PART 4: Process Actuators | Final Control Elements

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo 1
Final Control Elements-> Actuators
1.) Process Control Valve
changes throttling percentage of piping thereby affecting process pressure, temperature,
flow rate, level and chemical mixtures and composition.
2.) Pump
changes delivery rate (volume delivered per time) of piping distribution systems thereby
affecting process pressure, temperature, flow rate, level, chemical mixtures and
composition
3.) Heater / Cooler
changes heating or cooling power to some process and substances thereby affecting
operating temperature, chemical reactions, fluid characteristics, combustion and etc.
4) Electrical Motor
changes rotational speed or angle to mechanical control systems thereby affecting
mechanical positioning, rotary speed and torque.

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Process Control Valves
The most common final control elements in industrial process automation

It works by restricting fluid flow through a pipe at the command of an automated signal, such as
the output signal from the loop controller or logic device such as PLC.

Equivalent to a resistor in electrical circuits; works to dissipate energy from pressure energy by
converting it to heat due to turbulence

Two Major Components of Process Valves:

1.) Valve Body
2.) Valve Actuator

Types of Control Valves According to Throttling:

1.) On/Off Valves
2.) Throttling / Proportional Valves
DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Types of Process Control Valves According to Throttling:
A.) Discrete Valves (On/Off Valves)

These valves only perform on-off functionality that is it either only fully opens a pipe for
allowing maximum flow or fully shutting off a pipe for blocked flow.

B.) Proportional Valves (Throttling Valves)

These valves can have a throttling percentage from 0%(fully open) to 100% (fully shut-off ).
They can be used to control specific delivery flow in a pipe to control quantity and volume
being delivered in the process

“In General, all process valves can be used as discrete or proportional, it only depends
on the actuator used for them. [However some valves are better as on/off such as ball
and plug while others are better as throttling such as double-ported globe valves]”

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Major Components in a Process Control Valve
A.) Valve Body

part of the process valve which includes all the mechanical components necessary to
influence and control fluid flow.

B.) Valve Actuator

part of process valve which provides the mechanical power to actuate and move the valve
body thereby changing its throttling position.

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Types of Valve Bodies
1.) Sliding Stem

Valve body with linear movement of its valve stem to provide the throttling or on-off function

A. Gate Valve
B. Globe Valve
C. Diaphragm Valve

2.) Rotary Stem

Valve body with rotary movement of its valve stem to provide the throttling or on-off function

A. Butterfly Valve D. Plug Valve

B. Ball Balve
C. Disc Valve
DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Gate Valve
Restricts the flow of fluid by inserting a dam gate (like a knife slicing) into the path of the flow or
the cross-sectional area of the valve body to restrict it.

More often used in On/Off function than throttling

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Globe Valve
Restricts the flow of fluid by altering the distance between a movable plug and a stationary seat
Fluid flows through a hole in the center of the valve seat of the valve body and is more or less
restricted by how close the plug is to that hole

Most popular sliding-stem valve body

Design

Efficient in generating turbulence

Low Relative Flow Capacity

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Diaphragm Valve
Uses a flexible sheet (elastic material) pressed close to the edge of a solid dam to narrow the
flow path for fluid.

Suitable for flows containing solid particulate matter such as sluries

Precise throttling is difficult

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Butterfly Valve
A butterfly element or a disk inside the valve body is rotated perpendicular to the path of the
fluid flow

When disk is parallel to the axis of flow, the valve

is fully open; presents minimal obstruction

When disk is perpendicular to the axis of flow,

the valve is fully shutoff

High pressure recovery; more tendency to

cause Flashing

High Relative Flow Capacity

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Ball Valve
A spherical ball with a bore passageway cut through the center rotates to allow fluid more or
less access the passageway

When the passageway is parallel to the

direction of fluid flow, the valve is wide open

When the passageway is perpendicular to the

direction of fluid flow, the valve is fully shut

A special type of ball valve with V-shaped notch

provides more precise flow control at low opening
angles (characterized ball valves)

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Disc Valve
Also termed as high-performance butterfly valves because they are simply a variation on the
butterfly design intended to improve seatshut-off.
The disc’s center is offset from the shaft centerline, causing it to approach the seat with a cam
action that results in high seating pressure for tight shut-off

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Plug Valve
Are cylindrical or conically tapered "plugs" which can be rotated inside the valve body to control
flow through the valve. The plugs in plug valves have one or more hollow passageways going
sideways through the plug, so that fluid can flow through the plug when the valve is open.

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Types of Valve Actuators according to Medium
1.) Pneumatic Actuator
Uses compressed air pressure to move the valve body. Advantage in terms of switching
speed or provides ignition-free during switching.
2.) Electrical Actuator
Uses electrical signals to move the valve mechanism. Due to advances in motor design and
control technologies, position-control in electrical actuators is more accurate and easier. It
can also be networked directly.
3.) Hydraulic Actuator
Hydraulic actuators use liquid pressure rather than gas pressure to move the valve
mechanism. Because hydraulics use oil as the medium, it has inherent lubricating power
to help overcome frictions on piston actuator movements. It is possible to generate
tremendous actuating forces with a hydraulic actuator, even if the piston area is small.
4.) Hand Actuator
In case the automated actuators fail, these actuators provide a bypass mechanism. Usually
hand actuators have threaded-stem . This stem rises and falls with the handle’s turning,
providing visual indication of the valve’s status.
DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Types of Valve Actuators according to Motion
1.) Linear Actuator

Actuators that provides linear mechanical power to actuate sliding-stem valve bodies

A.) Cylinders
B.) Solenoid
C.) Diaphragm

2.) Rotary Actuator

Actuators that provides rotary mechanical power to actuate sliding-stem valve bodies

A.) Rack-and Pinion Piston Actuator

B.) Scotch-Yoke Piston Actuator
B.) Diaphragm w/ Internal Conversion Teeth
DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Pumps
Causes process medium such as fluid, powder, slurries and melts to be displaced from one
location to another therefore allowing them to flow by applying kinetic energy to it; because of
the restriction in the line pressure will build up

Two General Types of Pumps:

A.) Positive Displacement Pump
B.) Dynamic Pump

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Positive Displacement Pumps
Physically displaces fluid or process medium from one place to another in a store-lock-release
steps

If there is a restriction at the output (eg. block line), the pressure continues to increase therefore
it needs pressure relief valves downstream

Advantage: Relatively constant delivery rate even if there is a change at output pressure
Disadvantage: Non self-relieving ; Relatively low delivery rate even at very light load

Positive Displacement Pump Designs:

1.) Rotary Pump: Gear, Lobe, Screw, Vane
2.) Reciprocating Pump: Piston or Diaphragm

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Dynamic Pumps
Displaces fluid or process medium from one place to another by applying kinetic energy to it via
rotary impeller blades and after leaving or exiting the pump at the output, the kinetic energy is
converted to pressure energy

If there is a restriction at the output (eg. block or throttled line), the pressure continues to
increase while decreasing the delivery rate until a certain max. pressure that the delivery rate
becomes zero

Advantage: Self-relieving, Relatively large delivery rate

at light load or output pressure
Disadvantage: Delivery rate is highly affected by the load
or the output pressure of the pump

Dynamic Pump Designs:

1.) Centrifugal Pump
2.) Axial Pump
DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo
Comparison Between Positive Displacement and Dynamic Pumps
Dynamic Pump Positive Displacement Pump
* varying flow depending on system pressure or *Relatively constant flow rate regardless of
pressure head system pressure or pressure head
* Lesser maximum system pressure attainable * Higher maximum system pressure attainable
* Flow is reduced when viscosity is increased * Flow is increased when viscosity is increased
* Delivery rate is a function of speed of pump * Delivery rate is a function of speed of pump
and system pressure head
* Used for moderate to large discharge rate * Used for small to moderate discharge rate

DIDACTIC/Lawrence Arguedo