relation to the
and an unbalanced poppet. It does not have a
orifice. The spring under the poppet
separate diaphragm chamber, and it is non
ensures that the regulator will close at no relieving.
flow. This regulator is nonrelieving.
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Unbalanced poppet, nonpilot operated with diaphragm chamber — The
regulator in Figure 2 is larger (and more expensive) than the model in Figure 1. It also
has a diaphragm chamber which isolates the diaphragm from the main air flow to help
reduce the effects of the abrasive air on the diaphragm. Signup to receive our free newsletters
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An aspirator tube connects the diaphragm Sample
chamber and the outlet chamber. As flow
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through the regulator increases, the tube Sample
creates a slightly lowerthanoutlet
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pressure in the diaphragm chamber. The
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power pressure under the diaphragm
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deflects it downward, forcing the poppet offerings by Penton, its brands, affiliates and/or third
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farther away from the orifice. The
adjustment spring extends to open the
poppet orifice without significantly
decreasing outlet pressure. The effect is the
same as increasing the adjustment setting
and thus reducing droop at higher flow
rates. Hydraulics & Pneumatics
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This regulator’s much larger diaphragm
area produces greater forces and thus
displaces the poppet more with a given
Fig. 2. Regulator has an adjustment spring and an change in reduced pressure. Larger
unbalanced poppet. It has a separate diaphragm
diaphragms increase regulator response
chamber which contains an aspirator tube
and sensitivity. Our online bookstore
connecting to the reducedpressure port. It is self
relieving. features most of the
Balanced poppet, nonpilot
industry’s most popular
operated, with diaphragm chamber — This regulator, Figure 3, has the same and classic technical
general internal construction as the previous type. However, it has a considerably larger training books available.
orifice to allow for greater flow. In addition, to maintain good stability, the poppet is Click below to browse the
pressurebalanced. That is, the poppet sees the same reduced pressure on both top and bookshelves today!
bottom surfaces. Thus, the effects produced by reduced pressure fluctuations cancel out,
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and sensitivity and response are greatly improved. This verylargecapacity regulator has
low droop.
With an exactly balanced poppet, the
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systempressure/reducedpressure ratio
has no effect because the unbalanced
resultant forces on the poppet caused by
supply pressure are zero. However, these
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poppets are generally designed with a
slight tendency to close. Therefore, a large
increase in supply pressure forces the
poppet closer to the orifice, throttling flow.
This causes the reduced pressure to drop
slightly.
Remote controlled, pilot operated,
balanced poppet — In some
applications, the regulator must be
installed where it cannot be easily
adjusted. The regulation and pressure
setting mechanisms are then separated. A
small air pilot line connects the regulator
(in the air line at the point of use) to the
remote setting mechanism, which can be
mounted at any convenient location.
The remote setting mechanism is a small Fig. 3. Regulator has a balanced poppet and a
regulator that produces a control air separate diaphragm chamber with an aspirator. It
signal. The signal is sent to a pilot is nonpilot operated.
operated, balancedpoppet regulator,
similar to the previous regulator except that the top is replaced with a short, pressure
tight bonnet to receive the control signal from the small remote setting regulator. Instead
of working against a force created by a compressed spring, the pilotoperated regulator
works against a force created by air pressure — that is, an air spring.
The air spring maintains a constant force on the upper side of the diaphragm of the pilot
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operated regulator because the remote setting regulator holds the control signal at
constant pressure. Thus, droop in this regulator is small.
Internal, pilotoperated, balanced poppet — This regulator also uses the pilot
operated principle to produce a precision regulator. Both the pressure setting regulator
and the pilotoperated regulator are combined in a single housing. The same force
balance principle applies as in the previous regulator.
With this regulator, some supply air bleeds into the cavity over the lower diaphragm and
escapes through the nozzle. As increased air pressure on the upper diaphragm opens the
flexible seat, the pressure above the lower diaphragm drops and causes the poppet to
approach the primary orifice, reducing flow, then pressure. A bleedingtype relief seat
vents through the center of the diaphragm. This regulator also has a safetytype relief
valve above the pilot mechanism, which rapidly exhausts any very high overpressure.
Proportional pressure regulators offer precise control and flexibility
Mounting a fieldbuscontrolled proportional valve directly on a valve manifold is an
approach machine builders should closely consider. It reportedly offers control
flexibility as well as numerous costsaving advantages, including fewer parts, simplified
installation and maintenance, less wiring, and powerful remote diagnostics.
Proportional pressure regulators are
used extensively in process and
industrial automation. Typical
applications include controlling the
contact force in polishing and friction
welding, controlling web tension,
providing active load cushioning and
weight compensation, controlling the
speed of pneumatic motors, and
regulating torque in pneumatic
wrenches.
Proportional pressure regulators can
Proportional pressure regulators, such as this one
from Festo Corp., can be mixed with standard and provide a precise means of varying
proportional valves on the same manifold to supplied air pressure, via the valve
facilitate precise control. manifold, to pneumatic actuators. This,
in turn, facilitates accurate control of speed, force, pressure, and torque.
Proportional pressure regulators can be commissioned remotely via fieldbus or
Ethernet.
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